Episode 77: Alcohol + Perimenopause: Is wine making your symptoms worse?

Have you ever wondered whether alcohol is making your perimenopause symptoms worse—or if what you're experiencing is simply part of getting older? In this episode, Lindsay Hennekey gets honest about the confusing overlap between alcohol and perimenopause, from 3 a.m. wakeups and night sweats to anxiety, irritability, low energy, brain fog, and the feeling that wine just doesn't affect you the way it used to. Lindsay explores why alcohol deserves to be part of the conversation when you're trying to understand what's happening in your body. She also talks about the temptation to change everything—your workouts, supplements, diet, sleep routine, skincare, and hormone strategy—while giving alcohol a free pass. But what if removing alcohol could give you some of the information you've been looking for? In this episode: - Why alcohol deserves a place in the perimenopause conversation - How alcohol can affect your sleep and contribute to those 3 a.m. wakeups - Why wine may suddenly affect you differently than it did in your 20s and 30s - The difference between getting temporary relief from alcohol and getting the results you actually want - How alcohol can contribute to the cycle of exhaustion, anxiety, and reaching for another drink - Why high-achieving women are often willing to change everything except their drinking - The connection between alcohol, calories, and weight management during perimenopause - Why taking a meaningful break from alcohol can be a powerful experiment - What you can learn by paying attention to your sleep, energy, anxiety, mood, and other symptoms without alcohol - Why stopping drinking doesn't magically cure perimenopause—and why that's not the point - What to do when you already know you'd feel better without alcohol but still want the drink at 5:30 p.m. - Why knowing alcohol isn't helping isn't always enough to change your behavior - The importance of having new ways to cope with stress, discomfort, boredom, celebration, and connection - How identity, practice, and self-trust help you build an alcohol-free life - Why every alcohol-free decision creates evidence that you can trust yourself If you're in perimenopause and feel like your body suddenly changed all the rules, this conversation is for you. You don't have to blame alcohol for every symptom. And you don't have to assume every symptom is caused by perimenopause, either. Instead, get curious. Remove one variable. Pay attention to what changes—and just as importantly, what doesn't. And if you already know alcohol isn't helping but you're still struggling to stop going back to it, the work may not be about learning more about alcohol. It may be about learning what to do at 5:30 p.m., on the stressful Wednesday, after a terrible night's sleep, at dinner with friends, or when you simply want to escape how you're feeling. You don't have to decide today that you'll never drink again. You can start by practicing becoming the woman you want to be—and building the evidence that you can trust yourself. **Join Lindsay for Feel Good AF Friday:** Lindsay is hosting a free live workshop on September 25 at 12 p.m. Eastern focused on why you can know exactly what you want to do about your drinking and still struggle to trust yourself to follow through. Register using the link in the show notes. And remember: **You have better things to think about than drinking.** Support the show Here's how you can stay connected:  - 🗓️ Schedule a 30-minute Discovery Call - 👩‍💻 Sign-up for Feel Good AF Coaching - 📱Follow along on Instagram - 📰 Subscribe to the Feel Good AF newsletter **And remember, Lindsay is a sober coach, not a health professional. If you are chemically dependent on alcohol (or think you might be), consult your doctor on the steps you need to take to safely detox.**  *Intro/Outro Music Credit: Cozy Lofi Beat - Split memmories by Idoberg* Sober curious women. Quit drinking without AA, How to quit drinking for High Achieving women.