In this episode of On the ’Mones, Kate Thomas — pharmacist, midlife woman, and professional oversharer — tackles one of the most distressing and misunderstood parts of perimenopause: what’s actually happening to your brain.

If you’ve found yourself forgetting words, losing focus, feeling anxious “for no reason,” questioning whether you suddenly have ADHD in your 40s, or quietly Googling early-onset dementia at 2am — this episode is for you.

Because here’s the truth:
You are not stupid. You are not lazy. And you are not losing your mind.
Your estrogen has simply stopped doing its full-time job.

Kate explains how estrogen functions as the brain’s unseen office manager — coordinating dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine — and what happens when that system starts running on skeleton staff. The result? Brain fog, anxiety, poor memory, emotional volatility, sleep disruption, and a sudden collapse in cognitive resilience.

This episode covers:

• What estrogen actually does in the brain (spoiler: it’s not just about reproduction)
• Why brain fog feels cognitive, not emotional
• How perimenopause can unmask ADHD traits in midlife women
• The critical differences between brain fog, anxiety and burnout
• Why treating hormonal symptoms with productivity hacks or “just manage stress” advice backfires
• The role of sleep loss as a cognitive and emotional multiplier
• What estrogen therapy can — and can’t — do for cognition
• Where SSRIs, SNRIs, stimulants and off-label menopause medications do fit (and where they don’t)

Kate also shares a brutally honest story from a midlife dinner party that spirals into a candid conversation about libido, testosterone therapy, HSDD, and the unequal way men’s and women’s sexual health is treated in medicine — including why prescribing Viagra or Cialis without considering the partner is clinically short-sighted.

And in this week’s Woo of the Week, Kate takes a hard look at black cohosh:

• What it is (and what it definitely isn’t)
• What randomised controlled trials and Cochrane reviews actually show
• Why “natural” doesn’t mean effective
• And how oversold supplements cost women time, money and confidence

If you’ve ever felt gaslit by your own body, dismissed by well-meaning advice, or ashamed of changes you couldn’t explain — this episode gives you language, biology, and relief.

Because desire, clarity and resilience aren’t personality traits.
They’re physiological processes — and they deserve real information, real medicine, and real conversations.

You’re not broken.
You’re early to the conversation.

Is testosterone really making women “ragey”… or is it just giving us fewer f*$ks to give? Or is it all down to age and experience?

In Episode 4 of On the ’Mones, pharmacist Kate Thomas dives into one of the most misunderstood hormones in women’s health: testosterone. Along the way, she unpacks a petty (and infuriating) pharmacy encounter that sparks a much bigger conversation about boundaries, ageing, assertiveness, and how much bad behaviour women in healthcare are expected to tolerate.

This episode covers:

• What testosterone actually does in women (hint: it’s not a “male hormone”)
• Why women naturally produce testosterone — and what happens as levels decline in perimenopause and menopause
• The evidence-based role of testosterone in HRT
• Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD): what it is, how common it is, and why it’s so under-treated
• Why HSDD is a clinical diagnosis, not a blood test result
• How testosterone therapy compares to how easily erectile dysfunction is treated in men
• Safety, side effects, and monitoring of transdermal testosterone (including AndroFeme)
• Why testosterone doesn’t cause “rage” — but can reduce people-pleasing and tolerance for bullshit
• The difference between assertiveness and aggression in midlife women

Woo of the Week:
Kate takes aim at “natural testosterone boosters,” DHEA supplements, and adrenal support blends — breaking down why these products are often less safe, less predictable, and less evidence-based than properly prescribed testosterone therapy.

You’ll also hear:

• Why supplements that “boost testosterone naturally” are basically hormone roulette
• The difference between oral DHEA, vaginal DHEA, and prescription testosterone
• Why control and precision — not “natural” — are what actually make treatments safer

If you’re navigating perimenopause, menopause, libido changes, or feeling like you tolerate far less nonsense than you used to — this episode will give you language, clarity, and evidence to back yourself.

Key takeaway:
Testosterone isn’t a personality transplant.
It’s not a cure-all.
And it doesn’t fix context.

But for the right woman, with the right diagnosis, at the right dose — it deserves a seat at the grown-up medical table.

🎧 Listen now to Episode 4 of On the ’Mones — where hormones, healthcare, and real life collide.

In this episode of On the ’Mones, we unpack three things many women quietly worry about — progesterone, memory changes, and the wellness advice that sounds scientific but absolutely isn’t.

First, we deep-dive into progesterone — why it’s not always a gentle background hormone, how it acts in the brain, and why some women feel calmer while others feel anxious, flat, or completely unhinged when they start it. We explain the real science behind "progesterone intolerance", PMDD, GABA receptors, and why “just push through it” is terrible advice.

Then, I get personal about brain fog — the kind that messes with your confidence and identity. We talk estrogen, cognition, working memory, task overload, and why perimenopause doesn’t steal intelligence — it steals your buffer.

Finally, it’s Woo of the Week, and we’re taking on collagen powders and protein marketing. What actually happens when you eat protein? Does collagen really know where your sore knee is? (Spoiler: no.) We separate legitimate nutrition from seductive nonsense and explain what the evidence actually says.

This episode isn’t about doing more — it’s about understanding better.

If you’ve ever thought:

• “Progesterone made me feel worse — what’s wrong with me?”
• “Why does my brain feel different lately?”
• “Is this supplement actually doing anything?”

You’re in the right place.