Emmenology (MENOPAUSE & PERIMENOPAUSE) with Dr. Monica Christmas, Dr. Mary Claire Haver + more

Clockwise from top left: Dr. Monica Christmas, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Dr. Sarah Witkowski, Dr. Lara Durgavich

The time is here for this whopper of a 3-part series on menopause. No matter what your age or gender, you owe it to the people in your life who go through this to understand it.

Part 1: Hormones. Mood swings. Brain fog. Night sweats. And why doesn’t your shoulder work? Brilliant and charming Dr. Mary Claire Haver is an OB-GYN who wrote bestsellers “The New Menopause” and the just-released “The New Perimenopause” and hosts the podcast unPAUSED. The wonderful and warm Dr. Monica Christmas is a professor and clinician with decades of experience in menopause treatment,  and repeat guest Dr. Lara Durgavich is a primatologist who has some answers about why our species goes through “the change.” 

Part 2: Hormones or no hormones? Itchy ears. Disappearing pussy syndrome. Estrogen by land, by sea, by patch, by pill, or by cream. When is it T time? What's the deal with herbal remedies? Should your moisturizer have hormones in it? Is HRT safe? Four experts weigh in on bioidentical versus synthetic, getting better sleep, what to put in or around your vagina, tips for trans folks, protein research, and why you should go pick up a brick or something. OB/GYNs and menopause experts Dr. Monica Christmas and Dr. Mary Claire Haver – who wrote the book The New Perimenopause – are back for this Part 2 all about science-backed fixes to your menopausal probs. Joining the chat is Smith College exercise physiologist Dr. Sarah Witkowski with a cameo from anthropologist and bone expert Dr. Daniel Wescott.

Part 3: Advice. Hot tips. Book recs. Perspective. It’s the third and final installment of our Emmenology series on perimenopause and menopause, and it’s all wise words from Patrons. Dealing with brain fog, giving spouses grace, finding estrogen patches amid short supply, what to ask the HR department at work, and analogies that would melt even the coldest haters. Tune in, hang on, and sweat it out. 

Listen via Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Ad-free episodes available by subscribing to SiriusXM Podcasts+. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Browse Dr. Christmas’s papers on ResearchGate and follow her on Instagram

Visit Dr. Haver’s website and follow her on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Substack

Buy Dr. Haver’s books, The New Menopause, The New Perimenopause, andThe Galveston Diet

Follow Dr. Durgavich on Bluesky

Learn more about Dr. Sarah Witkowski’s work 

Donations went to the Center for Food Equity in Medicine, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and The Menopause Society

Links to things we discussed:

Frozen Shoulder - American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Frozen shoulder: Diagnosis and treatment of adhesive capsulitis - The American Journal of Medicine

(PDF) Prevalence and factors associated with shoulder pain among diabetic patients and menopausal women: evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study

Frozen Shoulder: Causes, Symptoms, and the Link with Menopause | Brown University Health

Hormone Therapy Appears to Reduce Risk of Shoulder Pain in Older Women | Duke Health

Characterization of reproductive hormonal dynamics in the perimenopause - PubMed

Perimenopause: The Zone of Chaos - YouTube

Menopause basics | Office on Women's Health

Menopause Fact Sheet - World Health Organization

Myths and facts about perimenopause and fertility — Clearblue®

Pregnancy still possible during perimenopause | UCLA Health

Can You Get Pregnant During Perimenopause?

Births in the United States, 2024

Advanced maternal age - Wikipedia

List of oldest mothers - Wikipedia

UK woman, 59, world's oldest natural mother

Oldest mother to conceive naturally | Guinness World Records

National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 74, Number 3, March 6, 2025

How Many Eggs Do You Have? At Birth, Age 30, 40, More

Diminished Ovarian Reserve: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Clinical treatise on the diseases of the ganglionic nervous system incidental to women at the decline of life

Duration of Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms Over the Menopause Transition - PMC

Hot Flashes| The Menopause Society

75% of people experience hot flashes during menopause, fewer than 50% get treatment. | UCLA Health

What Are Vasomotor Symptoms (Hot Flashes)? - Menopause

The efficacy and tolerability of SSRI/SNRIs in the treatment of vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women: a systematic review

Understanding brain fog and menopause | UT Physicians

Brain fog in menopause: a health-care professional’s guide for decision-making and counseling on cognition

Is Hormone Replacement Therapy a Risk Factor or a Therapeutic Option for Alzheimer’s Disease? - PMC

Menopause hormone therapy and risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis - The Lancet Healthy Longevity

The impact of estradiol on serotonin, glutamate, and dopamine systems

Long-term cognitive effects of menopausal hormone therapy: Findings from the KEEPS Continuation Study | PLOS Medicine

Understanding brain fog and menopause | UT Physicians

Brain fog - The Menopause Charity

Creatine in women's health: bridging the gap from menstruation through pregnancy to menopause - PubMed

Why am I gaining weight so fast during menopause? And will hormone therapy help? - UChicago Medicine

Midlife Weight Gain

Neurobiological Underpinnings of the Estrogen – Mood Relationship - PMC

Postmenopause: Signs, Symptoms & What To Expect

Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process - The Lancet

What Is the Link Between FSH Levels and Menopause?

Menopause | Penn Center for Women's Behavioral Wellness

Follicle-stimulating hormone: More than a marker for menopause FSH as a frontier for women’s mental health - PMC

Menopause | FDA

Sex-Based Differences in Odds of Motor Vehicle Crash Injury Outcomes

Closing the Women’s Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies

Overview of the National Institutes of Health Investment in Women’s Health Research

Read "A New Vision for Women's Health Research: Transformative Change at the National Institutes of Health" at NAP.edu

Total NIH Budget Authority: FY 2024 Operating Plan

National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding for select conditions relevant to women’s health, fiscal years 2013–2023

Menopause occurs late in life in the captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) - PMC

Demographic and hormonal evidence for menopause in wild chimpanzees | Science

Menopause in Nonhuman Primates? - PMC

The evolution of menopause in toothed whales | Nature

Sumatran Orangutan Merah | Saint Louis Zoo

Baby orangutan pictures! L.A. Zoo welcomes new addition - Los Angeles Times

56-year-old chimp gives birth at zoo in Kansas

Grandmother hypothesis - Wikipedia

Grandmothers and the evolution of human longevity: A review of findings and future directions

The Grandmother Effect: Implications for Studies on Aging and Cognition - PMC

Granny (orca) - Wikipedia

Granny killer whales pass along wisdom—and extra fish—to their grandchildren | Science

Reproductive Conflict and the Evolution of Menopause in Killer Whales

Exercises aimed to maximize lean mass and bone mineral density at the hip and lumbar spine

Neurokinin 3 Receptor

Neurokinin 3 receptor antagonists for menopausal vasomotor symptoms, an appraisal

Neurokinin 3 receptor antagonists

FDA Approves Novel Drug to Treat Moderate to Severe Hot Flashes Caused by Menopause

Muscle loss and protein needs in older adults

Low Dietary Protein Intakes and Associated Dietary Patterns and Functional Limitations in an Aging Population: A NHANES Analysis

Protein Requirements for Older Adults: What Are the Current Recommendations for Intake?

Protein Consumption and the Elderly: What Is the Optimal Level of Intake?

Depressive symptoms in users and non-users of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate

Progesterone, reproduction, and psychiatric illness

Progestogens as a component of menopausal hormone therapy: the right molecule makes the difference - PMC

Prometrium vs Provera Comparison - Drugs.com

Prometrium vs Provera | Power

Preventing Falls and Hip Fractures

Mortality and cause of death in hip fracture patients aged 65 or older - a population-based study

Recurrent (Chronic) UTIs: Causes, Symptoms & Cure

The Etiology and Management of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Postmenopausal Women - PMC

ICS-EUS 2025 Abstract #118 Impact of Vaginal Estrogen on Serious Adverse Outcomes in Postmenopausal Women with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections

‘Millions of women are suffering who don’t have to’: why it’s time to end the misery of UTIs

Vaginal estrogen effective against recurrent UTIs | Contemporary OB/GYN

UTI in older women: Why postmenopausal women are susceptible to urinary tract infection, and what to do about it

SSRIs vs HT: What's Really First-Line Therapy for Perimenopausal Depression? | The 'Pause Blog

Does menopause hormone therapy improve symptoms of depression? Findings from a specialized menopause clinic - PubMed

Progesterone and Your Brain: The Forgotten Hormone of Calm

Effect of medroxyprogesterone on depressive symptoms in depressed and non-depressed perimenopausal and postmenopausal women following discontinuation of transdermal estradiol therapy

Optimal management of perimenopausal depression

Does menopause hormone therapy improve symptoms of depression? Findings from a specialized menopause clinic

Hormonal Agents for the Treatment of Depression Associated with the Menopause

Progestogen Experience Among Transgender Women and Gender Diverse Adults Assigned Male at Birth in the United States

Testosterone Therapy for Women | Cedars-Sinai

Global Consensus Position Statement on the Use of Testosterone Therapy for Women | The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism | Oxford Academic

Should we be prescribing testosterone to perimenopausal and menopausal women? A guide to prescribing testosterone for women in primary care

Testosterone Therapy for Women | Cedars-Sinai

Testosterone Pellets in Women: Revisiting Safety and Clinical Outcomes - PMC

MHRA Approves First Testosterone Cream for Postmenopausal Women in the UK

Female testosterone cream gets tick of approval in win for gender and sexual equality - Whria

Transdermal Testosterone (Off-Label) for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) in Postmenopausal Females

Why we need testosterone products designed for women

Counseling Postmenopausal Women about Bioidentical Hormones: Ten Discussion Points for Practicing Physicians - PMC

A Brief Account of the Discovery of the Fetal/Placental Unit for Estrogen Production in Equine and Human Pregnancies: Relation to Human Medicine

Is the use of conjugated equine oestrogens in hormone replacement therapy still appropriate?

The bioidentical hormone debate: are bioidentical hormones (estradiol, estriol, and progesterone) safer or more efficacious than commonly used synthetic versions in hormone replacement therapy? - PubMed

Are bioidentical hormones superior to hormone medications?

Bioidentical hormones: Are they safer? - Mayo Clinic

Compounded Bioidentical Menopausal Hormone Therapy | ACOG

Bioidentical Hormones: Therapy, Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Clarifying The Terms "Bioidentical Hormones" And "Compounded Hormones" - April 2015 - menoPAUSE Blog - Gynecology

Red light therapy: What the science says

The Use of Light-Based Therapies in the Treatment of Alopecia

The growth of human scalp hair in females using visible red light laser and LED sources

The Use of Light-Based Therapies in the Treatment of Alopecia

Topical estrogen therapy for aging skin: Current evidence and clinical considerations

Estrogen-deficient skin: The role of topical therapy

Long-term topical oestrogen treatment of sun-exposed facial skin in post-menopausal women does not improve facial wrinkles or skin elasticity, but induces matrix metalloproteinase-1 expression

Menopause Itchy Ears

Menopause, Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Disease

The impact of hormone replacement therapy on cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women: a narrative review

Effect of two jumping programs on hip bone mineral density in premenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial - PubMed

The Role of High-intensity and High-impact Exercises in Improving Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review - PMC

Full article: Skeletal site-specific effects of jump training on bone mineral density in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

High‐Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial

Exercises aimed to maximize lean mass and bone mineral density at the hip and lumbar spine

Calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures and falls: systematic review and meta-analysis | The BMJ

The role of vitamin D in menopausal women’s health - PMC

Blood Clot Risk Influenced by Hormone Therapy Administration Route in Women 50 and Older 

Risk of venous thrombosis with oral versus transdermal estrogen therapy among postmenopausal women

Zumba classes

Menopausal hormone therapy and long term mortality: nationwide, register based cohort study

Oral Contraceptives, Hormone Replacement Therapy, and Stroke Risk

Long-term [oral] hormone therapy for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women - PubMed

Menopausal hormone therapy for breast cancer patients: what is the current evidence?

Menopausal Hormone Therapy and the Breast: A Review of Clinical Studies

Use of menopausal hormone therapy beyond age 65 years and its effects on women's health outcomes by types, routes, and doses

Rosebud Woman

Black/African American Women’s Health

Environmental, Sociocultural, Behavioral, and Biological Factors Associated with Cognitive Decline, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Other Types of Dementia in Black Americans - PMC

Black Women Face Earlier Menopause Onset and Inadequate Care

How Menopause Affects Women of Color - The New York Times

Hormone therapy experiences vary by race among women in menopause - UChicago Medicine

Menopause hormone therapy and complementary alternative medicine, quality of life, and racial/ethnic differences: the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for Menopause

FDA Approves Nonhormonal Treatment for Menopausal Hot Flashes | Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology | JAMA

How to Manage Medical Menopause

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