# Andrea Donsky: Phantom Smells, Fatigue, and the Weird Symptoms of Perimenopause

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hello-hormones-with-dr-carrie-jones-7333411/andrea-donsky-phantom-smells-fatigue-and-the-weird-symptoms-of-perimenopause
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hello-hormones-with-dr-carrie-jones-7333411/andrea-donsky-phantom-smells-fatigue-and-the-weird-symptoms-of-perimenopause.md
Podcast: [Hello Hormones with Dr. Carrie Jones](https://stenobird.com/podcast/hello-hormones-with-dr-carrie-jones-7333411)
Published: 2026-05-05T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://54c17651-b998-4423-8fb3-0961ba8b4fb9.libsyn.com/andrea-donsky-phantom-smells-fatigue-and-the-weird-symptoms-of-perimenopause
Audio file: https://mgln.ai/e/p1008880/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/54c17651-b998-4423-8fb3-0961ba8b4fb9/HH_-_EP_53.mp3?dest-id=5022965
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/hello-hormones-with-dr-carrie-jones-7333411/episodes/andrea-donsky-phantom-smells-fatigue-and-the-weird-symptoms-of-perimenopause
Duration seconds: 4022

## Resource

When it comes to menopause symptoms, the first thing that comes to mind is hot flashes. But did you know it didn't make it to the top 10 most common symptoms of menopause based on Andrea Donsky's research and surveys? In fact, 9 out of the top 10 are brain and mental health related, think fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, and memory lapses, and most women have been brushing them off as "just life." In this episode of Hello Hormones, I sit down with my friend Andrea Donsky, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, 7-time published menopause researcher, and author of the upcoming book Nourishing Menopause, to break down her groundbreaking research, the strange symptoms that keep getting dismissed, and the nutrition blueprint that ties it all together. If you have ever felt like your body suddenly stopped making sense, this is the conversation that finally connects the dots. What's Discussed: (00:00) How Andrea's research uncovered 103+ perimenopause symptoms (02:19) The top 10 symptoms and why 9 of them are brain-related (05:46) Fatigue is number one and most women are blaming themselves (07:49) Phantom smells, electric shocks, and the symptoms nobody believes (11:08) Why stress hits differently in perimenopause (14:05) The SAFE nervous system response and why humor actually helps (17:17) Gut health, digestion, and what changes when hormones shift (20:18) The reframe: how long do your symptoms actually last? (21:09) Weight gain, visceral fat, and why it is not your fault (27:12) How one bad night of sleep messes with hunger and blood sugar (32:40) The biggest nutrition mistake women are making right now (38:56) How much protein you actually need (the simple formula) (41:40) Gut health in perimenopause and why bloating is not just food (46:41) The BALANCE blueprint for eating in this…

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