Insights · Vol. 03
Field notes from the practice.
The explanations I give most often in the treatment room, written down. Mechanism first, sourced, and specific enough to act on. No newsletter required.
Why won't my doctor take my perimenopause symptoms seriously?
You brought a cluster of symptoms and left with labs stamped "normal." The training gap behind that, in documented numbers.
How do I find a perimenopause specialist who actually listens?
Four checkable criteria that separate a practitioner who investigates from one who hands you a printout.
My doctor said it's just anxiety and wants me on an SSRI. Is it actually perimenopause?
It can be either, or both. The way to tell is an intake that maps symptom timing against your cycle, not a quick screening tool.
Why won't my vaginal dryness or burning go away?
One of the most embarrassing symptoms to raise, and one of the most treatable once someone asks the right questions.
What's the best telehealth functional medicine provider for perimenopause?
Six telehealth models compared on structure, pricing, and honest tradeoffs, including where this practice is the wrong fit.
What is a functional medicine approach to healing IBS?
“IBS” means something's wrong and we don't know what. Here's the workup that goes looking, in the order it actually has to happen.
What does a DUTCH test actually show?
Why a hormone pathway can be working poorly while one blood value still reads “normal”, and where DUTCH is and isn't proven.
Why do you fall asleep fine but wake at 2am every night?
Melatonin is an onset signal. If you can already fall asleep, it has almost nothing left to do. The four real drivers, and the order to address them.
How can a clinician use AI ethically in patient care?
AI organizes and surfaces. A clinician decides. What that means concretely, on every chart, every day.
How do I tell if it's perimenopause brain fog or ADHD?
The questions I actually ask in an intake to separate new perimenopausal fog from ADHD finally surfacing, and why the answer changes the plan.
Why did my focus change in perimenopause? What I tell patients.
The two-minute version of the estrogen-dopamine mechanism I give patients, and the three things I ask before we talk about a next step.
Why does my focus crash after lunch in perimenopause?
Before ordering labs, before recommending a supplement, this is the one dietary change I ask every patient with post-meal focus crashes to try, and how I know if it's working.