March 17, 2025 • 34 mins
What if that feeling of "I just need to get my act together" isn't about organization or willpower, but your hormones? Brookes Vaughan, founder of The Women's Health Company, joins us to untangle the confusing web of perimenopause and menopause – two terms often used interchangeably but representing distinctly different phases of a woman's life.
Brookes brilliantly explains that menopause literally means "stopping of the monthly" and occurs when you've gone a full year without a period (around age 51 for most women). Perimenopause, however, is that rollercoaster 5-10 year journey leading up to menopause that can begin as early as 35. One patient described it perfectly: "Perimenopause feels like my daughter's Barbie Jeep – it goes forward, then stops suddenly... it's very jarring."
This episode cuts through the dismissive "it's just your age" responses many women hear from healthcare providers. We explore the comprehensive testing rarely offered but desperately needed – beyond basic hormone levels to include thyroid function, insulin resistance, nutrient deficiencies, and more. Brookes explains why checking only TSH levels isn't enough, using a brilliant car analogy: "TSH is like oil for your car, T4 is like gasoline, but your car won't go until someone puts their foot on the gas – that's T3."
You'll learn which specific tests to request, what symptoms warrant attention (from brain fog to irregular periods), and why the "Six P's" of womanhood (Puberty, Preconception, Pregnancy, Postpartum, Perimenopause and Pause) make our hormonal journeys so complex compared to men's "steady Eddie" hormones.
Join us for this eye-opening conversation that validates what you're experiencing and empowers you with knowledge to advocate for proper testing and treatment. And stay tuned – we'll be welcoming Brookes back soon to tackle the controversial topic of Hormone Replacement Therapy and separate fact from fiction.
Follow Brookes on Instagram @thewomenshealthcompany
We want to hear from you! Reach out to us on socials or at emptynestquestpod@gmail.com to share how our conversations are landing with you! xo-Melynda and Jennifer
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, all right, here we are.
Welcome to the Empty Nest Quest.
Everybody, we have BrooksVaughn with us today, which we
are so excited and I won't do awhole lot of introducing because
I really, brooks, we would lovefor you to share about your
practice and what you're doingin town, because I would just
(00:22):
botch it, but I love you topieces and I'm so glad you're
here.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Welcome to the Empty.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Nest Quest.
Thank y'all so much.
I just love both of you, yourpodcast, and I'm honored I have
a little co-host with me today.
He's the cutest co-host.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I ever did see.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
He is supposed to be napping, but he fell asleep in
the car on the way to pick up mytoddler from her little MMO and
I could not get him back downthat is okay, we love co-hosts.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
I'm in so precious, tell us a little about.
So this series is going to beabout perimenopause and
menopause, which everybody inmine and Jennifer's stage of
life we wish it wasn't all wetalked about, but it kind of is.
And so tell us about yourpractice and the type of
medicine that you practice andwho all you see and all of that
(01:23):
before we get into the topic.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Well, I love this topic.
It's my heart because I'mentering into that age category
too and you know it's soimportant.
I am the founder of the Women'sHealth Company and we call
ourselves a boutique hormone andwellness clinic for women and
we really see women of all ageshonestly, from adolescence
(01:49):
through post menopause, and wereally kind of exist to just
take it a step further and divedeeper into root cause you know
medicine and also to really helpwomen not just optimize their
(02:09):
hormones but their health ingeneral.
So we do a lot of lab work, wedo a lot of assessment, A lot of
.
I call it a three-prongedapproach.
When we meet with women and wetailor a wellness plan, we talk
through nutrition and lifestylesupplements and then
pharmaceutical options, Cause Ijust believe that, you know, the
(02:32):
best wellness plan is one thatat least gives you the option of
all three if you need them.
So, yeah, that's where we are,that is so great it is.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
It is and, and Brooks and I'm.
I can't remember, brooks, howwe met, but do you remember?
Did we just find each otheronline?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I think so.
I think we found each otheronline during COVID yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Maybe before COVID, because we were remember we were
going to try to do that eventand then we canceled it because
of COVID.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Because of COVID, I know.
And then I ended up, honestly,you were like my segue into the
world because I, you, you hostedme in your precious shop in
downtown Watkinsville.
I had my clinic there for closeto a year and then, yeah, here
we are, so I'm so grateful foryou.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Oh my gosh, I feel the same.
It was such a.
It was such good timing.
It's it kind of.
My introduction to you was whenI was starting to feel changes
in myself that you know, whichis going to definitely be one of
our questions about kind ofwhen do you know that the
changes are significant enough,that or what symptoms are
(03:44):
present to help you know?
But before we get.
But anyway, that's kind of likehow cool it was that you came
to me right in that season and Iwas like, um, hello, melinda,
like the angels have sent youher, she's right here You're not
like a person that can't findsomebody.
She's right here, um, but withthat said before, we like kind
(04:05):
of go down that road.
I feel Jennifer and I weresaying there seems like there's
some confusion with whatperimenopause is compared to
menopause.
Yes, and so could you talk justa little about that, just so we
all have the definitions right.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah, I feel like people throw away, throw around
the vocabulary so freely andoftentimes I'm like do they
really know what they're talkingabout?
You know they're sometimespeople offer, even offer
suggestions and I'm like I don'teven think they're using the
right words.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
You know, I know, and it is confusing, honestly, and
especially for years.
I remember, even as a teenager,hearing my mom or her friend
saying I'm in menopause or I'mgoing through menopause.
I'm like, well, you know, doesthat mean you're done?
Does that mean you're gettingthere?
So menopause, I'll start withmenopause and then I'll
(05:01):
backtrack to Perry Right.
So meno means monthly, pausemeans stop.
Menopause means to stop themonthly.
That's just basically the rootof those words.
That's where it comes from.
So when a woman is consideredmenopausal or really we use it
we use the term postmenopausalin medicine to basically
(05:26):
describe a woman whose ovarieshave basically flatlined and can
and stopped producing thepotent form of estrogen, which
is estradiol and progesteroneand really mostly testosterone
as well.
So a woman is consideredpostmenopausal if she goes an
(05:46):
entire year without a period andshe's not on hormonal birth
control.
She's not.
She has not had an ablation ora hysterectomy and still has her
ovaries.
However, it's kind of trickybecause so many women in today's
age are on birth control orhave an IUD or have had an
(06:09):
ablation or have had ahysterectomy and still have
their ovaries, and so definingthat when those other things are
present is a little trickierand it does require blood work.
Typically, we typically look atestradiol levels and then we
look at brain hormones FSH,which stands for follicle
(06:31):
stimulating hormone, and LH,which stands for luteinizing
hormone and typically on twoseparate blood draws.
If estradiol is low, like underfive, and FSH and LH are
elevated, that's usually anindication that a woman has gone
through menopause and herovaries have, I call it,
flatlined.
They've just bitten the dust.
(06:52):
They died, yeah, they died.
They have an expiration dateand I always say hopefully that
expiration date is before ourexpiration date that's right.
That's right.
It's a blessing to be here.
Right it is.
It really is.
Most women will go throughmenopause at some point in her
life, you know or hopefullylater in life, but at some point
(07:13):
.
As we live long enough, we willall go through.
Sorry.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
It's like amen, mama.
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
We'll go through menopause.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Peri-menopause means around menopause and it is
literally the five to 10 yearsleading up to menopause.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
That's what it feels like.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
That's right, amen.
I had a patient recently gaveme the best analogy.
She said you know,perimenopause feels like my
daughter's Barbie Jeep when shewas a little girl.
She's like now when you're inthere driving that Barbie Jeep
and it goes forward and then itstops.
And then it goes forward andstops.
She's like.
It's very jarring.
That is so funny.
(07:58):
That is perimenopause.
And that is when we start tosee changes in the ovaries, we
start to see fluctuations.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Brooks, I know that obviously all women are very
different, but is there aaverage age for perimenopause
and an average age for menopause?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
The average age of menopause is 51.
So that's typically just acrossthe board.
Population studies have shownthe average age that a woman no
longer has natural periods is 51.
Peri can start in our early 30s, most of the time early 40s,
but we can see PERI symptoms alot of times, even at 35.
(08:43):
And in some women younger thanthat, but a lot of times even at
35.
And in some women younger thanthat, but a lot of times at 35.
You know it's interesting wecall 35 the age of advanced
maternal age, because that iswhen we see such a change in
fertility rates in women.
We can see higher rates ofinfertility, higher rates of
(09:07):
miscarriage, poorer pregnancyoutcomes.
I hate that.
I hate that word advancedmaternal age, because we have so
many women who go on to havehealthy pregnancies after 35.
But nobody really talks about.
Okay, well, if 35 is the age ofadvanced maternal age, what
does that mean for women whoaren't trying to get pregnant?
(09:30):
And it really is at 35.
We often see a shift in eggquality because the ovaries are
aging and so we can start to seechanges in estrogen,
progesterone and testosteroneand changes in periods, and
women can start to begin toexperience additional symptoms
(09:52):
like worsening PMS, decreasedlibido, weight gain, insomnia,
anxiety.
There are a lot of things thatcan come with peri.
Peri tends to be more of theroller coaster ride.
It's a little bit trickier tonavigate, even as a provider.
A lot of our perry women, youknow I always say we're going to
(10:15):
do this now.
It may change in six months,like we may.
We may have to layer things inand try something different in
six months, because your body ischanging and we are.
We're going through ebbs andflows, whereas when you are
post-menopausal it's a littlebit easier to manage because
everything you're on a flat road.
(10:36):
Now you know Right.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Well, it's great that you say that.
One of my friends she saidbecause she's in menopause.
And she I said, well, how didyou know the difference?
She goes.
I felt like what felt likebliss, and I think it's what
some people would just say isnormal.
But literally it felt so goodto just feel like this hum of
like calm in myself again and Iwas like, okay, well then, I'm
(11:02):
definitely not menopause yet.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
I have a different mom, I have a different mom,
You're still in the Barbie Jeep,I'm on the Barbie Jeep, Kind of
springboarding from that.
When does someone?
Because too often I mean,what's so confusing about it to
some people, I think, is, youknow, with perimenopause, during
(11:26):
that phase of life, if youthink about, you know just the
our phases of life, justnaturally so many things are
going on during that phase oflife anyway, even if you take
the hormones out of it.
And so I think a lot of peopledismiss the perimenopause and
(11:49):
menopause because they'reattributing it to other aspects
of their life.
That's what I did and they kindof dismiss it like, oh, this is
just what, this is just what yougo through during this time
where really you're yes, some ofit you do have to go through,
(12:10):
but there is help.
And so, when speaking of help,when, when do you think some of
those like what are the, whatare the signs that you know you
may need to go get your bloodtested?
Or these are some signs to lookfor.
What are those red flags?
I guess would be the question.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Good question.
I always say, when you justdon't feel like yourself,
honestly, when you feel like Ijust don't feel like myself,
there can always be something.
You know, we say, and I justbelieve God created us this way.
I know y'all do too.
Women especially aremultifaceted beings and we have
(12:54):
our physical health, ouremotional health, our spiritual
health, our relational health,but it all is intertwined and a
lot of times I think so oftenit's interesting I see a lot of
women who say, gosh, like I feltlike for so long I just needed
(13:15):
to get my act together, like Ijust needed to be more organized
or have a better relationshipwith my husband or spend more
time with the Lord, and I wouldfeel like, feel better.
And so many times they say Ijust didn't realize that this
was actually really impacting myrelationships, impacting my,
you know, ability to concentrateat work, all of those things.
(13:38):
So I would say, if you justdon't feel like yourself, other
symptoms that can just kind ofcome as we start to experience
some changes.
And you know it's interesting.
I do want to kind of caveat withthis.
We, we look at the whole system.
So your endocrine system isyour hormone system and we
(13:59):
really believe that it's.
It is all interconnected youradrenal glands, which create,
produce cortisol and DHEA, andthen your ovaries, which are
making estrogen, progesteroneand testosterone.
They are all intertwined.
(14:21):
So a lot of times we don'treally know is it just
perimenopause or is there reallysomething going on with your
thyroid?
Are you insulin resistant?
Are your adrenals taxed?
Um, and sometimes too,perimenopause can induce some of
those things, and so we look atthe full picture to really be
(14:41):
able to tailor wellness, um, butother symptoms that can happen
and occur kind of, and theyoverlap.
It's hard to say oh yeah,that's perimenopopause.
We use it as a diagnosis.
We say perimenopause is adiagnosis of exclusion a lot of
times, because we are looking atother things to make sure you
don't have another issue goingon or a nutrient deficiency.
(15:05):
But symptoms can be fatigue,irregularity A lot of women are
in perimenopause and they havevery regular, consistent periods
, but they are noticing majormood swings right before their
period or migraines right beforetheir period, or they're
gaining weight around the middle, or their libido is just
(15:27):
nothing's changed and they'relike gosh, I just don't touch me
, I'm fine, I'm good, you know,and they're like gosh, I just
don't touch me, I'm fine, I'mgood.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
You know there are things that brain fog, trouble
focusing.
You know I hate to make itsound awful.
It's okay if you have these andyou're and you feel your life
feels quote normal, you feellike you quote should feel okay.
I mean, this is so like how youand I met talking about how we
don't want women to shedthemselves to death.
But anyway, just like all ofthose things that we do cause
(16:06):
that's exactly what I did myperiods were pretty regular, but
all that stuff you just said,like literally all of it the
migraines, the PMS, the libidothat I felt like, well, I need
to just get myself together alittle more.
I was just getting a littleless organized.
I thought, oh, I just got a loton my plate.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
My daughter's a senior, my other one's off at
college.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
It's so easy to write it off because I think part of
our mom wiring if you're a momand I don't think it's just moms
, I find that my friends thatdon't have children, it's just
women right, we're so used tobeing so many things and we're
like, oh, maybe I kind ofoverdid it and so, well, one of
the questions I have for youbecause and I don't, I don't
(16:47):
know, you know what you'll sayto this, but so when I kind of
felt like, okay, I need to saysomething, I said something to
my OBGYN.
I was responded to the way wedon't want to be responded to.
It was like, well, yeah, thisis just the phase we're in, you
know, kind of oh, yeah, we'll doyour blood work Well, so I
(17:09):
didn't know what to ask for.
I trusted that she knew.
So we did my blood work and itwas like, oh, yeah, everything's
fine.
And I said, well, I just don'tfeel fine.
She was like, yeah, she justnodded sympathetically.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Cause?
Speaker 1 (17:22):
I think she really did feel like I know I get it.
I feel that way too.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
It's just this phase, right, and I just don't know.
This is what it is.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
It is, yeah, that's true, and it was just kind of
like let me know when you don'thave a period for a whole year.
Well, good grief brooks, thatwas like seven years ago.
Yeah, it can last for 10 years,right yeah I can't imagine what
I would be like right now if Ihad not found something else in
between in and out, but I guessI would be curious to know from
you a like is there something?
(17:51):
If somebody doesn't have like apractice like yours in their
town, is there a specific typeof doctor they should go to?
Are there specific labs theyshould say I'd really like to
have these labs run.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Yes, Be backing off of what Melinda said, because
that's one experience and myexperience was a little so.
It was a little bit different.
I was at my primary carephysician for a physical and I
had not had a period in a yearand was really suffering from
(18:26):
menopause symptoms.
You know just I mean wake upnightly soaked in sweat, and it
was just I wasn't sleepingbecause of that.
It was just horrible, and so Iasked for um blood work to be
done to test my hormones and theresponse was we don't really do
(18:47):
that here.
That is really up to your OBGYN.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
It's like okay.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
And then when you're post childbearing and sorry,
y'all, had to just get my kidsto show up.
No, you're fine Postchildbearing and you go to the
OB.
They're so busy, they're soused to it, they've got 10
minutes to spend with you andthey're focused primarily on OB
patients because that's, youknow, those are the most.
(19:18):
I mean, I hate to say it, butthe biggest moneymaker, but also
the ones that have to get inevery other week, or you know,
so it is, and I do think from ahopeful standpoint, I think in
(19:39):
the next decade.
Menopause you've heard thismenopause has had a is having a
moment and we're learning somuch and social media has been
such a great way to educatewomen, and so women know like,
okay, there is more to this.
I don't just have to sufferthrough this.
I can have labs drawn, I, I cando these things and, you know,
used to.
I was one of those providersthat practiced that way when I
(20:00):
first started out and the waythat we were trained in
traditional healthcare was okay.
Like you know, if you are stillhaving a period, there's really
here's some Prozac, here's abirth control pill.
There's nothing really we cando.
If you start having crazy hotflashes and night sweats and
you're not having a period, thenwe may try a little bit of
(20:20):
hormone replacement therapy, butit needs to be the lowest dose
possible for the shortest amountof time possible.
I mean, that was truly how wepracticed and I think a lot of
providers still practice thatway, but the data has just
changed so much and what we knownow is so different and so much
more comprehensive.
(20:40):
I will say, with blood workthere are things that can clue
us in.
So perimenopause again, we callit a diagnosis of exclusion
because we are ruling out otherthings and we're looking at
symptoms that women have.
But typically when it comes toblood work, if we test and this
is kind of what we have found inour practice early in your
(21:03):
cycle.
So if you're having a period,we typically try to do blood
work around cycle day two, threeor four of your period Because
we're looking.
That is what a lot of fertilitydoctors use when they're
testing patients for fertilityissues is they do cycle day two,
three or four labs and thensometimes they'll look at labs
(21:25):
after ovulation to see what yourprogesterone looks like.
But early in your cycle, if wetest your female sex hormones,
we really want to see thosebrain hormones FSH and LH which
are to stimulate your ovaries.
Your brain is, your pituitaryis pumping those out to
stimulate your ovaries to getyou to make estrogen to mature a
(21:48):
follicle.
That follicle releasesmid-cycle, you ovulate and you
go through your cycle.
We want to see early in yourcycle that estrogen is actually
not high.
We want to see it kind of low,typically under 50 early in your
cycle and we want to see thosebrain hormones low because that
(22:09):
means and that's not that we notthat something's wrong if it's
not, but that's a sign if, ifestradiol is is high, and I've
seen we do this a lot.
So we see some women with anestradiol of 200 on day two,
three or four and some womenwill see with an estradiol under
(22:29):
50, it will be really low.
In some of the later stages ofperimenopause Estrogen is really
low but those brain hormonesare really high.
So what that tells us is thebrain is trying really hard to
stimulate the ovaries andthey're not responding.
So there's a disconnect there.
So we can kind of clue in tosee there are some things when
(22:51):
we really are specific about thetiming of your blood work.
We can kind of clue in to seewhere are some things when we
really are specific about thetiming of your blood work.
We can kind of clue in to seewhere we are and maybe
potentially what stages we're in, based on labs and what your
cycles are looking like and whatyour symptoms are looking like,
and we can kind of tailor carebased on that.
(23:11):
A lot of times in the earlystages of perimenopause, the
first five years or so sometimeslonger than that the ovaries
are overworking to get you toreach ovulation.
So we will see estrogen reallyhigh.
Well, we know again that 35 agerange is when fertility stops,
(23:32):
starts to drop.
Progesterone Progesteronestands for progestation, it's
our pregnancy hormone, it's whatyou make after you've ovulated.
And as our ovaries age andfertility drops, the amount of
progesterone that our ovariesare able to make when we ovulate
starts to drop.
(23:52):
So we'll start to see crazyhigh or erratic estrogen levels,
and we just know thatprogesterone can't keep up with
that typically.
So that is when women willstart to feel just like angsty,
bloated breast tenderness.
That's when we, that agecategory two of women, are the
(24:16):
ones with the highest rates ofbreast cancer, because estrogen
estrogen is excellent but it hasto be checked, it has to be
balanced out by progesterone,right, and so we'll start to see
in that that's why breastcancer rates are so much higher
among 40 to 50 year olds thanthey are in postmenopausal women
(24:36):
and then younger women?
Because estrogen is starting tojust go crazy and it's
unchecked lab work and is therelike a specific like like I?
Speaker 1 (24:57):
I can't remember I've heard you say before cause.
By the way, just let me shoutout your social media is
excellent.
It is so informative, it's funit um what is?
Speaker 2 (25:04):
what is your social media?
Speaker 3 (25:06):
At the women's health company.
Great, yeah, well, maybe, maybe, maybe one day some of our
tiktok but it's just soinformative.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Like you do a great job in your stories of like just
keeping all the questionsreally fresh and answering lots
of things.
So if people want to learn,like what a great resource.
But, um, I feel like I've heardyou say on there before, like
if you need to go and get bloodwork, maybe ask specifically
that these things are included.
Yes, do you?
Speaker 3 (25:36):
remember what they are.
We typically say we look atquite a few things.
I mean, yes, you ask forestradiol, ssh and LH.
If you're wanting to do likeovarian, look at ovarian
function and we do that on daytwo, three or four, but we look
at everything else.
So look at ovarian function andwe do that on day two, three or
four, but we look at everythingelse.
So we look at a full thyroidpanel and that may be the
(25:59):
thyroid could be an entirelydifferent 30 minute episode.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
Yes, we'd be love for you to do that, I love thyroid.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
It gives us metabolism driver, because
thyroid is a metabolism driver.
Yes sure you can get a fullthyroid panel.
So a TSH free T4, free T3.
Just in a quick summary, withTSH stands for thyroid
stimulating hormone From yourthyroid does exactly what it
(26:29):
sounds like it stimulates yourthyroid to make T4.
Thyroid does exactly what itsounds like it stimulates your
thyroid to make T4.
T4, the thyroid makes a teeny,tiny little bit of T3, but your
body typically converts T4.
T4 is inactive thyroid hormonethat your thyroid makes into T3.
T3 is the active thyroidhormone.
So we always say TSH is likeoil for your car you got to have
(26:53):
the oil but your car is notgoing to run on just oil.
T4 is like gasoline, but yourcar is still not going to go
until somebody puts their footon the gas and that's your T3.
So we want to see that wholecascade.
So we look at thyroid, and isit?
Speaker 1 (27:08):
and just to interrupt for a second, is it true,
though, that a lot of timesbecause I think this might be
what happened to me that theyonly look at that first number?
Yes, and the first number likekind of reads in the normal
range, but then you're notseeing any.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
And you're dismissed.
Yeah, like, they're like.
Yeah, you're not seeing anylike other markers at all.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
Exactly at all.
So exactly.
And what we see so often in somany women, especially, you know
, in their 40s and up, is we'llsee a normal TSH and a normal T4
.
So that tells us, okay, youdon't have hypothyroidism, but
you are not converting it tothat active thyroid hormone.
And that's the pedal to themetal when it comes to
(27:51):
metabolism and energy.
And you know I always say tometabolism, a lot of people
think when we talk aboutmetabolism we're just talking
about your ability to loseweight or not gain weight.
But metabolism plays such arole in how you process glucose
so we'll see blood sugar issuesstart to arise if your
(28:12):
metabolism is changingcholesterol brain function.
There's just a lot that goesinto play there.
A lot of things impact yourability to convert, climbing the
walls over here To convert T4into T3.
(28:34):
We also look at your pancreas.
So we look for insulinresistance.
We look at your glucose, yourinsulin, we look at your
cortisol and your DHEA and thenwe look at your female sex
hormones.
Those are the, that's yourhormone system.
But we we also are all aboutgeneral wellness, because those
things also impact yourcholesterol and your
(28:58):
inflammatory markers.
And we want to look at nutrientlevels to see.
Are you deficient in B12 oriron or vitamin D?
Um, these are all you know.
All a part of it.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Yeah Well, and just like okay, obviously we clearly
have got to you know all a partof it.
Yeah Well, and just like okay,obviously we clearly have got to
have you back for a part.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
What I would love Brooks is one thing and make
this could be our part two.
Okay, I think we could do anentire segment just on this is I
have found that when this is ahot topic is the entire subject
of HRT.
Yes, I mean I, I'm on hormonereplacement therapy right now.
(29:45):
I literally had people tell melike straight to my face that
I'm going to get breast cancerand I need to stop right now.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
You know it just, there are so many misconceptions
, misinformation out there thatI feel like I don't know it's
just.
I feel like that would be areally powerful episode.
Would you be willing to do that?
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Yes, absolutely, and I will tell you, there are
obviously risks and benefits toeverything, but the way in which
we prescribe and treat HRT canbe, I think, life-saving and
life-changing when it's donecorrectly.
(30:37):
Honestly, I mean, there aresome old school ways of doing it
that may not necessarily bebeneficial, but the more we
learn and the more we know, anda lot of the data that vilified
HRT has been redacted because itwas faulty and it was not
accurate.
And you know, we just needmedical professionals to keep up
(31:01):
with the latest data so thatit's served.
Well, you know, but we could doan entire episode on.
Well, let's do that.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Let's do that for sure, because I think that would
be great.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
We could do an entire episode on.
Well, let's do that, let's dothat for sure, because I think
that would be great.
And we'll ask our community tokind of dial in with those
questions about what makes youafraid of it and pros and cons
of their own experience and whatthey've heard, because I do
think, especially for ourgeneration going through it, our
mothers were the ones that gotyanked off of their you know.
Yes, that study came out andstuff and I and I have um.
(31:36):
I've loved your content on thatand your stories, but um this
has just been so interesting.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
I mean I could just sit here and listen to you all
day.
The whole time that you'retalking, I'm thinking in the
back of my head.
I'm like that you're talking,I'm thinking in the back of my
head.
I'm like, wow, women are justreally amazing.
Yes, not only do we have to gothrough this insanely crazy time
in our lives, but we actuallygive birth and grow a human
(32:05):
inside of us, and I mean, what amiracle you know, I just think
it's awesome.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
You know it's interesting to the difference in
women.
And then, like we all, we bothgo through puberty.
But women go through thesestages like we go through
puberty and then we go through.
We have a cycle every month andthen we go through pregnancy,
postpartum, perimenopause andmenopause.
(32:32):
I call it the five P's Puberty,preconception, pregnancy,
postpartum, perimenopause andthe pause, the six P's, and then
just kind of they go throughpuberty and then they're just
steady eddies the rest of theirlives.
They're just there.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
They just hang out.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
They don't have to go through all the swings.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
Can you imagine, though, if, like if, you're
married to a man out there, andthen you and your man were both
going through this?
I mean, what marriage would youhave?
Speaker 3 (33:07):
I think he got mercy on all of us when he made us
different.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
You know, I know mercy on all of us when he made
us different.
You know, I know I ran into afriend yesterday and he said, um
, he.
I said, oh, I hate that I'mmissing your wife.
He said, oh, you got to catchup with her.
You know, she's just, he'shilarious, he's like you know,
she's just talking aboutmenopause and perimenopause all
the time.
And I said, oh, I bet you justtell some stories.
He said, oh, I bet thestorytellers would be Johnny and
me.
I said that's like valid.
Yeah, y'all might have a fewstories, oh my gosh Well.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
thank you so much for joining us today, brooke.
Brooke, I definitely we willschedule a time very soon to
have you back for part two.
And please go follow Brooke'son the women's health company on
instagram um follow her and I'mjust, I'm so excited.
(33:59):
I just I.
We have enjoyed, I've enjoyedthis so much well I just want to
apologize to y'all too.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
At next time I will be dressed.
Oh my gosh, I won't have it.
I want to show y'all what youare still.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Don't worry about it, he's been the cutest little
co-host ever.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Yeah, and really thank you so much for juggling
all that.
You're definitely, you'redefinitely still in a little bit
of your.
I mean, he's just turned a year, so you are in the thick of it.
Plus, you've got another littlesweet toddler.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Thanks y'all for being so understanding.
And we'll talk we'll talk toyou real soon, brooks.
Thank you.
Thank you, bye.
Hey, all right, here we are.
Welcome to the Empty Nest Quest.
Everybody, we have BrooksVaughn with us today, which we
are so excited and I won't do awhole lot of introducing because
I really, brooks, we would lovefor you to share about your
practice and what you're doingin town, because I would just
(00:22):
botch it, but I love you topieces and I'm so glad you're
here.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Welcome to the Empty.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Nest Quest.
Thank y'all so much.
I just love both of you, yourpodcast, and I'm honored I have
a little co-host with me today.
He's the cutest co-host.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I ever did see.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
He is supposed to be napping, but he fell asleep in
the car on the way to pick up mytoddler from her little MMO and
I could not get him back downthat is okay, we love co-hosts.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
I'm in so precious, tell us a little about.
So this series is going to beabout perimenopause and
menopause, which everybody inmine and Jennifer's stage of
life we wish it wasn't all wetalked about, but it kind of is.
And so tell us about yourpractice and the type of
medicine that you practice andwho all you see and all of that
(01:23):
before we get into the topic.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Well, I love this topic.
It's my heart because I'mentering into that age category
too and you know it's soimportant.
I am the founder of the Women'sHealth Company and we call
ourselves a boutique hormone andwellness clinic for women and
we really see women of all ageshonestly, from adolescence
(01:49):
through post menopause, and wereally kind of exist to just
take it a step further and divedeeper into root cause you know
medicine and also to really helpwomen not just optimize their
(02:09):
hormones but their health ingeneral.
So we do a lot of lab work, wedo a lot of assessment, A lot of
.
I call it a three-prongedapproach.
When we meet with women and wetailor a wellness plan, we talk
through nutrition and lifestylesupplements and then
pharmaceutical options, Cause Ijust believe that, you know, the
(02:32):
best wellness plan is one thatat least gives you the option of
all three if you need them.
So, yeah, that's where we are,that is so great it is.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
It is and, and Brooks and I'm.
I can't remember, brooks, howwe met, but do you remember?
Did we just find each otheronline?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I think so.
I think we found each otheronline during COVID yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Maybe before COVID, because we were remember we were
going to try to do that eventand then we canceled it because
of COVID.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Because of COVID, I know.
And then I ended up, honestly,you were like my segue into the
world because I, you, you hostedme in your precious shop in
downtown Watkinsville.
I had my clinic there for closeto a year and then, yeah, here
we are, so I'm so grateful foryou.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Oh my gosh, I feel the same.
It was such a.
It was such good timing.
It's it kind of.
My introduction to you was whenI was starting to feel changes
in myself that you know, whichis going to definitely be one of
our questions about kind ofwhen do you know that the
changes are significant enough,that or what symptoms are
(03:44):
present to help you know?
But before we get.
But anyway, that's kind of likehow cool it was that you came
to me right in that season and Iwas like, um, hello, melinda,
like the angels have sent youher, she's right here You're not
like a person that can't findsomebody.
She's right here, um, but withthat said before, we like kind
(04:05):
of go down that road.
I feel Jennifer and I weresaying there seems like there's
some confusion with whatperimenopause is compared to
menopause.
Yes, and so could you talk justa little about that, just so we
all have the definitions right.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah, I feel like people throw away, throw around
the vocabulary so freely andoftentimes I'm like do they
really know what they're talkingabout?
You know they're sometimespeople offer, even offer
suggestions and I'm like I don'teven think they're using the
right words.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
You know, I know, and it is confusing, honestly, and
especially for years.
I remember, even as a teenager,hearing my mom or her friend
saying I'm in menopause or I'mgoing through menopause.
I'm like, well, you know, doesthat mean you're done?
Does that mean you're gettingthere?
So menopause, I'll start withmenopause and then I'll
(05:01):
backtrack to Perry Right.
So meno means monthly, pausemeans stop.
Menopause means to stop themonthly.
That's just basically the rootof those words.
That's where it comes from.
So when a woman is consideredmenopausal or really we use it
we use the term postmenopausalin medicine to basically
(05:26):
describe a woman whose ovarieshave basically flatlined and can
and stopped producing thepotent form of estrogen, which
is estradiol and progesteroneand really mostly testosterone
as well.
So a woman is consideredpostmenopausal if she goes an
(05:46):
entire year without a period andshe's not on hormonal birth
control.
She's not.
She has not had an ablation ora hysterectomy and still has her
ovaries.
However, it's kind of trickybecause so many women in today's
age are on birth control orhave an IUD or have had an
(06:09):
ablation or have had ahysterectomy and still have
their ovaries, and so definingthat when those other things are
present is a little trickierand it does require blood work.
Typically, we typically look atestradiol levels and then we
look at brain hormones FSH,which stands for follicle
(06:31):
stimulating hormone, and LH,which stands for luteinizing
hormone and typically on twoseparate blood draws.
If estradiol is low, like underfive, and FSH and LH are
elevated, that's usually anindication that a woman has gone
through menopause and herovaries have, I call it,
flatlined.
They've just bitten the dust.
(06:52):
They died, yeah, they died.
They have an expiration dateand I always say hopefully that
expiration date is before ourexpiration date that's right.
That's right.
It's a blessing to be here.
Right it is.
It really is.
Most women will go throughmenopause at some point in her
life, you know or hopefullylater in life, but at some point
(07:13):
.
As we live long enough, we willall go through.
Sorry.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
It's like amen, mama.
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
We'll go through menopause.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Peri-menopause means around menopause and it is
literally the five to 10 yearsleading up to menopause.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
That's what it feels like.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
That's right, amen.
I had a patient recently gaveme the best analogy.
She said you know,perimenopause feels like my
daughter's Barbie Jeep when shewas a little girl.
She's like now when you're inthere driving that Barbie Jeep
and it goes forward and then itstops.
And then it goes forward andstops.
She's like.
It's very jarring.
That is so funny.
(07:58):
That is perimenopause.
And that is when we start tosee changes in the ovaries, we
start to see fluctuations.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Brooks, I know that obviously all women are very
different, but is there aaverage age for perimenopause
and an average age for menopause?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
The average age of menopause is 51.
So that's typically just acrossthe board.
Population studies have shownthe average age that a woman no
longer has natural periods is 51.
Peri can start in our early 30s, most of the time early 40s,
but we can see PERI symptoms alot of times, even at 35.
(08:43):
And in some women younger thanthat, but a lot of times even at
35.
And in some women younger thanthat, but a lot of times at 35.
You know it's interesting wecall 35 the age of advanced
maternal age, because that iswhen we see such a change in
fertility rates in women.
We can see higher rates ofinfertility, higher rates of
(09:07):
miscarriage, poorer pregnancyoutcomes.
I hate that.
I hate that word advancedmaternal age, because we have so
many women who go on to havehealthy pregnancies after 35.
But nobody really talks about.
Okay, well, if 35 is the age ofadvanced maternal age, what
does that mean for women whoaren't trying to get pregnant?
(09:30):
And it really is at 35.
We often see a shift in eggquality because the ovaries are
aging and so we can start to seechanges in estrogen,
progesterone and testosteroneand changes in periods, and
women can start to begin toexperience additional symptoms
(09:52):
like worsening PMS, decreasedlibido, weight gain, insomnia,
anxiety.
There are a lot of things thatcan come with peri.
Peri tends to be more of theroller coaster ride.
It's a little bit trickier tonavigate, even as a provider.
A lot of our perry women, youknow I always say we're going to
(10:15):
do this now.
It may change in six months,like we may.
We may have to layer things inand try something different in
six months, because your body ischanging and we are.
We're going through ebbs andflows, whereas when you are
post-menopausal it's a littlebit easier to manage because
everything you're on a flat road.
(10:36):
Now you know Right.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Well, it's great that you say that.
One of my friends she saidbecause she's in menopause.
And she I said, well, how didyou know the difference?
She goes.
I felt like what felt likebliss, and I think it's what
some people would just say isnormal.
But literally it felt so goodto just feel like this hum of
like calm in myself again and Iwas like, okay, well then, I'm
(11:02):
definitely not menopause yet.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
I have a different mom, I have a different mom,
You're still in the Barbie Jeep,I'm on the Barbie Jeep, Kind of
springboarding from that.
When does someone?
Because too often I mean,what's so confusing about it to
some people, I think, is, youknow, with perimenopause, during
(11:26):
that phase of life, if youthink about, you know just the
our phases of life, justnaturally so many things are
going on during that phase oflife anyway, even if you take
the hormones out of it.
And so I think a lot of peopledismiss the perimenopause and
(11:49):
menopause because they'reattributing it to other aspects
of their life.
That's what I did and they kindof dismiss it like, oh, this is
just what, this is just what yougo through during this time
where really you're yes, some ofit you do have to go through,
(12:10):
but there is help.
And so, when speaking of help,when, when do you think some of
those like what are the, whatare the signs that you know you
may need to go get your bloodtested?
Or these are some signs to lookfor.
What are those red flags?
I guess would be the question.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Good question.
I always say, when you justdon't feel like yourself,
honestly, when you feel like Ijust don't feel like myself,
there can always be something.
You know, we say, and I justbelieve God created us this way.
I know y'all do too.
Women especially aremultifaceted beings and we have
(12:54):
our physical health, ouremotional health, our spiritual
health, our relational health,but it all is intertwined and a
lot of times I think so oftenit's interesting I see a lot of
women who say, gosh, like I feltlike for so long I just needed
(13:15):
to get my act together, like Ijust needed to be more organized
or have a better relationshipwith my husband or spend more
time with the Lord, and I wouldfeel like, feel better.
And so many times they say Ijust didn't realize that this
was actually really impacting myrelationships, impacting my,
you know, ability to concentrateat work, all of those things.
(13:38):
So I would say, if you justdon't feel like yourself, other
symptoms that can just kind ofcome as we start to experience
some changes.
And you know it's interesting.
I do want to kind of caveat withthis.
We, we look at the whole system.
So your endocrine system isyour hormone system and we
(13:59):
really believe that it's.
It is all interconnected youradrenal glands, which create,
produce cortisol and DHEA, andthen your ovaries, which are
making estrogen, progesteroneand testosterone.
They are all intertwined.
(14:21):
So a lot of times we don'treally know is it just
perimenopause or is there reallysomething going on with your
thyroid?
Are you insulin resistant?
Are your adrenals taxed?
Um, and sometimes too,perimenopause can induce some of
those things, and so we look atthe full picture to really be
(14:41):
able to tailor wellness, um, butother symptoms that can happen
and occur kind of, and theyoverlap.
It's hard to say oh yeah,that's perimenopopause.
We use it as a diagnosis.
We say perimenopause is adiagnosis of exclusion a lot of
times, because we are looking atother things to make sure you
don't have another issue goingon or a nutrient deficiency.
(15:05):
But symptoms can be fatigue,irregularity A lot of women are
in perimenopause and they havevery regular, consistent periods
, but they are noticing majormood swings right before their
period or migraines right beforetheir period, or they're
gaining weight around the middle, or their libido is just
(15:27):
nothing's changed and they'relike gosh, I just don't touch me
, I'm fine, I'm good, you know,and they're like gosh, I just
don't touch me, I'm fine, I'mgood.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
You know there are things that brain fog, trouble
focusing.
You know I hate to make itsound awful.
It's okay if you have these andyou're and you feel your life
feels quote normal, you feellike you quote should feel okay.
I mean, this is so like how youand I met talking about how we
don't want women to shedthemselves to death.
But anyway, just like all ofthose things that we do cause
(16:06):
that's exactly what I did myperiods were pretty regular, but
all that stuff you just said,like literally all of it the
migraines, the PMS, the libidothat I felt like, well, I need
to just get myself together alittle more.
I was just getting a littleless organized.
I thought, oh, I just got a loton my plate.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
My daughter's a senior, my other one's off at
college.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
It's so easy to write it off because I think part of
our mom wiring if you're a momand I don't think it's just moms
, I find that my friends thatdon't have children, it's just
women right, we're so used tobeing so many things and we're
like, oh, maybe I kind ofoverdid it and so, well, one of
the questions I have for youbecause and I don't, I don't
(16:47):
know, you know what you'll sayto this, but so when I kind of
felt like, okay, I need to saysomething, I said something to
my OBGYN.
I was responded to the way wedon't want to be responded to.
It was like, well, yeah, thisis just the phase we're in, you
know, kind of oh, yeah, we'll doyour blood work Well, so I
(17:09):
didn't know what to ask for.
I trusted that she knew.
So we did my blood work and itwas like, oh, yeah, everything's
fine.
And I said, well, I just don'tfeel fine.
She was like, yeah, she justnodded sympathetically.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Cause?
Speaker 1 (17:22):
I think she really did feel like I know I get it.
I feel that way too.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
It's just this phase, right, and I just don't know.
This is what it is.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
It is, yeah, that's true, and it was just kind of
like let me know when you don'thave a period for a whole year.
Well, good grief brooks, thatwas like seven years ago.
Yeah, it can last for 10 years,right yeah I can't imagine what
I would be like right now if Ihad not found something else in
between in and out, but I guessI would be curious to know from
you a like is there something?
(17:51):
If somebody doesn't have like apractice like yours in their
town, is there a specific typeof doctor they should go to?
Are there specific labs theyshould say I'd really like to
have these labs run.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Yes, Be backing off of what Melinda said, because
that's one experience and myexperience was a little so.
It was a little bit different.
I was at my primary carephysician for a physical and I
had not had a period in a yearand was really suffering from
(18:26):
menopause symptoms.
You know just I mean wake upnightly soaked in sweat, and it
was just I wasn't sleepingbecause of that.
It was just horrible, and so Iasked for um blood work to be
done to test my hormones and theresponse was we don't really do
(18:47):
that here.
That is really up to your OBGYN.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
It's like okay.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
And then when you're post childbearing and sorry,
y'all, had to just get my kidsto show up.
No, you're fine Postchildbearing and you go to the
OB.
They're so busy, they're soused to it, they've got 10
minutes to spend with you andthey're focused primarily on OB
patients because that's, youknow, those are the most.
(19:18):
I mean, I hate to say it, butthe biggest moneymaker, but also
the ones that have to get inevery other week, or you know,
so it is, and I do think from ahopeful standpoint, I think in
(19:39):
the next decade.
Menopause you've heard thismenopause has had a is having a
moment and we're learning somuch and social media has been
such a great way to educatewomen, and so women know like,
okay, there is more to this.
I don't just have to sufferthrough this.
I can have labs drawn, I, I cando these things and, you know,
used to.
I was one of those providersthat practiced that way when I
(20:00):
first started out and the waythat we were trained in
traditional healthcare was okay.
Like you know, if you are stillhaving a period, there's really
here's some Prozac, here's abirth control pill.
There's nothing really we cando.
If you start having crazy hotflashes and night sweats and
you're not having a period, thenwe may try a little bit of
(20:20):
hormone replacement therapy, butit needs to be the lowest dose
possible for the shortest amountof time possible.
I mean, that was truly how wepracticed and I think a lot of
providers still practice thatway, but the data has just
changed so much and what we knownow is so different and so much
more comprehensive.
(20:40):
I will say, with blood workthere are things that can clue
us in.
So perimenopause again, we callit a diagnosis of exclusion
because we are ruling out otherthings and we're looking at
symptoms that women have.
But typically when it comes toblood work, if we test and this
is kind of what we have found inour practice early in your
(21:03):
cycle.
So if you're having a period,we typically try to do blood
work around cycle day two, threeor four of your period Because
we're looking.
That is what a lot of fertilitydoctors use when they're
testing patients for fertilityissues is they do cycle day two,
three or four labs and thensometimes they'll look at labs
(21:25):
after ovulation to see what yourprogesterone looks like.
But early in your cycle, if wetest your female sex hormones,
we really want to see thosebrain hormones FSH and LH which
are to stimulate your ovaries.
Your brain is, your pituitaryis pumping those out to
stimulate your ovaries to getyou to make estrogen to mature a
(21:48):
follicle.
That follicle releasesmid-cycle, you ovulate and you
go through your cycle.
We want to see early in yourcycle that estrogen is actually
not high.
We want to see it kind of low,typically under 50 early in your
cycle and we want to see thosebrain hormones low because that
(22:09):
means and that's not that we notthat something's wrong if it's
not, but that's a sign if, ifestradiol is is high, and I've
seen we do this a lot.
So we see some women with anestradiol of 200 on day two,
three or four and some womenwill see with an estradiol under
(22:29):
50, it will be really low.
In some of the later stages ofperimenopause Estrogen is really
low but those brain hormonesare really high.
So what that tells us is thebrain is trying really hard to
stimulate the ovaries andthey're not responding.
So there's a disconnect there.
So we can kind of clue in tosee there are some things when
(22:51):
we really are specific about thetiming of your blood work.
We can kind of clue in to seewhere are some things when we
really are specific about thetiming of your blood work.
We can kind of clue in to seewhere we are and maybe
potentially what stages we're in, based on labs and what your
cycles are looking like and whatyour symptoms are looking like,
and we can kind of tailor carebased on that.
(23:11):
A lot of times in the earlystages of perimenopause, the
first five years or so sometimeslonger than that the ovaries
are overworking to get you toreach ovulation.
So we will see estrogen reallyhigh.
Well, we know again that 35 agerange is when fertility stops,
(23:32):
starts to drop.
Progesterone Progesteronestands for progestation, it's
our pregnancy hormone, it's whatyou make after you've ovulated.
And as our ovaries age andfertility drops, the amount of
progesterone that our ovariesare able to make when we ovulate
starts to drop.
(23:52):
So we'll start to see crazyhigh or erratic estrogen levels,
and we just know thatprogesterone can't keep up with
that typically.
So that is when women willstart to feel just like angsty,
bloated breast tenderness.
That's when we, that agecategory two of women, are the
(24:16):
ones with the highest rates ofbreast cancer, because estrogen
estrogen is excellent but it hasto be checked, it has to be
balanced out by progesterone,right, and so we'll start to see
in that that's why breastcancer rates are so much higher
among 40 to 50 year olds thanthey are in postmenopausal women
(24:36):
and then younger women?
Because estrogen is starting tojust go crazy and it's
unchecked lab work and is therelike a specific like like I?
Speaker 1 (24:57):
I can't remember I've heard you say before cause.
By the way, just let me shoutout your social media is
excellent.
It is so informative, it's funit um what is?
Speaker 2 (25:04):
what is your social media?
Speaker 3 (25:06):
At the women's health company.
Great, yeah, well, maybe, maybe, maybe one day some of our
tiktok but it's just soinformative.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Like you do a great job in your stories of like just
keeping all the questionsreally fresh and answering lots
of things.
So if people want to learn,like what a great resource.
But, um, I feel like I've heardyou say on there before, like
if you need to go and get bloodwork, maybe ask specifically
that these things are included.
Yes, do you?
Speaker 3 (25:36):
remember what they are.
We typically say we look atquite a few things.
I mean, yes, you ask forestradiol, ssh and LH.
If you're wanting to do likeovarian, look at ovarian
function and we do that on daytwo, three or four, but we look
at everything else.
So look at ovarian function andwe do that on day two, three or
four, but we look at everythingelse.
So we look at a full thyroidpanel and that may be the
(25:59):
thyroid could be an entirelydifferent 30 minute episode.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
Yes, we'd be love for you to do that, I love thyroid.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
It gives us metabolism driver, because
thyroid is a metabolism driver.
Yes sure you can get a fullthyroid panel.
So a TSH free T4, free T3.
Just in a quick summary, withTSH stands for thyroid
stimulating hormone From yourthyroid does exactly what it
(26:29):
sounds like it stimulates yourthyroid to make T4.
Thyroid does exactly what itsounds like it stimulates your
thyroid to make T4.
T4, the thyroid makes a teeny,tiny little bit of T3, but your
body typically converts T4.
T4 is inactive thyroid hormonethat your thyroid makes into T3.
T3 is the active thyroidhormone.
So we always say TSH is likeoil for your car you got to have
(26:53):
the oil but your car is notgoing to run on just oil.
T4 is like gasoline, but yourcar is still not going to go
until somebody puts their footon the gas and that's your T3.
So we want to see that wholecascade.
So we look at thyroid, and isit?
Speaker 1 (27:08):
and just to interrupt for a second, is it true,
though, that a lot of timesbecause I think this might be
what happened to me that theyonly look at that first number?
Yes, and the first number likekind of reads in the normal
range, but then you're notseeing any.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
And you're dismissed.
Yeah, like, they're like.
Yeah, you're not seeing anylike other markers at all.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
Exactly at all.
So exactly.
And what we see so often in somany women, especially, you know
, in their 40s and up, is we'llsee a normal TSH and a normal T4
.
So that tells us, okay, youdon't have hypothyroidism, but
you are not converting it tothat active thyroid hormone.
And that's the pedal to themetal when it comes to
(27:51):
metabolism and energy.
And you know I always say tometabolism, a lot of people
think when we talk aboutmetabolism we're just talking
about your ability to loseweight or not gain weight.
But metabolism plays such arole in how you process glucose
so we'll see blood sugar issuesstart to arise if your
(28:12):
metabolism is changingcholesterol brain function.
There's just a lot that goesinto play there.
A lot of things impact yourability to convert, climbing the
walls over here To convert T4into T3.
(28:34):
We also look at your pancreas.
So we look for insulinresistance.
We look at your glucose, yourinsulin, we look at your
cortisol and your DHEA and thenwe look at your female sex
hormones.
Those are the, that's yourhormone system.
But we we also are all aboutgeneral wellness, because those
things also impact yourcholesterol and your
(28:58):
inflammatory markers.
And we want to look at nutrientlevels to see.
Are you deficient in B12 oriron or vitamin D?
Um, these are all you know.
All a part of it.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Yeah Well, and just like okay, obviously we clearly
have got to you know all a partof it.
Yeah Well, and just like okay,obviously we clearly have got to
have you back for a part.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
What I would love Brooks is one thing and make
this could be our part two.
Okay, I think we could do anentire segment just on this is I
have found that when this is ahot topic is the entire subject
of HRT.
Yes, I mean I, I'm on hormonereplacement therapy right now.
(29:45):
I literally had people tell melike straight to my face that
I'm going to get breast cancerand I need to stop right now.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
You know it just, there are so many misconceptions
, misinformation out there thatI feel like I don't know it's
just.
I feel like that would be areally powerful episode.
Would you be willing to do that?
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Yes, absolutely, and I will tell you, there are
obviously risks and benefits toeverything, but the way in which
we prescribe and treat HRT canbe, I think, life-saving and
life-changing when it's donecorrectly.
(30:37):
Honestly, I mean, there aresome old school ways of doing it
that may not necessarily bebeneficial, but the more we
learn and the more we know, anda lot of the data that vilified
HRT has been redacted because itwas faulty and it was not
accurate.
And you know, we just needmedical professionals to keep up
(31:01):
with the latest data so thatit's served.
Well, you know, but we could doan entire episode on.
Well, let's do that.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Let's do that for sure, because I think that would
be great.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
We could do an entire episode on.
Well, let's do that, let's dothat for sure, because I think
that would be great.
And we'll ask our community tokind of dial in with those
questions about what makes youafraid of it and pros and cons
of their own experience and whatthey've heard, because I do
think, especially for ourgeneration going through it, our
mothers were the ones that gotyanked off of their you know.
Yes, that study came out andstuff and I and I have um.
(31:36):
I've loved your content on thatand your stories, but um this
has just been so interesting.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
I mean I could just sit here and listen to you all
day.
The whole time that you'retalking, I'm thinking in the
back of my head.
I'm like that you're talking,I'm thinking in the back of my
head.
I'm like, wow, women are justreally amazing.
Yes, not only do we have to gothrough this insanely crazy time
in our lives, but we actuallygive birth and grow a human
(32:05):
inside of us, and I mean, what amiracle you know, I just think
it's awesome.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
You know it's interesting to the difference in
women.
And then, like we all, we bothgo through puberty.
But women go through thesestages like we go through
puberty and then we go through.
We have a cycle every month andthen we go through pregnancy,
postpartum, perimenopause andmenopause.
(32:32):
I call it the five P's Puberty,preconception, pregnancy,
postpartum, perimenopause andthe pause, the six P's, and then
just kind of they go throughpuberty and then they're just
steady eddies the rest of theirlives.
They're just there.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
They just hang out.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
They don't have to go through all the swings.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
Can you imagine, though, if, like if, you're
married to a man out there, andthen you and your man were both
going through this?
I mean, what marriage would youhave?
Speaker 3 (33:07):
I think he got mercy on all of us when he made us
different.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
You know, I know mercy on all of us when he made
us different.
You know, I know I ran into afriend yesterday and he said, um
, he.
I said, oh, I hate that I'mmissing your wife.
He said, oh, you got to catchup with her.
You know, she's just, he'shilarious, he's like you know,
she's just talking aboutmenopause and perimenopause all
the time.
And I said, oh, I bet you justtell some stories.
He said, oh, I bet thestorytellers would be Johnny and
me.
I said that's like valid.
Yeah, y'all might have a fewstories, oh my gosh Well.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
thank you so much for joining us today, brooke.
Brooke, I definitely we willschedule a time very soon to
have you back for part two.
And please go follow Brooke'son the women's health company on
instagram um follow her and I'mjust, I'm so excited.
(33:59):
I just I.
We have enjoyed, I've enjoyedthis so much well I just want to
apologize to y'all too.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
At next time I will be dressed.
Oh my gosh, I won't have it.
I want to show y'all what youare still.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Don't worry about it, he's been the cutest little
co-host ever.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Yeah, and really thank you so much for juggling
all that.
You're definitely, you'redefinitely still in a little bit
of your.
I mean, he's just turned a year, so you are in the thick of it.
Plus, you've got another littlesweet toddler.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Thanks y'all for being so understanding.
And we'll talk we'll talk toyou real soon, brooks.
Thank you.
Thank you, bye.
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.