The Dr. Brighten Show

Why do I have so many symptoms when my labs are normal? In this listener-question AMA, Dr. Jolene Brighten—board-certified in naturopathic endocrinology, nutrition scientist, and author of ADHD and Women—connects hormones, ADHD, thyroid, endometriosis, gut health, metabolism, and more; visit https://drbrighten.com/podcast/adhd-and-women/  m for show notes and resources. ADHD and Women is out now, with a clear explanation of how hormones can change ADHD across your cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause. If you’ve spent years blaming yourself for a brain that won’t stay predictable, this book gives you the context and practical strategies to understand what’s happening and what to do next. Grab your copy here https://drbrighten.com/books/adhd-and-women/ In this AMA, Angela—Dr. Brighten’s friend and assistant—asks the questions women are bringing to the show: Why can you feel awful when your labs fall within a reference range? Can the menstrual cycle or perimenopause change ADHD symptoms and medication response? And how do you decide what to investigate first when several conditions and symptoms overlap? Dr. Brighten discusses the connections among hormones, thyroid health, endometriosis, gut symptoms, insulin regulation, weight changes, and skin. She also distinguishes established findings from anecdotal observations and areas where research is still limited. 🔎 In this episode, you’ll learn: Why a “normal” lab range may not explain your symptoms—and why symptoms and personal baselines matter. How changes in estrogen across the menstrual cycle and perimenopause may affect ADHD symptoms and stimulant response. What to consider when thyroid concerns, Hashimoto’s, endometriosis, brain fog, and weight changes are happening together. What “root cause” can mean when looking at health history, gut health, infections, genetics, and environmental factors. Why weight around the middle can involve insulin regulation and visceral fat—and how protein, fiber, movement, muscle, and GLP-1 medications may fit into care. Why adult acne doesn’t automatically mean testosterone is too high. What the episode explores about endometriosis, histamine, mast cells, DAO, SIBO, and what is still speculative. How reducing the mental load and setting boundaries can make more room for your own health. 🔗 Resources discussed 🥗 Dr. Brighten’s plan for protein, fiber, sleep, and movement: https://drbrighten.com/plan 🐟 Omega Plus: https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/omega-plus 🌸 The 6-Week Endometriosis Reset: https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/endometriosis-reset 🧴 Acne and PCOS: https://drbrighten.com/acne-and-polycystic-ovary-syndrome/ 🧴 PCOS skincare guide: https://drbrighten.com/pcos-skincare 👩‍⚕️ About Dr. Jolene Brighten Dr. Jolene Brighten is board-certified in naturopathic endocrinology, a nutrition scientist, and the author of ADHD and Women. On The Dr. Brighten Show, she answers listener questions and explores women’s health through the lens of hormones, metabolism, and the systems that affect how you feel. 🔗 Follow Dr. Jolene Brighten 🌐 Website: https://drbrighten.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjolenebrighten 👍 If this episode helped you connect the dots, please like, share, and subscribe. What question felt most like it was meant for you? Leave it in the comments. This episode is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can hypothyroidism cause weight gain? In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, Dr. Jolene Brighten and Dr. Emily Kiberd explore why weight changes with Hashimoto’s may involve more than “eat less, move more” and how thyroid testing, nutrition, sleep, and strength training fit into the conversation. Dr. Kiberd, a chiropractor and founder of Thyroid Strong, shares her experience with Hashimoto’s and her work with women focused on rebuilding energy and strength. Dr. Brighten also draws on her own experience with Hashimoto’s as they discuss the questions women can bring to their providers and the habits they say are worth examining. This Episode Is Brought to You By Dr. Brighten Essentials  Want science-backed supplements formulated by a doctor who actually understands women’s health? 🌿 At Dr. Brighten Essentials, every product is crafted to support your hormones, boost your energy, and help you feel your best—inside and out. From targeted nutrients for glowing skin to essentials that fuel your daily vitality, you’ll get the highest-quality ingredients in forms your body can truly use. Exclusive for podcast listeners: Use code POD15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Shop now https://drbrightenessentials.com LMNT Electrolytes  Want a clean, science-backed way to stay hydrated and energized? At LMNT, electrolytes are formulated with a precise balance of sodium, potassium, and magnesium — with no sugar, no artificial ingredients, and no unnecessary fillers. Designed to support hydration, muscle function, and daily energy, LMNT helps you feel your best through workouts, busy days, and everyday life. Exclusive for podcast listeners: Visit http://drinklmnt.com/Brighten to receive a free sample pack with any purchase. LUMEBOX Ready to take your skincare results to the next level—right from home? 💡 LUME Box delivers professional-grade LED light therapy in a sleek, easy-to-use device that targets fine lines, pigmentation, and dullness at the cellular level. Just minutes a day can help boost collagen, calm inflammation, and reveal that lit-from-within glow. It’s the same science trusted in top dermatology clinics, now in your hands. Shop now → https://drbrighten.com/lumebox use code drbrighten for our exclusive community discount on your purchase. 👩‍⚕️ About the guest Dr. Emily Kiberd is a chiropractor and founder of Thyroid Strong. In the episode introduction, she describes 19 years of experience in strength rehabilitation and functional medicine. 🔗 Guest links 🌐 Dr. Emily Kiberd: https://www.dremilykiberd.com/ 💪 Thyroid Strong: https://www.dremilykiberd.com/thyroid-strong/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dremilykiberd/ 📲 Follow Dr. Jolene Brighten 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drbrighten/ 👍 Like the episode, 🔁 share it with someone who may find it helpful, and 🔔 subscribe to The Dr. Brighten Show for more conversations about women’s health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An ADHD meltdown can leave moms feeling ashamed, especially when they’re navigating postpartum changes or supporting a child with ADHD. In Episode 5 of the ADHD in Women series, Dr. Jolene Brighten and two guests discuss pregnancy and postpartum medication conversations, executive function, the mental load of motherhood, and practical ways to support ADHD families; view the show notes at DrBrighten.com: https://drbrighten.com/podcast/adhd-and-motherhood/ Episodes 1–4 of the ADHD in Women series Episode 1: ADHD in Women Symptoms: Why Success Can Hide the Signs Episode 2: ADHD and Hormones in Women: Why Symptoms Change Across Your Cycle and in Perimenopause Episode 3: Psychiatrists Warning: ADHD Relationships, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, and Building a Life That Works Episode 4: ADHD Medication and Your Period: What Women Need to Know About Treatment, PMDD, and Changing Symptoms This Episode Is Brought to You By Dr. Brighten Essentials Radiant Mind  Want a science-backed formula created to support women’s brain health through every stage of life. If you’ve ever felt the brain fog of perimenopause or noticed how ADHD can amplify challenges with focus, memory, mood, or sleep, you’re not alone. Radiant Mind combines clinically studied saffron extract, Bacognize® Bacopa, Cognizin® Citicoline, and zinc to help nourish your brain chemistry and support clarity, calm, and resilience.  Exclusive for podcast listeners: use the code POD15 for 15% off your order Shop now https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/radiant-mind Natural Cycles The first, and currently the only FDA-cleared birth control app. It’s completely hormone-free, science-backed, and designed to make tracking your cycle and fertility simple and stress-free. Using a certified algorithm, the app analyzes hormone-driven changes in your body temperature to learn your unique cycle pattern and confirm your daily fertility status. This helps remove much of the guesswork and human error that can come with traditional fertility awareness methods. Whether you’re looking to prevent pregnancy or plan for one, Natural Cycles offers a personalized, non-invasive approach to understanding your body. Use code DrBrighten to get 15% off an annual subscription plus a free Bluetooth thermometer. In this episode, you’ll hear about: Questions to bring to your clinician about ADHD medication during pregnancy and breastfeeding. How postpartum changes, sleep disruption, and caring for a newborn can affect daily functioning. Why motherhood can place a heavy executive-function load on an ADHD brain. Ways to reduce that load, including simplifying routines, using visual cues, sharing tasks, and easing up on unnecessary standards. Supporting a child with ADHD through co-regulation, mirroring, and repairing after a parent loses their temper. Making school mornings more manageable when several family members have ADHD. 🎙️ Meet the guests Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone — Board-certified psychiatrist with general psychiatry and women’s midlife health practices. Website: https://www.simonepsych.com/ Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart — Pediatric psychologist, board-certified in clinical child and adolescent psychology. Website: https://drannlouiselockhart.com/ | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.annlouise.lockhart/ 👩‍⚕️ Your host Dr. Jolene Brighten is a naturopathic physician board-certified in naturopathic endocrinology, a nutrition scientist, and the author of ADHD and Women. 📚 ADHD and Women: https://drbrighten.com/adhdandwomen 🌐 Website: https://drbrighten.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten 🎧 The Dr. Brighten Show: https://drbrighten.com/podcast/ 📚 Resources mentioned 💊 MotherToBaby fact sheets: https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/ 🧠 MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health: https://womensmentalhealth.org/ ⚠️ Medical note: This episode is for educational purposes and is not individualized medical advice. Medication decisions during pregnancy or breastfeeding should be discussed with the clinician managing your care. Don’t start, stop, or change medication based on a video. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ADHD medication can feel different across your menstrual cycle, and a difficult month doesn’t automatically mean your treatment has failed. View the show notes and episode resources at https://drbrighten.com/podcast/adhd-medication-and-your-period/ . 📚 ADHD and Women — If this conversation has you rethinking what ADHD can look like through a woman’s life and cycle, my book ADHD and Women goes deeper. It explores the connection between ADHD, hormones, and the symptoms women are too often told to push through. Learn more: https://drbrighten.com/adhdandwomen 🎧 Podcast: https://drbrighten.com/podcast 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten 📝 Show notes: https://drbrighten.com/podcast/adhd-medication-and-your-period/ In this conversation, Dr. Jolene Brighten, board-certified in naturopathic endocrinology, nutrition scientist, and author of ADHD and Women, talks with board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Agnes Kwan Simone, board-certified pediatric psychologist Dr. Anne-Louise Lockhart, and Annika Joya, MS, author of The Eat to Focus Cookbook, about ADHD medication, nutrition, menstrual-cycle changes, and PMDD. ABOUT THE GUESTS 🎓 Annika Joya, MS, is the author of The Eat to Focus Cookbook and shares science communication about ADHD nutrition. Website: https://nutrimindlab.com/ | Links: https://linktr.ee/nutrimindcoach 🧠 Dr. Agnes Kwan Simone is a board-certified psychiatrist with practices in general psychiatry and women’s midlife mental health. Website: https://www.simonepsych.com/ 🌱 Dr. Anne-Louise Lockhart is a pediatric psychologist, board-certified in clinical child and adolescent psychology, and author of Love the Teen You Have. Website: https://drannlouiselockhart.com/ | Links: https://linktr.ee/dr.annlouise.lockhart 🔗 RESOURCES & FOLLOW 🌿 Radiant Mind: https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/radiant-mind 🌐 Dr. Jolene Brighten: https://drbrighten.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjolenebrighten 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolenebrighten 📣 If this conversation helped, please like, share it with someone who may need it, and subscribe for more episodes. Leave a comment with what you’d like us to cover next. This episode is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical or mental health care. Discuss diagnosis, medication, and treatment decisions with a qualified clinician. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ADHD rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), women’s mental load, and the relationship fights that never seem to end—this episode explores how ADHD can affect communication, friendship, intimacy, and the stories we tell ourselves about being “too much.” View the full show notes and resources at DrBrighten.com: https://drbrighten.com/podcast/adhd-and-relationships/  Before we get into today’s episode: ADHD and Women is officially out https://amzn.to/4mPBO2x, and I am so deeply grateful for every person who has bought the book, shared it, posted about it, recommended it to a friend, or simply sent me a note of support. You are helping change the conversation around women, hormones, and ADHD—and I do not take that lightly. And if you are a midlife woman whose brain suddenly feels like it is struggling—more forgetful, scattered, emotionally reactive, exhausted, or unable to focus—this book is for you, too. Perimenopause can look and feel a whole lot like ADHD, and you deserve answers that go deeper than “you’re just stressed.” In episode three of our ADHD in Women series, Dr. Jolene Brighten is joined by, Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone, board-certified psychiatrist, Annika Angelo, MS, and Leann Borneman, LCSW for an honest, practical conversation about building relationships and systems that work with your brain—not against it. You’ll learn why “just tell me what to do” can create more mental load, how to distinguish an ADHD explanation from an excuse, what rejection sensitivity can look like in real life, why friendships can feel so hard to maintain, and how executive function can affect sexual desire and connection. 💛 If this episode helps you feel seen, please like, share, and subscribe. It helps more women find evidence-informed conversations about ADHD, hormones, and mental health. 🎧 In this episode 🧠 Mental load is not just doing the task. It is noticing, remembering, planning, delegating, following up, and ensuring the task is actually complete. 💬 Shared language changes relationships. When both people can name the barrier, they can stop treating each other like the problem and start designing a better system. 💛 You are not a bad friend because you struggle with follow-through. But communication, repair, and choosing friendships that make room for your actual brain matter. ❤️ Desire is not always spontaneous. For many people, stress, task-switching, emotional safety, and executive-function demands can affect their ability to access desire and intimacy. ⚠️ A note on RSD: Rejection sensitive dysphoria is a widely used term to describe intense reactions to perceived rejection or criticism, but it is not a formal psychiatric diagnosis. If mood symptoms, anxiety, trauma responses, or relationship distress are affecting your life, individualized support from a qualified clinician can help. 🔗 Links mentioned in this episode 📚 ADHD and Women by Dr. Jolene Brighten: https://drbrighten.com/adhdandwomen 📝 The Dr. Brighten Show + episode show notes: https://drbrighten.com/podcast 🌐 Dr. Brighten’s website: https://drbrighten.com 👋 Connect with our guests 🩺 Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone | Website: https://www.simonepsych.com📲 Dr. Agnes Kwon Simone | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.agnesksimone 🍓 Annika Angelo, MS | Nutrimind Lab: https://nutrimindlab.com📲 Annika Angelo | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutrimindcoach🎙️ Annika Angelo | Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nutrimindcoach 🧠 Dr. Leann Borneman | Website: https://www.bornemancoaching.com📲 Dr. Leann Borneman | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bornemancoaching 💛 Connect with Dr. Jolene Brighten 🌐 Website: https://drbrighten.com 📚 Books: https://drbrighten.com/books 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjolenebrighten 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolenebrighten This episode is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical or mental-health care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices