Picture this: a woman teetering on the edge of reason, locked in a baffling ménage-à-trois with surgical menopause, phantom PMDD, and the merciless march of time. It’s as though I signed up for freedom from PMDD, yet somehow got a lifetime pass for every hormonal horror shit show available.
I was left with surgical menopause—nature’s idea of a practical joke—suffering every creaky-jointed, fog-brained, existential crisis-riddled symptom it has to offer. Now, add to this a charming twist: PMDD, still visiting me monthly like a well-meaning yet utterly unwelcome relative. Just for a bit of seasonal flavour, toss in some hormone replacement therapy fluctuations, and you’ve got a toxic soup that can make the Scottish winter feel like a tropical breeze.
The Biology of My Frayed Mind: GABA-A, Serotonin, and Dopamine (aka the Three Hormone Stooges)
Now, when you have PMDD, life becomes something of a delicate chemical balancing act. We’ve got the usual suspects here—serotonin and dopamine, those two neurotransmitters that keep the mood stable and the spirits buoyant. But thanks to the peculiar chemistry of PMDD, my serotonin and dopamine supplies are perennially on the brink of “insufficient funds.” Add to this the GABA-A receptors, which are supposed to keep everything calm and serene. They’re like those friends who go MIA when you need them most, only to resurface once the dust has settled. For me, the GABA-A receptors seem particularly fond of acting up, making any dip in hormones feel like an emotional Armageddon.
So, when my hormonal cavalry didn’t arrive and the medical establishment waved a cheery “good luck with that,” I made a tragic mistake: I looked to red wine. Oh, the red wine—so dark, so velvety, so seemingly full of answers in a glass.
Hello, Red Wine: My Liquid Benzodiazepine (and Secret Hormone Saboteur)
In the early days, several glasses of red at the end of a long, brain-frazzling day felt like balm to my war-torn GABA-A receptors. Alcohol, it turns out, works on GABA-A receptors like a short-term fix, much like a liquid benzodiazepine, calming the storm and giving that lovely, temporary sense of tranquillity. What I didn’t realize is that this reprieve was a setup for disaster. Alcohol, it appears, has a nasty habit of making you feel worse between drinks, slowly ratcheting up anxiety and depression. In a cruel twist of fate, the brain’s momentary calm soon became a choppy emotional tide that only more wine could seem to fix. A self-perpetuating horror, if you will.
And, to add insult to injury, alcohol also spikes oestrogen levels (cheers for that, Mother Nature!). The thing about spiking oestrogen is that what goes up must come crashing down. The subsequent oestrogen dip fed straight into my pre-existing PMDD symptoms and left me right back in the trenches, dealing with every dreaded PMDD symptom imaginable, but without the built-in excuse of an actual menstrual cycle.
Hormones in a Blender: The Hell of Alcohol-Triggered Oestrogen Fluctuations
I later learned that alcohol’s effect on hormones is a bit like throwing petrol on a bonfire. Not only does it wreak havoc on the liver, which has to process all this newfound chaos, but it amplifies hormone fluctuations. When you’re already in hormonal crisis mode (hello, surgical menopause), these swings can be catastrophic.
Now, I must give a fair warning: if you’re navigating the turbulent waters of hormonal issues, consider significantly reducing or even eliminating alcohol altogether. According to Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, sticking to 1–2 drinks per week keeps the health risks low, while 3–6 drinks a week nudges you into moderate risk territory. Tip over to 7 or more drinks, and you’re well into high-risk waters, with every extra pint or glass raising the stakes.
Leave it to the Canadians to be light years ahead of us Brits, clinging stubbornly to our “all in good spirits” mentality and the comforting glow of the pub. But maybe it’s time we updated our view—after all, they’re politely paving the way while we’re still raising a glass to the old narratives, aren’t we?
To really hammer the point home, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for health, emphasizing that any amount can increase the risk of various health issues, including cancer. Alcohol can seem like a tempting respite, but beware—it can lead you deeper into the labyrinth of hormonal havoc and mood swings.
So, Farewell, Wine. It’s Just Me and My Neurotransmitters Now.
Eventually, I saw the error of my ways and waved goodbye to red wine. Alcohol, for all its charms, was only pushing me closer to the brink by disrupting every chemical pathway that I needed to survive. So here I am, left to face my phantom PMDD, surgical menopause and fluctuating hormones with nothing but sheer grit, carefully managed HRT
…and, of course, my cheeky vape!
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned from my wine-fuelled attempts at self-soothing, it’s this: there are no shortcuts when it comes to hormone health. I get it—the short-term relief, the self-medicating to cope with the relentless symptoms of PMDD or surgical menopause. Whether you’re dealing with PMDD, perimenopause, natural, or surgically induced menopause, I hear you, sister. I know the pain, the frustration, the overwhelming urge to dull the senses, to quiet the racing thoughts, to ease the anxiety spirals and shut down the relentless loops of negativity.
But trust me when I say that alcohol, though tempting, only makes it worse. It doesn’t soothe; it stirs the pot, exacerbating the very symptoms you’re hoping to escape. I’ve been down that road—things got very dark, more times than I care to admit. But in the end, I chose to fight back. If you do choose to indulge now and then, I’d suggest keeping it to two glasses a week at most.
Listen to the Canadians!
Don’t fall into the trap of self-medicating; it quickly becomes a cycle where you’re medicating the medication. Take it from someone who’s been there—there are healthier ways to find relief
- The Effect of Alcohol on Estrogen Levels and Women’s Health
- World Health Organization – Alcohol Fact Sheet: WHO Alcohol Fact Sheet
- Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol
