Understanding Perimenopause Through Functional Medicine with Dr. Tara Scott
Episode Description
In this FMP Essentials episode on functional medicine and women’s hormone health, Dr. Yousef Elyaman sits down with Dr. Tara Scott, a triple board-certified OB/GYN and internationally recognized expert in perimenopause, progesterone therapy, and integrative hormone optimization.
With over 20 years of experience transitioning from traditional OB/GYN to functional and integrative medicine, Dr. Scott explains why perimenopause is often missed, misdiagnosed, or dismissed—and how hormonal imbalances can drive symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, weight gain, joint pain, insulin resistance, and mood changes even when periods are still regular.
This episode goes deep into progesterone deficiency, estrogen dominance, adrenal stress, cortisol, microbiome-hormone interactions, and hormone lab interpretation, offering both clinical pearls for practitioners and clarity for women advocating for their health.
Key Questions We’re Answering
- What is perimenopause, and why can it last 10–15 years?
- Why do women with “normal labs” still feel awful?
- How does low progesterone affect sleep, mood, and anxiety?
- When should hormones be tested—and which day of the cycle matters?
- Why birth control pills and progestins are not hormone replacement?
- How gut health and beta-glucuronidase impact estrogen recycling?
- When progesterone helps—and when more is not better?
Why You Can’t Miss This Episode
Most women are told: “Your labs are normal—this is just part of aging.”
This conversation explains why that answer is incomplete, and how root-cause functional medicine can dramatically improve quality of life during perimenopause—without chasing symptoms or masking physiology.
Host & Guest Information
Host - Dr. Yousef Elyaman, Functional Medicine Primary Care Physician
Connect with Dr. Yousef Elyaman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drelyaman
Guest - Dr. Tara Scott, MD, FACOG, FAAFM
Triple Board-Certified in OB/GYN, Functional Medicine & Integrative Medicine
Medical Director, Forum Health Akron
Connect with Dr. Tara Scott
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hormoneguruMD
Website: https://www.drtarascott.com
TikTok: @hormoneguru
What Listeners Will Learn
Key Insight
“Women can have severe hormone symptoms for years before menopause—and still be told everything is normal.”
Top Takeaways
Why progesterone is often the first hormone to decline
How cortisol and adrenal stress suppress ovulation
The difference between progesterone vs progestins
How estrogen metabolism—not just estrogen levels—drives symptoms
Why mid-luteal testing (not random labs) matters
Bonus Insight
Dr. Scott explains why joint pain, insomnia, and anxiety are frequently hormonal—and often overlooked in conventional care.
Shareable Quotes
“Perimenopause isn’t a diagnosis—it’s a physiology shift.”
“Birth control pills don’t replace hormones—they suppress them.”
“You don’t need abnormal labs to have abnormal symptoms.”
Disclaimers
Educational Purpose Only – This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
No Doctor-Patient Relationship – Listening does not establish a doctor-patient relationship.
Supplement Use Disclaimer – Any supplement recommendations are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult your provider.
Professional Responsibility – Practitioners should use their professional judgment before applying strategies discussed.
Liability Disclaimer – The host, guest, and affiliated organizations assume no liability for the use or misuse of the information shared.
This Episode’s Sponsors
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Music Credit: Heroes Approaching – Extended by tunes2go
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