Annmarie O'Connor: When menopause and Parkinson's overlap, you don't know which to blame
The author discusses the diagnostic challenges of managing Parkinson's disease while navigating menopause. She highlights how overlapping symptoms make it difficult to distinguish between hormonal changes and neurological progression.
Why it matters
Raises awareness about the intersection of gender-specific health issues and chronic neurological conditions, emphasizing the need for better medical understanding.
Annmarie O'Connor on Parkinsons, five years on. Picture: Chani Anderson
I am post- menopausal . My sex hormones liquidated around December 2024, just before Christmas. Business was slow. Although delighted not to have a period and its attendant palaver (see: cramps, tampons, fear of wearing white), the monthly benchmark was crucial to my well-being as a person with Parkinson’s. Here’s why.
Early in my diagnosis, I experienced what I thought was a spike in my symptoms. After a chat with the Parkinson’s Ireland nurse, I discovered that wasn’t exactly the case.
She explained that falling levels of oestrogen before ovulation and menstruation can eat into already low levels of dopamine, causing a temporary speed wobble. Once oestrogen levels rise, it’s business as usual.
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