The Perimenopause Masterclass: Anxiety, Brain Fog, Broken Sleep, Weight Gain & GLP-1s
3/31/20261 hr 7 min
In this episode of “unPAUSED,” Dr. Mary Claire Haver answers the questions she gets asked most, sitting down solo to address what perimenopause actually is, why it starts in the brain before it ever shows up in bloodwork, and why so many women experiencing anxiety, brain fog, broken sleep, and unexplained weight gain are dismissed, misdiagnosed, or handed prescriptions for symptoms that have a hormonal root.
Perimenopause is not a waiting room. It is its own distinct biological phase, a seven to ten year hormonal transition that begins long before periods stop and touches every organ system in t...
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First 90 secondsMary Claire Haver· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Perimenopause is not early menopause. It is its own distinct biological phase and deserves its own episode. Perimenopause is about a seven to 10-year transition before periods stop. This is not a general decline. Hormones fluctuate wildly. This is when many women first experience anxiety, brain fog, sleep disruption, weight changes, mood shifts, joint pain, loss of resilience, and that unsettling feeling of, "I don't feel like myself anymore," long before anyone says the word menopause. Perimenopause often starts quietly. It shows up in the brain first, then the body, then everywhere else. Most women are never taught to recognize it and are told nothing is wrong. If you've thought, "Why didn't anyone warn me?" This episode is for you. I'm Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and certified menopause practitioner. I'm also an adjunct professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Welcome to Unpaused, the podcast where we cut through the silence and talk about what it really takes for women to thrive in the second half of life. [upbeat music] The views and opinions expressed on Unpaused are those of the talent and guests alone, and are provided for informational