(Disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. I make a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. I only list things I actually take or have taken.)
I get asked some version of “what do you actually take?” approximately forty times a week. So here it is. One page. Everything organized by what it helps with, not alphabetical nonsense.
A few things before you scroll: I’m a nurse, not your doctor. This is what works for me and what I’ve seen work for other women. Your situation is different. Start with the basics, add one thing at a time, and pay attention to how you feel. And if you’re on medications, check for interactions — that’s not a disclaimer, that’s actual advice.
The Baseline: Start Here
If you do nothing else, do magnesium. I’m not being dramatic. Most women are deficient, it’s involved in hundreds of processes your body is currently struggling with, and it’s cheap. This is the one I recommend to every single person who asks me where to start.
What Jen uses
Doctor’s Best Magnesium Glycinate
300-400mg before bed. This is the form that actually absorbs — no GI issues, no morning grogginess. Better sleep within a week for most people. If you buy nothing else on this page, buy this.
Check price on Amazon →For Sleep
Perimenopause sleep issues are their own specific hell — you fall asleep fine, then you’re wide awake at 3am with your brain running a highlight reel of everything you’ve ever said at a work meeting. Here’s what helps.
Magnesium glycinate is already on this list above. Add it to your sleep stack. For most women it’s enough on its own. If it’s not, here’s what I layer in:
What Jen uses
NOW Foods L-Theanine 200mg
The calm-without-drowsy amino acid. Pairs well with magnesium at bedtime. Takes the edge off the 3am brain spin without knocking you out. I also use it during high-stress stretches at work.
Check price on Amazon →What Jen uses
Life Extension Melatonin 300mcg
Low dose is the key word. 300mcg, not the 10mg mega-dose pharmacies sell. Smaller doses work better for most adults — they mimic what your brain actually produces. Less morning grogginess, more natural-feeling sleep.
Check price on Amazon →For Anxiety & Cortisol
The anxiety that shows up in perimenopause is different from regular anxiety. It comes out of nowhere. It’s physical — heart racing, chest tight, that low-grade dread. It’s cortisol dysregulation more than it is a mental health problem, and that distinction matters for how you treat it.
If you want to understand what’s actually driving it, I wrote the full breakdown in the perimenopause and anxiety post. The short version: adaptogens and targeted magnesium are the tools that move the needle.
What Jen uses
Nutricost KSM-66 Ashwagandha
KSM-66 is the form with the most clinical research. I take it at night — it genuinely takes the edge off the 3am anxiety spiral. Give it 2-3 weeks before judging it.
Check price on Amazon →What Jen uses
Double Wood Rhodiola Rosea
An adaptogen for the exhausted-but-wired problem. Helps your body handle stress without burning out. Don’t take it late in the day — it’s mildly energizing. Good for the 2pm crash that leads to the 2am spiral.
Check price on Amazon →What Jen uses
Sports Research Magnesium L-Threonate
The form that crosses the blood-brain barrier. Better for anxiety and brain fog than regular magnesium. Pricier, but worth rotating in when the cognitive stuff is the main problem.
Check price on Amazon →For Energy & Brain Fog
Brain fog in perimenopause is one of the scariest symptoms if you have a job that requires you to think. I’m a nurse. I cannot afford to forget things or lose my train of thought mid-sentence. This combination is what got me functional again.
Full breakdown of the brain fog piece is in the brain fog post if you want to go deep.
What Jen uses
Garden of Life Vitamin B Complex
Methylated B vitamins — the form your body can actually use. Especially important if you’ve been on hormonal birth control for years. B6 and B12 depletion is real, and it hits hard in perimenopause.
Check price on Amazon →What Jen uses
Sports Research Magnesium L-Threonate
Worth mentioning here too because the brain fog application is different from the anxiety one. The threonate form specifically supports cognitive function in a way other forms don’t.
Check price on Amazon →For Hot Flashes
Hot flashes respond well to a two-pronged approach: targeted herbal supplements plus the magnesium baseline you’re (hopefully) already doing. The magnesium reduces night sweat intensity on its own — but for the daytime flashes and the frequency, here’s what moves the needle.
What Jen uses
Nature’s Way Black Cohosh
The most-studied herbal supplement for hot flash reduction. Standardized extract, 4-8 weeks to see results. This is where I’d start before anything else.
Check price on Amazon →What Jen uses
Sports Research Evening Primrose Oil
1,500mg daily. Pairs well with black cohosh — the two together work better than either alone. Add this after you’ve established the black cohosh baseline.
Check price on Amazon →→ Full breakdown in the hot flashes post, including cooling strategies that actually work.
This page will grow as I test more things and as the site grows. I’m not going to list something just because it has a good affiliate commission — that’s not what this is. If something stops working for me or I find something better, I’ll update it.