Hump Day Hormones

After nearly 100 years, one of the most common hormone disorders affecting women has officially been renamed. Following a 14 year international effort involving more than 22,000 patients, researchers, and medical experts, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is now being called Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS). Why does that matter? Because the new name finally reflects what science has...

This week we're heading back to school, GLP-1 Summer School, to answer the questions we're getting asked every single day in clinic. A few years ago, hardly anyone had heard of medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. Now they're everywhere. Some people think they're a miracle. Others think they're dangerous. Most women are simply trying to sort through the noise and understand wh...

“Why does my skin suddenly feel dry, thin, sensitive, and impossible to manage?” “Is it aging... or is it my hormones?” This week we're joined by Susan Campbell, founder and CEO of Phosis Skincare, an award winning skincare brand created specifically for perimenopausal and menopausal women. Susan's innovative approach to skincare earned national recognition when Phosis was selected by Oprah Daily'...

“Your progesterone is low.” “But is low progesterone actually the problem... or is it a symptom of something deeper?” This week we're joined by returning guest Meg Green, Registered Dietitian and Integrative & Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner, for a deep dive into one of the most talked about hormones in women's health: progesterone. From anxiety and insomnia to weight gain and PMS, pro...

Are you exhausted but wired, waking at 3am, and wondering why your body feels out of sync?” “What if it is not just stress, but a full hormone and cortisol conversation your body is trying to have with you?” We are joined by Christa Jackson, APRN at Beyond Wellness, a clinician deeply rooted in personalized, root cause hormone care and formerly with Cornerstone OB GYN alongside Dr Kay Chandler. In...

“Is the system failing women… or was it never built for us in the first place?” “Why do so many women feel dismissed when they finally ask for help?” Women make up over half the population, yet their symptoms, pain, and lived experiences are still too often minimized, delayed, or misunderstood in healthcare. In this episode, we dig into the uncomfortable truth behind inequity in women’s medicine a...

New Episode of Hump Day Hormones is LIVE! “If testosterone works so well, why isn’t it approved?” “Is it not safe, or is there something else going on?” If you’ve ever questioned why testosterone for women is still considered “off-label,” this episode is for you. This is not a simple answer, and it has a lot less to do with effectiveness than most people think. In this episode, we break down: • Th...

“Does testosterone increase cancer risk?” “Is it safe for my heart?” “Will it make me gain weight?” This is the episode where we take the most common fears around testosterone and go straight to the data. Because there is a lot of confusion, and a lot of misinformation. In this episode, we break down: ❤️ What current research shows about cardiovascular risk in physiologic dosing 🫀 Lipids, blood p...

“Testosterone is a male hormone, right?” “But I thought women shouldn’t take that…” If you’ve ever been told testosterone isn’t important for women, this episode will completely change how you think about it. Because testosterone is not just a male hormone. And in women, it plays a much bigger role than most people have been taught. In this episode, we break down: 🧬 What testosterone actually doe...

“I’ve been told to just stay on birth control—it’s basically the same thing.” “But I still don’t feel better.” If you’ve ever been confused about the difference between birth control and hormone therapy, this episode is for you. Because these two are not interchangeable—and using one in place of the other can leave women feeling worse, not better. In this episode, we break down: 🧬 The fundamental...

“I’ve been told my labs are fine.” “But I still feel awful.” If you’ve ever wondered whether you even need lab work—or if you’ve been overwhelmed by endless testing—this episode is for you. Labs are powerful tools, but they’re not the whole story. Ignoring them completely? That’s also not good medicine. In this episode, we break down: 🧬 Why “normal” labs don’t always mean optimal 🩺 When labs are...

“I’ve been told everything looks fine.” “But I don’t feel fine.” If you’ve ever left an appointment feeling dismissed, confused, or still searching for answers, this episode is for you. There is a gap in women’s healthcare, especially in midlife. Your gynecologist and your hormone provider are not the same role, and expecting one visit to cover everything often leaves women without the support the...

“I used to sleep fine. What happened?” “Why am I waking up at 2 or 3 AM?” “Why does my brain turn on the second my head hits the pillow?” If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Sleep disruption is one of the most common and earliest symptoms of perimenopause, affecting up to 40–60% of women and increasing even more after menopause. And despite what you have been told: It is not just stress. I...

“I can’t sleep.” “My brain won’t shut off.” “I feel anxious for no reason.” “I’m exhausted but wired.” What if one overlooked nutrient is quietly contributing to all of it? In this week’s episode of Hump Day Hormones, we’re talking about magnesium. It is one of the most under-recognized hormone helpers in the body, yet it is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions that influence sleep, stres...

“I already take vitamin D.” “It’s just for bones, right?” “My labs were normal.” Before you tune this one out, stay with us. Vitamin D is not just a vitamin. It acts like a hormone. It binds to receptors, enters the nucleus of your cells, and turns genes on and off. In fact, research shows it influences about 5 percent of our genome and impacts roughly 1,000 genes. And deficiency is incredibly com...

“My periods have changed… and I don’t understand what’s happening.” “They’re heavier than ever.” “They’re closer together.” “I’m skipping months.” “I feel terrible before my period now.” And the only explanation you’re given is: “That’s just perimenopause.” Which is true — but wildly incomplete. In this week’s episode of Hump Day Hormones, we’re breaking down why bleeding changes happen in perimen...

“Just get through menopause.” “It’ll pass.” “Your hormones will settle down.” But what if that framing is completely wrong? In this week’s episode of Hump Day Hormones, we’re answering one of the most common questions we hear: When does menopause actually end? Here’s the truth: Menopause isn’t a moment. It’s not a finish line. And it doesn’t “end” the way most women have been led to believe. Inste...

You finally did it. You survived perimenopause. You found a provider who listens. You started hormone therapy… And then you started bleeding. And suddenly the questions spiral: Did I break something? Is this cancer? Should I stop HRT immediately? Take a breath. In today’s episode of Hump Day Hormones, we’re breaking down bleeding on HRT — why it happens, when it’s completely expected, and when it...

If you carry a BRCA mutation, chances are you’ve been told two terrifying things: Your cancer risk is higher. And hormones are dangerous. But here’s the question women are almost never given a straight answer to: If you remove your ovaries early to reduce cancer risk… are hormones truly off the table — or are we harming women by withholding them? Today on Hump Day Hormones, we’re breaking down BRC...

If you’ve ever been told, “Once you have a hysterectomy, you’ll go straight into menopause,” this episode is for you — because that statement is not always true. Today we’re breaking down one of the most misunderstood topics in women’s health: hysterectomy, surgical menopause, and what actually happens to your hormones — without fear, confusion, or outdated advice. This episode was inspired by a p...

If your joints ache when you get out of bed… If your hands hurt opening jars that never used to be a problem… If your muscles feel weaker, softer, or harder to maintain — even though you’re trying… You’re not imagining it. You’re not broken. And no — this is not “just aging.” Today on Hump Day Hormones, we’re talking about joint pain and sarcopenia — two of the most common (and dismissed) complain...

This episode is part of our Head-to-Toe Menopause Series, and it tackles one of the most underdiagnosed and undertreated menopause conditions out there — GSM. This is a menopause symptom that’s incredibly common, highly treatable, and somehow still whispered about like it’s a secret. If you’ve ever thought: “Why does sex suddenly feel like sandpaper?” “Why am I peeing all the time?” “Why do I feel...

New Episode of Hump Day Hormones is LIVE! You didn’t suddenly lose discipline. You didn’t forget how to eat or move. And no — this is not a willpower problem. If you’ve hit midlife and thought: “I eat the same. I move the same. Why is everything going to my stomach?” This episode is for you. 👖➡️😩 Today on Hump Day Hormones, we’re talking about menopause metabolism — and why fat suddenly packs up...

It may be freezing outside — but if you’re in midlife, it might feel like your body is on fire. 🔥 In this episode of Hump Day Hormones, we continue our Head-to-Toe Menopause Series by turning up the heat and tackling one of the most misunderstood (and dismissed) menopause symptoms: hot flashes. If you’ve ever gone from “I’m fine” to “why am I radiating like a space heater?” in under 30 seconds —...

We’re smack dab in the middle of Menopause Awareness Month (and yes, it’s also Breast Cancer Awareness Month) — so today, we’re taking things back to the basics. No studies, no medical jargon, just an honest, relatable conversation about something every woman eventually faces: how to actually talk to your provider about perimenopause, menopause, and hormone health. If you’ve ever left your appoint...