Perimenopause Masterclass: Feel Like Yourself Again

Identify the most common perimenopause symptoms, including period changes and night sweats. Learn how irritability and stress affect daily life during perimenopause.

Explore the common perimenopause symptoms, including disrupted sleep, weight gain, memory lapses, breakouts, hair thinning, and libido changes. Understand how fatigue and shifts in skin and muscle mass affect life.

Explore the 28-day hormonal cycle, with rising estrogen and shifting progesterone, and ovulation around day 14, linking cycle changes to perimenopause symptoms.

Progesterone declines in the second half of the cycle, thickening the uterine lining and triggering heavier, irregular periods, night sweats, and sleep disruption.

Explore how estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol from the adrenal glands contribute to perimenopause symptoms—weight gain, acne, hair loss, memory lapses, fatigue, libido changes, skin and sleep disruptions.

Explore how perimenopause alters reproductive and stimulating hormones, including FSH and LH from the pituitary, with adrenal, thyroid hormones, insulin, and testosterone shaping the negative feedback loop.

Explore how estrogen and progesterone influence perimenopause, detailing estrogen's effects on the heart, brain, bones, hair, and skin, and how progesterone balances mood and cravings.

Explore how adrenal hormones—DHEA, cortisol, pregnenolone—affect energy, stress, memory, and weight in perimenopause, and how cortisol–insulin interactions drive fat storage.

Evaluate thyroid function in perimenopause with TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3, and test for Hashimoto's antibodies (TPO and TGA) to assess conversion and autoimmune risk.

Learn how blood testing assesses perimenopause hormones, with timing tips (days 16–25) for accuracy, how to read estrogen and progesterone, and what tests to order—even after hysterectomy.

Clarify which blood tests to order for perimenopause and explain fsh and lh readings. Use fsh thresholds to indicate menopausal transition and note estrogen and progesterone testing.

Discover how to test estradiol accurately and interpret cycle-based changes, including days 16 to 24 readings, and what estrogen dominance or low estrogen indicates in perimenopause.

Test progesterone through blood testing between day 16 and day 24 to assess ovulation timing and perimenopause status. Understand how progesterone levels, estradiol, and reference ranges indicate perimenopause or menopause.

Assess perimenopausal hormone health by testing testosterone, DHEA sulfate, and 'pregnant alone' levels; interpret reference ranges, tailor low-dose testosterone or replacement, and monitor skin, hair, memory, thyroid function, and cortisol.

Perimenopause can lower thyroid function, so this lecture promotes comprehensive blood testing beyond TSH, including free T4, free T3, reverse T3, and Hashimoto's antibodies to assess thyroid status.

The video explains how cortisol from the adrenal glands is affected by perimenopause and adrenal fatigue, and why a diurnal 24-hour sampling with morning and evening values matters.

Explore how heavy perimenopausal periods affect blood counts and iron stores. Learn to interpret CBC and ferritin, with reference ranges and thresholds for iron supplementation.

Learn how dried urine testing with the Dutch test assesses estrogen metabolites (2-, 4-, 16-hydroxy estrone) and cortisol patterns to guide perimenopause management.

Learn how saliva hormone testing, including the Dutch test, can assess a full 28-day cycle, track 24-hour cortisol patterns, compare to blood testing, and note costs in perimenopause.

Discover practical solutions for perimenopause, including lifestyle changes, nutrition, supplementation, and bioidentical hormone replacement to alleviate perimenopausal symptoms. Learn why conventional options may be limited and how to feel better.

Explore Michelle's perimenopause case to understand symptom-driven options beyond birth control pills or an IUD for heavy periods, irritability, sleep disruption, and weight gain.

Michelle's perimenopause blood work shows low day-18 progesterone, estrogen present, heavy periods, and low free T3, with negative thyroid antibodies, signaling perimenopause rather than menopause.

The lecture outlines a multifactorial treatment plan for heavy periods and low ferritin, focusing on iron supplementation, dietary changes, over-the-counter iron, and CBC and ferritin monitoring.

In perimenopause, low pregnenolone can cause memory lapses and brain fog. Dose 10–30 mg and monitor blood values to support your own production and mental energy.

Implement a sleep protocol to lower nighttime cortisol and improve rested sleep without grogginess, using cortisol manager, glazing powder, lysine, and farm gaba taken before bed.

Discover how a 100 mg nightly oral progesterone taken from day five to the start of the period improves sleep, balances estrogen, reduces irritability, and lightens periods.

Perimenopause can challenge weight management. Michelle reversed weight gain by increasing calories, replacing intensive cardio with strength training, and balancing macros.

Explore supplements for perimenopause that balance progesterone and estrogen metabolites, including chaste tree berry and PMA support for mood and sleep, plus DIM/indole-3-carbinol combos like AstroDim to reduce estrogen dominance.

Discover sleep strategies through targeted supplements that modulate GABA receptors, use 5-HTP (a serotonin precursor) to balance mood, and reduce nighttime cortisol, with melatonin for staying asleep in perimenopause.

DHEA is an over-the-counter pro hormone and testosterone precursor used in perimenopause to boost motivation, energy, and muscle mass; start at 5 mg, monitor labs, and adjust to 10–15 mg.

Explore how perimenopause affects acne, skin elasticity, and hair; discover natural options like saw palmetto, evening primrose oil, and targeted hair skin nails formulas to support skin and hair health.

Explore safe natural options for anxiety and mood in perimenopause, including high-dose methyl folate (10–50 mg) and stress support; also review thyroid management with low-dose iodine and thyroid plus.

Explore bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and thyroid prescriptions for perimenopause, including progesterone forms, astral estrogen, and compounded thyroid options personalized to individual needs.

Gain physiology insights, proper lab testing interpretation, and practical tools to ease perimenopause symptoms, with access to lab tests, supplements, and PDL documents.