Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — Stress Response

By Dr. Tracy Tranchitella, ND    Important: Palpitations should not automatically be attributed to menopause or a hormone imbalance. If palpitations are happening with chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting or feeling faint, seek emergency medical help rather than waiting for a home test. New, recurrent or worsening palpitations need clinical assessment; an ECG or heart-rhythm monitoring may be needed. There it is again! That distinct flutter in your chest that kicks up your heart rate and leaves you feeling a bit breathless. It might feel as though your heart just skipped a beat or flip-flopped in your chest and...

Your body's stress response is controlled by three key chemical mediators: norepinephrine, epinephrine, and cortisol. When these become dysregulated — through chronic stress, allostatic overload, or HPA axis dysfunction — the consequences extend far beyond fatigue. This article explains how the stress response works, what happens when it can't self-regulate, and how hormone and neurotransmitter testing can reveal the specific imbalances driving your symptoms.

GABA is the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter — and its balance is critical for restful sleep. This article explores how both low and high GABA levels can disrupt sleep, and why addressing the adrenal stress response is often the key to resolving GABA-related sleep problems.

Your adrenal glands are your body's frontline stress managers — producing cortisol, DHEA and adrenaline to keep you functioning under pressure. But when stress becomes chronic, these glands can fall out of balance, leading to fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, anxiety and more. Discover how adrenal hormones work, what imbalance looks like, and 10 evidence-based tips to restore balance.

The contraceptive pill is one of the most widely used medications in the world — but its effects on mood, brain chemistry and hormone balance are still poorly understood. This article explores how synthetic hormones disrupt oestrogen, progesterone, cortisol and neurotransmitters, and why some women are far more vulnerable to depression and anxiety as a result.