Can AI Help With Perimenopause? I Put It to the Test

All we keep hearing about lately is how AI (artificial intelligence for those who are not "in the know") is going to help or solve 'everything.' So I wondered, after a few hot flashes in the last few days and feeling more sluggish than usual: "Can AI solve perimenopause?"

Can you imagine AI curing menopausal symptoms?

So, I asked my friend Claude. Claude, from Anthropic, is one of the many AI chatbots out there today. I've used others like ChatGPT, but I like how Claude is more thoughtful and inquisitive with my searches and has gotten to know things like my writing style. I often use Claude as my editor or for research for my blogs, LinkedIn articles, or even to help me craft some of my branding and messaging.

So, without telling Claude why I was asking, I said, "Claude, can AI fix perimenopausal symptoms?" Claude (thankfully) responded with, "AI can't directly 'fix' perimenopausal symptoms, but it can help in several supportive ways." He (that's what I refer to the program as) went on to talk about being able to provide resources like symptom trackers, chatbots and support tools, and having the ability to accelerate research by working with scientists to help analyze data. He admittedly said he cannot replace actual medical treatment.

It was funny (like in a sad haha way), as I—like so many of my Fifty & Seasoned friends—am trying to laugh off our perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, watching things like #justbeingmelani and her viral WDNC club (official member right here!). But in reality, it's a confusing and life-altering time in our lives when our brains are foggy, our emotions are whacked out, and our bodies are no longer our own. I remember puberty, and I don't recall feeling 'bad' about that, so what's the deal now?

I've gone to a great specialty clinic to help treat my symptoms. Thankfully I found them because my own doctors really weren't giving my symptoms the time of day. I even went in to be tested for rheumatoid arthritis because my joints were so achy they were keeping me up at night. When the tests came back negative, there was no mention that it could possibly be perimenopausal symptoms and that there was help for that!

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One of the best things my specialty clinic suggested was reading a book called The New Menopause by Dr. Mary Claire Haver. After reading it (and referencing back to it about 100 times), I realized that I'm not so crazy and these problems I'm having are "normal" for women my age.

Who knew?

I remember my mom breaking out into terrible sweats and thinking, "What is wrong with you?" But I didn't know because no one talked about it. Until now.

So back to Claude. He asked me why I asked this question, and I told him, "I just wanted to know what you would say. Everyone is saying that AI will do 'everything' soon, so I wanted to know what you could or couldn't do today." First, I love that he responded like this: "Ha, I appreciate the test! It's a smart question given all the 'AI will do everything' noise out there." See, I love the human-ness of the responses. But what he said later on was thought-provoking for us all: "The 'AI will do everything' crowd often conflates what AI might do someday with what it can do today. Right now, I'm essentially a very capable assistant for thinking and information tasks - helpful, but not magic."

So for now, I guess I'll just have to wait until Claude can bring me a cold glass of water and a washcloth for my night sweats and keep going to my specialist until these issues pass—or there's some amazing cure all of a sudden!

Note: If you are going to your gynecologist or primary care provider and they are not taking you seriously, first, read this book and show them. And if that still doesn't work, look for a specialty clinic in your area. They are growing now that women really are talking about it and owning it!