The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

This week on the podcast Dr Louise is joined by a new colleague, Dr Louisa James, a psychiatrist who has recently joined the team at Newson Health. Dr Louisa’s personal experience of the menopause prompted her to learn more about the impact of hormones, and incorporate her knowledge in her role as an NHS consultant psychiatrist in a home treatment service. Here she discusses the importance, and power, of asking patients about their hormones during a psychiatric appointment. Finally, Dr Louisa shares her tips for thinking about your hormones alongside your mental health: 1.Consider whether this feels different to any previous episodes of depression you may have experienced or if your symptoms are fluctuating. Some women have suicidal thoughts or are depressed at certain times of the month. Track your symptoms and look at the fluctuations. Dr Louisa James is now offering consultations to existing Newson Health patients. Click here for details.

This week is a celebration of Dr Louise Newson’s new paperback book, a revised and updated version of the bestselling The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause & Menopause. Dr Louise is joined by Kat Keogh, who worked on the book with her and is the head of editorial at Newson Health and across the balance website and app. Here Kat turns the tables and asks Dr Louise the questions, discovering why the subject of HRT doses warranted more attention in the book, the importance of hearing directly from women experiencing the menopause as well as experts in their fields, plus how Louise felt sharing her personal experiences. Finally, Dr Louise shares three reasons she thinks people should buy the book: Pre-order the paperback book here Click here to find out more about Newson Health.

This week on the podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Tova Gillespie, a working single parent to two daughters, one of whom has severe disabilities and complex medical needs. Here she talks about the challenges of being perimenopausal while being a carer and how it’s easy to not recognise or understand your symptoms. Louise and Tova discuss how it’s easy for your own needs to end up at the bottom of the to-do list when you’re a carer or have a busy family life, and Tova shares three tips for anyone who may not be looking after themselves: Learn more about Tova on her YouTube channel. Or follow her on Instagram @parentXP Click here to find out more about Newson Health.

This week on the podcast, journalist Bryony Gordon, bestselling author of several books including her latest, Mad Woman, explains how the perimenopause caused her to reconsider her mental health. Was her experience of OCD affected by her hormones and what would society look like if women’s health was taken more seriously? Bryony shares her belief that there’s a 'witchy magic' to menopause and that the issues it brings are the ones that you need to deal with and there is power in doing so. Finally, Bryony shares three bits of advice to any woman being dismissed with 'it’s just your hormones': Follow Bryony on Instagram @bryonygordon her community organisation @Mental Health Mates Click here to find out more about Newson Health.

This week, Dr Louise is once again joined by journalist and activist Kate Muir, who made the Davina McCall documentary Sex, Myths and the Menopause. In Kate’s new book, Everything You Need to Know About the Pill (but were too afraid to ask), she turns her attention to the hormones commonly used in the contraceptive pill. Kate shares personal stories of how women have been negatively affected by synthetic hormones and uncovers the bad science and patriarchy that have had such an impact on women’s health. She also offers hope that women have options and can demand change. Finally, Kate shares three things every women should know about hormones and the pill: You can follow Kate on Instagram at @muirka and on @pillscandal Click here to find out more about Newson Health.

This week we mark 250 episodes of the Dr Louise Newson Podcast! And joining Dr Louise this week is Anita Nicholson, a nurse practitioner and menopause expert at Age Management Center in the US, where she aims to help patients lead the best quality of life for as long as they can. Here, Dr Louise and Anita compare notes on the attitudes towards testosterone in the UK and the US, share their clinical experience of the benefits it can provide women, particularly in restoring their zest for life. Finally, Anita shares three things she thinks could make a huge difference to women's health: You can follow Anita on Instagram @menopause_agewellfnp and the Age Management Center on Facebook /AgeManagementCenter and YouTube /@agemanagementcenter. Click here for more information about Newson Health

In this week’s podcast Dr Louise is joined by Dr Mary Claire Haver, an obstetrics and gynaecology doctor and a menopause specialist in the US. Dr Louise and Dr Mary Claire discuss the challenges of ensuring all women have access to evidence-based information and treatment, and their hopes for change. Dr Mary Claire shares her three tips to help menopausal women improve their health: You can follow Dr Mary Claire on Instagram at @drmaryclaire Click here to find out more about Newson Health Pre-order the revised and updated paperback edition of Dr Louise’s Sunday Times bestseller The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause here References to studies discussed in this week's episode J Gen Intern Med 2006; 21:363–6 J Gen Intern Med 2004;19:791–804 Am J Med 2009;122:1016 – 22 JAMA 2004; 291:2243 – 52 Int J Cardiol 2010;138:25 – 31 Urology 2024; Jan 29:S0090-4295(24)00006-2

The Dr Louise Newson Podcast is celebrating two huge milestones this week: not only is the podcast five years old, we’ve hit six million downloads since Dr Louise started her podcast back in March 2019! Making a welcome return to the podcast this week is world-renowned neuroscientist Dr Lisa Mosconi, PhD. Her new book, The Menopause Brain is released on 21 March and in it Dr Lisa shares some of the fascinating changes that occur to the brain during menopause. In this episode, Dr Lisa explains how our understanding of the importance of hormones’ role in the brain is relatively new – man was walking on the moon almost 30 years before scientists realised that the hormones that play an important part in ovarian function also have a fundamental role in the brain. She explains that she wrote her book to empower women with the information they need to navigate the menopause – by understanding why your brain might feel foggy and the science behind it, she hopes to reassure and enlighten. You can follow Dr Lisa Mosconi on Instagram @dr_mosconi Click here to find out more about Newson Health

Joining Dr Louise on this week’s podcast is Alex Newman, a substance misuse therapist with a special interest in the menopause. Alex’s passion is supporting women who are self-medicating menopausal symptoms with alcohol and drugs – a recent survey by Newson Health of nearly 1,200 women found some were spending nearly £3,000 a year on alcohol and over-the-counter medication in a bid to cope with menopause-related symptoms. The pair discuss the relationship between substance misuse and menopause, and crucially, strategies on how to get help for yourself or a loved one. Follow Alex on Instagram @alexnewmantherapy or email alexnewman.therapy@gmail.com. Click here to find out more about Newson Health

Content advisory: this episode contains themes of suicide and self-harm Joining Dr Louise on this week’s podcast is Wendy Barker. Wendy experienced postnatal depression after the birth of her first child in the late 80s and was later diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a very severe form of premenstrual syndrome. ‘For probably three weeks of the month, I was like a coiled spring,’ Wendy recalls. ‘And the only way that I would get anything sort of relief from that would be to either rage, scream, shout, and then there'd be the tears. And then I would think that's it until it starts all over again.’ Wendy movingly describes the impact of PMDD on her physical and mental health and her relationship with her family, her fight for a diagnosis and ongoing access to treatment, plus her advice for others in similar situations. You can find more information about PMDD in Dr Louise’s book, the Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause. And you can listen back to episode 216 of the podcast with Dr Hannah Ward on progesterone, PMDD, postnatal depression and menopause. Click here for more information on Newson Health. Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

This week Dr Louise is joined by feminist cultural historian Dr Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women, which unpacks the roots of the misunderstanding, mystification and misdiagnosis of women’s bodies, illness and pain. From the ‘wandering womb’ of ancient Greece to today’s shifting understanding of hormones, menstruation and menopause, Unwell Women is the story of women who have suffered, challenged and rewritten medical misogyny. Elinor tells Dr Louise how the book draws on her own experience of being dismissed by doctors for years before finally being diagnosed with systemic lupus, an autoimmune condition which is nine times more prevalent among women than men. In the episode, Dr Louise and Elinor discuss how women’s health, including menopause, has been viewed through the ages, and the misconceptions that need to be consigned to the history books once and for all. Follow Dr Elinor on Instagram @elinorcleghorn Click here to find out more about Newson Health

On this week’s podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Dr Ashley Winter, a urologist and sexual medicine specialist, and Dr Sarah Glynne, a GP and menopause specialist who is a member of the research team at Newson Health and chairs a working party that promotes access to evidence-based menopause care for patients with breast cancer. They discuss Fezolinetant – brand name Veoza – a new drug recently approved in the UK and other countries to treat moderate to severe hot flushes in menopausal women aged 45 to 60 years. You can read an article about fezolinetant on the balance website here. Related articles Lederman S., Ottery F.D., Cano A., Santoro N., Shapiro M., Stute P., et al. (2023) 'Fezolinetant for treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause (SKYLIGHT 1): a phase 3 randomised controlled study', Lancet, 401(10382):1091-102. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00085-5 Johnson K.A., Martin N., Nappi R.E., Neal-Perry G., Shapiro M., Stute P., et al. (2023), 'Efficacy and safety of fezolinetant in moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause: a Phase 3 RCT', J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 108(8):1981-97. Doi:10.1210/clinem/dgad058 Douxfils J., Beaudart C., Dogne J.M. (2023), 'Risk of neoplasm with the neurokinin 3 receptor antagonist fezolinetant', Lancet, 402(10413):1623-5. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01634-3 Follow Dr Ashley Winter on X and Instagram @ashleygwinter Follow Dr Sarah Glynne on Instagram @sarahglynne Click here to find out more about Newson Health

In this episode, Dr Louise is joined by Dr Clair Crockett, a GP and menopause specialist at Newson Health. Dr Clair has completed diplomas in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Sexual and Reproductive Health, and fits coils and implants. Here, she discusses some of the challenges for perimenopausal and menopausal women when it comes to contraception, and the importance of individualisation. She gives an insight into the hormones used in the contraceptive pill and HRT and shares how the Mirena coil can be transformative for some women. Finally, Dr Clair suggests three things to consider about contraception: Click here to find out more about coil fitting services at Newson Health

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this week’s podcast looks at how menopause can affect sex and intimacy. Joining Dr Louise is US-based Dr Kelly Casperson, urologic surgeon, author, and sex educator with expertise in hormones and pelvic health, whose passion is empowering women to embrace their best love lives. They talk about how genitourinary symptoms, such as recurrent UTIs, can impact sex, why communication is crucial and the importance of education in helping women make informed decisions about their treatment and health. Follow Dr Kelly on Instagram @kellycaspersonmd and listen to her podcast here Click here to find out more about Newson Health

Advisory: this podcast includes themes of mental health and suicide. Do you find yourself easily distracted, with your attention rapidly shifting between different things? If so, you could be one of the legion of women who are under-diagnosed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here, Australia-based psychiatrist and ADHD expert Dr David Chapman joins Dr Louise to discuss what ADHD is, how it affects women and the impact that female hormones – which have a powerful role in the brain – can have on symptoms. He talks about how ADHD symptoms can worsen for women just before their periods and around their perimenopause, and sets out the common treatment options, including increasingly the role of HRT and the Pill, and how lifestyle changes such as mindfulness can help women affected by ADHD. Dr Louise and Dr David also discuss how symptoms may only need treating if they are having an impact on a women’s life. Download balance’s ADHD and menopause booklet here. Click here for more about Newson Health. Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

On this week’s podcast Dr Louise is joined by Dr Rupy Aujla, founder of The Doctor’s Kitchen, which aims to inspire and educate about the joy of food and the medicinal effects of eating well. Dr Rupy shares his thoughts on how to best enjoy a healthy and fulfilling diet and looks at some of the challenges food can bring during the perimenopause and menopause, but also how it can be a time to rethink and set new nutrition habits. While the new year is often a time to set goals or resolutions, Dr Rupy believes that consistency is the key to success and it can come through small steps, such as simply adding on vegetable to every single meal. Finally, Dr Rupy shares his three top tips for healthy eating: Follow Dr Rupy on socials @doctors_kitchen Click here for more on Newson Health

On this week’s podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Dr Peter Greenhouse, a menopause specialist with 40 years’ experience in women’s sexual healthcare who is actively involved in postgraduate lecturing. He has recently spoken out about NICE’s draft menopause guideline update, and tells Dr Louise it contains inappropriate and inaccurate statements, particularly concerning HRT and breast cancer safety, and ignores the cardioprotective effect of HRT when it’s started within 10 years of the menopausal transition. Dr Peter challenges NICE’s stance on HRT for primary prevention and proposes a pre-emptive approach that could help reduce the amount of other medications GPs are prescribing menopausal women. Finally, he shares his belief that women should be able to take as much HRT for as long as they need to. You can read about Newson Health’s response to the NICE draft guideline consultation here. Follow Dr Peter Greenhouse on X @GreenhousePeter You can read Roger Lobo's paper, Back to the Future, which is referred to in the podcast, here. Click here for more on Newson Health

This week Dr Louise is joined by Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, our brand-new fitness and longevity coach on the balance app. Dr Hussain is a GP who runs an NHS-based fitness and lifestyle clinic that helps patients to eat better, move more and connect with their community. Dr Hussain is a long-distance triathlete but he hasn’t always been fit – a shock medical appointment prompted him into action after years of inertia and slowly but steadily he lost 24 kilos. Here Dr Hussain shares what he’s learnt, including shifting your mindset from thinking about exercise as an obligation to choosing which movements you enjoy, be it a walk with friends or dancing. He explains why menopause can pose a challenge but also an opportunity to figure out what positive steps you can take for a healthier, happier you. Finally, Dr Hussain shares three things you can do in this new year to improve your quality of life and longevity: Get a partner in crime – someone who can support you. Without my wife, I wouldn't have made these changes. Try to control the cues in your life - we all have cues that trigger behaviours that we're not happy with. You might need to change your evening routine, for example. Harness self-belief. It really matters and is so powerful. You can access Dr Hussain’s new content on the balance app, and follow him on Instagram @irondoctorhaz. Click here for more about Newson Health

Menopause often happens at a time when you are juggling a career, relationships and caring responsibilities. Here Dr Nadira Awal, a GP and menopause specialist, joins Dr Louise to discuss her work in raising awareness of the menopause and the importance of partners and families understanding what their loved on is going through. Dr Nadira’s personal experience of the menopause helped drive her passion for educating and supporting other women, especially those in ethnic minority communities who may not feel able to speak openly about it. She talks about increased health risks owing to genetics, particularly with diabetes and increased blood pressure, and the challenge of treating a woman’s symptoms holistically in a ten-minute GP appointment. Follow Dr Nadira on Instagram @pauseandcohealthcare and on Facebook at Pause and Co Healthcare. Click here for more about Newson Health

This week Dr Louise is joined by Dr Ruth Beesley, a GP who works in central Peterborough and who specialises in working with the homeless, those with alcohol or drug addictions and vulnerable women who engage in sex work. Dr Ruth talks about the challenges vulnerable groups of women face ­and how their trauma can act as a barrier to accessing the healthcare they need, both in general and for the menopause. Passionate about reducing health inequalities, Dr Ruth tells us about her outreach clinic and a new mobile bus clinic, both of which allow her to reach more women. Finally, Dr Ruth shares her learnings on working with hard-to-reach groups and reflects on the three things that have made her job so rewarding: Click here to find out more about Newson Health Group