Estrogen, sleep, hot flashes and training

My breast cancer was "estrogen-positive", which means that the presence of estrogen in my body made the cancer grow.  To combat this, I began taking the drug Tamoxifan after I was diagnosed.  Tamoxifan suppresses estrogen production, and I stopped having menstrual periods in June 2009, after a month of taking the drug.  I'll take Tamoxifan for at least five years.  In December 2009, I had a total hysterectomy which included the removal of my ovaries.  This reduced my body's estrogen production even more and officially put me into menopause. 

A low estrogen level leads to some unpleasant side effects, as many menopausal women will tell you, whether they've had cancer or not.  It increases your propensity toward a gain in body fat and loss of lean mass.  It also causes hot flashes, which lead to difficulty sleeping at night. 

I go to sleep about 10pm and, on a good night, I won't wake up until 4 am.  I may or may not be able to go back to sleep, and will usually get up before 6 am.  Being tired can make training more difficult.  To ensure that I get enough rest to make training possible, I stay in bed even if I wake up in the middle of the night. I resist the urge to get up and will practice deep breathing and meditating to help me relax and rest, even if I can't sleep again.  I think this helps me have more energy during the day.  Even if I am tired, I still work out and find that, once I get started, I'll have a bit more energy than I thought I would.  On days that I don't feel that energy, my workouts are not as strenuous and I simply accept it, knowing I did the best I could.

In hot weather, I find that I need to work out early in the morning because it's cooler.  I'll have hot flashes when I exercise, which can be pretty uncomfortable.  Exercising in front of a fan helps, as does exercising indoors and keeping the air conditioning at a lower setting.  I can't take any hormones or herbal supplements that raise my estrogen level, but I have had accupuncture treatments which I think have reduced the number and severity of hot flashes I've experienced.

Something I have been very pleased with is the fact that I have been able to build muscle mass despite a lower estrogen level.  Having lower estrogen makes it harder to build and maintain muscle, but it's not impossible.  I want to encourage other post-menopausal women to not lose hope if they are struggling to build muscle and lose excess body fat.  I've also adjusted my diet to be lower in fat and higher in lean protein, which helps keep my body fat lower and lean mass higher.  I will write about this separately in another blog, but I wanted to mention it here.