How can perimenopause be mistaken for bipolar disorder?

In this episode, Dr Naomi Potter talks to comedian, writer and speaker Cally Beaton about how she was wrongly diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was actually perimenopausal — a misdiagnosis that happens in more cases than you might realise.

Cally also shares how she reinvented herself in midlife to become a stand-up comedian, how she's struggling to access the HRT she needs, and gets advice from Dr Naomi Potter on how to beat those menopause-induced nighttime surges of anxiety.

This is an eye-opening conversation full of laughter, information, and great advice for midlife women.

Stay up to date with Is It Hot In Here? podcast on Instagram: @hotinhere_podcast

Follow Cally Beaton below:

Cally's Instagram: @callybeatoncomedian

Cally's TikTok: @callybeatoncomedian

Cally's podcast Namaste Motherf**kers: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/namaste-motherf-kers/id1562113984

Cally's new book Namaste Motherf**kers: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Namaste-Motherf-kers/dp/B08JJZF3MCFollow

Dr. Naomi Potter below:

Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter

Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter

00:00 – Intro to Cally

00:28 – From TV boardrooms to comedy clubs

00:59 – Joan Rivers gives life-changing advice

02:33 – Taking the leap into standup

03:21 – From corporate gloss to vulnerability

04:26 – Learning through failure in comedy

05:05 – Balancing comedy and corporate life

05:35 – cComedy secret revealed in New York

07:51 – The hormonal chaos of our 40s

08:42 – Perimenopause is the real issue

09:19 – When Cally hit rock bottom

10:23 – Juggling too much and crashing

10:54 – Post-stage breakdown and relentless tears

11:25 – Accessing private psychiatric treatment

12:08 – Diagnosed with bipolar at 47

12:54 – Prescribed heavy-duty bipolar meds

13:46 – Finally a GP mentions hormones

14:16 – Realising it was perimenopause all along

14:36 – Off bipolar meds, onto HRT

15:08 – Misdiagnosis of women in psychiatry

16:34 – Hormonal turbulence or psychiatric issue?

17:14 – Fear of long-term bipolar medication

18:01 – Finally coming off the wrong meds

19:34 – Overprescribing and polypharmacy problems

20:11 – HRT patch frustration begins

20:49 – Side effects and stock issues

22:10 – Why HRT access is so hard

25:06 – Perimenopause symptoms: depression to anxiety

25:55 – Hot flushes, night sweats and brain fog

26:35 – The stubborn menopause tummy fat

27:15 – Brain fog vs stage clarity

27:51 – Crippling sleep anxiety in midlife

29:02 – Sleep schedule struggles as a comedian

29:26 – Cally’s current HRT regime

30:03 – Trouble replacing the mirena coil

30:56 – Alternative progesterone options

31:48 – Regular pushback from GPs

32:31 – Long-term safety of HRT

33:36 – Alternatives to HRT patches

34:35 – Chronic sleep deprivation struggles

35:07 – Could progesterone help with sleep?

35:28 – Questions from Cally’s community

35:45 – When is a good time to stop HRT?

36:24 – Managing withdrawal and symptoms

36:46 – On max HRT and still foggy

37:09 – Lifestyle factors beyond hormones

38:05 – Absorption issues and patch quality

38:28 – Testosterone and brain clarity

39:00 – What to expect post-menopause

39:49 – Hormonal chaos eventually settles

40:44 – Libido tips and tricks

41:15 – Understanding the causes of low libido

43:12 – Cally’s upcoming book and tour

44:07 – Fearless reinvention through midlife

44:50 – Mess, midlife, and moving forward

46:10 – Outro

#callybeaton #naomipotter #namastemotherfuckers