Tamsen Fadal: How To Menopause

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Tamsen Fadal: How To Menopause"

Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa
Date: October 15, 2025
Guest: Tamsen Fadal, Emmy-winning journalist & menopause advocate

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Overview

In this episode, Kelly Ripa and her team dive deep into the realities, misconceptions, and challenges of menopause, joined by special guest Tamsen Fadal. Drawing from their own on-air experiences, they discuss everything from embarrassing hot flashes and brain fog to hormone therapy skepticism and societal shame. Tamsen shares research, personal experiences, and practical advice, emphasizing the need for better medical understanding and more open conversation around menopause. The episode includes honest listener Q&A, stories, myth-busting, and encouragement to self-advocate. The tone is candid, humorous, and supportive—a blend of empathy, expertise, and comic relief.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

On-Air & Real-Life Hot Flashes

Kelly recounts her live TV hot flash, describing the intensity and embarrassment ("as though a thousand sponges were flying out of my body") and uses it as a springboard to raise Menopause Awareness Month and the continued stigma surrounding menopause.

• [01:40] Kelly Ripa: “It came from the center of my body and projected outward as though a thousand sponges were flying out of my body at the same time.”
• [10:57] Tamsen Fadal: Shares her 2019 on-air hot flash leading to a panic-stricken moment on the bathroom floor, setting off her journey into menopause advocacy.

Why Isn’t Menopause Talked About?

Both Kelly and Tamsen lament the lack of open discussion and misinformation. Images of menopause are outdated; society paints it as an "older woman's" issue, leading to confusion about symptoms and timing.

• [13:38] Tamsen Fadal: “Even if you Google it right now, you will see images...whatever they do on ads, on TV, when the woman's, like, sitting on the bench, petting her cat...she's given up.”
• [14:15] Kelly Ripa: Reflects on the generational silence, contrasting with "The Golden Girls" brief, trailblazing mentions.

Symptom Confusion & Medical Dismissal

Team member Jan expresses confusion despite regular periods, awakening nightly in “a full flop sweat,” questioning if stress or hidden hormonal changes are to blame. Listeners echo similar confusion, often dismissed when “labs are fine.”

• [15:56] Tamsen Fadal: “Usually the average age of menopause is 51...Most women start some of these kind of changes...waking up in a pool of sweat, not feeling like themselves...these become those symptoms of perimenopause.”
• [27:12] Tamsen Fadal (to caller Wendy): “You feel like you're almost playing whack-a-mole with some of these symptoms...A lot of doctors were not educated about this in medical school.”

Hormone Therapy: Facts, Fears & Access

Vivid discussion on HRT—when to start, safety, insurance, and the lingering shadow of outdated studies that scared generations of women away.

• [17:39] Tamsen Fadal: “There was a study over 20, 25 years ago ... media did a big mis service...women threw out their hormones...a real disservice to women.”
• [19:39] Kelly Ripa/Tamsin Fadal: Insurance coverage is patchy, access can be a problem; telehealth and menopause certification (see resources below) are making it somewhat easier.
• [21:03] Tamsin Fadal: “This isn’t about hot flashes...this is about longevity. This is about protecting your bone health...about the long term.”

Navigating the Healthcare System

Difficulties finding knowledgeable providers and feeling dismissed by standard OB/GYNs is a common refrain.

• [20:10] Tamsen Fadal: “My patient portal had four words in it: 'In menopause. Any questions?' Signed by the doc. That was it.”

Q&A: Listener Questions

1. Surgical Menopause & Symptoms ([26:26] Wendy, MA): Post-hysterectomy, continued sweats—advice is to seek a menopause specialist, use Menopause.org for certified providers, and consider telehealth solutions.
2. IUDs & Menopause ([32:47] Mary, CA): Long-term IUD may prevent periods and mask symptoms. Check with provider about removal, hormone evaluation, and whether/when to switch to HRT.
3. Perimenopause Without Hot Flashes ([42:35] Willow, ID): Heavy/erratic periods, skin issues, non-hot-flash symptoms ARE perimenopausal. Use symptom trackers and keep seeking knowledgeable doctors.
4. Hormonal Changes in Younger Women ([55:25] Kelly, PA): Start conversations early; no harm in checking hormone levels or discussing family history/early symptoms. Baseline awareness is as crucial as for mammograms or colonoscopies.

Shame, Ageism & the Social Stigma

Discussion moves to why menopause remains taboo:

• [38:46] Albert Bianchini: “Why is there so much shame around menopause?”
• [38:46] Tamsen Fadal: “Wrapped up in ageism and sexism...the word 'hysteria'... We outlive our ovaries now for quite a long time.”
• [39:42] Kelly Ripa: Reframes, celebrating over-50 women's achievements and the "freedom and the ability to really thrive" post-menopause.

The Impact on Sex Drive

Low libido is normalized as a frequent symptom—Kelly and Tamsen compare notes on the life-changing effect of hormone therapy, especially testosterone supplements.

• [49:36] Tamsen Fadal: “Low libido is one of the big symptoms...I got remarried at 50... My libido’s [gone]. And then I get married and go to Hawaii on our honeymoon and I was like, ‘Oh my god, I don’t want to have sex. I had no interest.’”
• [50:32] Kelly Ripa: “For me, the one that really seals the deal is that I do a T-shot...it’s been life-changing.”

Advocating for Yourself & Each Other

Repeated encouragement to be one’s own advocate, ask pointed questions of doctors, and seek others' recommendations.

• [31:36] Kelly Ripa: “Wendy, be your own best self-advocate. Nobody’s going to do it for you.”

The Generational Shift

Hopeful notes about how today’s openness will benefit younger women, normalize menopause, and chip away at the lingering shame.

• [42:09] Kelly Ripa: “Because we’re verbose, because we talk about it, our daughters...won’t have the same stigmas attached.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kelly Ripa [01:40]: “It came from the center of my body and projected outward as though a thousand sponges were flying out of my body at the same time.”
• Tamsen Fadal [10:57]: “If you’ve had a hot flash, you know...it’s not like a little spritz. It comes up from the center of your belly and literally sweat springs out...everywhere.”
• Tamsen Fadal [13:38]: “...images that come up of much older, frail women. This transition can start much younger. That’s the word we gotta get out.”
• Jan Chalet [14:55]: “Even in this world of journalism...I get my period every month, but I wake up at night, full flop sweat.”
• Tamsen Fadal [20:10]: “I got a note in my patient portal with four words: 'In menopause. Any questions?' Signed by the doc.”
• Caller Mary [33:10]: “You know how you make a hormone, right?”
• Kelly Ripa [50:32]: “For me, the one that really seals the deal is that I do a tee shot...it’s been life changing.”
• Tamsen Fadal [38:46]: “If you’re lucky enough, you’re going to go through menopause. I think it’s so wrapped up in ageism and sexism.”
• Kelly Ripa [39:42]: "The women I know...most accomplished...are over the age of 50. Most of them are postmenopausal, and they have the freedom and ability to really thrive."

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Key Resources Mentioned

• The Menopause Society Provider Directory: menopause.org — Find certified menopause practitioners.
• Telehealth for Menopause:
  • Alloy Health
  • Midi Health
• Tamsen Fadal’s Work:
  • Book: How to Menopause
  • Documentaries: The M Factor (impactorfilm.com), and upcoming Before the Pause.
  • Podcast: The Tamsen Show
• Symptom Tracker: Tamsen offers a tracker with 34+ possible symptoms (details in her book).

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:40] Kelly’s on-air hot flash story
• [10:57] Tamsen’s broadcast hot flash moment
• [13:38] Stigma and portrayal of menopause in media
• [14:55] Jan’s confusion about symptoms
• [17:39] Detrimental impact of old hormone studies
• [20:10] Tamsen on lack of medical support
• [26:26] Listener calls begin (Wendy’s story)
• [32:47] IUDs masking symptoms (Mary’s question)
• [38:46] Shame, ageism, and why speaking up matters
• [49:36] Menopause and sex drive
• [55:45] On early awareness and genetic components

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Tone & Takeaways

Tone

Candid, often humorous, empathetic, and a bit irreverent—speakers cut through the usual hesitation to confront menopause myths and realities head-on. There’s camaraderie, relief, and plenty of laughter amid the seriousness.

Takeaways

• Menopause is complex, varied, and still under-discussed—even misunderstood—by the medical establishment.
• Hormone therapy can be safe and game-changing for many, but access and education are hurdles.
• There is no “one size fits all”—every woman must self-advocate and seek reputable guidance.
• The conversation is shifting: more advocates, media, and open dialogue are on the rise, setting the stage for better support for current and future generations.
• Menopause does not “end” one’s career, vibrancy, or desirability—a new chapter often begins.

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Finale

Kelly and Tamsen end with plans for a “MenoCon” gathering—an event celebrating menopause, continuing the movement for more openness and support.

Kelly Ripa [56:54]: “You know what? I think we need to have Meno con. I really love it...it needs to be a celebration.”

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Further Listening/Watching

• How to Menopause (book)
• The Tamsen Show (podcast)
• The M Factor (documentary at impactorfilm.com)
• Check menopause.org for certified doctors

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This summary covers all key content; advertisements and non-substantive sections have been omitted.

Transcript

[Kelly Ripa]

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[Albert Bianchini]

Morning, Zoe Got donuts.

[Jeff Lewis]

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[Albert Bianchini]

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[Jeff Lewis]

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[Albert Bianchini]

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[Caller/Listener]

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[Jeff Lewis]

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[Albert Bianchini]

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[Jeff Lewis]

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[Kelly Ripa]

I had the misfortune of having. How should I put it, Jan? A co opted hot flash. I was wearing a twers Christmas sweater with Ryan Seacrest and suddenly I have a hot flash. And I mean, as you explained to our listeners, it came from the center of my body and projected outward as though a thousand sponges were flying out of my body at the same time. And Ryan looks at me and says, are you sweating? Somebody gotta cue me or do I cue myself?

[Tamsin Fadal]

Cue yourself.

[Kelly Ripa]

Okay. Oh, this is a big one. It's big. We're all fired up here. Welcome back everyone. We are live with another episode of let's talk off camera. So let's get talking. Yes. Guys, before we get into our show, I just want to say that we as a collective. Yes, we we, the royal. We here at the podcast went out last night. We had a big. Oh, we had a big time. Jan, where were we?

[Jan Chalet]

We were at the SiriusXM's upfronts.

[Kelly Ripa]

Wow.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Beautiful event.

[Kelly Ripa]

Albert explains. Beautiful. Explain to our listeners what the upfronts are.

[Albert Bianchini]

Upfronts is where the advertisers come and the big show is put on to show them why they should be advertising with the network.

[Kelly Ripa]

And do you think we did a good job explaining to them why, or was it bedlam for you?

[Albert Bianchini]

I think we did a good job.

[Jan Chalet]

Yeah. I think all the advertisers want to advertise with us.

[Albert Bianchini]

Yes.

[Kelly Ripa]

I did my bed out in the universe. I was trying to put. Like, I was trying to. I don't think. Here's what I know, because I come from a TV world, and the TV upfronts, everyone is blotto. They get them liquored up. They liquor them up and they open their wallets, and that's how TV add dollars happen. I saw, like, maybe one half glass of a white wine spritzer, and I was like, oh, this is not. Cut it. Like, these people are sober. You need to get the ad people. Yeah, but, you know. So I guess backstage there was an issue.

[Jan Chalet]

There was. Listen, you were out on stage, and there was some stuff going on backstage.

[Albert Bianchini]

Oh, boy.

[Jan Chalet]

So. So the deal was, was that Andy was bringing out you, Jeff Lewis, and Teagues. Tiggs.

[Kelly Ripa]

Tigs. Tiggs. Sorry.

[Jan Chalet]

You guys out. And you were gonna play this game.

[Kelly Ripa]

Yes.

[Jan Chalet]

And it was a game that it's supposed to seem like it's spontaneous, but we all know how this works. You knew what your questions were beforehand. Jeff knew his. The same thing.

[Kelly Ripa]

If I'm being honest, I really didn't pay attention.

[Jan Chalet]

Okay, but you knew what they were, right?

[Kelly Ripa]

I knew there were questions coming.

[Jan Chalet]

You knew what they were. And so what happened was when they introduced you, they said your names.

[Kelly Ripa]

Yes.

[Jan Chalet]

But then you guys walked out in a different order.

[Kelly Ripa]

Because, again, I cannot stress this enough. We were lined up backstage by a stage manager who put us in order. When we heard our names being called, I was like, we all sort of went, we're in the wrong order. And he was like, go. And then we walked out, and as I hugged Andy, I was like, I think we're in the wrong order. And then we sat down, and me not realizing that the mics were on stage were a prop mic. And I guess everybody else knew that, except they didn't tell the name.

[Albert Bianchini]

Well, I mean, we just figured that out 10 minutes ago.

[Kelly Ripa]

So I don't know. And so I'm. My prop mic. Everybody else's prop mic is in front of them, and mine is, like, down on the floor.

[Albert Bianchini]

It's on the floor.

[Kelly Ripa]

So I'm, like, leaning down so that everybody can hear me. And I can tell that Andy is, like, amused. I can tell Jeff thinks I'm an idiot, and Tanks also thinks I'm an idiot. So, like, there's three people that are like, look at this moron that doesn't realize that her mic isn't connected to anything.

[Albert Bianchini]

Right, Right.

[Jan Chalet]

But so the producer in me, because I'm always thinking that way, Stop. So the producer in me is like, they're in the wrong seats, therefore, they're going to get the wrong questions. And so I sit there.

[Albert Bianchini]

So Jan, who's not producing this event, comes over and drops a bomb, whispers to somebody, and then Mayhem breaks loose backstage. Heads are running, people are sprinting.

[Jan Chalet]

I know you briefed your talent on these question. They're not gonna get the right questions. Kelly Rip is a pro. She'll be fine.

[Kelly Ripa]

But I'm just letting you know.

[Albert Bianchini]

So Mayhem breaks loose.

[Kelly Ripa]

Jam. But Jeff and Chinx are real loose cannons.

[Jan Chalet]

I just wanted them to know.

[Kelly Ripa]

And by their reaction, they freaked.

[Albert Bianchini]

They freaked. And it was mayhem. And dust was flying around. And you come over to me in the middle of it, looking so scared, and you're like, whatever happens, I didn't do anything.

[Jan Chalet]

They're in their walkie talkies.

[Kelly Ripa]

They're like, they gotta switch seats.

[Tamsin Fadal]

They gotta switch seats.

[Albert Bianchini]

And now him is running back. See him, like, passing the scrim behind you to go out there. And I'm like, jan, if these people are stopped in the middle of this and they change seats, it's all your fault. All the momentum that Andy has going, He's a pro. They're all going to figure it out. Kelly will pivot. It's not a big deal.

[Kelly Ripa]

Well, I. But I didn't pivot. I was totally lost up there. My question. I, Like, I. I looked at the question, and I was like, what does that even say? I couldn't say. Andy's asking me the question. I'm trying to read it off of the monitor behind me. And I was like, what? So my question was spiciest interview.

[Jan Chalet]

Yeah.

[Albert Bianchini]

Yeah.

[Kelly Ripa]

And I struggled to find my words. And I'm bringing this up for a reason. Cause it's gonna tie us into our live episode. Stay with me. And if I don't fall apart in the landing of this ship, just so you know, I am to Land this ship. I will land the ship.

[Albert Bianchini]

Land that plane, Kelly.

[Kelly Ripa]

Land it. So spiciest interview. And I looked at Andy and I said, oh, you know, we had Matthew McConaughey on the show and he revealed that he may or may not share a father with. And I'm struggling to find the word Woody Harrelson to the point where I'm like, somebody help me.

[Albert Bianchini]

At this point, Jan ran downtown to get a cue card.

[Kelly Ripa]

And Andy. And Andy goes, woody Harrelson. Because Andy's like, are you okay? And I go, yeah, Woody Harrelson. And then I repeat, I try to repeat the story. Forget Woody's name a second time.

[Albert Bianchini]

Yes, you did.

[Kelly Ripa]

And I was like, oh, my God. Somebody grabbed the hook. And I realized. I realized I was having a brain fog moment because I'm due for my tee shot. Yes. What is your tee shot, Kelly? Thank you for asking, Jan. My testosterone shot, which I was supposed to take a week ago, but I had to travel to Minnesota and Mark was supposed to. Cause Mark gives me the shot. He likes giving it to me. He's gotta put it in my tush. And he was supposed to administer said shot every night this week. But he keeps falling asleep before I come to bed, and I don't have the heart to wake him up and to give me this shot anyway. What was I saying? A brain fog. Brain fog. Brain fog. So that is why I am struggling to find my words and the reason I bring this up. Dear listeners, if you not tuned out by now, if you're still with us, it is October. And do you know what October is? October is Menopause Awareness Month. We get our own month, what we believe shrunk it down to three days because we can't remember the rest of the month. We're having a real honest conversation about navigating menopause and taking charge of your health. And menopause is not just menopause. There's perimenopause, there's the time before perimenopause. There's basically anything after 32, I'm being told. And it's a. It's a range, it's a real spectrum. But we've got so many conflicting stories out there about menopause. And today we are honored and thrilled to have Tamsin Fadal joining us. She's an Emmy winning journalist and advocate whose own on air, Hot Flashes and Breaking Point bathroom moment and lack of answers pushed her to research and write the New York Times bestselling book, how to Menopause and create two not One Jan, two documentaries, the M Factor and before the pause so women can finally have the support that she never did. And boy do I know all about the on air hot flash. Good God almighty. But let's welcome Tamsin Fadal to our podcast. Hello. Hello, Tamsin. Thank you so much for joining us. Tell us about your epic on air hot flash moment.

[Tamsin Fadal]

I will. Because you know what? Your brain fog moment there just took me back. I just, I felt every bit of that with you. That is so scary. Well, you know, I was a journalist, a TV journalist for 30 years and one night in 2019, I was on the air and we were in a commercial break and I felt that feeling. And if you've, if you've had a hot flash, you know what I'm talking about. It's not like a little spritz. It comes up from the center of your belly and literally sweat springs out under your arms, in your hair, your scalp, your face, everywhere. And you feel like, I don't think I'm going to be able to control whatever is happening next. And I was on the air at the time, commercial break, luckily, and my heart was just racing out of control. Heart palpitations are one of 34 + symptoms of perimenopause menopause. And one of the guys in the news studio said, I think you should go to the bathroom. Like you should get off the set because I don't know what's going to happen. And he escorted me off the set and I went right to the floor of the ladies bathroom. Never something I would have done in my right mind. You know, Kelly, what TV bathrooms are like. The floors are not a friend.

[Kelly Ripa]

It's a horror show, everyone.

[Tamsin Fadal]

And I went right down to the floor to cool my body off and, and I laid there and I what in the world just happened to me?

[Kelly Ripa]

Yeah.

[Tamsin Fadal]

And that was kind of where the journey of trying to understand what was going on with my body began.

[Kelly Ripa]

I had my first on air hot flash and everybody at this table was there. They remember it well. I had the misfortune of having, how should I put it, Jan? A co opted hot flash. I was wearing a two person Christmas sweater with Ryan Seacrest and suddenly I have a hot flash. And I mean, as you, as you explained to our listeners, it came from the center of my body and projected outward as though a thousand sponges were flying out of my body at the same time. And Ryan looks at me and says, are you sweating? And I said, yes, yes, don't worry. By the time your girlfriend goes through this. I'm determined to find a cure. But it's, you know, it's harrowing. It's embarrassing, it's humiliating. And nobody talks about it. I don't think it's talked about enough. I don't. I think even with all of your hard work, it's still not talked about enough. It's not normalized. And people think of a much older woman going through menopause, they don't understand where it begins, how it. It begins, and what the early symptoms look like. Don't you agree?

[Tamsin Fadal]

I couldn't agree more. I think even if you Google it right now, you will see images that come up of much older, frail women. This. This, you know, whatever they do on ads, on tv, when the woman's, like, sitting on the bench, petting her cat like that, that's kind of the woman, right? She's doing a. She's given up. And I. Yeah, I don't think it's talked about enough. You know, we have a billion women globally that are in this transition right now. So that is, as a lot of us. But I think because it's so. It's so wrapped up in so much fear about getting older and it. And it's not about that. This start. This can start much, much younger. And that's the word. I think we got to get out. Get out.

[Kelly Ripa]

I also think our mothers came from a generation of women who did not speak of such things, you know, and so we are sort of the pioneering generation of women talking about it. I mean, besides the Golden Girls, which did like. The Golden Girls covered menopause, they talked about it in the 80s, but people try to, like, suppress those memories or not refer to those memories in any way. You know, in. In all the funny Golden Girl episodes, they never really, like, in any of the TikTok viral videos, none of the menopause episodes come up. Jan Go.

[Jan Chalet]

You know, I find the information to be super confusing. And I'm in this world of, you know, journalism. If we call this journalism, let's call it journalism. Let's call it journalism. But for me, personally, I'm confused because I'm one of those people who. I get my period every month, like, right on the date, right? And it is, you know, always the same amount of time. It's as regular as it could be. But I do wake up at night, like, in a full flop sweat. But I keep saying it's like. Cause I'm stressed out. Like, I feel like there's so much going on in my life right now that I'M like, kind of thinking that that's what it is. And I had my hormones checked two years ago, and they said everything was fine, but.

[Kelly Ripa]

Did you have your hormones checked by a hormone? Like, by an endocrinologist or a menopause specialist?

[Jan Chalet]

Erica Schwartz. Okay, she did two months ago, and she. Two years ago and said it was fine. But I got to imagine by now I'm 53 years old. Like, I got to imagine that this is probably now where I'm at.

[Kelly Ripa]

Jan, it's so impressive.

[Tamsin Fadal]

It is, yeah. It's really impressive because usually the average age of menopause is 51 years old. And most women start some of these kind of changes. You're talking about waking up in a pool of sweat, not feeling like themselves, feeling stressed out, and those start to become those symptoms of perimenopause leading up to menopause. But that's amazing, though. I would say it's been two years and a lock and change in two years.

[Jan Chalet]

Yeah, I'm assuming. But I'm always afraid, like, because Kelly talks about the importance of hormones, and I'm always afraid, like, I'm missing the window of, like, taking them. Like, so I'm like, when am I gonna start that?

[Tamsin Fadal]

No, you can. You can. So I'm not a doctor. We. We all know that. I'm a journalist. But I did so much research into this because a lot of doctors, truth be told, were not like Dr. Schwartz, who is, you know, this is her specialty. This is what she does day in and day out. She sees. She sees patients. She knows what's going on. She probably, you know, she knows the minute you walk into that office what's going on with you, most likely. But you can start hormone therapy in perimenopause to help with some of those symptoms. And then once you hit menopause, you'll have that other conversation and you can keep going right through there. But there's not a window you're going to miss if you're still getting your period, for sure.

[Kelly Ripa]

And it's also a. It's not a one size fits all medicine. I mean, it is. It's trial and error. And I definitely started HRT way before I stopped getting my period just because I wanted to control some of the other symptoms. I just think it's. I, I. And, and there's so much misinformation based on erroneous studies from decades ago that people still will say to me, how can you do hrt? Aren't you afraid of getting cancer?

[Tamsin Fadal]

You know that that was the hardest one for me. So I lost my mother to breast cancer. And I was one of the people that, when I went into the doctor for the first time, I went, I can't, I can't do that. So you got to give me something. You have a supplement, you have a root, you have a mineral. What do you have for me? And they said, no, no, no, you haven't had breast cancer. And so there's a lot of, you know, there's a lot of misinformation out there. There was a study over 20, 25 years ago now that really the media did a big mis service. There were a lot of headlines that were very confusing. Women threw out their hormones. It went from like 44% of the population to 4% of the population using hormones. And it was really a disservice to women. And, and women that would have been my mother's age would have, you know, lost this whole window of being offered this. But I will tell you that the most effective, according to all of the guidelines of the Menopause Society, treatment for certain symptoms of menopause, they will say, is menopause hormone therapy, which is hormone therapy, which is estrogen, progesterone. And then if you decide testosterone is something that you know, you want for low libido, then you know, you can do that. And trust me, it makes a huge difference for me.

[Caller/Listener]

It did.

[Jan Chalet]

And do all insurance companies cover this?

[Tamsin Fadal]

Ah, that's another one.

[Kelly Ripa]

That's a real question.

[Tamsin Fadal]

No, it's a great question.

[Kelly Ripa]

Half of the population, I know, but, but it's, but it, but, but we're women, so it's like that's the problem. That's really a problem.

[Jan Chalet]

So then how do people get this if not.

[Tamsin Fadal]

If you access is a huge problem. Trying to figure out, first of all, finding a provider is a big, you know, is, is a big thing that, you know, you try to do. That's why I'm grateful for a lot of the telehealth companies that have come up and make things a lot easier. But, you know, yes, some, some insurance does cover. Other people are going to a specialist, and somet specialists are not going to take insurance because they're a concierge doctor that are specializing in hormones. And so there's been a lot of confusion about it, and there's a lot of frustration about the lack of access. For the most part, though, most insurance companies will cover at least the hormone therapy.

[Kelly Ripa]

A portion. Right.

[Tamsin Fadal]

A portion of the hormones.

[Kelly Ripa]

Right. And so what. Give me some of your experiences with doctors that you saw, because I was very, very fortunate in my life that a girlfriend of mine recommended Erica Schwartz to me early on in my life. So I was blessed to have her in my life. Give me your experience.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Yeah, you really were. Because she is, you know, top notch, and she is, you know, there are.

[Kelly Ripa]

Pioneer.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Yeah, she really, really is. So I had. And it's funny, I came to New York when I moved to New York, and I was. I was like, in TV news, and I went to all the other women anchors. I'm like, like, who do you use for your gynecologist? And so we all had the same gynecologist. Like, literally, he saw every one of us. You know, he'd be like. We'd be in the office and be like, so how's the news? While he's doing the exam? And so that was kind of our. You know, that was my experience with my OB GYN When I got my blood test after that happened in the news studio, I got a note in my patient portal that had four words in it in menopause. Any questions? Signed by the doc. That was it. That was what was in my patient portal. No suggestion, no alternatives, no condolences. I don't know what you're supposed to do, but none of that.

[Kelly Ripa]

Not like, here's what I'm prescribing. Nothing menopause. Here's what I think you should do next.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Here's a definition of it. You're not just old and washed up. Nothing like that. And so that was real discouraging. And I think it was really, really important for me to try and figure out what to do now next. So I wound up going from that doctor to another. Another obgyn. And then they said, maybe it's, you know, I said, I have anxiety, I have weight gain. I'm not sleeping at night. Like, I was a girl that could fall asleep instantly. And they asked. They. They gave me Lexapro for antidepressant.

[Kelly Ripa]

I hear that a lot. A lot of women are prescribed antidepressants instead of HRT because of the anxiety.

[Tamsin Fadal]

You know, because you're like, I have. I'm anxious and I'm more anxious. And then I went to. I had a couple of those incidents happen. And I finally went to an endocrinologist who did my blood work and was like, you've got all this going on, like a real advanced panel of blood work and said, hormone therapy is for you. And I said, oh, I can't do hormone therapy because my mom had breast cancer. So I can't do that. And she said, but you can do that because you didn't have breast cancer. And even if you did, there are certain doctors that can have conversations with you depending on where you're at with, with it. And so she gave me hormone therapy. And I'll be honest, I was very scared and I wasn't sure what to do. And then eventually we really had a, like a long, deep talk. And she said, this isn't about hot flashes. This is about longevity. This is about protecting your bone health. This is like, you know, you feel not confident at work right now because you can't remember what you're talking about next. You know, you're, you're not remembering names and you're feeling uncomfortable. That's what this is about, the long term. And so I went on hormone therapy and I never looked back. I never looked back. And it's been a game changer.

[Kelly Ripa]

All right, we have to, we have to go to commercial break. We're going to take your calls when we return. This episode of let's Talk off Camera is brought to you by Alloy Health. Use promo code off camera for $20 off your first [e-mail]. here's the truth, everyone. Brain fog, sleep issues, changes in your hair and skin, even your sex drive, they're all connected to hormones.

[Jan Chalet]

Was there, like, was there one, like, symptom that surprised you the most from this?

[Kelly Ripa]

I mean, there was many, but the changes in my skin, like the actual skin on my body, frightened me.

[Jan Chalet]

See, I'm so scared that I haven't tried started hormones yet that I've, like, missed a window.

[Kelly Ripa]

No, you have not missed a window. I'm telling you, you have not missed a window. I'm telling you, you. Alloy connects you with a menopause trained doctor to create a personalized treatment plan. Delivered right to your door. Jan, it is not too late. Join the 95% of women that feel better in just two weeks. Go to myalloid.com and use the code off camera today. How absurd is it when footwear barely survives a season? Nothing annoys me more than when I invest in a pair of boots that fall apart immediately. Well, some things are actually built to last. And that's what L.L. bean has been doing for over a century. Making boots with a level of craftsmanship that proves not everything has to wear out. Bean boots carry that tradition forward. Handcrafted in Maine with the same care since 1912. Made with full grain leather, durable rubber bottoms, and triple needle stitching. Built to last. These aren't shoes made for a single season. They're boots designed to take on years of rain, sleet, mud and snow and come out stronger. They're perfect for commutes, weekend hikes, or cheering from the sidelines. And when it comes to style, Bean boots prove that time design always wins. They've looked the same for more than a century because real style doesn't chase trends. With every season, each pair becomes more personal, more distinctive, and a reflection of the life lived in them. L.L. bean boots are simply best worn. Find your [e-mail] crafted to last, ready for the outdoors, and timeless in style.

[Albert Bianchini]

Morning, Zoe. Got donuts.

[Jeff Lewis]

Jeff Bridges why are you still living above our garage?

[Albert Bianchini]

Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T Mobile commercial like you. Teach me. So Dana.

[Jeff Lewis]

Oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.

[Albert Bianchini]

Wow, impressive. Let me try. T Mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Nice.

[Jeff Lewis]

Jeffrey, you heard them.

[Albert Bianchini]

T Mobile is the best the best.

[Commercial Voiceover]

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[Albert Bianchini]

Pro on us with eligible traded in any condition. So what are we having for launch?

[Jeff Lewis]

Dude, my work here is done.

[Commercial Voiceover]

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[Kelly Ripa]

We are back with Emmy award winning journalist and advocate Tamson Fadal who is here to discuss menopause with us. We've got so many questions. Should we get to the phone lines right away?

[Jan Chalet]

Let's do it.

[Kelly Ripa]

Who's first?

[Jan Chalet]

Jan, we got Wendy in Massachusetts.

[Kelly Ripa]

Wendy in Massachusetts. You're on with Tamson Fadal.

[Caller/Listener]

Hi, how are you? Hi, I am. I just turned 60. I had a hysterectomy six years ago. I had my thyroid taken out. I am exhausted. I have brain fog and the sweats are embarrassing. I have a hard time wearing socks and jeans and long sleeve shirts. The endocrinologist said everything is fine. They tweaked my thyroid medicine a little bit but. But I keep having the sweat so I don't Know what it is I can do.

[Kelly Ripa]

Tamsin? What is it with doctors sort of saying everything is fine? Like, it's. They seem to go by, like, the most baseline numbers of any.

[Tamsin Fadal]

You know, it's. It's. It always breaks my heart when I hear this story. And I'm so sorry for what you're going through, because I. I really understand that you feel like you're almost playing whack a mole with some of these symptoms that you have going on right now. You know, I think we know this. We do know that a lot of doctors were not educated about this in medical school, and that's not their fault. That is simple. If you ask any of them, they'll say, I got six hours of training, or I got six days of training. But that's kind of about it. And, you know, part of the issue is that those are. That's OB GYNs. We're not even talking about other disciplines. So, again, not a doctor's fault. Many of them right now are hard at work studying and figuring out and paying attention to the latest research and getting certified by the Menopause Society. But I will say this. I will say that a lot of times, you know, we hear a baseline is normal, but everybody goes through this differently. Everyone's experience is different. What Kelly might be able to do or Jan might be able to do or I might be able to do is going to be very, very different. I would encourage you to try to find a doctor, like a doctor we're talking about that really understands hormones that is certified in menopause care and have them talk to you, because I. I'm assuming you're in. In menopause right now, not getting a period anymore. Not.

[Kelly Ripa]

She's got a hysterectomy.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Oh, you got a hysterectomy. So you went into a medical menopause. And so I. I don't know what year that was, but if it has been 10 years or more, you've got to find somebody that is certified in that to have that conversation. And if there's not any other symptoms or any other things that you're dealing with, and then hormone therapy could be a great option, you know, if that is approved by a menopause specialist, because right now, you know, it's not okay that you're suffering the way you are.

[Kelly Ripa]

Tamsin, let me ask you on Wendy's behalf, how would she find, like, a certified menopause specialist? Like, what's the best way to go about that?

[Tamsin Fadal]

It's a great question. There's two ways. A lot of times people want to see somebody in person, which I completely understand. The menopause society. It's menopause.org they have an organization where they certify these providers in different cities and different states. You can go to Menopause.org, put in the zip code, Wendy, and hopefully your city comes up with somebody that is close or near you. If not, and you're talking about telemedicine and you're interested in something like that, there's a couple of telemedicine telehealth companies that do a really great job of that, and I can list a few of those so you have access to those as well. Midihealth is one. Alloy is another one. Those are two of the big ones that really provide care for women in menopause, and they're seeing patients all the time. So I would really encourage you to look at one of those two places simply because you are having a lot of symptoms and you. You want to be able to get on top of that, especially being thrust into a medical menopause, essentially.

[Caller/Listener]

Is a woman better than a man or it doesn't matter?

[Jan Chalet]

That's a good question.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Is. Is. I'm sorry, what was the question?

[Caller/Listener]

Wonder if a woman is more in tune with the hormonal than a. Than a man doctor?

[Tamsin Fadal]

I mean, that's a good idea. That's a good question. You know, I left my men doctors and wound up going to a woman. And that wasn't quite so intentional. But it's been interesting to me to note more male doctors are starting to be part of this conversation, which is good news. But I often see a majority of the doctors that have really stepped forward are going through this type of transition themselves, and then all of a sudden they really understand it. So obs that have gone from delivering babies for a very, very long time and now are maybe in the perimenopause or menopause area, they really understand it firsthand. So I don't want to discourage you from maybe going to a doctor that you've had for a long time. But I would say this. If you're going to a doctor, it is incumbent on us as the patients and the partners to say before you even walk into an office, are you comfortable talking about menopause? Are you comfortable talking about my options? Can you tell me whether or not you'd be willing to recommend hormone therapy or at least explain it to me if that's something that comes up. And that way, you know, if you've Got somebody that feels comfortable with this discussion so you don't waste your time and you can find care right away.

[Kelly Ripa]

Yeah. And, Wendy, be your own best self advocate. Nobody's going to do it for you.

[Caller/Listener]

My parents. My. Both of my parents had cancer, so I was their advocate. So I'm pretty.

[Kelly Ripa]

So you're good at it.

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah, yeah. Do men go through menopause?

[Kelly Ripa]

They go through andropause, right?

[Tamsin Fadal]

Yeah, they go through andropause. And so they have their own hormone fluctuations, but ours kind of, you know, really decline. And then when they decline, they just take a dive. Listen, I think if men really went through menopause, we'd already had like 57 solutions.

[Kelly Ripa]

There'd be a cure for it, or.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Maybe it would have been solved by now. So that's what I think. But, you know, I don't know that all men like that answer, but that's what I think. But, you know, they go through their hormonal changes. We're talking about, you know, a continuum. We're talking about hormone changes that we have as women all throughout our life, whether we're, you know, young, with our period in our reproductive years, or going through peri. Into menopause, into post menopause. But I think we have a tougher. I just got to say that.

[Kelly Ripa]

Wendy, good luck to you. Thank you so much for calling.

[Caller/Listener]

Thank you so much. Bye Bye.

[Kelly Ripa]

All right, who do we have now?

[Jan Chalet]

We have Mary in California.

[Kelly Ripa]

Mary in California. Oh, my gosh. Mary. Hi, you're on with Tamson.

[Caller/Listener]

Hi. I'm glad to be on with both of you. I know you love California. I'm thinking I'll go to Palm Springs with you, Kelly.

[Kelly Ripa]

Oh, I would love that. Anytime. We'll go. You know what? We'll do like a whole. Do like a hormone tour. Yeah.

[Caller/Listener]

You know how you make a hormone. Right?

[Kelly Ripa]

Wow.

[Caller/Listener]

That's my brother's joke. I gotta give him credit.

[Kelly Ripa]

It's a good one. Mary, what's your question for Tamsin?

[Caller/Listener]

I was calling you because I have an OBGYN that. Now that you've all been talking, I've been listening to you so long, I think perhaps he's in touch with his feminine side. He made me a promise because he was a new doctor in town. We're a very small town in the Central Valley of California. And I said, okay, I don't see enough baby pictures like on your board.

You know, when you go to have.

A baby and you see all those damn babies.

[Kelly Ripa]

Yeah, of course.

[Caller/Listener]

I said, what. What the hell? Like, what's going on. You have like three. That is not aspiring confidence here. And so he said, oh, would that be great if someone said that to you because you're a lawyer? And I said, no, it's just that, like multiply the picture, I'll give you some. Cut them out of magazines. And so he, we became fast friends and I had four children and he delivered each child and subsequent to my fourth child being born, because it was kind of unexpected. I don't ever want to say that, but. But I take them all as they come. And he has autism, my youngest, but my oldest I have from. In an eight year period. I have four babies and I have a law practice. But he told me, he said, here's the deal. I really think you need to have an IUD put in. Because my husband had had a vasectomy and he's passed away, which was extremely traumatic when we were 54. And yet prior to that I didn't have a lot of faith in that vasectomy because I accidentally left it in my glove box. The return that I was supposed to take to the hospital for all day in about 100 degree heat. And you know, in a car it's even hotter. So as a result I thought, oh, shit. Like this is. Oh, I probably shouldn't say that. I'm sorry, I just didn't have a lot of faith in the vasectomy. And my doctor said, well, you know, let's just put an IUD in. And I've had an IUD and every five years a marina device. And I am turning 60 and I've never had, since that went in, I've never had a period. And at that point I was 39 and a half or so.

[Kelly Ripa]

So how often do you have it, how often do you have it swapped out, Mary?

[Caller/Listener]

Whatever the doctor tells me, I don't know, they send me a note. So is it several years? I don't know. I've had a lot.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Well, Mary, is your question that whether or not you should have that removed and to see whether or not you're in, in menopause? Because if you're 60.

[Caller/Listener]

I'm about to turn 60.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Yeah.

[Caller/Listener]

And this whole time I've not had any. I've had no periods and I've had no marker symptoms. No, I've had no symptoms from menopause.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Well, because.

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah. So is that hormone therapy?

[Kelly Ripa]

Marina has hormones. It's a, it's an IUD with hormones. Oh, so she is getting the hormones. Yeah.

[Jan Chalet]

Is that what doctors do to treat menopause?

[Tamsin Fadal]

Or no, no, I, I, I would, my, my suggestion, I would assume if I, you know, we did a lot of screenings of the documentary and had a lot of, of different panels with doctors and you know, these, this came up often. I really would have that conversation if that's the doctor you feel comfortable with. I'm not, I'm not sure that you do or don't, but if you feel like that's a doctor you're comfortable with, maybe discuss whether or not he is comfortable treating menopause or talking about your options. But where you are right now, you are nine years past what the average age of menopause would be. And I would assume or I would think that they would probably want to of remove that, see where you are, get, get some hormone testing done to see where, what your levels are at least. And that'll take a little bit of time because oftentimes if they take somebody off of a birth control pill, they will let that, you know, take a little bit of time in between where you are. Especially you don't want to, you also don't want to miss a window to be on hormones either at some point. And that's an average of 10 years. But you know, different doctors feel differently about that. But I would really have that discuss Mary with, with that doctor or somebody you feel comfortable with.

[Kelly Ripa]

Mary, thanks so much for your call.

[Caller/Listener]

Oh, you're so welcome. But I had it, I had another question is. Okay, so I'm my parent, my mother, my two sisters, they all hit menopause at 51. And to sub I've been again on this Marina device, right. And I'm like, I've never had hot flashes. I've never had anything. I mean, it's kind of crazy.

[Tamsin Fadal]

You wouldn't know though, because you're getting those hormones. So something that might stop the hot flashes. Because those hormones, the hormones that we're talking about, if you're on them, you wouldn't be, you know, you have diminished hot flashes. So I would really, I would really go see if that doctor can talk to you about that for sure.

[Kelly Ripa]

Mary, thanks so much for your call. Albert, you have a question for Tamsen.

[Albert Bianchini]

Tamsen, why is there so much shame around menopause? Like, why are women ashamed to talk about it? I find it fascinating and I, it's just such a normal thing.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Yeah, it's such a good question. Right. If you're lucky enough, you're going to go through menopause. If you're lucky to live long enough.

[Albert Bianchini]

Right.

[Tamsin Fadal]

I think it's so wrapped up in ageism and sexism. I also think that, you know, for a very long time we thought we were researching the film and the books and all that stuff. We realized going back, people would say like, oh, my gosh, this woman is crazy. You know, because they didn't know what was going on. And so there was a lot of. Of, you know, the word hysteria. There was a lot of things really associated with it that gave it a lot of shame and taboo, and people didn't know what was happening. And, you know, we. We outlive our ovaries now for.

[Caller/Listener]

For a.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Quite, Quite a long time. Many, many decades. So I think that it's. It's a lot of that. It's also, you know, media. We didn't do a. We didn't do a real service to it for a long time. You know, youth has always been what everybody talked about, what everybody admires. And women that were in midlife are kind of past their. Their better years, and that's the menopause. And I think we're flipping that narrative on its head in a big, big, big way.

[Kelly Ripa]

It's really so true. The women I know, all of the women in my life that I know that are the most accomplished and have the most going on, are over the age of 50. Most of them are postmenopausal, and they have the freedom and the ability to really thrive. They are founding businesses, they are authors, they are teachers, they're podcast hosts, they're journalists, doctors, and. But they have so much more to offer now. Not now, but they always had a lot to offer. But now that they are no longer in that age where you've got to, you know, you're rearing small children or you're, you know, you've. A lot of people get very sick when they get their periods. You know, a lot of women suffer from terrible periods, and it. And it can impact their. Their. Their living. They have to call in sick for work or what have you. They're not at their. As productive as they are as. As the women I know past the age of 50. Don't you think, Jan?

[Jan Chalet]

Yeah, I feel like maybe the majority of people on air weren't talking about it also because it does age them. And people feel like there's an expiration date on women in media. Right.

[Kelly Ripa]

Is there. What is mine? Somebody please tell me what mine is.

[Jan Chalet]

There is that sense of that. So people are scared to, like, say, like, I've crossed over. Right. Do you breathe out?

[Kelly Ripa]

Sure.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Yeah. I absolutely agree. I was scared for a while to bring it up because I felt like, is this going to ruin my career talking about it? I had a woman say that to me. But, you know, I agree with what you say about women over the age of 50. At first I thought, like, is that just what I'm noticing? But it's really what's going on there. I mean, they've got. They're wiser, they're bolder, they've got, you know, a lot to give their teachers in, a lot of this. And I think that going back to your question of why there's so much shame in all of it, you know, this was just a conversation that maybe women, maybe women had in the doctor's office, maybe, and they didn't usually have it with their moms. And real women were certainly not talking about it like this. Like, we're not doctors, real women talking about this. So that. That didn't happen. And so I think the more that we see that happen, that's. That's what's going to move this needle in a big way.

[Kelly Ripa]

Yeah. And. And I just think we have so much to like. Like, because we're verbose, because we talk about it, our daughters and younger women of the upcoming generations won't have the same stigmas attached. And so I think the. There will be so much more available to them because of the. The information that's out there. Should we take a class?

[Jan Chalet]

We have.

[Kelly Ripa]

We've got Willow in Idaho. Willow, hi. You're on with Tam.

[Caller/Listener]

Sarah, hi.

Thank you so much. So this last year, I'm 48 years old, so this last year, my periods got exceptionally erratic. I was in Europe last year with my kids, and I swear I had a crime scene period that was going through my pants, through my underwear, and I'm with my kids, and it was so embarrassing. And. And then, like, the next month I had spotting, and then months after that, I would get a combination of both. I went to. Over the last year, went to eight different doctors, and I had told them what was going on, and they said, do you have night sweats or hot flashes? And I'm like, well, no, not really. And so they dismissed me because I had other symptoms. But they said that doesn't fall under the umbrella of perimenopause. So I was wondering if you could help me flesh out the not so common symptoms of it. And are there more than just the two big ones that people talk about? Because I have, like, skin issues, creepy, crawly skin, joint stiffness, and, you know, those kind of things.

[Kelly Ripa]

So I Mean, Yeah, I mean, I. You need to talk to a different doctor because you, to me, sounds like you checked off every box. Like everyone in this room, with the exception of Jan, is shaking their head yes, I have some of those. No, I know you like you. I'm just saying you have hot flashes, but your periods are very stable. But. But everything else that you said sounds very perimenopausal to me. Tamsin, what do you think?

[Tamsin Fadal]

Oh, 100%. And I. And for anybody to say that, you know, this. This is actually where more of that shame comes in. Like, hey, you don't have enough. You're not suffering quite enough yet for us to do something about it. Heavy period is one of the first signs of perimenopause. Erratic. Just exactly what you're talking about. That crime scene. Everybody on this call. Well, most people on this call know that and understand that. But all the things you're talking about are reduction of estrogen when you're talking about dry skin, when you're talking about joint pain that comes from inflammation when you're talking. Maybe it's sleeping. All those are some of these boxes. I would definitely find a doctor. And I have a symptom tracker that you can kind of check off. There's 34 plus symptoms I wrote about in my book. Some are weird things like burning tongue and itchy ears. Dry skin, frozen shoulder. Everybody has different ones. But I would encourage you really, to do that, because even with just the heavy, even with the heavy periods, they could put you on a birth control or a low dose estrogen and progesterone to help with that. So it's not so difficult for you.

[Kelly Ripa]

Willow, thank you so much for the call.

[Caller/Listener]

Thank you so much.

[Kelly Ripa]

Good luck to you. Frozen shoulder is a real thing, Jan. That's right.

[Tamsin Fadal]

I know.

[Jan Chalet]

You had it, by the way. I'm now remembering when you had that.

[Kelly Ripa]

Frozen shoulder is real.

[Albert Bianchini]

It is now. Kyle has it.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Kyle has it.

[Albert Bianchini]

Shoulder.

[Kelly Ripa]

His frozen shoulder. You think he's suffering from menopause?

[Albert Bianchini]

Nobody has frozen shoulder.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Painful sympathy pains. The sympathy, you know, the sympathy.

[Jan Chalet]

Yes.

[Kelly Ripa]

Maybe. Maybe Kyle feels bad. He feels bad for us.

[Albert Bianchini]

For you.

[Kelly Ripa]

Yes. Yeah. Okay. All right. Are we taking a commercial? Commercial break. We have to take a commercial break. We are, I promise. We're trying to get to as many calls as we can. Don't go anywhere. We're going to take more calls with Tamsin when we return. Stick around. 1985 is calling and you're gonna want to pick up. 40 years ago, Italian skincare brand Borghese introduced Fango, the original five minute Mud mask. Fango means mud in Italian and in just five minutes, this mask nourishes and purifies your skin for a healthy glow. Before facials and filters, there was Fango, over 20 sold. This iconic mask has been trusted for decades because it delivers results fast, smooth, glowing skin in minutes. And Fango isn't just for your face, it works on your body too. And for someone like me with a busy schedule, it gives me maximum results with minimal effort. And the ritual of applying a thick, creamy layer, warming up the shower and then rinsing it off for glowing skin feels absolutely luxurious. Visit BorgHese.com and celebrate 40 years of Fango with 20 off using promo code off camera that's Borghese B O R G h e s e.com being diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma or one of over a hundred other types of blood cancer makes people want more time to do the things they love. That means more time to be grandparents, movie buffs, artists, athletes, musicians, you name it. Blood Cancer United, formerly known as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, is the world's leading organization focused solely on blood cancer research, Support and advocacy. Advocacy. First founded in 1949, they are the largest non profit funder of blood cancer research and have helped pioneer treatments for adults and children alike as well as advancing policies to help enable access to care for all. Blood Cancer United does more for people with blood cancer so people with blood cancer can do more of what they want. I think it's important to provide research, patient support and advocacy for blood cancers of all kinds. We have to remember that blood cancer is the one type of cancer that can affect anyone of any age, from infants and to seniors to everyone in between. Learn more and [e-mail] Paragould is the.

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[Kelly Ripa]

Okay, we are back with Tamsen Fadal. You know what you two we're not the only ones with a podcast. Tamsen has a podcast called the Tamsen Show. You sit down and you talk about all of this with doctors and specialists in the field. Is that right?

[Tamsin Fadal]

Yeah, I do. You know, I feel like there's so much this conversation, and they're. And they're new research all the time, and. And so it's great to do it and talk to them and then also talk about what comes on the other side of all this, you know, because we've got some really incredible women out there doing great things. It's good to know.

[Kelly Ripa]

It's good for our listeners because we're never gonna get to all of the callers today, but it's good to know that the Tamsen show is available for you to download wherever you get your podcast. How did I do? Jan?

[Jan Chalet]

You did great. You did great. I do have a question, though. I want to know about, like, how this affects your sex drive, because I've been just blaming the fact that I'm probably mad at my husband, but maybe it's a symptom. You tell me.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Maybe it's both. You know, low libido is one of the big symptoms of menopause. And, I mean, I definitely went through it. I got remarried at the age of 50, and this poor guy, I dated him in perimenopause, and I was like, still getting erratic periods, and so he was patient with that. And then I turned like, like 49, and I'm like, my libido's. And then I get married and I. We went to Hawaii on our honeymoon, and I was like, oh, my God, I don't want to have sex. Like, I just. It just like, I had no, no interest. No, you know, I wasn't deal. I wasn't dealing with hormones. I didn't really know what was going on completely. And this poor guy, I think he, like, thought I bait and switched him. Like, hey, look at me. Oh, don't come near me now. But it's a real thing. And when I don't have. Have, you know. You know, there are a lot of different things that can help your libido. Testosterone being one of them, estrogen and progesterone being another. And that definitely does make a difference.

[Kelly Ripa]

For me, they really work as like. For me, it's a trifecta. It's a trifecta. But for me, the one that really seals the deal is that I do a tee shot. I know a lot of women do, like a cream or a gel. I do a shot, and it's been life changing.

[Jan Chalet]

And you guys notice the difference when it's, like, waning off?

[Kelly Ripa]

Yes, yes.

[Caller/Listener]

Oh, my gosh.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Really? Yeah.

[Kelly Ripa]

It's like a battery Winding down.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Yeah. It's like you're crawling all over them one time, one time. And then when they come near you again later, when you don't have that, you're like, don't come.

[Kelly Ripa]

You're like, you're breathing. You're breathing. Sickens me.

[Caller/Listener]

Are you chewing again your food?

[Kelly Ripa]

Must you breathe?

[Jan Chalet]

And what do you think is important for, like, men to know?

[Kelly Ripa]

Right?

[Jan Chalet]

Because that's. That's like I'm trying to explain all this to my husband.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Wow. I. I love that. First of all, you know, I think men need to know what we're going through. I. I think for way too long, we. We whispered about it, right? Or we didn't talk about it at all. And that's how we got here. And our moms didn't talk about it, and that's how we got here. And then we kind of termed it as, like, a woman's problem or the. The change. We didn't even want to call it menopause. You're going through the. She's going through the change. And so, yeah, I think it's really important for men to understand what's going on so they don't feel like, you know, is it something that they did all the time? Even though sometimes it might be how she's. How. How you're feeling, you know, why you might be prone to irritability or rage, because all of those things. Those things happen. Fatigue and then. And then really understanding that, you know, I always say it's like the who, what, where, when of menopause. They don't need all the details, but they kind of need to understand this is what's going to go on. On and understand the fears that come out of society as a result of this time in life. And I think we probably all went through them a little bit, saying, like, you know, are my best years behind me if I'm in menopause? And, you know, the answer is, hell, no, no, no.

[Kelly Ripa]

It's like you look back and you're like, oh, my gosh, how did I do it all those years before menopause? It's wild. Like, that's the brain flip that you will have, Jan. Okay? I promise. Should we take a call? Yeah.

[Jan Chalet]

We've got Kelly in Pittsburgh.

[Kelly Ripa]

Hey, Kelly, you're on with Tamsyn.

[Caller/Listener]

Hi. Thank you so much. And I'll be the first person in line for the hormone tour. Please do that.

[Kelly Ripa]

I'm gonna do it. You know what, Tamsen? You and I should do like a woman, like, just, you know, how they have Comic Con. We'll do menopause con, hormone Con. Let's do it.

[Jan Chalet]

Good idea, by the way.

[Kelly Ripa]

By the way, let's do it.

[Tamsin Fadal]

I am ready.

[Kelly Ripa]

What's your question, Kelly?

[Caller/Listener]

Well, you mentioned something about that 10 year window and I was just wondering when that applies. But then, you know, back in 2003, I, I went through all the things everyone was saying. My fatigue, I was kind of like crawling on the floor. I went to this allergist in Queens and he said to me, because I went to specialist after specialist after specialist, I was labeled, labeled lazy. I was labeled, you know, crazy, everything, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, which I think I have. But he said to me when I was 35, he said, this is hormonal and you're not going to know it until you're in your 50s because it's not going to show up in your lab work where someone will take you seriously.

Oh my gosh.

[Tamsin Fadal]

Well. Oh, first, I'm so sorry. And second, unfortunately, that is an answer so many women get. So I, I don't know if you said when you, you know, went into this or where you are in terms of age. The menopause society has, you know, guidelines, right, for women that are, you know, within 10 years of menopause or under the age of 60. Now, there has been some adjustment that some doctors will talk to you. So it's on a personal, you know, on a per person basis. If you find a provider, I really encourage you to look for that. And somebody that is not saying that it's going to show up in your 50s because quite frankly, perimenopause shows up in your 40s most of the time and it can start even earlier than that with hormonal changes. So I would really encourage you to do that because. And even in my book, I had to do this whole section, which I hated to have to do, but I had to give a script of like, what to do if your doctor says no to hormones, hormone therapy, because it's such a common thing. And we kept hearing about it over and over again. So I would say, you know, if you could talk to somebody about that, if you don't have any contraindications, reasons that you would not be able to do that. And if you haven't been in, in menopause for like 15, 20 years, I don't know, I don't know if you said your age, but I would really encourage you to find a different doctor that could talk to you about that, specifically you.

[Caller/Listener]

And my main Concern is for, like, the younger generation, you know, so, like, I see kind of like a genetic kind of thing with our. Within the women, our family. And so how. How early can someone start looking into that if you start to, you know, even just have female problems?

[Tamsin Fadal]

You know, I. I'm shocked. There's not a baseline for this, quite frankly. And it's. It's something that I really try to push it for and talk about. We have a baseline for mammograms. We have a baseline for colonoscopies. We don't have a baseline to say just a conversation. But I would say there's never too early of a time to be understanding what's going on. Because even if it's not hormone therapy, because not everyone's a candidate for hormone therapy. You just might not be. There are other things that you can do with lifestyle changes when it comes to making sure you're protecting your bones by lifting weights, making sure that you're eating where you're getting enough protein, making sure sleep is a real priority. Priority in stress management. So I would say no woman is ever too young to be having the conversations of how to protect yourself in terms of health span. But especially if you're dealing with that within the family, I would say early 30s, I would be having those conversations.

[Kelly Ripa]

Agreed. Kelly, make sure you get your hormones checked. I mean, definitely get a hormone panel. You have to do it. I agree with. I stand by everything Tamsen says. Thank you so much for your call, and good luck to you. You know what? I think we need to have Meno con. I really.

[Tamsin Fadal]

I love Mental Con. I love it. I think it needs to be a celebration for Menopause 100. You know, I. I did a, like a 1. A party last year, but I want to have a. I want. I agree with you. Like, there's so many questions. There's so many.

[Kelly Ripa]

Yeah, we can have. We can. We're going to get into this off. Off camera. I love it. I just want to. I want to remind everyone to pick up your book, how to Menopause. Check out the Tamson Show. It's a great podcast. It's available everywhere. You get your podcast and the M Factor. And before the pause, where. Where can people watch that?

[Tamsin Fadal]

Yeah, the M Factor is on impactorfilm.com and October 18th. I'm actually going to be screening it free virtually. And then before the pause, which is the perimenopause doc, we are in the middle of edit and it's going to be premiering in January.

[Kelly Ripa]

Thank you. So much. Thank you Tamsen. Tamsen Fadal everybody. And we'll talk off camera next week. Bye bye. Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa is a production of Malojo Productions. From Malojo, our team is Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Albert Bianchini, Jan Chalet, Seth Bronquist, Ross Therian, Devin Schneider, Michael Halperin, Julia Desch and Team Radio Andy Lisa Mantineo, Scott Marlowe, Jake Getz it's everything you love about Hallmark all in one place. Stream all new Hallmark original series and movies the next day. Enjoy the largest collection of Hallmark rom coms, mysteries, dramas, holiday movies and feel good stories. Get benefits like a five dollar monthly coupon to spend at Gold Crown stores or Hallmark.com free cards, exclusive gifts and much more. Visit HallmarkPlus.com and use code HPLUS P O D to get two months of Hallmark plus for just $2. How great is that? That hurry. The offer ends September 30th.

[Jeff Lewis]

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[Kelly Ripa]

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[Jan Chalet]

Com.

[Jeff Lewis]

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