Pharmacist Annie shares her personal experience with how stress and hormones are connected, highlighting how everyday stressors and life events can impact overall well-being. She reflects on her experience recognizing hormonal imbalance, building a stress-management toolkit, and taking proactive steps toward better health.
Annie’s Story
In April of 2023, I began waking with a sense of warmth many times a night. Soon after, I would break into a full-body sweat within the minute of waking. Some nights, I could hear the sweat dripping off my head and hitting the pillow multiple times in a night. Of course, each occurrence was interrupting my sleep. At the same time, I began feeling anxious almost daily which is not my base line, and I skipped a menstrual cycle. I started to get annoyed by what I was experiencing.
As a compounding pharmacist with hormone training, I recognized at the age of 45, I was likely experiencing hormonal changes. I assessed and tweaked my workouts, nutrition, and supplements with no drastic changes in what I was experiencing.
A month later, my daughter was scheduled for planned open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. Just days before the planned surgery, I traveled to Colorado to move her back from college and prepare for surgery and recovery. Throughout it all, the symptoms continued.
The night after her surgery, as I tried to rest in the chair in the ICU, I realized I wasn’t experiencing any sweats. I remained dry and cool the second night as well. That’s when the lightbulb went off—I had been under a tremendous amount of stress in the previous few months, and it was likely this stress that was triggering my symptoms. I know from my hormone training that stress causes the body to burn through progesterone more rapidly.
When progesterone levels are low, one may notice symptoms, one being night sweats. Thankfully, my sweats stayed away, I believe, as my stress started to lighten—at least temporarily. But a few months later, my husband was unexpectedly hospitalized, and we were faced with end-of-life decisions within the week. The sweats were back, even though I wasn’t getting much rest. This time, I recognized what was happening. They continued for at least a month after his passing as I navigated life with my five children. Eventually, they tapered off, but the connection between stress and my body’s response was undeniable.
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Stress and hormones are deeply intertwined. While we can’t avoid all stress—life inevitably brings its challenges, and then something awful happens. It’s during these trying times that we may become more aware of how stress affects our bodies and overall health.
Caring for your health is a personal journey, unique to each of us. I share my story to highlight the profound impact of hormone balance—and imbalance—on our bodies, often before we even recognize it. It’s essential to explore your symptoms while also stepping back to assess daily stressors that may influence that balance.
As I thought about the great support system I have at The Apothecary, I realized that every member of our team has faced a tragedy, diagnosis, loss, or significantly stressful event at some point. While we may not have walked in your shoes, we each have a story. We empathize with you and are here to support you with resources for your journey.
Foundational Tools to Navigate Life’s Challenges
Having a strong foundation of tools and support can make all the difference when facing life’s challenges. We encourage you to start building your health toolkit by incorporating some practices, strategies, and sources of support that work for you—both in daily life and during challenging times. These tools should be personal and unique to you and your situation.
My personal toolkit consists of meditation/prayer, prioritizing personal care and my health, exercise, breathwork, journaling, time with those I love, taking one day at a time and living in the moment. Implementing these mitigates my daily stress, helps me cope with the unexpected stressors as they appear and propels me forward to live to my fullest potential.
The following are some “toolkit” items to consider that may support your body’s balance and resilience both in daily life and during challenging times:
- Mindfulness or Prayer – Create space for calm and clarity
- Breathwork & Deep Breathing – Support your nervous system with intentional breathing
- Balanced Nutrition – Fuel your body with nourishing foods
- Exercise & Movement – Release tension and naturally boost endorphins
- Quality Sleep – Prioritize rest for recovery and balance
- Journaling & Reflection – May support emotional processing and self-awareness
- Time in Nature – May promote overall well-being and help reduce stress
- Support System & Connection – Lean on loved ones for support and strength
Start small — Choose what feels right for you. Even one small shift can help support reducing stress and help restore balance.
If you are looking for supplements or vitamins to complement your health goals, we offer a large selection of over-the-counter items—vitamins, homeopathics, botanicals, nutraceuticals, chemical-free skin care products, and natural cosmetics. Our team is happy to help with recommendations or questions you have about nutritional supplements to support your health goals. We have put together some common targeted support supplements on our website. Visit the “Targeted Support Recommendations” button to access the different categories of targeted support recommendations. Feel free to stop in or give one of our pharmacists a call at The Apothecary 320-251-0107. Note: Mail-order shipping cost varies by order.
