Menopause and burnout share many complaints: fatigue, irritability, poor sleep and a foggy head. The difference is often in the context. If cycle changes and hot flushes come along, that points towards menopause. If long-term stress or overload plays the lead, burnout fits better.
I notice that women around forty often doubt which of the two it is. And sometimes it is both at once. Below you read where the complaints overlap, where they differ and how a blood test can help to rule out other causes.
Why do menopause and burnout look so alike?
Both develop gradually and affect your energy, your mood and your sleep. In perimenopause your hormones fluctuate, which lowers your resilience. With long-term stress your system gets exhausted. The end result often feels the same: you wake up tired and struggle to wind down.
On top of that, they can reinforce each other. Hormonal fluctuations make you more sensitive to stress, and chronic stress can worsen menopause complaints. So it is not always either-or.
Which complaints fit menopause?
Some complaints point more specifically towards menopause than towards stress. They are tied to the decline and fluctuation of your hormones.
- A changing or irregular period
- Hot flushes and night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Complaints that move with your cycle
If you recognise these signals, also read our article on the first signs of perimenopause.
Which complaints fit a burnout?
With a burnout, exhaustion from long-term overload comes first. The complaints are usually tied to work or care, not to your cycle.
- Feeling completely spent, even after rest
- Cynicism or distancing from work or tasks
- The feeling of not being able to cope anymore
- Concentration and memory problems from stress
A burnout calls for attention to recovery and load, often with guidance. A blood test does not establish a burnout, but can help rule out physical causes.
What a blood test can add
A blood test does not prove whether it is menopause or a burnout, but it does rule out other causes that give exactly the same complaints. An underactive thyroid and an iron deficiency top that list.
Useful values when in doubt:
- TSH to rule out an underactive thyroid, which causes tiredness and low mood.
- Ferritin to detect an iron deficiency, a common cause of tiredness in women.
- Cortisol as a measure that can change with long-term stress.
- FSH and oestradiol, which can point towards menopause.
The Menopause Check looks at the hormones that fit menopause. Want to look more broadly at the cause of your tiredness? Read our overview on which blood values to test for fatigue.
How do you know for sure?
Certainty rarely comes from one test. The picture emerges from your complaints, your age, your cycle and, if needed, a blood value. A doctor can put that puzzle together with you, and watches for the overlap with the thyroid.
Also read how to tell a slow thyroid and menopause apart, and when your thyroid is the cause of your tiredness. At Lunara you test without a referral and your result gets an assessment per value by a BIG-registered doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Can you be in menopause and have a burnout at the same time?
Yes. Hormonal fluctuations can make you more sensitive to stress, and stress can worsen menopause complaints. The two do not exclude each other and sometimes reinforce one another.
Which test do you do when in doubt between menopause and stress?
Often TSH, ferritin and the menopause hormones, to rule out physical causes. A burnout itself is not established with blood, but with your story and, if needed, guidance.
Does measuring my cortisol help?
Cortisol can change with long-term stress, but a single measurement does not give a complete picture. So read the result together with a doctor, alongside your complaints.
References
- Santoro N. Perimenopause: From Research to Practice. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2016;25(4):332-339.
- NHG-Standaard De overgang. Dutch College of General Practitioners. Available via nhg.org.
- NHG and Thuisarts.nl. Overstrain and burnout. Dutch College of General Practitioners. Available via thuisarts.nl.
Every blood test result through Lunara includes a professional assessment by a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.
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