Hot and Bothered

What No One Tells You About Menopause and How to Feel Like Yourself Again

By: Jancee Dunn

Narrated by: Jancee Dunn

Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

“Hot and Bothered removes the shame, disdain, and mystery that’s surrounded menopause….An informative, entertaining and desperately needed book.” —Jen Sincero, author of You Are a Badass

When Jancee Dunn hit her mid-forties, she was bombarded by seemingly random symptoms: rampant insomnia, spring-loaded nerves, weirdly dry mouth, and Rio Grande-level periods. After going to multiple doctors who ran test after fruitless test, she was surprised to finally discover the culprit—perimenopause. For more than two decades, Jancee had been reporting on mental and physical health. So if she was unprepared for this, what about all the women who don’t write about health for a living?

Hot and Bothered is the book she wishes existed as she was scrambling for information: an empowering, research-based guide on how women can tackle this new stage of life. Menopause isn’t a disease, but a natural, normal life transition. Why, then, are we still speaking in whispers about something that affects half the earth’s population?

Through in-depth interviews with renowned menopause experts and trusted authorities, Dunn peels back the layers on this still-mystifying topic with her trademark humor and unpacks the science on both hormonal and nonhormonal treatments. She provides actionable ways to improve sleep, sex, moods, mental clarity, and skin; details the latest treatments for hot flashes; and explores the best practices to stop “peezing” (that would be peeing when you sneeze, thanks to your new urinary issues). Dunn’s clear, easy-to-follow advice will help you reclaim yourself—and fully embrace life’s next chapter.

* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of resources from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Jancee Dunn (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Hot and Bothered removes the shame, disdain and mystery that's surrounded menopause ever since the first vaginas roamed the earth. As a longtime fan of Jancee Dunn's writing and a fairly new fan of menopause (buh-bye cramps and bloating, hello white pants!) I'm so thrilled that Jancee lends her journalistic savvy and hilarious voice to such an informative, entertaining and desperately needed book.” —Jen Sincero, author of You Are a Badass

“Jancee Dunn has provided a vital guide for all women fumbling in the dark who might be wondering what on earth is happening to their bodies, their minds, their relationships, and in some cases even their careers. This is a book that dares to address the terrible taboo that shrouds menopause in perpetual shame and secrecy.” —Shirley Manson, lead singer of Garbage

“Dunn, a longtime health journalist, shares the skinny on the hot flashes, sweatiness, and moodiness that many women experience in the years surrounding their last menstrual period…Dunn gives good health information about hormones and insomnia, but it’s her candor and humor that make this guide stand out.” —Booklist

So helpful for me!

So relatable for me and incredibly helpful to know I'm not alone in what I've been experiencing -- knowing I'm not imagining the crazy changes my body is going through. It's encouraged me to speak up more with friends, family, and my partner. In turn, that's helping them to understand and it's such a relief. I needed this book!

Very informative and entertaining

Does a great job of mixing research info and personal experience to breech a complicated subject.

Wow informative with a twist of humor. She nailed it!!

I prefer audibles narrated by the author. She delivers a vast amount of information with humor and wit. So much information I'm going to listen to parts of it again. Loved it!

Never Felt So Understood

I highly recommend. The author covers so much and provides so much insight. Felt like I was having a conversation with a girlfriend. Perimenopause is so much more than just hot flashes and she helps bring light to that fact in a great way.

Great information

Love the author and all the Information. This has been enlightening and wish everyone, especially men can read or listen to this, so they can understand what women have to go through

THANK GOD for this book!!!

She gives a voice and normalcy to a taboo part of every woman’s life that leaves her feeling like an alien in her own body.
She has given me the confidence to seek out the help i now know to be out there for me.

An honest and educated discussion of menopause

She's forthright and blunt, in the best possible way. She doesn't tiptoe around any of it, from the reasons you might pee yourself to some of the physical damage your hot flashes are doing and ways to treat them. She discusses symptoms that I've had but that I didn't realize were perfectly normal and expected symptoms. She provides the results of testing of various products from herbal remedies to prescription drugs to CBD. This is a perfectly normal phase in life, and nearly half of the population will experience it firsthand. Here's all the information that any halfway competent education system (let alone healthcare system) should be teaching us all, but doesn't.

Oh thank god for this book!

Finally, an honest and funny explanation of all of the crazy changes our bodies go through when we become “women of a certain age.” Hot flashes, sleepless nights that lead to mad online shopping sprees (okay that might just be me), anxiety and depression, irritability that makes you feel like a crazy person, dry skin (and dry other parts) are all talked about frankly and honestly, with loads of suggestions for treatment options, so that you can figure out which will work best for you. It is so refreshing to have someone take the lid off of this topic, and stop treating it like we should be embarrassed about a thing that happens to every woman who either lives long enough or is forced into it early through chemo or hysterectomy. I learned about herbal treatment options and when to get medical doctors involved. I will be recommending this book to my friends and family because the sooner women start sharing information with each other, the sooner we can get the stigma and silence off of this challenging time in our lives!

Fantastic and must read

Well researched, empathetic, helpful, relevant and funny. Everyone should read this book. I’m recommending it a lot.

I’ve never felt to heard!

I’ve been blown off by multiple doctors for over 10 years and it’s not until I read this book that I understood what’s been going on. This book helped me advocate for the care I needed — even when a third doctor was ready to move on and only treat one symptom.

This should be required reading for all doctors!