TBP 295: Climber and Doctor Katie O’Brien on Hormone Replacement & Other Strategies for Perimenopause
I recently asked for podcast guest recommendations for a doctor/climber who specializes in perimenopause, and I found the perfect person! Katie O’Brien is a functional medicine doctor who has a private practice at www.innergardenhealthfunctionalmedicine.com where she helps women navigate the hormonal shifts that happen starting sometimes in our late 30’s and beyond. She is also an avid, passionate climber who understands that aging climbers have goals and ambitions that they want to pursue. So she tries to help people feel as good as they possibly can in the perimenopause years when our hormones are erratic.
Perimenopause can be really unremarkable for some women and extremely detrimental for other women. It can show up as not only the typical hot flashes and low libido, but also (as in my case) anxiety, depression, joint and muscle pain, migraines, insomnia, GI issues, heart palpitations, and fatigue. And other women experience brain fog, low motivation, slow recovery, dry eyes/mouth/vagina, etc. And there are many other symptoms that are almost never talked about.
Katie will talk about what perimenopause is, how it affects us, and how you can treat it. We will talk for a long time about the efficacy and safety of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). She’ll describe the study that created overwhelming fear within the medical community of HRT and how that study has long been debunked and misunderstood. We’ll also talk about other aspects of perimenopause/menopause treatment:
What We Talked About:
- What is perimenopause?
- Both of our experiences with perimenopause
- What was wrong with the Women’s Health Initiative that scared docs away from HRT
- The role of testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone in perimenopause and menopause
- Symptoms of low hormones and erratic hormones
- Bloodwork she likes to do on her patients
- Supplements she recommends
- Nutritional must-do’s during perimenopause and beyond
- Bone health
This episode is NOT JUST FOR PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN! This is for everyone so that you, as a woman, can be sure you recognize signs and symptoms of perimenopause when they happen (and know what to do about them), and so that you as a man can help advocate for the women in your life. This is crucial for every woman’s health and happiness. I hope you get a lot out of this conversation!
Links from Conversation
- Dr. Katie O’Brien’s Practice: www.innergardenhealthfunctionalmedicine.com
- Dr. Katie’s new supplement FemmeMD – get 20% off with code friends20: https://shop.femme-md.com/
- Book she mentioned: Estrogen Matters by Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavrus
- The authors’ interview with Peter Attia
- Another Peter Attia Podcast episode that helped me
- Armchair Expert Podcast with Mary Claire Haver on Menopause
Train with Matt Pincus
Coach Matt Pincus is accepting a few new clients right now. He’ll work with you from anywhere in the world via Zoom and the TrueCoach app. He’ll make you a program based on your goals, abilities, and the time & equipment you have available. Then he’ll check in with you regularly and be available to answer any questions you have throughout your time with him.
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