The Hormone Solution | Menopause, Perimenopause, & Women's Midlife Health

In part one, Dr. Liz Bartman and I broke down why PMDD happens: the histamine surges, the GABA receptor glitch, the progesterone metabolite that either calms you down or completely wrecks you depending on your unique biology. If you haven't listened to that one yet, start there, because this episode builds directly on it.
Now we get into the part everyone actually wants to know: what do you do about it? We talk about why popular fixes like DAO supplements and strict low histamine diets usually fall short, and what to focus on instead, starting with your gut, your liver, and your nervous system. Dr. Liz walks through her actual clinical protocols, including specific nutrients, herbs, and the EndoAccess formulas she uses with patients who have histamine overload, progesterone sensitivity, or both.
We also get into the harder conversations: when a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor might help women who are pushing too much allopregnanolone, what's really going on hormonally for women hitting perimenopause with worsening PMDD, and yes, when birth control or even an SSRI might actually be the safest, most compassionate choice, even for someone who leans natural. Dr. Liz makes a case that will challenge how you think about "first, do no harm."
This episode is about giving you an actual roadmap, not just information. Because once you understand your own biology, from part one, you can finally stop guessing and start treating the right thing.
In This Episode, We Cover:
Why DAO supplements and strict low histamine diets usually don't solve the problem long term
The gut, liver, and nervous system focused approach Dr. Liz uses first with patients
Key nutrients and antioxidants for calming histamine and neuroinflammation, including glutathione support, sulforaphane, green tea, pomegranate, curcumin, NAC, and glycine
Why alcohol is one of the biggest hidden disruptors of histamine clearance and hormone balance
Specific probiotic strains, including lactobacillus plantarum, and their surprising role in GABA receptor expression
The EndoAccess formulas Dr. Liz uses clinically for histamine support and for progesterone sensitive PMDD, including early results from a small group of patients
What 5-alpha reductase inhibition is, how it relates to allopregnanolone, and when it may help
Why perimenopausal women can suddenly develop worse PMDD, and the surprising role of testosterone, insulin, and FSH
The honest conversation about birth control, newer options, and when it may be the safest choice for severe PMDD
Where SSRIs fit in, including luteal phase only dosing and what to support alongside them
Why the nervous system piece is the part most women skip, and why it may be the most important one
Who This Episode Is For
This is for women who now understand why they're struggling, from part one, and want an actual plan. It's for anyone who has tried supplements or progesterone with no luck and felt like they were out of options. It's especially for women in perimenopause noticing their PMDD or PMS getting dramatically worse, and for anyone who has felt conflicted about whether birth control or an SSRI could ever be the "right" choice for them.
 
 
Sponsors
Join the Midlife Women's Peptide Program today and get started for less than $200 a month!
Timeline is offering up to 39% off your first order of Mitopure. Gummies. Go to timeline.com/HORMONE use coupon HORMONE
Get 15% off Magnesium Breakthrough By BiOptimzers at bioptimizers.com/hormone with coupon code HORMONE.
 
 
Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?
At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.
 
Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call
Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.
 
Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com
 
Shop the Midlife Solutions Store
Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.
Including:
• Progesterone
• Estrogen Face Cream
• Vaginal Moisturizer
and more!
 
Take the Hormone Quiz
Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.
Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).
 
Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program
Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.
 
Midlife RESET HRT Program
A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.
 
Your host:
Karen Martel
Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert
 
Karen's Facebook
Karen's Instagram

You've been told menopause is a hormonal transition. It's also a vascular one, and almost nobody is talking about it.
In this episode, Karen sits back down with Cathy Eason, Chief Science Officer at Berkeley Life, for round two on a molecule most women have never heard of but should know by heart: nitric oxide. It is tiny, it is a gas, and it touches nearly every system in your body. When estrogen drops in perimenopause and menopause, nitric oxide production drops right along with it, and that decline may be quietly connected to your fatigue, your brain fog, your blood pressure, your blood sugar, and yes, your libido.
Karen and Cathy get specific about the vascular side of midlife that rarely makes it into the conversation. That includes what nitric oxide has to do with responsive desire versus spontaneous desire, why heart disease risk climbs even in women who feel healthy, and what your labs might be trying to tell you before anything feels obviously wrong. Cathy also shares a personal story involving her spouse's vascular event that reframes how seriously women need to take this.
This one connects a lot of dots. If you've ever felt like your energy, your desire, and your health markers were somehow all falling apart at once with no clear explanation, this episode is going to make a lot more sense of it.
In This Episode, We Cover:
What nitric oxide actually does in the body and why it touches nearly every organ system
The direct link between declining estrogen and declining nitric oxide production
Why fatigue is the number one reported symptom in perimenopause and menopause, and the physiological reason behind it
How nitric oxide affects blood sugar, digestion, and insulin sensitivity
The connection between nitric oxide, brain fog, mood, and sleep
Why responsive desire is normal for most women, and what blood flow has to do with it
What time of day your circulation actually peaks, and why that matters for sex
The lifestyle habits quietly depleting your nitric oxide without you realizing it
What labs and at-home tests can hint that you're running low
A personal story about a spouse's vascular event and why women need to take heart health seriously now, not later
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for the woman who has been chasing energy, sleep, and libido fixes without ever hearing about the blood flow piece. It's for anyone who has been told her labs are normal but she still doesn't feel like herself. It's especially relevant if you're on HRT and not getting the full results you expected, or if heart health has never really been on your radar because you don't have metabolic disease. If you've noticed cold hands, brain fog, low energy, or a sex drive that disappeared and you've been chalking it up to just getting older, this conversation is for you.
 
 
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Get 20% off your Cozy Earth Bed Sheet with coupon code HORMONES
 
 
Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?
At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.
 
Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call
Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.
 
Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com
 
Shop the Midlife Solutions Store
Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.
Including:
• Progesterone
• Estrogen Face Cream
• Vaginal Moisturizer
and more!
 
Take the Hormone Quiz
Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.
Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).
 
Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program
Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.
 
Midlife RESET HRT Program
A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.
 
Your host:
Karen Martel
Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert
 
Karen's Facebook
Karen's Instagram

If you've been on social media lately, you've probably seen it: women swearing that a combo of Pepcid and Claritin, ordinary histamine blockers, gave them their life back during the worst days of their cycle. It sounds too simple to be real, and honestly, it kind of is. But the reason it's working for some women and doing absolutely nothing for others is the whole story, and it's a story almost nobody is explaining correctly.
In this episode, I sit down with one of my all time favorite guests, Dr. Liz Bartman, to go deep into progesterone sensitivity, PMDD, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and how it's different from garden variety PMS. If you've ever felt like a completely different person for two weeks out of every month, only to feel like yourself again the second your period starts, this episode is going to make you feel seen in a way most conversations about "hormones" never do.
We get into what's actually driving PMDD for so many women: an altered GABA receptor that stops responding correctly to a calming metabolite of progesterone called allopregnanolone. We talk about why histamine surges at exactly the wrong time in your cycle, how estrogen and progesterone are pulling the strings behind the scenes, and why some women feel like magic when they take progesterone while others feel like they've been poisoned by it. This is the foundational science you need before you try any protocol, viral or otherwise.
This is part one of a two part series. Part two gets into what to actually do about it, but you need this piece first, because throwing supplements or medications at PMDD without understanding your own biology is how so many women end up frustrated and back at square one.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The real difference between PMS and PMDD, and why PMDD is classified as a mental health condition, not just a hormone imbalance
Why normal estrogen and progesterone levels don't rule out PMDD, and what's actually going on in the brain instead
What allopregnanolone is, how it works on GABA receptors, and why some women's brains stop responding to it correctly
The viral H1/H2 histamine blocker protocol: what it is, why it can bring real relief, and why it isn't a PMDD cure-all
The surprising role histamine plays as a neurotransmitter, including its connection to your morning cortisol response
Why PMDD symptoms show up specifically in the second half of your cycle, and how estrogen, progesterone, and mast cells are all involved
Why roughly half of women with diagnosed PMDD don't tolerate progesterone well, and what that tells us about the root cause
How your gut microbiome, specific probiotic strains, and your nervous system state all influence GABA receptor expression and histamine regulation
Why declining egg quality and corpus luteum function can cause progesterone to drop too fast in the luteal phase
Who This Episode Is For
This is for any woman who has ever felt like her brain and body get hijacked in the days before her period, and who has been told it's "just PMS" or that she's overreacting. It's for women who have tried progesterone and either felt amazing or felt so much worse, and never got a real explanation why. It's also for anyone who has seen the histamine blocker trend online and wants to understand the actual mechanism before trying it themselves.
 
 
Sponsors
Join the Midlife Women's Peptide Program today and get started for less than $200 a month!
Head to cozyearth.com and use my code HORMONES for 20% off sitewide! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here!
Try the power of copper peptides on your skin today and get 20% off your order with coupon code km20 here.
 
 
Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?
At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.
 
Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call
Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.
 
Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com
 
Shop the Midlife Solutions Store
Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.
Including:
• Progesterone
• Estrogen Face Cream
• Vaginal Moisturizer
and more!
 
Take the Hormone Quiz
Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.
Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).
 
Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program
Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.
 
Midlife RESET HRT Program
A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.
 
Your host:
Karen Martel
Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert
 
Karen's Facebook
Karen's Instagram

Welcome to Quick Hits — where we bring you the most impactful moments from past episodes in under 15 minutes.
Today's clip comes from one of our most replayed conversations.
If you want the full episode, check the link in the description below.
Listen to the full episode.
Download on iTunes.
This weeks quick hit we are jumping right into a very important topic: uterine fibroids.
Maybe you have experience with fibroids, or maybe you do not even really know what they are yet. Either way, this is a conversation every woman should understand.
Fibroids are incredibly common. It is estimated that up to 75 to 80 percent of women may develop fibroids during their lifetime, and many women have them without even knowing they are there.
They are also highly prevalent in perimenopause, which is when many women start noticing heavier periods, more pelvic pressure, more bloating, more pain, worsening PMS, and new urinary symptoms.
In this episode, we go deep into what fibroids are, how they may impact your body and hormones, what symptoms to watch for, and what you can do to better understand, prevent, or reduce the growth of uterine fibroids.
This is especially important because fibroids are not just a "period problem." They can affect bleeding, iron levels, fertility, pelvic pain, bladder symptoms, sex, and quality of life.
And no, you should not have to just suffer through it because "that's normal for women."
In This Episode, We Cover:
What uterine fibroids are and why they are so common
Which age group is most likely to be diagnosed with fibroids
Why fibroids are especially common in perimenopause
The hormones that influence fibroid growth
Common signs and symptoms of uterine fibroids
Where women may feel pain or pressure from fibroids
How fibroids can affect periods, bleeding, fertility, and quality of life
What to do if you think you may have fibroids
Common urinary symptoms associated with fibroids
Why painful intercourse may be a sign of fibroids
Important contributing factors behind fibroid development and growth
Which hormone fibroids are most sensitive to
Why xenoestrogens may matter and how to reduce exposure
Which vitamin may be important for fibroid prevention
Why certain peptides may not be appropriate for women with a history of fibroids
 
 
Sponsors
Try Mito Q Hormone and metabolic control. Code: MARTEL10
 
 
Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?
At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.
 
Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call
Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.
 
Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com
 
Shop the Midlife Solutions Store
Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.
Including:
• Progesterone
• Estrogen Face Cream
• Vaginal Moisturizer
and more!
 
Take the Hormone Quiz
Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.
Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).
 
Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program
Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.
 
Midlife RESET HRT Program
A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.
 
Your host:
Karen Martel
Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert
 
Karen's Facebook
Karen's Instagram

This is not just a conversation about hormones. It is a conversation about what it means to age as a woman in a culture that is obsessed with youth, terrified of wrinkles, and wildly uncomfortable with female power after 40. In this roundtable episode, I sit down with Dr. Amy Horniman and Elle Russ to talk about the very real physical, emotional, and identity shifts that happen as women move through perimenopause and menopause.
We get into everything from early perimenopause symptoms, thyroid issues, SHBG, testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, libido, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, pelvic floor changes, and how all of these things can affect the way women feel in their bodies. But we also go deeper into the emotional side of all of it. What happens when you are no longer getting the same attention? What happens when your face changes, your body changes, and you realize how much of your worth was tied to being seen as young or desirable?
We also have a very honest conversation about hormone replacement therapy, why individualized care matters so much, why pellets are not always the answer, and why so many women are still being failed by outdated medical thinking. And from there, we talk about Botox, beauty standards, confidence, sex, self-worth, and why this stage of life can also be one of the most freeing. Because yes, aging is real. But so is wisdom. So is power. So is the version of yourself that finally stops asking for permission.
In this episode, we cover:
Early perimenopause signs and how differently they can show up for women
How thyroid issues and elevated SHBG can affect sex hormones
The difference between rhythmic and static hormone dosing
Testosterone for women, including libido, muscle, mood, vaginal health, and pelvic floor support
Why so many women struggle to get proper hormone support from conventional medicine
The pros and cons of pellets versus creams and injections
How aging affects confidence, sex drive, self-image, and identity
Botox, beauty standards, and the pressure women feel to stay young
Why women deserve to age on their own terms without shame
How midlife can become a more authentic, confident, and powerful season of life
Who this episode is for
This episode is for women in perimenopause and menopause who are trying to understand what is happening to their hormones, their bodies, their libido, their confidence, and their sense of self. It is especially for women who are curious about HRT, frustrated by outdated medical advice, or wrestling with how to navigate aging in a way that feels empowering instead of defeating.
 
Dr. Amie Hornaman "The Thyroid-Fixer", is host to the top-rated podcast in medicine and alternative health: The Thyroid Fixer™, with listeners around the globe. She is the founder of The Institute for Thyroid and Hormone Optimization, an organization with transformational, proven approaches to address thyroid dysfunction and support people in returning to full health.
Dr. Amie is also the creator of The Fixxr™ Supplement line with revolutionary, proprietary supplements that are changing the lives of many people. Ultimately, she is a woman on a mission to optimize thyroid patients around the world and give them their lives back. Visit Dr. Amie's website here.
Elle is a world-renowned thyroid health expert, master life coach, and a #1 bestselling author with a degree in Philosophy from The University of California at Santa Cruz. She has helped thousands of people worldwide reclaim their health through her book, The Paleo Thyroid Solution, her online courses and find confidence with her book Confidence as Fuck. Elle has been an admired leader in the paleo, primal, ancestral health industry for a decade. Elle coaches people all over the world - helping them achieve goals and dreams and improving their health. She offers online courses and free masterclasses to empower people to become the best version of themselves. Visit Elle's website here.
 
 
Sponsors
Get 30% off BATCH Gummies. Go to hellobatch.com/HORMONE and use code HORMONE at checkout.
Order your LMNT electrolytes today and get a FREE 8 pack of samples! Plus try it risk free, they have a no-questions-asked refund policy – you don't even have to send it back!
Get 15% off Masszymes By BiOptimzers products at bioptimizers.com/hormone with coupon code HORMONE.
 
 
Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?
At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.
 
Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call
Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.
 
Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com
 
Shop the Midlife Solutions Store
Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.
Including:
• Progesterone
• Estrogen Face Cream
• Vaginal Moisturizer
and more!
 
Take the Hormone Quiz
Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.
Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).
 
Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program
Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.
 
Midlife RESET HRT Program
A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.
 
Your host:
Karen Martel
Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert
 
Karen's Facebook
Karen's Instagram