The Menopause Hour with Winona: Mood, Mind, and Menopause: Hormones & Mental Health Explained - Episode #13

Published: May, 2025

Featured Physician

Cathleen M. Brown

Host

Madi Baldwin

Episode #13 of The Menopause Hour with Winona was a replay of a live Ask the Experts Q&A, hosted by Madie Baldwin and featuring Winona Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Green and Medical Director Dr. Cathleen Brown. The episode, titled "Mood, Mind, and Menopause: Hormones & Mental Health Explained," was recorded in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.

The doctors answered listener questions about how hormonal shifts affect mood, sleep, and cognition. They also went into detail about DHEA and progesterone dosing, whether HRT can be used alongside GLP-1 medications, and the hormone needs of women who have had a hysterectomy.

The mental and emotional effects of the menopause transition all too frequently get left out of the public conversation. Listeners navigating this stage of life will find supportive, actionable guidance in this episode, helping women feel informed and validated.

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Episode Details

Podcast: The Menopause Hour with Winona
Episode Number: 13
Episode Title: Episode #13: Mood, Mind, and Menopause: Hormones & Mental Health Explained
Host: Madi Baldwin
Featured Physicians: Dr. Cathleen Brown & Dr. Michael Green
Published Date: May 22, 2025
Episode Duration: 58 min 57 sec
Format: Menopause Q&A
Main Topics: Hormones & mental health, Fatigue & sleep, DHEA & GLP-1

About The Menopause Hour with Winona Podcast

The Menopause Hour with Winona is a health and wellness podcast featuring Winona Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Green and Medical Director Dr. Cathleen Brown. Each episode brings listeners candid, expert-led conversations that answer the menopause questions women may feel hesitant to ask their own physicians.

The show combines live Q&A sessions, doctor-to-doctor dialogues, and real patient stories to cover the full range of the menopause transition. By having honest conversations about symptoms, treatment options, and the underlying science of menopause, the podcast aims to help women feel informed and confident navigating their own health care conversations with their doctor.

Visit The Menopause Hour on Buzzsprout.

About This Episode

Originally released during Mental Health Awareness Month, this episode explored the link between hormonal changes and mental health. Dr. Green and Dr. Brown opened the conversation explaining that extreme fatigue during menopause can have various causes, including poor sleep, thyroid dysfunction, or vitamin D deficiency. They then took listener questions about protein needs, progesterone absorption through creams and pills, and addressed a common myth that HRT interferes with the body's own hormone production.

The conversation also covered more personal clinical questions, such as how HRT could help women in their 30s experiencing early menopause-like symptoms, whether progesterone is needed after a hysterectomy, and how mental health medications and hormone therapy can work together to support women’s emotional well-being holistically during the menopause transition.

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Topics Covered

The link between hormone fluctuations and mental health
Thyroid disorders, anemia, and vitamin D deficiency as possible causes of extreme fatigue during menopause
Daily protein needs and the role of nutrition in hormone balance
The myth that HRT interferes with the body's natural hormone production
Progesterone cream absorption and Winona's compounded dosing safeguards
Brain fog and how restoring estrogen levels supports cognitive function
HRT for women in their 30s with early menopause-like symptoms
Combining HRT with GLP-1 medications for weight management
Whether progesterone is needed after a hysterectomy
Managing acne and unwanted hair growth linked to hormonal changes
Skin benefits of HRT and Winona's estriol-tretinoin face cream

Key Takeaways

HRT supports the brain's natural chemistry

Dr. Brown explained that estrogen is essential to neurotransmitter function, so replenishing it through HRT can help improve brain fog and other cognitive symptoms. She added that these benefits often compound with better sleep once night sweats subside.

HRT doesn't interfere with the body's natural hormone production

Dr. Green clarified that unlike birth control pills, which suppress ovulation, HRT gently supplements the hormones the ovaries are already producing.

Progesterone needs depend on whether you have a uterus

Dr. Green noted that the clinical role of progesterone is to protect the uterine lining from estrogen's stimulating effects. Women who've had a hysterectomy typically don’t require progesterone, and estrogen-only regimens carry a different, generally lower breast cancer risk profile than combined estrogen-progesterone regimens.

Early menopause-like symptoms can appear before age 40

Dr. Green pointed out that around 15% of women complete menopause by age 45. This means that symptoms can start in the late 30s. Dr. Brown added that hormonal shifts related to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum can also contribute to perimenopause-like symptoms that develop before age 40.

HRT is not a substitute for primary mental health treatment

Dr. Brown emphasized that while HRT can resolve mood symptoms directly tied to hormone fluctuations, it isn't a substitute for clinical psychiatric treatment for depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, which require their own dedicated care alongside hormone therapy.

Dr. Cathleen M. Brown

Obstetrics & Gynecology

Dr. Cathleen Brown is a menopause specialist and physician with Winona. She brings a physician’s perspective to menopause, perimenopause, hormone changes, symptom care, and treatment options during midlife.

At Winona, Dr. Brown helps women better understand symptoms, health history, hormone changes, and when physician-reviewed care may be appropriate.

Meet Dr. Cathleen M. Brown