There is a magical dance party continually at play in your body. Your friends have arrived and are ready to party.
As the ‘Hostess with the Mostess’ it is your job to set the stage. This is especially true for women.
Communication is key. Be selective of who you invite and keep an eye on how things are going. It’s all about balance. You never know when you may need to drop in and keep the peace.
Dialing in the mood starts with a healthy diet, regular exercise and prioritizing pleasure over stress. The best parties come with good company, music, dancing, and often, the right drugs.
For those of us showing up later in life, let’s explore how hormone therapy, cannabis and even psychedelics can be a welcome addition.
Estrogen is Your Friend
As a woman, no matter what stage in life you find yourself, understanding your cycles and or depleted hormones matters. After puberty, a woman's hormones fluctuate each month with phases moving from follicular to ovulation to luteal to menstruation. These changes are particular to each woman and are altered by the hormones we take, the drugs we use, and how we take care of ourselves.
Estrogen is understood to be the “female hormone” and is key to sexual maturation and reproduction. Its fluctuating presence is very different between men and women and it is instrumental in brain functions such as cognition, memory, neurodevelopment, and anti-inflammatory effects. It is a steroid, a growth hormone that signals communication between the brain and the body.
If we consider hormones our friends, estrogen is that one who always brings the fun, she is the life of the party, while progesterone is there guarding the door, keeping the peace and balance. When testosterone shows up the party is in full swing, bringing the sex drive and even your more aggressive side and that is before we even start talking about oxytocin, prolactin, glutamate, and vasopressin.
The Dance
Neurotransmitters, the central nervous and endocannabinoid systems all play a role in the endorphin dance of happiness, good mood, stamina, creativity, and a vibrant sex drive. Conversely, when the body's signals are not communicating well then agitation, depression, memory loss, lethargy and low libido can set in.
Getting the party started is one thing, but keeping the dance flowing is another challenge altogether. It takes showing up, staying present and dialing in the food we eat, the company we keep, how we move, the drugs we take, and the surges of dopamine and serotonin at play to balance it all.
Stepping out of the dance party analogy, dialing in homeostasis comes with listening to your brain and body and reacting with intention. This includes creating routines around healthy eating, exercise and stress management while tracking and dosing with intention the drugs we take. This includes tuning in and addressing our fluctuating hormones and unique body chemistry.
The Menopausal Brain
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine led by Dr. Lisa Mosconi used ER-binding tracer (FES) and PET scans to determine and record estrogen receptor (ER) density in healthy women between 40-65 years. They recorded increases in estrogen receptors and by doing so were able to predict post-menopausal versus pre-menopausal women with 100% accuracy. This recent, June, 2024 Study found that estrogen receptors progressively increased in both peri- and post-menopausal women and remained abundant up to a decade after menopause suggesting that the “window of opportunity” for estrogen therapy is greater than previously thought.
Researchers posited that this increase in Estrogen Receptors (ER) is the body’s way to “sop up” all the available estrogen.
So exciting. While we are only beginning to understand these relationships, the future is bright and we can only hope it brings greater discovery as to how peri and menopausal women adapt to, track and dose hormone therapy.
My question is, what else can be done with this new found estrogen receptor density ready and waiting to be sopped up?
Is there a place to balance our depleting hormones and augment homeostasis with individualized hormone therapy, stimulated endorphins (orgasms), all while bringing the endocannabinoid and central nervous systems to the mix with cannabis and, hang on tight my friends, further blowing open neuroplasticity with the help of micro-dosed psychedelics.
The Relationship Between Estrogen and Cannabis
While cannabis can possess anti-estrogenic activity due to ability to up-regulate estrogen receptors, used with intention, dosed correctly and tracked, THC-dominant cannabis can play nicely with estrogen at CB1 receptors and aid in signaling throughout brain, body, central nervous and endocannabinoid systems.
The key to understanding this dance comes with dialing in the cannabis application and dose. For cycling women, this means knowing when estrogen is at its peak (Follicular/Ovulation Phase). For peri and post menopausal women tracking hormone therapy, including dosage and timing of estradiol, progesterone, and or testosterone, can affect how we approach and metabolize drugs including cannabis and psychedelics.
Fluctuating estradiol levels can affect and increase cannabis sensitivities while elevated estrogen levels can trigger the pituitary levels of the brain’s endocannabinoid transmitters (2-AG and AEA). The communication between the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) and Estrogen System (ES) involves the Central Nervous System (CNS) and plays a role in The Complex Interplay Between the ECS and ES in CNS and Periphery. A Lipid signaling system, the ECS is required to maintain homeostasis, a place we are each striving for.
Cannabis applications matter and drive how the body most efficiently metabolizes cannabinoids. For women struggling with low or fluctuating estrogen levels a sublingual application may be the best way to dose and track use.
Sublingual cannabis can come in the form of a tincture or other water soluble applications, applied through tissue (mucus membranes) such as the mouth or vulva, sublinguals are the quickest and arguably the best way to absorb cannabis. Smoking and vaping travels directly to the lungs before quickly moving into the blood stream, while edibles, if not nano-emulsified, must be metabolized by the liver before taking effect up to 30 minutes after ingesting.
Adding Psychedelics to the Mix
In their recent article, What we know about the effect of Psychedelics on Women's Health, @NinaPatrick and @NatashaAntropova discuss the fact that hormones, particularly estrogen, can potentially enhance the effect of classical psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA.
I have certainly found this to be true.
Psychedelics work by activating serotonin receptors in the brain and can lead to positive changes in mood and increased neuroplasticity. Research shows that estrogen increases the density of serotonin (5-HT2A) receptors (binding sites) in the area of the brain responsible for mood, cognition, and emotions while lower levels can lead to agitation, mood swings, and depression.
Bringing oOrgasms to the Dance
At last, when we bring oOrgasms to the party we stimulate our pleasure center inviting endorphins like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, prolactin and vasopressin to the dance. All this before we even touch on stress reduction, better sleep, healthier skin and, of course, the bonds we build when we practice regular, sensual pleasure with our significant other.
Orgasms are not always easy to come by especially if communication has broken down and we are relying on another to take us there. Whether clitoral, vaginal or both those rolling oO’s each kick start our brain to release delicious endorphins that ravage and reward both brain and body and, done right, leave us feeling relaxed and satiated.
When it comes to elevating the senses for orgasmic pleasure, to turning on and tuning in, to finding homeostasis in the symphony that is our body’s unique chemistry, it is important to listen, track, and repeatedly practice with the music happening between brain and body. By doing so you can dial in the dance of pleasure, reduce stress, and create balance.
Enjoy 🌈🧡
If you are interested in a deeper dive into this subject please DM me @TanyaGriffin. We are working on collecting data that navigates the intersection between fluctuating hormones, drugs and sexual wellness.
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