The Vagina Doctor Podcast w/ Duncan Turner M.D.

Perimenopause or “Am I Going Crazy?” Understanding Complex Symptoms and Hormone FluctuationsDuncan Turner, MD discusses how perimenopause symptoms can be complex, obscure, and easily confused with other conditions, leading some patients to be prescribed medications like Xanax or antidepressants that may not address the underlying hormonal changes. He explains that perimenopause is marked by unreliable, inconsistent shifts as the ovaries “misfire,” with intermittent ovulation and fluctuating es

Non-Hormonal Options for Menopausal SymptomsOn the Vagina Doctor Podcast, nurse practitioner Sophie Mengele discuss non-hormonal options for managing menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and mood irregularities. Sophie reviews several medication choices used when hormone therapy isn’t desired or isn’t an option, including SSRIs (noting Lexapro as a preferred option) and SNRIs for anxiety and mood stabilization. She highlights Veozah, which works on brain pathways involved in

Perimenopause, Sleep Disruption, and Hormone Therapy Options (Estrogen vs Progesterone) | The Vagina Doctor PodcastDuncan Turner MD and Sophie Mengele NP role-play a gynecologist visit with a 45-year-old patient who suspects perimenopause due to irregular heavier periods, mood changes, hot flashes, and especially disrupted sleep. The clinician explains that perimenopause is challenging because ovarian hormone output becomes unpredictable, with fluctuating estrogen and inconsistent progesterone

Pap Smears Don’t Screen for Ovarian Cancer—So What Does?This episode explains that Pap smears do not screen for ovarian cancer and that there is no particularly good routine screening test, which contributes to ovarian cancer often being diagnosed at an advanced stage. The ovaries are best evaluated with ultrasound, which the office performs annually to assess appearance. A blood test can sometimes detect very early ovarian cancer, but it has not been found to be tremendously effective. A newe

Body Composition Scans: What They Show, Who Should Get One, and Why It Matters on GLP-1sNurse Practitioner Sophie at TMA explains how body composition scans provide more useful information than a scale by showing where weight loss is coming from, including lean muscle mass, visceral fat around the organs, and total body fat. She describes using scans to track changes over time, especially for patients on GLP-1 medications, with the goal of losing fat without losing muscle. Sophie shares a pati

Dr. Naz on Foot Pain Misdiagnoses, Orthotics, and Building a Concierge Podiatry Practice in Santa BarbaraNurse Sophie Mengele interviews her friend Dr. Naz, a board-certified podiatrist with surgical residency training in Kansas City and a minimally invasive surgery and limb reconstruction fellowship at Emory, now running a small concierge podiatry practice in Santa Barbara and working for a local nonprofit. Dr. Naz explains she is currently nonsurgical and often provides second opinions, post