Perimenopause is apparently the perfect time to start worrying about dementia, cholesterol, hearing aids, and whether your brain is quietly packing its bags.

This episode of OvaryActive is part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Ayesha Sherzai of the Brain Docs. Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch are talking with Dr. Sherzai all about dementia prevention, brain health, and the deeply rude realization that the "boring stuff" might actually matter.

This episode picks up with the Lancet Dementia Commission report and the 14 modifiable risk factors linked to dementia, including hearing loss, high LDL cholesterol, depression, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity, hypertension, obesity, social isolation, vision loss, and more.

Dr. Sherzai explains why midlife is such an important window for prevention, how hearing aids are no longer giant beige Lego pieces, and why statins deserve a much better PR team.

Listeners will learn what really helps reduce dementia risk, what to know about APOE4 genetic testing, and why menopausal hormone therapy should not be started for dementia prevention alone. The conversation also goes over brain health supplements, the limits of "natural" wellness claims, and why expensive pee is not a long-term cognitive strategy.

What you'll hear in this episode:

[0:53] Lancet Report explained

[5:50] 14 risk factors

[7:57] Midlife window shift

[9:15] Hearing loss breakthrough

[14:18] Reading and APOE

[16:57] APOE and LDL

[21:30] Statins for prevention

[24:30] Hormones and dementia

[29:52] Social media hype

[32:52] Supplements reality check

Links:

thebraindocs.com

Find the Brain Docs on Instagram: @thebraindocs

Find the Brain Docs on Facebook: @BrainDocsFB

Find the Brain Docs on YouTube: @theBrainDocs

Purchase The NEURO Plan Playbook: thebraindocs.com/playbook

Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube | perimenopausedrs.com/ovaryactive

Estrogen, Interrupted by Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su & Dr. Amy Voedisch

Meet the Docs:

More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su:

Gennev: www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su

LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su

More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch: Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html

This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

Perimenopause can make your brain feel like it left the room — not that it remembers why it went there in the first place. In this first part of a two-part series with the Brain Docs, OvaryActive is talking all about dementia, brain fog, and the very real panic that happens when midlife memory glitches start feeling a little too ominous.

Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch welcome Dr. Ayesha Sherzai, one half of the Brain Docs, for a reassuring and science-backed conversation about what is actually happening in the brain during perimenopause. They talk about estrogen, memory, sleep disruption, hot flashes, mood changes, and why midlife brain fog is common, distressing, and usually NOT the beginning of dementia.

Part one is a hopeful, practical episode about brain health, dementia risk, and why You're Not Crazy continues to be the most medically useful sentence in perimenopause.

What you'll hear in this episode:

[0:28] Meet the Brain Docs

[1:21] Why study preventive medicine in neurology specifically?

[4:18] Migraine mea culpa

[5:49] Modern migraine science

[9:29] CGRP treatments explained

[11:37] Hormones OCP stroke risk

[17:24] Midlife brain fog fears

[19:20] Estrogen and cognition

[21:25] "When to worry" signs

[25:16] Referrals, prevention and what's coming in part 2

Links:

thebraindocs.com

Find the Brain Docs on Instagram: @thebraindocs

Find the Brain Docs on Facebook: @BrainDocsFB

Find the Brain Docs on YouTube: @theBrainDocs

Purchase The NEURO Plan Playbook: thebraindocs.com/playbook

Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube | perimenopausedrs.com/ovaryactive

Estrogen, Interrupted by Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su & Dr. Amy Voedisch

Meet the Docs:

More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su:

Gennev: www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su

LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su

More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:

Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html

This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

Perimenopause: where your body starts doing weird things and then gaslights you about it.

In this episode of OvaryActive, Dr. Amy Voedisch and Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su dive into the "wait…what?" symptoms. Those random, head-scratching changes that pop up during the menopause transition. Think asthma out of nowhere, itchy ears that won't quit, or sudden dizziness that makes you question your balance and your sanity. Is it hormones? Is it aging? Is it both? Welcome to the gray area.

They are sharing what little research exists, where estrogen might be playing a role, and why so many of these symptoms live in the frustrating "we're not totally sure" category.

They also talk about whether menopausal hormone therapy helps, hurts, or lands squarely in the "we'll have to try and see" bucket.

Most importantly, this episode reinforces a core truth: you're not making this up. You're definitely not alone. And you're NOT crazy. This is really happening.

NOTE: Hey, we misspoke: BPPV is from the semicircular canals, not the ossicles. Thanks to listener Amy Patrick for spotting the error!

What you'll hear in this episode:

[0:29] We're talking WEIRD

[0:58] We have to give a disclaimer…because we're doctors.

[2:21] Can hormones fix it?

[3:50] Why am I out of breath?

[10:39] Okay, now I'm dizzy.

[12:47] I can't hear you!

[20:30] My ears are itchy?!

[22:54] My mouth is on fire!

[26:46] Why am I cold all the time? (I thought I was supposed be HOT!)

[29:44] This is really weird. My fingers are…buzzing?

[33:08] We hope you feel better. You're NOT crazy!

Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube

Meet the Docs:

More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su:

Gennev: www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su

LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su

More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:

Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html

This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

Perimenopause: the phase where your body does whatever it wants, whenever it wants, and your brain has thoughts about it. So what happens when hot flashes hit, anxiety creeps in, and suddenly you're questioning everything from your wardrobe to your worth? And more importantly…what if the problem isn't just the symptom, but the story you've been told about it?

In this episode of OvaryActive, Julia Weitlauf joins the Docs to talk all about cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for menopause—because apparently, we can't control the hot flashes, but we can control how much they ruin our day.

They are covering what CBT is, how it's been used for decades to treat things like anxiety and insomnia, and how it's now being adapted to help women manage menopause symptoms, specifically the distress around hot flashes.

Listeners will also hear why the CBT approach doesn't eliminate symptoms, but can significantly reduce their impact, improve quality of life, and help women get back to doing the things they love.

Bottom line: menopause may still be a buzzkill… but it doesn't have to run the show.

What you'll hear in this episode:

[3:00] What is CBT?

[4:53] How CBT is used for anxiety, depression, & imsomnia

[6:23] CBT with menopause and perimenopause

[15:08] CBT session-by-session breakdown

[24:47] When menopause overlaps with anxiety and depression

[26:58] CBT improves sleep, mood, and quality of life…why?

[28:08] DIY options

[32:26] Who should use CBT?

[33:41] How to find a therapist trained in CBT?

[35:19] Final takeaway

Resources:

Julia Weitlauf on LinkedIn

Managing Hot Flushes and Night Sweats by Myra Hunter

psychologytoday.com/us

Perimenopause is still taking the blame… but in this unexpected third installment (because Amy just got too excited), we're talking about functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA).

Dr. Chrisandra Shuflet joins the Docs in this episode of OvaryActive to explain FHA, tell us why it is often missed or dismissed, and how it's diagnosed. The conversation explores how disrupted brain signaling leads to low estrogen, why it's a diagnosis of exclusion, and how this condition shows up most often in younger women, even though its impact can follow you well into perimenopause and beyond.

As a condition that can look like perimenopause but is actually your brain hitting the pause button on your ovaries. If your cycle disappears and you're nowhere near your forties, it's probably not peri… it's your body responding to stress, under-fueling, over-exercising. Or maybe all of the above.

What you'll hear in this episode:

[0:34] Welcome Chrisandra Shufelt, MD

[3:46] What is FHA?

[6:02] A diagnosis of exclusion

[7:00] Lab patterns to distinguish FHS, PCOS, POI

[8:45] Who is most at risk:

[13:42] Why do so many women go years without a diagnosis?

[18:14] Long-term risks

[20:30] Cardiovascular connection

[22:38] ARCH study

[29:13] What does a history of FHA mean in perimenopause?

[33:34] Treatment approach (sorry, no Rx)

[37:22] Final takeaways: you are NOT crazy still applies!

Links:

Reveal trial: https://www.mayo.edu/research/clinical-trials/cls-20570285

Dr Shufelt: https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/shufelt-chrisandra-l-m-d/bio-20542101

@chrisandra-shufelt-md-ms-facp-mscp on LinkedIn

Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube

Meet the Docs:

More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su:

Gennev: www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su

LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su

More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:

Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html

This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

Perimenopause gets blamed for a lot of things – mood swings, weird cycles, rogue chin hairs – but sometimes the culprit isn't peri at all. In Part 2 of When It's NOT Peri, the Docs are talking about polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a condition that looks suspiciously like perimenopause but actually comes from a completely different hormonal playbook.

The hosts explain what PCOS actually is, why insulin resistance sits at the center of the syndrome, and how symptoms like irregular periods, acne, hair growth, and weight changes can overlap with perimenopause. They also walk through how doctors diagnose PCOS, the famous Rotterdam criteria, and why clinicians often have to rule out several other endocrine issues before landing on the diagnosis.

The episode also explores how PCOS evolves across the lifespan and why the metabolic side of the condition still matters long after the reproductive years are over.

What you'll hear in this episode:

[1:11] PCOS defined and misnamed

[3:29] Symptoms that overlap

[5:55] Ethnicity and different presentations

[7:42] Rotterdam diagnostic criteria

[12:16] Who gets diagnosed and when

[18:00] Hormone signaling and ovulation disruption

[20:48] Fertility timing, OPKs, & birth control

[29:54] Lifestyle and metformin

[33:22] PCOS in perimenopause

[37:10] Research gaps and advocacy

[40:09] Takeaways

Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube

Meet the Docs:

More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su:

Gennev: www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su

LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su

More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:

Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html

This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

Perimenopause gets blamed for a lot… but sometimes it's innocent. In this first episode of our two-part series When It's NOT Peri, the Docs talk about what happens when symptoms that look like perimenopause are actually something else entirely. Sometimes the ovaries aren't "transitioning"… they're waving a much earlier white flag.

This episode of OvaryActive zeroes in on premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). This is a condition where ovarian function declines before age 40. Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch walk through what POI is and what it isn't. They also talk about why diagnosis can take years, how it differs from typical perimenopause, and the detective work involved in ruling out other causes like thyroid issues, genetics, or prior treatments.

Along the way, listeners will understand why symptoms can feel confusingly similar yet require a completely different medical approach. POI is more than a cycle change. It's a long-term health consideration affecting bone, heart, brain, fertility, and mental health. And early treatment matters.

Think of this episode as the "wait, could it be something else?" guide: equal parts validation, science, and practical next steps to help you recognize when maybe it's NOT peri.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• [1:52] Maybe it's NOT peri. Maybe it's POI
• [6:15] The workup: genetics, fragile x, turner syndrome, & more
• [9:41] Causes to rule out
• [12:09] We treat POI aggressively, here's why
• [15:46] Long-term health stakes
  • bone health, heart & brain, mental health, & sexual health
• [23:43] How to treat POI
• [26:25] Contraception options in POI
• [30:12] Long-term planning
• [32:54] Special cases
• [39:06] Key takeaways & wrap-up: POI is NOT peri

Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube

Meet the Docs:

More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su:

Gennev: www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su

LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su

More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:

Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html

When we talk about perimenopause, we talk a lot about symptoms, but not nearly enough about what's happening to your heart. Since February is Heart Health Month, it's the perfect time to take a "beat" to focus on your cardiovascular health.

In this episode of OvaryActive, the Docs zoom out from hot flashes and hormones to talk about the number one killer of women: cardiovascular disease. They also explain why the menopause transition is a critical (and often ignored) window for heart health.

Preventive cardiologist Dr. Beth Abramson joins Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch to connect the dots between perimenopause, estrogen changes, and rising cardiovascular risk.

They talk about why cholesterol and blood pressure tend to creep up after ovarian function declines and how lifestyle factors actually matter more than we'd like them to. This conversation reframes midlife as an opportunity, not a countdown.

The takeaway? You're not doomed, but you do need to pay attention. Your heart has been quietly keeping score this whole time.

What you'll hear in this episode:

[0:28] Welcome Dr. Beth Abramson

[1:20] Heart health 101

[5:21] Understanding risk factors and prevention

[7:30] Diet & exercise: practical advice

[12:34] Menopause & cardiovascular health

[16:30] Pregnancy & long-term heart health

[24:11] Lp(a) explained

[26:29] Hormones ≠ heart shield

[32:14] Risk–Benefit Math

[40:16] What the future holds

[44:07] Basic health practices are important

[44:36] A few final thoughts on heart health

Resources:

cardiometabolicprevent.ca

Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube

Meet the Docs:

More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su:

Gennev: www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su

LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su

More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:

Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html

Birth control or hormone therapy? Why does this decision feel like a personality test you didn't study for?

In this episode of OvaryActive, the Docs tackle one of the most confusing (and hotly debated) topics in perimenopause: when birth control is actually the right choice, when menopausal hormone therapy makes more sense, and why TikTok might not be the best place for medical nuance.

Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch walk listeners through how clinicians actually think about this decision. The process includes contraceptive needs, bleeding patterns, symptom "greatest hits," and medical history that actually matters.

The Docs will guide you through the options and even cover what a combination approach might look like. Most importantly, shared decision-making, not social media panic, should guide treatment choices.

This episode reminds you that perimenopause is real, complicated, and highly individual. And the right plan is the one that treats your physiology, not someone else's algorithm.

What you'll hear in this episode:

[1:05] Birth control vs. hormone therapy

[2:49] Contraception needs during perimenopause

[5:34] Understanding menopausal hormone therapy

[7:45] Assessing symptoms

[16:59] So many choices! How do you choose?

[22:03] Breakthrough symptoms

[23:51] Combination approaches (Amy's FAV)

[29:58] You didn't miss the window!

[35:32] Alternative methods & why they may not be a good fit

[40:22] You're NOT crazy!

Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube

Meet the Docs:

More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su:

Gennev: www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su

LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su

More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:

Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html

Hot flashes, mood swings, surprise chin hairs… and now migraines? Welcome to perimenopause, where your hormones throw a rave in your brain and forget to invite you.

In this episode of OvaryActive, the Docs tackle the maddening intersection of migraine misery and perimenopause chaos, complete with aura weirdness, estrogen roller coasters, and the universal fear of bright lights and strong perfumes.

Migraines are more than "just a headache" and there is a reason they love to show up right before or during your period. You'll hear about triggers ranging from hormones to allergens to the existential dread of week three of your cycle.

This episode sheds light on the difference between migraines with and without aura, why estrogen drops can send your brain into chaos, and what treatments actually work.

You'll know your options, understand your triggers, and realize (important!) that you do not have to suffer through perimenopausal migraines alone.

What you'll hear in this episode:

[1:57] Why do migraines appear or get worse during perimenopause?

[3:40] Headaches vs. true migraines

[8:03] What the what is a migraine "aura"?

[13:33] Can you prevent migraines?

[21:25] Migraines can also mean anxiety, sleep issues, and hot flashes

[22:27] Practical treatment options

[29:46] What's new in the migraine treatment world?

[32:39] OTC remedies for when a migraine happens

[38:41] You're NOT CRAZY!

Resources:

curablehealth.com

Meet the Docs:

More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su:

Gennev: www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su

LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su

More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:

Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html