Understanding Perimenopause: A Beginner's Guide with Dr. Mariza Snyder (Ep 95)

Episode 95: Understanding Perimenopause: A Beginner’s Guide with Dr. Mariza SnyderPerimenopause can feel especially confusing when you’re already living with autoimmune disease. Changes in sleep, mood, energy, inflammation, cognition, and even how your body responds to familiar strategies can leave you wondering: Is this an autoimmune flare, perimenopause, or both?In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by functional medicine practitioner, bestselling author, and women’s hormone health expert Dr. Mariza Snyder for a Perimenopause 101 conversation designed to help women understand what’s actually happening during this transition.Together, they explore when perimenopause can begin, the surprising symptoms that often appear before cycle changes, and why fluctuating estrogen and progesterone may be especially disruptive for women managing autoimmune disease. They also discuss the foundational role of nutrition, sleep, strength training, metabolic health, and stress resilience, plus where hormone replacement therapy may fit into a personalized approach.In this episode, you'll learn:What perimenopause is and why it can begin as early as the late 30sWhy symptoms can appear years before noticeable menstrual cycle changesCommon early symptoms, including anxiety, irritability, brain fog, sleep disruption, and mood changesWhy perimenopause and autoimmune flares can be difficult to distinguishHow estrogen and progesterone interact with immune regulation and inflammationWhy strategies that worked for years may suddenly feel less effectiveHow tracking symptoms alongside your menstrual cycle can reveal important patternsWhy blood sugar regulation, nutrition, sleep, strength, and stress resilience matter in perimenopauseDr. Mariza’s “landing the plane” strategy for improving your nighttime routineHow to advocate for better perimenopause care and know when to seek additional supportWhere hormone replacement therapy may fit alongside foundational lifestyle strategiesWhy your needs may continue to change throughout the perimenopause transitionResources:Book: The Perimenopause RevolutionThe Perimenopause Revolution resources: drmariza.com/bookPodcast: Energized with Dr. MarizaEpisode Timeline:00:00 – Why perimenopause can be confusing with autoimmune disease03:16 – Introducing Dr. Mariza Snyder04:28 – Perimenopause 101: What are we dealing with?10:28 – Common and surprising symptoms of perimenopause17:14 – The perimenopause-autoimmune connection23:22 – Why old strategies can stop working in perimenopause28:27 – A foundational approach to perimenopause35:28 – Knowing when to dig deeper and advocate for care40:57 – Hormone replacement therapy in perimenopause46:09 – Hope for autoimmune women navigating perimenopause