Mast cell activation syndrome isn’t widely recognized, but for many women, it may explain years of pain, fatigue, and hormone related chaos no one could solve.

I see a lot of patients who are struggling with fatigue, pain, and hormone symptoms that don’t seem to make sense on paper. And I’ve noticed a pattern but I wanted to talk to someone who lives in the complexity of it every day.

Dr. Tania Dempsey, is one of the few physicians who’s helped bring mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) into the spotlight. Years ago, she was treating a patient who just wasn’t getting better until she stumbled on a paper about mast cells that changed everything. That one article led to a phone call, a new way of thinking, and a career shifting collaboration with one of the leading voices in the field.

In this conversation, we explore how MCAS shows up in gynecology especially in cases involving PCOS, perimenopause, and unexplained pelvic pain. We discuss why some patients are unusually sensitive to progesterone, how inflammation fuels insulin resistance, and what’s actually going on when mast cells become overactive. We also get into the clinical triad so many of us see MCAS, hypermobility, and POTS and how they often appear together in patients who are struggling to get answers.

Tania also talks about how she built her practice by spending more time listening to her patients and trusting that their symptoms meant something, even when the labs didn’t show it. 

Highlights:

• What mast cells do and how they become overactive in MCAS.
• The overlooked link between PCOS, perimenopause, and mast cell dysfunction.
• Why some patients react badly to progesterone—and what to do about it.
• How GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic may help calm inflammation in MCAS.
• What to know before seeking a diagnosis or starting treatment.

If this episode opened your eyes or gave you language for what you’ve been going through, please subscribe, leave a review, and drop a comment. I’d love to hear what resonated most with you.

Dr. Dempsey's Bio:

Dr. Tania Dempsey, MD, ABIHM is a world-renowned expert in complex, multisystem diseases. As founder of the AIM Center of Personalized Medicine, in Purchase, NY, Dr. Dempsey uses functional and integrative medicine to get to the patient’s root cause(s) of illness and to help them find a path to optimum health. Her extensive knowledge and experience with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Mold, and Lyme and other Vector-Borne Diseases, has propelled her to the forefront of the medical community as a recognized and trusted speaker, researcher, advocate, and physician.

Dr. Dempsey is Board-Certified in Internal Medicine and Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She received her MD degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and her BS degree from Cornell University. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at NYU Medical Center.

She was recently elected to the Board of Directors of ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society). She is also a member of the U.S. ME/CFS Clinician Coalition, the American Academy of Ozonotherapy, and ISSWSH (International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health).

She is an accomplished international speaker, writer and thought leader and has 8 peer-reviewed articles in the medical literature. Her latest endeavor is cohosting the new podcast, Mast Cell Matters.

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