What Is the “Zone of Chaos” in Perimenopause? | The Tamsen Show

If your hormones feel unpredictable, it’s not in your head… it’s in your pituitary.

Dr. Mary Claire Haver coined the term Zone of Chaos to describe the erratic hormonal activity that defines perimenopause. On The Tamsen Show, she explained that as the ovaries become less responsive, the brain compensates by flooding them with stronger hormonal signals (FSH and LH), desperately trying to trigger ovulation. The result?

- Estrogen surges higher than anything you experienced in your 20s
- Progesterone flatlines, leaving you estrogen-dominant
- Unpredictable periods, often with heavy or skipped cycles
- Heightened mental health symptoms, from anxiety to rage
- Sleep disruption, weight gain, palpitations, and more

This stage can last 4 to 10 years, and Dr. Haver says most doctors were never trained to recognize it. “We thought the transition was a gentle decline,” she shared. “It’s not. This system goes down fighting.”

Unfortunately, the medical system still relies on outdated guidelines that don’t address this phase. As Dr. Haver points out, there are only 6,800 published studies on perimenopause compared to 1.2 million on pregnancy, even though every woman who reaches midlife will go through this transition .

The good news is the Zone of Chaos has a name now and naming it is the first step in reclaiming your care.

Want hear more? Listen to this episode of The Tamsen Show