Welcome to the Get Healthy Tampa Bay Podcast with Dr. Kerry Reller! This week, I am joined by Dr. Nicole Perrotte, a board-certified internal medicine physician specializing in perimenopause, menopause, and women’s midlife health. In this episode, we discuss the often-overlooked symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, including insomnia, weight gain, anxiety, palpitations, burnout, brain fog, and joint pain. Dr. Perrotte shares her own personal journey through burnout and hormonal changes, how it led her into menopause care and health coaching, and why so many women struggle to get answers from the healthcare system. We also explore hormone therapy, lifestyle changes, strength training, protein intake, cardiovascular health, dementia risk, osteoporosis prevention, and why listening to symptoms matters just as much as lab work. Tune in to learn how women can better advocate for themselves, feel heard, and thrive through midlife.

Dr. Nicole Perrotte is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine physician, Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and the founder of ThriveWellMD—a physician-led practice dedicated to helping peri(menopause) women feel like themselves again. With over two decades of experience across clinical medicine, physician wellness, and leadership development, Dr. Perrotte brings a unique blend of medical expertise and coaching insight to the way she cares for women. She is a graduate of St. George’s University School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency at MCP Hahnemann in Philadelphia.

After witnessing firsthand the gaps in care for women navigating burnout, hormonal shifts, and midlife transitions, she built her practice on what she wished she had —one that integrates evidence-based medicine, lifestyle strategy, and mindset work. Her signature ThriveWell Method™ helps women move from exhaustion and frustration to clarity, confidence, and sustainable health.

As a speaker and educator, Dr. Perrotte is known for translating complex physiology into practical, relatable strategies women can actually use in their daily lives. Her work has been featured in collaboration with organizations such as the American College of Physicians, the American Women’s Medical Association, Morehouse School of Medicine, and the Pan American Health Organization, including articles in Forbes and VoyageATL. Outside of her work, she enjoys traveling, photography, exploring new foods, and spending time with her husband and children.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Nicole Perrotte
02:08 Burnout, motherhood, and early menopause symptoms
05:21 “You’re too young” — the dismissal many women hear
08:45 Why menopause education has been missing in medicine
12:10 Hormones, health coaching, and whole-person care
16:22 Why lifestyle changes still matter with hormone therapy
20:04 “Your body is not broken” — reframing menopause
23:12 Heart disease, osteoporosis, and dementia risk after menopause
28:45 Weight gain, visceral fat, and insulin resistance
34:08 A patient story: six doctors before finding answers
42:15 Practical steps women can take today

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