Riora
My perimenopause story

I lost my words at 43. Here's what helped me get them back.

I blamed stress for the brain fog and the 3pm energy crashes. It was perimenopause. Here's what actually worked for me.

By Dana K., as shared with the Riora editorial team September 25, 2026
“I run a team of nine. I don't lose words, ever. Then I lost one in my own kitchen.”
The short version

If this sounds familiar, keep reading.

I blamed stress. Then I blamed sleep.

Nobody told me that missing words, the afternoon crash and a flat mood can all show up at once, for one reason: perimenopause. Or as I call it, the swing years.

BRAIN FOG 3 PM CRASH FEELING FLAT

The clue was that the brain fog, afternoon crash and feeling flat weren't separate problems. They were one.

01
Chapter one

The fog

It didn't start at work. It started at home, while making dinner. The word was “colander.” I stood in my kitchen pointing at a drawer, asking my daughter for the thing. The pasta thing. The one with the holes.

That same month I missed a dentist appointment I'd confirmed twice, and reread one email four times before I trusted myself to send it. One Tuesday I cried in my car and couldn't have told you why.

I'm 43. At work, I'm the one who remembers everything. At home, I couldn't name a kitchen tool. And nobody could tell me why.

And here's the part I didn't say out loud for months. What scared me wasn't forgetting the word. It was wondering whether this was the start of something worse.

It wasn't just me
78%
of women in a national US survey named brain fog among the most bothersome menopause symptoms at work 1
93%
reported memory problems in a large clinic cohort of peri- and menopausal women, ranking above hot flashes 2
63%
of women approaching or in the transition said they were "not feeling like myself" half the time or more 3

So I compensated: more coffee, more lists, earlier nights, rereading everything. It helped me hide it but didn't tell me what it was.

Check the ones that sound like you:
Tap the ones that fit. For the record, I checked seven.
02
Chapter two

Nobody told me. I found the name myself: perimenopause. I call them the 'swing years'.

Nobody said the word “perimenopause” to me. I found it on my own, three tabs deep on a Sunday night, reading studies I had to look up word by word.

Here's what I wish someone had just told me. Perimenopause is the stretch of years before menopause when your hormones start shifting. It can begin in your late 30s, while your periods are still regular.

Estrogen doesn't just decline during this window. It swings.

Progesterone drifts down first. Estradiol, the main estrogen, spikes and drops, sometimes inside the same week. Your brain feels those swings before anything else does, which is why the fog can show up years before a single hot flash.

It's also why my bloodwork came back “normal.” A single blood draw catches one moment of a moving target. Normal results don't mean nothing's going on.

Doctors call this stretch perimenopause. I started calling it the swing years, because that's what it feels like from the inside.

And the advice women get? Some version of sleep more, stress less, try harder. I was already trying harder than I ever had.

What I tried in the three months of figuring it out
Double espressos, every afternoon One at 2pm, one at 4pm, on workdays. Call it $4 a day.
$240
Writing everything down, twice Two notebooks and a phone app.
Free
B-complex gummies The internet's first answer to everything.
$24
A "focus" nootropic stack Six capsules a day. Mostly caffeine in a lab coat.
$49
"Hormone balance" gummies Fourteen ingredients at doses too small to matter.
$34
Three months of guessing $347+

None of it was built for this stage and so none of it worked. The supplement aisle was no better: gummy blends with a sprinkle of everything, or energy stacks doing the same caffeine trick.

Why none of it worked
✗
The caffeine
Aimed at: Tiredness. Espressos and the nootropic stack treated 3pm like a sleep problem. What it missed: The crash wasn't about sleep. The caffeine just pushed the crash to 3pm, and my nights got worse.
✗
The systems
Aimed at: The forgetting. Notebooks and apps to catch every dropped word and appointment. What it missed: They caught what I dropped. They couldn't touch why I was dropping it.
✗
The gummies
Aimed at: Everything at once. Fourteen ingredients for every woman 18 to 80. What it missed: Dosed for everyone means dosed for no one in particular.

I wasn't failing to fix the problem. I was fixing the wrong problems, one at a time.

Every fix was aimed at one symptom: the crash, or the forgetting, or the mood. But the fog, the crash and the flatness were never three separate problems. They were one problem, wearing three faces, and nothing on my counter was built for it.

How experts explain it

Dr. Costa H. Sousou, MD, FACOG
The clinical view Dr. Costa H. Sousou, MD, FACOG Board-certified OB-GYN (FACOG) · Riora Expert Panel

“Perimenopause is the stretch of years before your periods stop for good. Estrogen and progesterone can rise and fall unpredictably, and those shifts may affect sleep, mood, concentration, and how well you handle stress. The feeling is real, but it is not a flaw in your character - and hormones may be only part of the picture.

Estradiol: spikes and drops Progesterone: drifts down
Late 30s The swing years 50s

Naming what is happening can reduce self-blame. Small daily anchors may help too: regular meals, morning daylight, movement you enjoy, and protected sleep. And Riora's Peri/Menopause Day Support is a dietary supplement designed to support daytime wellness during this transition.*”

Shanel Laureen, CAP (NAMA)
The Ayurvedic view Shanel Laureen, CAP (NAMA) Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner · Riora Expert Panel

“Estrogen helps run your mood, sleep, and temperature, and helps your brain make the chemicals behind focus and recall. In perimenopause estrogen rises and falls, and those chemicals swing with it, so the fog isn't aging and it isn't you. Ayurvedic medicine treats mind and body as one system, so it never tried to treat cognitive symptoms apart from the whole.

Estrogen rises and falls
one shifting system, three faces
Brain fog The 3pm crash A flat mood

Riora's Peri/Menopause Day Support works on the same daytime system from the inside, with Shatavari and Bacopa to help support mental clarity and focus, and Rhodiola to help the body manage occasional stress.*”

Made for this exact stage
Built for the swing years, not all "women 18 to 80"

Riora Peri/Menopause Day Support was built for exactly this stage: the fog, the crash and the mood swings of the perimenopause years.*

03
Chapter three

Ancient wisdom, modern science. That's what finally worked.

Riora
Peri/Menopause Day Support

Ancient wisdom, modern science. 5,000-year-old Ayurvedic botanicals, combined with modern actives and clinical validation, in one morning capsule.*

Helps manage:*
Low energy Mood swings Mental Clarity Hot flashes
Bacopa monnieri · 300mg For mental clarity. Studied in adults for memory and word recall.*
Rhodiola rosea · 300mg For low energy and the 3pm crash. Steady daytime energy with zero caffeine.*
Shatavari · Xeya™ 50mg The hero. Studied in menopausal women for the days you don't feel like yourself: low mood, irritability, mental exhaustion and hot flashes.*
Riora
Third-party tested, using random samples
Riora
Every dose printed on the label
Riora
One capsule, zero caffeine
Riora
Cancel or pause anytime
Three botanicals, each at the doses with clinical evidence
300mg
Memory
Bacopa monnieri

Memory, recall and mental clarity that build with daily use.* Studied over 12 weeks at 300mg, the same dose in this capsule. This classic Ayurvedic botanical is here for the days when the words come slower and focus takes more effort than it used to.

  • Helps support memory, recall and learning ability*
  • Helps support focus, attention and information-processing speed*
  • Helps maintain mental clarity during occasional mental fatigue or stress*
300mg
Energy
Rhodiola rosea

Steady energy and sharper focus through demanding days, with no stimulant and no spike.* An adaptogen studied for stress-related fatigue, it works with your stress response instead of pushing on it, so the afternoon stops feeling like a wall.

  • Supports physical and mental energy and helps reduce occasional fatigue*
  • Helps support focus and concentration during demanding days*
  • Supports a healthy cortisol response to everyday stress*
50mg
The hero
Shatavari · Xeya™ extract

Clinically studied for the perimenopause transition, helping manage occasional hot flashes, mood and hormone balance.*† In a 4-month study at 50mg, Xeya™ Shatavari improved overall menopausal symptom scores by 51%.*† Ayurveda's “queen of herbs.”

  • Helps ease common signs of the perimenopause transition, including occasional hot flashes, irritability and low energy*
  • Supports healthy hormone balance*
  • Supports a balanced mood and emotional steadiness through the menopause transition*
WHAT EXPERTS SAY ABOUT DAY SUPPORT
Dr. Costa Sousou, MD, FACOG Obstetrics and gynecology · 32+ years in practice

“Riora's Peri/Menopause Day Support contains Bacopa, studied for memory, and Rhodiola for steadier daytime energy so the afternoon crash is less steep.* Bacopa works slowly, so give it 8 to 12 weeks of daily use before you judge it.”

Shanel Laureen, CAP (NAMA) Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner

“Riora's Peri/Menopause Day Support works on the same daytime system from the inside, with Shatavari and Bacopa to help support mental clarity and focus, and Rhodiola to help the body manage occasional stress.*”

Dr. Trupti Gokani, MD Integrative medicine and neurology

“I was glad to see a Shatavari extract standardized to 15% Shatavarins, included in the formulations at the dose at which it was clinically studied… This is a formulation I am comfortable sharing with women.”

WHAT REAL WOMEN ARE SAYING
★★★★★
13 hours ago
It has truly changed my life

I've been taking Riora for a little over 30 days, and it has made a difference in my mental clarity, hot flashes, and mood swings. It has truly changed my life and been a lifesaver. My husband is so happy, I'm telling you.

Mental clarityHot flashesMood swings
C
Cynthia P. ✓ Verified buyer
★★★★★
Aug. 25th
My energy level has for sure increased

I've been taking these supplements for almost a month now, and I definitely feel a lot of difference in terms of my energy levels. Being in my late 40s, I was dealing with perimenopause symptoms like low energy, heat intolerance, and mood swings, so I decided to go the all-natural route. My energy level for sure has increased from taking them. I also like that they are third-party tested and don't have anything artificial in them.

Low energyAll naturalThird-party tested
K
Kim G. ✓ Verified buyer
★★★★★
2 days ago
This product is for real!

This supplement works! The day I began, I noticed more energy. After the first week, my mood swings were noticeably better (even my husband agreed). Beyond week 2, my mind became clearer and the hot flashes diminished significantly! This product is for real! Will definitely continue taking it.

EnergyMood swingsHot flashes
R
Regina B. ✓ Verified buyer
★★★★★
6 days ago
This product made the transition easier

I knew I was going into this transisition and this product made it easier. I also like the simplicity of it- and some of my concerns did actually improve while taking it- the biggest ones were my hair, my energy levels and not having to take a long nap all the time, and the brain fog, and just having more energy.

EnergyBrain fogSimple routine
A
Alisha S. ✓ Verified buyer
✱
What changes first

What it feels like when it starts working

✓
The word is just… there

You reach for a name mid-sentence and it shows up. No hunting, no "the pasta thing."*

✓
You walk in and remember why

The little loops close again: keys, calendar, the thing you came into the room for.*

✓
3pm stops being an event

The afternoon flattens into just another hour. Nothing to brace for, nothing to caffeinate through.*

✓
A longer fuse

The snap-then-guilt cycle gets quieter. In my house, my kids noticed before I did.*

→
The routine

How it fits into a morning

Riora
One capsule with breakfast

Mine lives next to the coffee maker so I can't miss it. Ten seconds, done.

1
Riora
Then you get on with your day

No jolt, no crash, nothing to schedule around. The only thing that matters from here is that you don't skip it.

2
Riora
Give it at least 60 days

Nothing happens on day one, and it isn't built to. Each botanical works on its own clock, from a few weeks to a few months.*

3
?
Expectations

How long until you feel it?

Every number below comes from human trials on these ingredients, with the trial windows quoted as the studies ran them.
DAY 1
Nothing to feel yet

There's no caffeine in it, so there's no jolt and nothing to come down from. Botanicals take weeks, not hours, which is why every marker below measures in months.

Month 1
Energy lifts first

A likely lift in energy and focus, with less of the mid-afternoon slump, from Rhodiola. Shatavari's overall perimenopause symptom support starts registering by day 30.*†

Month 2
Hot flashes begin to ease

Shatavari's support keeps building through the study's day-60 mark, and occasional hot flashes begin to ease.*†

Month 3
Focus and recall sharpen

Bacopa starts showing significant effects on memory, recall, and mental clarity.*†

Month 4
You feel like yourself again

Steadier mood and hormone support from Shatavari, with a 51% improvement in overall symptom scores in the four-month clinical study.*†

By week six I finished a client call and realized I hadn't reached for my notes once. I know how tiny that sounds. It made my whole week.

1

capsule a day, with breakfast. That's the entire ask.

0mg

caffeine. Energy support that doesn't borrow from tonight's sleep.

3

botanicals, each at the dose used in the studies. Nothing else.

$0

for your first bottle. You just pay shipping today.

vs
Side by side

Day Support vs. what I'd already tried

Riora Day Support
"Hormone balance" gummies
Energy stacks
Basic multivitamin
Ingredients
✓ Clinically studied & standardized
✗ A sprinkle of 12+ ingredients
✗ Caffeine does the lifting
– RDA vitamins only
Built for the transition
✓ Yes, by design
– Marketed that way
✗ No
✗ No
Label
✓ Full transparency
✗ Proprietary blends
✗ "Energy blend" catch-alls
✓ Listed, but generic
Stimulants
✓ Caffeine free
✗ Hidden caffeine in some
✗ Built on caffeine
✓ None
Daily routine
✓ One capsule
✗ Two to four gummies
✗ Powders plus pills
✓ One or two tablets
$
The offer

Choose how you start

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7 · Verified reviews
Riora Peri/Menopause Day Support

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♥
REVIEWS

What real women are saying

C
Cynthia P. Peri/Menopause Day Support · 13 hours ago
★★★★★
“It has truly changed my life”
Mental clarityHot flashesMood swings

I've been taking Riora for a little over 30 days, and it has made a difference in my mental clarity, hot flashes, and mood swings. It has truly changed my life and been a lifesaver. My husband is so happy, I'm telling you.

✓ Verified purchase
K
Kim G. Peri/Menopause Day Support · August 25, 2026
★★★★★
“My energy level has for sure increased”
Low energyAll naturalThird-party tested

I've been taking these supplements for almost a month now, and I definitely feel a lot of difference in terms of my energy levels. Being in my late 40s, I was dealing with perimenopause symptoms like low energy, heat intolerance, and mood swings, so I decided to go the all-natural route. My energy level for sure has increased from taking them. I also like that they are third-party tested and don't have anything artificial in them.

✓ Verified purchase
R
Regina B. Peri/Menopause Day Support · 2 days ago
★★★★★
“This product is for real!”
EnergyMood swingsHot flashes

This supplement works! The day I began, I noticed more energy. After the first week, my mood swings were noticeably better (even my husband agreed). Beyond week 2, my mind became clearer and the hot flashes diminished significantly! This product is for real! Will definitely continue taking it.

✓ Verified purchase
A
Alisha S. Peri/Menopause Day Support · 6 days ago
★★★★★
“This product made the transition easier”
EnergyBrain fogSimple routine

I knew I was going into this transisition and this product made it easier. I also like the simplicity of it- and some of my concerns did actually improve while taking it- the biggest ones were my hair, my energy levels and not having to take a long nap all the time, and the brain fog, and just having more energy.

✓ Verified purchase
+
The expert panel

Reviewed by people who do this for a living

Dr. Costa H. Sousou, MD, FACOG
Dr. Costa H. Sousou, MD, FACOG Board-certified OB-GYN and former Chair of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Mayo Clinic Health System, with 32+ years in women's health.
Dr. Janine Blackman, MD, PhD
Dr. Janine Blackman, MD, PhD Board-certified integrative physician, published author on women's hormonal health, and Fountain Life longevity physician with 20+ years in women's health.
Dr. Trupti Gokani, MD
Dr. Trupti Gokani, MD Board-certified neurologist and integrative-medicine physician, bringing Ayurveda together with Western medicine, with 15 years directing the Zira Mind and Body Center.
Shanel Laureen, CAP (NAMA)
Shanel Laureen, CAP (NAMA) Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner with 2,000+ hours of clinical training under Ayurvedic Vaidyas, founder of Cali Veda, with more than a decade in the healing sciences.
Why Riora exists

We couldn't find it. So we made it.

Walk any supplement aisle and count the products made for "women 18 to 80." Now count the ones made for the handful of years when your hormones swing hardest and nobody hands you a map. That gap is why Riora exists.

It's why the label is three ingredients instead of fourteen. It's why the timeline on this page is honest and why the reviews above are verified. We'd rather earn your trust slowly than fake it fast.

Riora
Team Riora
?
WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Day Support for? +

Peri/Menopause Day Support is a daily supplement made to help manage low energy, mood swings, hot flashes, and to support mental clarity through the day. It is taken once each morning.*

Will it help with mood swings, low energy, or mental clarity? +

Yes, these are exactly what Day Support is made to help with. It is formulated to help manage mood swings and low energy and to support mental clarity through the day, and it works best with consistent daily use.*

I have taken supplements before. How is this different? +

Day Support uses just three botanicals, Bacopa, Rhodiola and Shatavari, each at the dose used in its clinical study, with every dose printed on the label rather than hidden in a proprietary blend. It is built specifically for the perimenopause transition rather than for "women 18 to 80," and it is third-party tested and caffeine-free. You are not paying for a long list of under-dosed extras.

How long before I notice anything? +

Give it at least four weeks of consistent daily use. Our recommended window is 12 weeks, since some women notice changes sooner and some later, particularly with sleep, and different symptoms can settle at different rates.

Does this contain caffeine or stimulants? +

No, neither formula contains caffeine or added stimulants.

How many capsules should I take, and when? +

Take one capsule daily in the morning with water, preferably with a meal, or as directed by a healthcare professional. Do not exceed one capsule a day.

Can I take Day Support and Night Support together? +

Yes. They are made to work together, Day Support in the morning and Night Support in the evening, each taken as directed on its own label.

Can I take this alongside HRT? +

Many women take a supplement alongside hormone therapy, but because it depends on your treatment, please check with your healthcare provider first. You can find the full Supplement Facts on the product page at tryriora.com to share with them.

Is it safe to take every day, long term? Is it habit-forming? +

Yes, these formulas are made for daily use, and the ingredients are not habit-forming. As with any supplement taken long term, it is sensible to review it with your healthcare provider from time to time.

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7  · Verified reviews by real women

Three Botanicals. Built for the Transition. One Capsule Every Morning.

Riora Day Support brings together three botanicals traditional medicine has used for thousands of years: Bacopa monnieri, Rhodiola rosea and Xeya™ Shatavari. Each one is now studied in modern clinical trials, and each dose is printed on the label in full. Three actives - no proprietary blends, no 'trendy' ingredients.

Bacopa monnieri 300mg
Rhodiola rosea 300mg
Xeya™ Shatavari 50mg

Built for the part of perimenopause nobody prepares you for: the words that go missing mid-sentence, the flat days, the 3pm energy drop.*

✓
Supports mental clarity and focus*
✓
Helps manage low energy and the afternoon crash*
✓
Supports a balanced, steady mood*
✓
Zero caffeine, nothing that wires you
dr costa sousoudr trupti gokanishanel laureen
Reviewed by an OB-GYN, an MD and a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner.
Riora Cancel or pause anytimeRiora Third-party lab testedRiora Free US shipping
The statistics
  1. Society for Women's Health Research. EMPACT Menopause Study. 2024.
  2. Reisel D, Crockett C, Glynne S, et al. BJPsych Open. 2024;10(S1):S204-S205.
  3. Coslov N, Richardson MK, Woods NF. "Not feeling like myself" in perimenopause - what does it mean? Observations from the Women Living Better survey. Menopause. 2024;31(5):390-398.
The studies
  1. Rhodiola rosea. Systematic review of eleven human clinical trials, ten randomized and controlled. Intervention periods ranged from a single dose to 28 days, with most trials running two to four weeks.
  2. Xeya Modern Shatavari™ (Asparagus racemosus root extract, CL22209). Yadav P, Yadav S, Vedururu SS, Kumari G. Functional Foods in Health and Disease 2025;15(7):415-443. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in perimenopausal women, with 50 mg and 100 mg daily arms over 120 days. All figures cited are from the 50 mg arm, measured on the psychological domain of the Menopause Rating Scale.
  3. Bacopa monnieri. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy adults aged 65 and over, with a twelve-week intervention period. Riora Day Support contains Bacopa monnieri leaf extract.
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