The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

On this week’s podcast Dr Louise Newson is joined by her friend Liz Earle MBE, writer, TV presenter, award-winning entrepreneur and best-selling author of A Better Second Half: Dial Back Your Age to Live a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life.

Liz is synonymous with wellbeing, and as we head into 2025, she talks about why most New Year’s resolutions fail because they are unachievable. Instead, Dr Louise and Liz together offer practical tips on making some small but meaningful changes to improve health and wellbeing in midlife and beyond, including nutrition, exercise, mental health and hormones.

They also talk about the importance of prioritising yourself – and why self-care is anything but selfish.

For more about Liz, visit www.lizearlewellbeing.com

You can follow Liz on Instagram @lizearleme

Click here for more about Newson Health.

Joining Dr Louise Newson on the podcast this week is A&E consultant Professor Rob Galloway, who talks about his career to date and pressures facing the health service.

He also shares the nutrition and exercise changes he’s made in his own life that have improved his physical and mental health, as well as his top tips on living healthier for longer.

You can follow Professor Galloway on X @DrRobgalloway

Click here for more about Newson Health.

On this week’s episode, Dr Sumi Rampling, a GP and Menopause Specialist who works alongside Dr Louise at Newson Health, shares her personal story of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Diagnosed in early adulthood, Dr Sumi talks openly about the challenges of her ADHD diagnosis, as well as the impact that hormone changes, including perimenopause, can have on women with ADHD.

She talks about the determination her condition has given her, and also offers advice for women navigating hormone changes and ADHD.

Download balance’s ADHD and menopause booklet here.

Click here for more about Newson Health.

In a departure from our usual format, as we reach the end of 2024, Dr Louise looks back on her highlights of this year, including her recent theatre tour, her education work and the work of the Newson Health research team.

She looks at some of the key developments for menopause in 2024, and busts some myths around hormones and hormone replacement therapy. Plus, she’ll be looking forward to 2025, and sharing details of some exciting work for the year ahead.

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

Joining Dr Louise this week is Louise Mulley, who shares her experience of anxiety and menopause.

Louise shares the importance of speaking openly about menopause and mental health, and how a conversation with a close friend helped her recognise her symptoms and find the right support and treatment.

She also shares her top three tips on helping friends or loved ones who may be struggling with their mental health during perimenopause and menopause:

1. Help your friend unburden: ask them ‘would you like to talk to me about it?’. Make it clear they can talk to you with no judgement and in confidence.
2. Share your own menopause story to encourage your friend to open up about what they may be going through.
3. Keep an open mind: if you’re a woman of menopausal age and experiencing mood changes, consider that it might be your hormones.

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

On this week’s podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Rebecca Walker, a GP who specialises in headache medicine and migraines.

In this episode, Dr Rebecca and Dr Louise (who suffers from migraines herself) get back to basics, looking at what migraines are, why they can occur and management approaches, from lifestyle measures to medication. They also talk about how hormone changes during perimenopause and menopause can impact the frequency and severity of migraines, and bust some myths around taking HRT if you have a history of migraines.

Follow Dr Rebecca on Instagram @dr_rebeccawalker.

For more information on migraines, visit the National Migraine Centre here, and you can find resources about migraine and menopause on the balance website here.

You can also listen to an earlier episode of the Dr Louise Newson Podcast with Dr Katy Munro, author of Managing Your Migraine, by clicking here or searching for episode 115 on your favourite streaming app.

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

Joining Dr Louise Newson on the podcast this week is Jen Moore, a campaigner dedicated to raising awareness of endometriosis and adenomyosis.

Jen started experiencing endometriosis symptoms at the age of 11, but it took her 22 years to receive a diagnosis of endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids. By this stage organ failure was a risk and she required multiple surgeries, including a hysterectomy.

She has since become committed to helping other women – from speaking out to creating research projects. Here, she shares three things she believes women with endometriosis can do to make a difference to their future health:

1. Find a specialist – someone you can ask as many questions as you want, because if they are genuinely a specialist, they will not be afraid of answering questions.
2. Don’t feel like you have to do it alone. You have your medical team, but you also need a team outside of the hospital. It doesn’t matter who it is, even if it’s somebody online, just reach out. There are so many of us who are just happy to help even if it’s just to talk.
3. Keep going. When you get your diagnosis, you can think awesome, everything’s going to change. But then you realise, that’s just the start of it – you’ve got this wait list to get treatment and it can be a long slog. It’s exhausting, but it’s important that we do.

You can follow Jen on Instagram at @jen.dometriosis and find out more at www.jenmoore.co.uk

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

This week, Dr Louise is joined by Nicola McFarlane, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2023.

Nicola shares the story of her MND diagnosis, as well as the barriers she faced in accessing treatment for perimenopause symptoms – including low mood, anxiety and recurrent UTIs – to improve her quality of life.

Nicola talks about how health professionals often put her perimenopause symptoms (which pre-dated her MND diagnosis) down to her MND, and why she is sharing her own experiences to help other women living with MND and facing hormonal changes.

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

On this week’s episode Dr Louise is joined by Dr Marty Makary, Johns Hopkins professor, member of the National Academy of Medicine and bestselling author.

Together they discuss the impact of the Women’s Health Initiative study on women’s hormone health, menopause education for healthcare professionals and the importance of patient-centred care that focuses on root causes, rather than just symptoms.

Dr Marty talks about his new book Blind Spots, and the importance of asking big questions in medicine.

You can follow Dr Marty on Instagram @martymakary, and TikTok @marty.makary

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

Dr Louise Newson’s first-ever live theatre tour, Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate, runs until 12 November. For more information and tickets, click here.

Joining Dr Louise this week are Dr Tash Mirando and Dr June Tan Sheren, who are GPs based at Osler Health International in Singapore.

Dr Tash and Dr June explain the pillars of lifestyle medicine, including sleep, nutrition and exercise, and talk about longevity and the importance of taking a holistic approach to menopause care.

They also discuss menopause care in Singapore, bust myths on how menopause can affect women of different ethnicities and highlight the importance of knowledge and empowerment in making informed decisions about your health.

You can find out more about Osler Health International on Instagram @oslerhealth.sg and Facebook at oslerhealthsingapore.

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

Dr Louise Newson’s first-ever live theatre tour, Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate, runs until 12 November. For more information and tickets, click here.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women and this risk increases after the menopause, and a woman’s risk of heart attack is around five times higher after the menopause than before*.

Joining Louise on this week’s podcast is Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon based in the US, to discuss heart health, hormones and menopause.

They discuss the role of oestrogen in reducing inflammation in the body, why women typically present with different heart attack symptoms compared to men – and the signs to look out for – and the crucial role of nutrition and exercise in maintaining good heart health.

Finally, Dr London shares his top three tips on what women (and men!) can do to help their future cardiac health:

1. Don't smoke: it is the single worst thing you can do for your health in general. From a cardiac standpoint, from a blood vessel standpoint, for the risk of lung cancer.
2. Nutrition: avoid processed foods and eat real, whole foods.
3. Exercise and recovery: look to incorporate resistance training and some aerobic training, and don’t forget about recovery and prioritising sleep.

*El Khoudary, S.R. et al. (2020), Boardman, H. et al. (2015).

Follow Dr London on Instagram @drjeremylondon

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

Dr Louise Newson’s first-ever live theatre tour, Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate, runs until 12 November. For more information and tickets, click here.

In a special episode to mark World Menopause Month, and ahead of World Menopause Day on 18 October, Dr Louise is joined by Dr Rebecca Lewis, co-founder of Newson Health.

Together they cover some of the most frequently asked questions about perimenopause, menopause and HRT, including:

• When should I expect symptoms to improve after starting HRT?
• How long can I take HRT for?

Plus advice on taking a holistic approach to menopause, tracking your symptoms, and talking to your healthcare professional.

Dr Rebecca also suggests three things women and healthcare professionals should consider about hormones:

1. Know there is a difference between older synthetic hormones and body identical, natural hormones
2. Be aware of the health benefits of HRT
3.  The importance of shared decision making and patient-centred care.

You can download the balance app here, and the Easy HRT prescribing guide mentioned in the episode here.

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

Dr Louise Newson’s first-ever live theatre tour, Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate, runs until 12 November. For more information and tickets, click here.

Joining Dr Louise on this week’s episode is Victoria Faulkner, who was diagnosed with type one diabetes in childhood. Victoria talks about day to day life managing menopause and diabetes, as well as her experiences of a surgical menopause due to treatment for endometriosis.

Finally she shares the three things she thinks women with type one diabetes should know about hormonal health, and what has helped her personally:

1. Familiarise yourself with the NICE guidelines on diabetes and see what you can access to monitor your diabetes
2. Use a body map to track your symptoms ahead of any appointments you have to help discussions on any symptoms you might be experiencing
3. Ask your healthcare professional for a continuous glucose monitor to help monitor your blood sugars and spot any patterns, and if possible, push for a sensor augmented pump system to monitor any highs or lows.

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

Dr Louise Newson’s first-ever live theatre tour, Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate, takes place 27 September to 12 November. For more information and tickets, click here.

Content advisory: this podcast contains themes of mental health and suicide

Joining Dr Louise on the podcast this week is Linda Gask, retired psychiatrist and author of new book Out of Her Mind: How We Are Failing Women's Mental Health and What Must Change.

In her book, Linda draws on the lived experiences of women, alongside expert commentators, recent history, current events, and her own personal and professional experience to look at women’s mental healthcare today.

Dr Louise and Linda discuss the challenges women face in accessing mental health treatment, the importance of understanding the impact of hormones on women's mental health, and the need for women to be listened to.

Find out more about Linda’s book here.

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

Dr Louise Newson’s first-ever live theatre tour, Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate, runs until 12 November. For more information and tickets, click here.

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 Mohit Khera, a US-based leading urology specialist treating urinary tract disorders, male infertility, and male and female sexual dysfunction.

They discuss the role of testosterone, the most biologically active hormone in the female body, why he believes testosterone is the best barometer of health of all hormones, and testosterone replacement.

For more information about Dr Mohit, click here, and you can follow him on Instagram @ drmohitkhera.

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

Dr Louise Newson’s first-ever live theatre tour, Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate, takes place 27 September to 12 November. For more information and tickets, click here.

Joining Dr Louise on this week’s podcast are US-based Kristin Johnson and Maria Claps, authors of new book The Great Menopause Myth: The Truth on Mastering Midlife Hormonal Mayhem, Beating Uncomfortable Symptoms, and Aging to Thrive.

Kristin and Maria share their own menopause stories, why they wanted to write a book to help others and why menopause can be the best time of your life.

The pair also share the four things, besides hormones, that can help women during this time:

1. Education
2. Exercise
3. Nourishing your body with the right foods
4. Managing stress

For more information on The Great Menopause Myth, which will be released in the UK on 26 September, click here.

For more information on Newson Health, click here.

Dr Louise Newson’s first-ever live theatre tour, Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate, takes place 27 September to 12 November. For more information and tickets, click here.

This week’s episode is all about Dr Louise Newson Menopause Masterclass, a brand new video-led, one-stop guide to perimenopause and menopause.

In this episode, Dr Louise chats to Kate Muir, journalist, author, documentary maker and menopause activist, who worked with Dr Louise on developing Menopause Masterclass.

Together they discuss the inspiration behind Menopause Masterclass, topics covered, featured experts and why it’s a must watch for everyone, whether you are menopausal, keen to be prepared for the future or simply want to know more to support loved ones.

To find out more and to sign up to the Menopause Masterclass, click here.

Click here to find out more about Newson Health.

Joining Dr Louise on this week’s podcast is Melanie Verwoerd, political analyst, former member of parliament for the South African ANC party under Nelson Mandela, and former South African ambassador to Ireland.

In this episode, Melanie shares her experience of radical hysterectomy, and her shock at just how little information is available to women before their operation. She tells Dr Louise how she is on a mission to close the information gap by chronicling her experiences in a book, Never Waste a Good Hysterectomy, followed by a podcast series of the same name.

Dr Louise also shares her own experience of a having a hysterectomy, and together with Melanie offers advice to women who are preparing for surgery on what to expect.

Click here to find out more about Newson Health.

In this week’s episode Dr Louise is joined by one of her patients, Lesley Henry, a nurse who lives in Northern Ireland. Lesley shares her experience of menopause, which started before she received a diagnosis of endometrial cancer.

Her treatment for cancer led to a surgical menopause, which she found debilitating. Lesley explains she feared her brain fog and fatigue would prevent her from returning to work and from caring for her mother.

A firm believer in the importance of quality of life, Lesley decided to resume taking HRT. She hopes to help other women who are going through similar experiences and shares the things that have given her the strength to make decision about her treatment and her life:

1. I have a faith. Not everybody will have the same faith as I have, and that's fine, but I think having a faith helps.
2. Be proactive and find support groups. Through Action Cancer I learnt about scar therapy, which has helped, plus I completed a positive living programme to learn how to re-energise and rebuild my life.
3. Be prepared to say goodbye to the old you. She's not coming back and in a way, she needs to go.
4. Trust in yourself and listen to your heart. You are worthwhile and your life matters.

Click here to find out more about Newson Health

Menopausal women are the fastest-growing demographic in the UK workforce, yet a 2022 survey by the Fawcett Society found one in ten women leave work due to their menopause symptoms.

This week, Dr Louise is joined by Oonagh Ferson, who researched the experiences of perimenopausal and menopausal women in the workplace as part of her MSc in HR management at Queens University Belfast.

Oonagh shares her research findings and some of the stories of women she interviewed, and with Dr Louise discusses the impact of perimenopause, menopause and other conditions such as PMS and PMDD in the workplace.

Oonagh offers advice on how women can thrive at work, including the three things she believes would make the biggest difference to women in the workplace:

1. A bottom up approach, where employers sit down with women and ask them: what would help you? What can we do?
2. Even though it may be difficult at times, advocate for yourself: be open with your employer to secure the support or adjustments you need
3.  Having open discussions, using clear language and avoiding terms like ‘the change’, can help dispel the stigma around menopause  

There is a chapter dedicated to menopause and the workplace in Dr Louise’s bestselling book, The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause. Order your copy by clicking here.

Click here for more about Newson Health.

This week on the podcast, Dr Louise is once again joined by her friend, retired consultant urologist Steve Payne.

Together they look at the similarities and differences in women and men’s experiences of menopause and andropause, and the effect of low testosterone levels, including loss of libido and lust for life, lethargy, mood changes, depression and muscular weakness.

They address the issues surrounding testosterone replacement and Steve questions if medical professionals can learn from the treatment of men with prostate cancer with testosterone supplementations when treating women with breast cancer with hormones.

Steve has written a factsheet about making informed decisions during cancer care. You can also read more about his and his wife Jan’s experience, plus practical advice, here, and listen to the podcast  Making decisions about cancer treatment and the importance of quality of life with Steve Payne.

Click here for more about Newson Health.

This week, Dr Louise is joined by Dr Claudia DeGiovanni, a consultant dermatologist with a keen interest in the menopause. Dr Claudia has published a four-part review on the effect of menopause on skin and hair and has carried out research into the effect of menopausal skin issues on quality of life.

Here she talks about the prevalence of skin issues in menopause and their causes, the significance of oestrogen and what to look out for in products and what to avoid. Finally, she shares three tips for menopausal skin:

1. If you have got significant skin problems, if it's affecting your quality of life, seek help, see your GP, see a dermatologist, get a diagnosis and find some accurate treatments because we will take you seriously.
2. Look at your skincare routine and be aware of how your skin is changing. It’s likely to become more sensitive so avoid harsh exfoliants or anything that strips the skin of moisture, and include a good quality SPF into your regime.
3. When choosing products it’s more important to look at the ingredients list, and choose quality ingredients such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid, than buying those labelled for menopause.

You can follow Dr Claudia on Instagram @dr.degiovanni_dermatology and read her paper on menopause and skin disorders here.

There is a chapter dedicated to skin and hair in menopause in Dr Louise’s bestselling book, The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause. Order your copy by clicking here.

Click here for more about Newson Health.

This week on the podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Dr Ceri Cashell, a GP in Australia who specialises in female hormonal health.

After completing Newson Health’s Confidence in Menopause course, Dr Ceri became passionate about educating both patients and fellow healthcare professionals about the importance of hormones, and busting myths around HRT.

Here she talks about the advantages of longer consultations with patients and shares the things she thinks it’s important for healthcare professionals to know so they can improve their care of perimenopausal and menopausal women:

1.  Understand that menopause can affect women of a wide range of ages, and to consider perimenopause when you are presented with multiple-system symptom clusters.
2. Simplify your HRT regime. Use body identical hormones, oestradiol patches, gels or sprays, micronised progesterone and consider testosterone. Understand that women don't all absorb medication through the skin the same so you may need to tweak the doses.
3. Know that not all oestrogens and progestogens are the same. The oestrogen in body identical HRT on its own has been shown to reduce the lifetime risk of breast cancer, while the body identical progesterone is not associated with any increased risk of breast cancer in the best data.
4. Testosterone is licensed for loss of libido, but in clinical practice does seem to really help other symptoms of perimenopause and menopause and can really be a gamechanger.
5. If you do prescribe more HRT, you'll see the most transformational medicine that you've probably ever encountered.

You can follow Dr Ceri on Instagram @drcericashell

Find out more about the Confidence in Menopause course here and the balance app symptom checker mentioned on the podcast here

Click here to find out more about Newson Health

This week Dr Louise is joined by sprinter Desirèe Henry who is representing Team GB at the Paris Olympics this year.

Desirèe is no stranger to the Olympics – she was one of seven young athletes who lit the Olympic caldron at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Games, plus she took home a bronze medal in the 4 X 100m relay at the 2016 Rio Games.

And she’ll be heading to Paris on a high after being part of Team GB’s gold medal-winning women’s 4x100m relay team at the European Athletics Championships in Rome in June.

Desirèe talks about the challenges of competing throughout the menstrual cycle and coping with heavy periods, plus the importance of talking openly about these issues, maintaining a healthy weight and body positivity.

Finally, Desirèe shares three tips to help you lead a happier and healthier life:

1. Set one goal every day. It doesn’t have to be anything big, it could be drinking water or having a piece of fruit every day, but it's something that will add up over the week and benefit your lifestyle in a positive way.
2. Try to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle. It could be watching a YouTube yoga video or anything that just allows your body to move, that increases blood flow around the body and helps you get in some extra stretching.
3. Check in on other people more often. Just find out how they are and show them that somebody cares – you’ll be appreciated.

You can follow Desirèe on Instagram @desiree_lh

Click here to find out more about Newson Health

This week on the podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Manisha Morgan, whose own experience of menopause led her to train as a nutritionist.

Manisha offers support to women who are fed up with yo-yo dieting to build a positive relationship with food, lose weight, and lead a healthy lifestyle. She helps women learn mindset techniques to help improve self-confidence and implement habits that can lead to long-term success.

Manisha talks about the importance of acknowledging cultural attitudes and approaches to food, and how genetic doesn’t necessarily dictate your future health.

Finally, Manisha shares three achievable goals:

1. Manage your expectations, start small and then gradually build up. So for example, if you don't go for a walk, start going for a 20-minute walk and then maybe gradually increase that over a period of time.
2. Start to include protein in every single meal that you're having, breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you're having three different meals, there are lots of different things that you can have.
3. If you have a 'bad' day, don't let that throw you off. Just pick yourself up the next day and continue with whatever new habits you’re establishing.

You can follow Manisha on Instagram @manisha_your_nutritionist

Click here to find out more about Newson Health.

This week on the podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Osama Naji, a Consultant Gynaecologist who is an expert in advanced gynaecological scanning at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

In this episode Osama shares his vast knowledge on fibroids – common, benign growths that usually develop during a woman’s reproductive years when oestrogen levels are at their highest. He explains the impact menopause can have on fibroids, treatment options and the possibility of HRT.

Finally, Osama advises on things to consider if you’ve recently been diagnosed with fibroids:

1. Find out all the facts about your fibroid - number, location and size – as knowledge is power. You can usually get this from an ultrasound scan. Use that knowledge to get professional guidance about managing your fibroids.
2. HRT is safe. The benefits of it usually outweigh the risks. The only thing to consider is if the fibroid is causing problems before starting HRT but even in this scenario, HRT may worth trying.
3. If you experience rapid growth in the fibroids or accelerated symptoms seek help to determine the right treatment.

Find out more about Osama here and read his feature on balance on fibroids and the menopause here.

Click here to find out more about Newson Health.

This week on the podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Dr Corinne Menn, a New York-based, board-certified OB-GYN and North American Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner, with more than 20 years of experience caring for women.

When she was 28, Corinne was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following her BRCA2+ diagnosis, she underwent multiple surgeries and chemotherapy then navigated pregnancy and menopause plus longer term survivorship issues.

Corinne received support from the Young Survival Coalition, an organisation that advocates for women under 40 with breast cancer, and worked with her oncologists to manage her pregnancy, menopause and treatment options.

She feels passionately that women who have or have had breast cancer receive individualised care and treatment for their cancer and menopause symptoms, and shares three tips to help with quality of life:   

1. Do not minimise your menopausal symptoms, your hot flushes, your night sweats, sleep etc. So whether you use hormonal therapy or non-hormonal medications, make sure you get help and can sleep so you function better and breaking the vicious cycle of spiralling menopausal symptoms.
2. Please do not neglect vaginal sexual health. Again, if you can preserve a little bit of that, it can stop a negative cycle of suffering, of urinary tract infections and relationship and intimacy issues.
3. Scheduling time to have a separate appointment with your oncologist and your GYN. Come prepared. Listen to Louise's podcast. Listen to Menopause in Cancer podcast and Instagram page. Be empowered because you and your quality of life are worth it.

You can follow Corinne on Instagram at @drmennobgyn

Click here to find out more about Newson Health.

This week on the podcast with Dr Louise, Consultant Dermatologist Dr Sajjad Rajpar returns to talk about acne and its effect on women during the perimenopause and menopause, including on their self-confidence and mental health.

Dr Saj explains the causes of acne and the different treatments available, including an encouraging new treatment that could make a big difference to acne sufferers in the long term.

Finally, Dr Saj shares his three tips for anyone who might have acne:

1. Keep skincare simple and targeted. Pick one of three active ingredients – retinoids, benzoyl peroxide or azelaic acid – and give it three to six months to work. Only supplement it with a very simple supporting skincare regime.
2. Assess the impact of the acne – if it is leaving persistent blemishes, pigmentation or scars, then escalate the treatment. If the first line treatment hasn’t worked, give it three months and see a medical professional to try to get it under control because prevention of scars is so much easier than trying to reverse and cure them.
3. Be mindful about all the different risk factors and triggers, and do not underestimate the impact of diet and stress. Where we can treat acne holistically, we should.

You can follow Dr Saj on Instagram @dr.rajpar_dermatologist

There is a chapter dedicated to skin and hair in menopause in Dr Louise’s bestselling book, The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause, which includes expert contributions by Dr Saj. Order your copy by clicking here.

Click here to find out more about Newson Health

About 28 million people in the UK are thought to be living with chronic pain – that’s 43% of the population, according to the 2011 Census.

But what is chronic pain, and how can it overlap with the perimenopause and menopause?

In this week’s episode Dr Louise is joined by Dr Deepak Ravindran, a consultant in pain medicine and author of The Pain-Free Mindset: 7 Steps to Taking Control and Overcoming Chronic Pain.

Dr Deepak unpicks the science behind chronic, or persist, pain and the two discuss the relationship between hormones, inflammation and pain.

Dr Louise and Dr Deepak have co-authored a new article which offers 10 top tips for primary care practitioners on improving care for women with fatigue and/or pain. You can access the article here.

Follow Dr Deepak on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

Click here to find out more about Newson Health

Content advisory: this podcast contains themes of suicide and mental health.

This week on the podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Andrea Newton, a postmenopausal woman whose own experience of mental health during the menopause lead her to train as a tutor with the National Centre for Suicide Prevention Training. Over the last six years, Andrea has trained thousands of people in suicide intervention skills and she is now training to become a menopause coach.

Andrea explains how her work in the corporate world has allowed her to share the importance of educating line managers, HR managers, and everyone about the menopause. She is also the author of the book, Could it be Your Hormones Love? (And Other Questions Not to Ask a Menopausal Woman).

Andrea shares her tips on widening the conversation about menopause:

1. Women need to educate themselves more about how the menopause affects all aspects of their health and be better at advocating for themselves.
2. Let’s take the conversation to the wider audience and stop the awful, narrow, stereotypical view of menopause. Instead, educate people so we can avoid tribunals, retain talent and have more menopause-friendly businesses.
3. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable and have conversations about things like menopause, mental health, suicide risk. We need to stop waiting for people to reach out, and we need to get better at reaching in and being proactive.

You can follow Andrea on LinkedIn, Instagram @in.her.right.mind and Facebook @InHerRightMind  

Click here to find out more about Newson Health

Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.

Related articles

Westlund Tam L, Parry BL. (2003), ‘Does oestrogen enhance the antidepressant effects of fluoxetine?’, J Affect Disord. 77(1):87-92. Doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(02)00357-9

Ibrahim WW, Safar MM, Khattab MM, Agha AM. (2016), ‘17β-Estradiol augments antidepressant efficacy of escitalopram in ovariectomized rats: Neuroprotective and serotonin reuptake transporter modulatory effects,’ Psychoneuroendocrinology. 74: 240-250. 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.09.013

This week on the podcast Dr Louise meets comedian Anne Gildea, who will be joining Louise on her 34-date theatre tour this autumn, Hormones and Menopause: The Great Debate.

Anne, a founding member of Irish musical-comedy trio The Nualas talks to Louise about her diagnosis of breast cancer, aged 45, and her ensuing menopausal symptoms, which she was unprepared for. She explains how her research inspired her to create her own show, How to Get the Menopause and Enjoy It.

Louise and Anne discuss why they’ve come together to create a new show that will take you on a journey through the history of women’s health and lead you to see menopause and hormones in a whole different light.

Finally, the pair share some of the reasons they think people should come to the show:

1. It'll be a wonderful night out - a real sharing experience where you can also have a laugh.
2. There’ll be lots to learn with new content and a sharing of knowledge.
3. You’ll be able to ask questions and gets answers. Some shows will also have doctors available in the interval but Louise will answer questions on the stage as well.

You can follow Anne on Instagram @annegildea  

To buy tickets to the show click here

Click here to find out more about Newson Health

This week on the podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Elin Sullivan, a young woman who suffered a myriad of symptoms for years before getting the right treatment.

Elin first experienced recurring urinary tract infections at 19 years old, and twice required hospitalisation. She also suffered from sweats, sleep disruption and fatigue, shaking and lichen sclerosus. After a chance encounter with Louise, she tried local HRT, which was transformative, and now takes testosterone to balance her low levels.

Elin talks about how hard it can be to experience perimenopausal symptoms at a young age and shares her tips for other younger women experiencing issues that they think might be down to their hormones:  

1. Although it can feel really hard, don't stop advocating for yourself. You may have self-doubt or worry that you’re wrong but keep pushing. My doctor was sick of seeing me, I was there probably every week, but don’t give up.
2. Rather than just giving your doctor a list of your symptoms, show them when they were happening as well. Have a log of symptoms and anything that might have affected them on that day. This will help your doctor rule out things but also show if your diet, etc, has an influence.
3. Don't be scared to try medications or suggestions. It might help but if it doesn’t it can potentially help your doctor decide the next step. I never believed local HRT could make such a big difference but am so glad I tried it.

Click here to find out more about Newson Health.

This week on the podcast Dr Louise is joined by Dr Felice Gersh, who is double board-certified in OB-GYN and Integrative Medicine, and specialises in female health, with a focus on managing female hormonal dysfunctions.

She is the author of the book PCOS SOS: A Gynecologist’s Lifeline to Naturally Restore Your Rhythms, Hormones, and Happiness, and recently published a paper on oestrogen and cardiovascular disease, and a 2021 paper on HRT.

Here she talks about the family of oestrogens and the important role of hormones on the heart. Finally, she shares three tips on improving heart and whole body health:

1. Eat a lot of phytoestrogen-containing foods - so every kind of plant in all the different colours, including beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables. They are nature's gift to us.
2. Sunlight is like happy medicine. Try to get sunlight in the morning, midday and watch the sunset every chance you get. This will help you to sleep better, make more serotonin, and help to set your master clock in your brain, which tends to drift when we lose our oestrogen production.
3. Move. Your fitness status is more predictive of healthy longevity than your blood pressure. Think of your fitness, strength, flexibility and balance as a critical part of your life so get active in every way you can.

You can follow Dr Felice on Instagram @felicegershmd.

Click here for more about Newson Health.

This week Dr Louise is joined by Aoife O’Sullivan, a family medicine doctor who trained in Dublin before completing a second family medicine residency at the University of Maryland.

After taking some time out to complete extra training in perimenopausal and menopausal care, including Newson Health’s Confidence in the Menopause course, Dr Aoife is passionate about providing more comprehensive and holistic care to women during midlife.

Dr Aoife share the ways clinicians, and all people, can educate themselves in order to improve the health of women in the US, and across the world:

1. Take every opportunity to learn and educate. So join any local healthcare Facebook groups and pass on links to the Confidence in the Menopause website, the balance app, etc. Even if you reach one or two people like that, it will make a difference and they might reach another one or two people.
2. Share small bites of information because it can be a little overwhelming. So when you're trying to reach somebody, give them small amounts of information at a time.
3. Harness the power of friends. If everyone informs their friends and they all go to their doctors, obstetricians, gynaecologists and urologists, and ask questions, it will fuel discussion and increase knowledge.

You can follow Dr Aoife on Instagram @portlandmenopausedoc

Find out more about the Confidence in the Menopause course and click here for more about Newson Health.

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.

2. Your history can affect your menopause. If you’ve had an episode of postnatal depression or PMDD, then you're more likely to experience mental health difficulties in the perimenopause.
3. How do you feel about your life? Lack of joy rather than a sadness, the emotional lability, is often greater with a hormonal mental health problem whereas irritability, rage and impulsiveness can be greater with mental health problems.

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:

1. The bright yellow cover is uplifting, and when you’re happier you’re healthier.
2. It’s packed with information so you’ll learn something that will either help you or a loved one.
3. Increasing awareness of hormones, perimenopause, menopause, plus PMS and PMDD will help women feel less lonely, more included and more listened to.

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:

1. Learn to ask for and accept help. People want to help, but very often they don't know how to offer it and our usual response can be ‘no, I don't need anything’. Instead, say straight out: ‘Please do my washing up. Or I have five loads of clean laundry that needs sorting. Or can you bring over some food?’ Anything really.
2. If your health isn't what it should be, go to your GP. When you ring your GP, ask for an appointment to talk about perimenopause and hormones. They’ll know from the get go what it is you're after and if they have anyone in the clinic with an interest in that area, they’ll put you in with that person.
3. Try to see the good every day. I do gratitude journalling, where I write down a minimum of three positive things that have happened that day, and they're not big. It could be the sun is shining. It could be the taste of that first sip of coffee in the morning. I train myself to look for the positive because it's so easy to get overwhelmed in the bad stuff.

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':

1. Don’t dismiss yourself. Don’t discount your point of view or feelings just because they are yours. Maybe sometimes you're right, maybe sometimes you're wrong - that's OK.
2. It's OK sometimes to be bad. We all are. It’s just society wants us to live as women in a way that isn't very human.
3. Confidence is a trick. No one has confidence. I don't have confidence. I just have a will and a desperation not to spend the rest of my life hating on myself because it's such a waste of energy.

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:

1. Progestins are not all the same. Some of them are androgenic and some of them are oestrogenic, and they have very different effects. So, women can be on the wrong pill for them.
2. You can always take a pill holiday. There's nothing wrong with taking a few months off and seeing how you feel. And you may be a different person, or there may be other reasons for why you are in that state of mental health.
3. There needs to be more research into every bit of what synthetic hormones do in our bodies, and particularly in our minds.

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:

1. Women need to educate themselves. They have to be their own advocate.
2. I would love for hormones to become available and affordable. In the US, we don't even have vaginal oestrogen covered by some insurance here, never mind over-the-counter access.
3. More education of healthcare providers. So have a fellowship in menopause. Let's start very early with med students and nurse practitioner students so they understand that menopause and sexual medicine is very important for our life span and our health span.

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:

1. Really focus on your nutrition. Make sure you're getting adequate fibre in your diet every day. Fibre-rich goods are good for you gut microbiome, help you stay full for longer, and are good sources of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
2. Limit added sugars – those that are added in cooking and processing - to less than 25g per day. Women who do that consistently have less visceral fat. Visceral fat is tied to increased risk of chronic inflammatory diseases.
3. Don't just focus on cardio for your movement. You really need to keep your muscles strong so at least two days a week pick up some weights. Multiple studies in menopausal women show much better outcomes for osteoporosis with resistance training.

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:

1. Spend some time gathering information, talking to other women about their experiences with contraception and considering what your priorities are. Your healthcare professional can also help you make your decision.
2. Remember that side effects of contraception are quite unusual but that if something doesn’t work for you, you can change your mind. It’s OK to take time to find the best contraception for you. 
3. Some forms of contraception may mask perimenopausal symptoms so if you’re not sure if this is happening to you, track your symptoms and how you are feeling so you can get guidance from your healthcare professional.

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:

1. Master one meal that you’re proud of and make it a solid base to then adapt, add twists with different vegetables, flavour bases, herbs, etc.
2. If you have a child who doesn't like a particular ingredient, don't force it because that will introduce animosity towards that ingredient. When they're older, they may have developed different taste buds that allow them to appreciate it better.
3. Aim for 90/10 because you probably will get to 80/20. And if you do have a cheeky take out, indulge, allow yourself to indulge without any guilt, particularly as it pertains to food, and then make yourself a pact to get back on it the following day.

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:

1. Giving women the confidence to believe that they and their health really matters.
2. Listening and seeing people's story – people are more than just a set of symptoms, they are a whole person.
3. Being part of someone's life at some of their most vulnerable times, and they share some of that vulnerability with you, is a huge privilege as a doctor.

Click here to find out more about Newson Health Group

In this episode Dr Louise is joined by world-renowned neuroscientist Dr Lisa Mosconi, PhD. Dr Lisa is Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic and Women’s Brain Initiative at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York and author of bestsellers The XX Brain and Brain Food.

Dr Lisa was studying nuclear medicine and neuroscience when her grandmother and her grandmother’s three sisters all developed Alzheimer's. Dr Lisa became interested in the cause of Alzheimer’s and why women are more susceptible. Her research has shown that, rather than a disease of old age, it starts in midlife and menopause potentially plays a part.

Dr Lisa discusses her most recent paper, which found that women who took hormones in midlife to treat their menopause symptoms were less likely to develop dementia than those who hadn’t taken oestrogen.

Finally, Dr Lisa shares three things to consider about female hormones:

1. Oestrogen, and oestradiol in particular, is the master regulator of women's brains. It really is like saying that oestrogen is to your brain what fuel is for an engine. It keeps your brain running.
2. Endogenous oestrogen (produced within your body) is different from exogenous oestrogen (synthetic). The bioidentical oestradiol is probably the best one to use because it really maps on the same circuits for your own endogenous oestrogen.
3. I would love for all women to be able to make an informed decision about whether or not hormone therapy is a viable option for them. Many women who are eligible for HRT do not go on HRT out of fear and the fear comes from outdated information, mislabelling on some of the packages.

Follow Dr Lisa on Instagram @dr_mosconi

Click here to find out more about Newson Health

Content advisory: this podcast contains themes of mental health and suicide.

Dr Louise is joined by her patient Trudie Jennings in this episode to talk about the complexities around HRT during and after treatment for breast cancer.

Trudie describes how she started HRT to successfully manage crippling anxiety and other menopause symptoms and a few months later she was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer.

NICE guidance states women should stop taking systemic HRT if they are diagnosed with breast cancer. However, after careful discussion with her cancer doctor and nurse, Trudie decided to continue with HRT during her treatment as, for her, the menopause symptoms were more challenging than her cancer treatment.

Trudie and Dr Louise discuss shared decision making and informed consent, and how important it is for women with and after breast cancer to be fully informed about potential risks, benefits and uncertainties about HRT following a breast cancer diagnosis so they can make the best decision that is right for them.

Trudie’s three tips for women who have had breast cancer and are struggling with their menopause: 

1. Know that as a patient you do have choices about whether to start or continue HRT after breast cancer treatment.
2. Speak to your doctors and nurses and be informed so that you can make the right, personalised, decision for yourself. Trudie has found her healthcare professionals in cancer care open and helpful when discussing her need for HRT.
3. You know your own body best, so listen to your body to get the treatment that will be best support you.

Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

Click here to find out more about Newson Health

This week on the podcast Dr Louise speaks to Dr Ashley Winter, a urologist and sexual medicine specialist, based in Los Angeles.

Dr Ashley has seen the transformative effects of vaginal hormones on women – not only those who are menopausal, but also women who experience cyclical symptoms of bladder pain, UTIs and painful sex.

She shares her frustration on the situation in the US, where inaccurate and harmful warnings are included in every oestrogen product available, and her hopes of dispelling the fearmongering by talking, looking at the evidence and sharing her clinical experience.

Finally, Dr Ashley gives three reasons why women should use vaginal hormones:

1. It's extraordinarily safe. No risk of any cancer or blood clots, 100% safe.
2. It can prevent you from needing so many other unnecessary treatments that don't address root causes, and so you will probably save money.
3. It is not just a vaginal treatment. It is a bladder treatment, a urethral treatment, a vulva treatment. The medication acts locally, but acts locally throughout the pelvis.

Follow Ashley on X and Instagram @ashleygwinter

This week Dr Louise is joined by broadcaster and former international gymnast, Gabby Logan. Gabby is the host of her own successful podcast The Mid Point where she speaks about midlife challenges, and here she shares her own experiences of the menopause.

Gabby reflects on the impact of the menstrual cycle on female athletes and the positive impact of speaking about it and increasing awareness. She shares how exercise is helping her to forge and cement friendships and make time for herself, and how HRT helped her to rekindle her vigour for exercise. 

Finally, Gabby shares three reasons why we should all be exercising, regardless of our age:

1. It’s future proofing. I want to be active in my 80s, playing golf, going for long walks and getting myself out of a chair without it being a kind of a national incident. So I’m doing things now that are going to help empower me.
2. It’s good for your mental health. In my 20s, I realised somehow that exercise was good for me mentally. I knew that going for a run was about clearing my brain, getting back on track if I'd had a wobbly day or starting the day well. That feeling has grown and I know exercise is vital for mental health.
3. It’s about balance. Think 80/20. If you are going to fall off, have a glass of wine or a gin and tonic at the weekends, don't feel bad about it. The exercise I'm doing will hopefully help to negate some of the toxins I might occasionally put inside me.

Follow Gabby on Instagram @gabbylogan

Leading US oncologist Dr Avrum Bluming joins Dr Louise Newson to talk about the crucial role of oestrogen in women’s health.

Despite HRT’s proven benefits in protecting against heart disease, bone fracture and cognitive decline, many women still avoid it over breast cancer fears.

It’s been more than 20 years since media headlines about a study called the Women’s Health Initiative linked HRT to an increased risk of breast cancer. In this podcast, Dr Bluming says that in fact we now know oestrogen alone decreases the risk of breast cancer development by 23% and risk of death from breast cancer by 40%. 

He also disputes the findings of the WHI study that combined progesterone and oestrogen HRT leads to a small increase in breast cancer cases.

‘It is very upsetting when such an influential study continues to misquote their own data,’ says Dr Bluming, who has spent 25 years studying the benefits and risks of HRT in breast cancer survivors.

Dr Bluming points out that oestrogen used to be a treatment for breast cancer before chemotherapy was developed, and that rates of breast cancer increase as we age, despite the fact our oestrogen levels fall as we get older.

You can read about Dr Bluming's latest paper here, and listen to an earlier podcast Dr Newson and Dr Bluming recorded here.

Raquela Mosquera joins Dr Louise Newson in this episode to talk about the turmoil, anxiety and unexplained bleeding she went through during her menopause.

Raquela is the mum of Joe Wicks, the fitness coach who kept the country moving during lockdown and who has also appeared on Dr Louise’s podcast. Joe put Raquela in touch with Dr Louise after she confided her worries over her symptoms.

The anxiety, brain fog and isolation led to Raquela leaving the job she loved, but adjusting her HRT has transformed her life. Listen to Raquela and Dr Louise share tips about how to get the right HRT dose and type to suit you to get the maximum benefit.

Raquela’s three tips: 

1. Educate yourself on the symptoms of the menopause and right down all your symptoms before seeing your GP, including when these symptoms started and what can make them worse.
2. Be a menopause warrior. Chat about your experience to friends and family to reduce the stigma around the menopause.
3. Don’t be scared of HRT. Go to your GP and talk about whether it could work for you before making any decisions.

Listen to Dr Louise’s podcast with Joe Wicks here

Testosterone is an important sex hormone for both men and women (although women have much lower levels) produced by your ovaries and adrenal glands and declines during the menopause.

When it comes to menopause, testosterone is a hormone that can be misunderstood, and many women struggle to access testosterone treatment on the NHS.

Here Dr Louise and her Newson Health colleague, GP and Menopause Specialist Dr Catherine Coward, talk about how it can be a valuable addition to HRT for women around the menopause and beyond.

NICE menopause guidance recommends testosterone can be beneficial for women experiencing low libido where HRT alone hasn’t helped. Yet Dr Louise and Dr Catherine talk how in their clinical experience, testosterone benefits can extend beyond sex drive-related symptoms, with patients reporting improvements including having more energy, and reduced brain fog and anxiety.

Click here for more about Dr Catherine.

Personal trainer, wellness coach and mum-of-three Lavina Mehta MBE joins Dr Louise in this week’s episode to share her advice on boosting your activity levels during the perimenopause and menopause.

As a British Asian, Lavina is passionate about ensuring her message of the benefits of exercise reaches all communities, and highlights how exercise can treat, prevent and reduce the risks of chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes and heart disease.

Lavina encourages busy women to begin ‘exercise snacks’, which are short bursts of activity that can be slotted into full days. Finally, Lavina shares her three easy wins to improve future health:

1. Start strength training and prioritise building your muscle mass over losing weight.
2. Start off small with exercise ‘snacks’, which means adding little bite-sized chunks of exercise throughout your day. It all counts and it is never too late to start.
3. Keep talking, keep learning, keep educating yourself and keep sharing your journey with everyone around you.

For more about Lavina, visit her website and follow her on Instagram @feelgoodwithlavina, plus feel good workouts and exercise snacks on her YouTube channel @feelgoodwithlavina.

In this episode, Dr Louise speaks to the youngest of her three daughters, Lucy, about all things menopause. Lucy, 12, recalls making her mother an HRT tote bag when she was six, plus hiding in her room when there were arguments at home, when Dr Louise was struggling with her symptoms.

Lucy shares her experience of having her mum in the public eye, gives Dr Louise sage advice for dealing with bullies and offers her views on why menopausal women need help to remain in the workplace. In a survey conducted for her book, Dr Louise discovered 75% of women had never discussed menopause in their home when they were growing up. Barriers included a lack of knowledge, embarrassment, lack of communication, being short on time and feelings of shame around the topic.

While Lucy has had lots of conversations about the menopause at home, she reveals that school education on the subject was limited. But conversations with children about the menopause are important as they can help normalise it. 

This World Menopause Month, help us start the most menopause conversations – ever. Everyone’s menopause is individual and to help others understand and manage their menopause, we must break taboos, educate and start the conversation.

How to get involved

1. Have a conversation about the menopause
2. Log your conversation on the balance app or website
3. Share that you’ve got involved by tagging us on social media, using the hashtag #PauseToTalk

Content advisory: this podcast episode contains themes of mental health and suicide*

It’s a family affair on this week’s podcast as Dr Louise is joined by her eldest daughter Jessica for a special episode on the eve of World Menopause Day.

Jessica talks frankly about the impact of PMS and coping with hormone changes with migraine, as well as the strategies that helped her. Mother and daughter also discuss the importance of demystifying menopause and hormone changes through honest conversations between families, friends – and even complete strangers.

This World Menopause Month, help us start the most menopause conversations – ever. Everyone’s menopause is individual and to help others understand and manage their menopause, we must break taboos, educate and start the conversation.

How to get involved

Have a conversation about the menopause

Log your conversation on the balance website

Share that you’ve got involved by tagging us on social media, using the hashtag #PauseToTalk

*Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

This week, Dr Louise speaks to Italian Menopause Society president Dr Marco Gambacciani.

Early in his career Dr Marco specialised in reproductive endocrinology. He became interested in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis during the menopause, and his menopause clinic was the first in Italy to have a bone density scanner. On a personal level, Dr Marco saw the devastating effects of osteoporosis first-hand after his grandmother was diagnosed with the condition. Dr Marco also shares his frustrations on the lack of understanding of how hormones can affect women’s cardiovascular health. On a more hopeful note, he is urging the Italian government to make menopause clinics available all over Italy.                                                              Finally, Dr Marco shares the three reasons why he believes women should consider HRT when they're younger:

1. To improve quality of life. By reducing menopause symptoms, you improve quality of life and you help prevent chronic diseases.
2. To help improve your performance at work – why should a woman have to lose opportunities just because she's having flushes or not sleeping well?
3. It’s important for women to maintain the possibility of an enjoyable sex life ­ – low oestrogen levels can lead to low sexual desire or painful sex.

Follow Dr Marco on Instagram @m.gambacciani

This World Menopause Month, help us start the most menopause conversations – ever. Everyone’s menopause is individual and to help others understand and manage their menopause, we must break taboos, educate and start the conversation.

How to get involved

1. Have a conversation about the menopause
2. Log your conversation on the balance website
3. Share that you’ve got involved by tagging us on social media, using the hashtag #PauseToTalk

October marks World Menopause Month, and on this week’s podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Newson Health colleague Dr Penny Ward to talk about the relaunch of our Confidence in the Menopause.

Confidence in the Menopause is a CPD-accredited online course from Newson Health which is designed to increase your knowledge of, and confidence in, managing all aspects of the perimenopause and menopause. The course contains free and subscriber-only modules and is designed not only for those working in healthcare: it’s for everyone. We’ve included tailored information for non-healthcare professionals, whether you are a woman looking for information to help you make the right decisions and get the most out of their healthcare consultations, or a partner, friend or colleague who simply wants to know more.

Dr Penny’s top three reasons for completing Confidence in the Menopause:

1. It will give you an understanding what is inevitably going to happen to your own body or a loved one's body if you're a partner, friend or colleague.
2. You will be able to appreciate the wide variety of symptoms that women can experience whilst undergoing hormonal changes.
3. It’s an opportunity to listen to the presentations, particularly the one that is dispelling the myths about the menopause and HRT to understand exactly what's gone before us.

Find out more about Confidence in the Menopause here

This World Menopause Month, help us start the most menopause conversations - ever.

Everyone’s menopause is individual and to help others understand and manage their menopause, we must break taboos, educate and start the conversation.

How to get involved

1. Have a conversation about the menopause
2. Log your conversation on the balance website
3. Share that you’ve got involved by tagging us on social media, using the hashtag #PauseToTalk

Content advisory: this podcast contains themes of mental health and suicide.

On this week’s episode of the Dr Louise Newson Podcast, Anna Geldard shares her story of how her mental health was severely affected by menopause.

Anna tells Dr Louise how therapy and medication had helped her successfully manage her obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and mild depression symptoms for over a decade. But out of the blue, Anna’s symptoms returned and quickly spiralled. Anna was admitted to hospital, on six psychiatric drugs but still didn’t feel better.

Thankfully, after learning about the impact of hormones on mental health and being prescribed HRT, things changed for the better.

Anna’s top three tips:

1. Have more open conversations, starting from at home with the kids. This will filter through society, making menopause less of an unspoken thing and more of a just another thing about the body.

2. Make sure your resources are evidence based. There's a lot of information on social media, so just make sure that whoever you're listening to is appropriately qualified.

3. Advocate for yourself. If your symptoms are hormone related and you're being told you're too young or whatever, try again and don't just give up at that first hurdle.

Anna is on Instagram @Hormones.on.her_mind. Find out more about OCD through charities OCD-UK and OCD Action.

Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

In this week’s podcast, food writer, author and award-winning entrepreneur Freda Shafi talks about her work raising awareness of menopause, and recording the experiences in the Pakistani community in West Yorkshire.

Freda shares her own menopause story, and she and Dr Louise discuss key barriers women face accessing care, and ways to improve knowledge to empower women to advocate for themselves.

‘I'm a South Asian woman, I'm a Pakistani, I'm a British Pakistani woman, and I know I represent a certain demographic,’ says Freda.

‘I feel as though I can reach many women through the fact that I am from the community. That may be platforms for women like myself who are able to cascade that information and let that reverberate across those communities.’

Freda’s top three tips: 

1. Help represent your community to spread awareness of menopause symptoms, treatments and services and help tackle the stigma that still surrounds this area.
2. Get a second opinion if you don’t feel your healthcare professional has given you the right diagnosis. Explore the materials that are out there, including the balance app, so that you’re informed when you see your doctor. 
3. Boost training in the menopause for community leaders so that they can signpost women to local services that can help support them.

Follow Freda on Instagram @fredishafi_spiceitup

Bestselling author, screenwriter and TV presenter Emma Kennedy joins Dr Louise Newson in this episode to talk candidly about her menopause experience.

Emma describes how she thought she had got through her menopause when terrifying heart palpitations and anxiety struck.

After always being fearful of HRT due to a strong family history of breast cancer, a careful and detailed discussion with a GP around the risks and benefits led to her starting a low dose of hormones.

‘It's the first time I've ever cried in front of a doctor,’ she says.

‘Ever, ever. I felt that terrible. [But] Just that tiny amount of estrogen and the heart palpitations stopped in 48 hours and they haven't come back. It's like a miracle.’

Dr Louise and Emma talk about the importance of a personalised discussion between a doctor and a patient to assess whether and what type of HRT may be the right choice. Emma also talks about the lifestyle changes she has made to reduce breast cancer risk and help control menopausal symptoms.

Emma, who wrote the bestselling The Tent, The Bucket and Me, also talks about her frustration with the pain and discomfort women are often expected to put up with during routine procedures.

She gives a stirring call to action for the speculum – the device used in many intimate procedures – to be, at the very least, radically improved.

For more about Emma visit her website and you can follow her on Instagram @emma67 or Threads @emmak67.

In this podcast, Jill Chmielewski, a nurse, educator and women’s advocate, talks about her mission to guide midlife women to greater wellbeing.

Dr Louise and Jill discuss the powerful and poorly understood role of hormones in women’s health throughout their life, HRT and the importance of women advocating strongly for their own needs. Jill advises women should prepare well in advance for the menopause, as hormonal changes can begin earlier than you may expect.

Jill’s three top tips: 

1. Educate yourself on the role of hormones and the impact these can have on your health, so that you are informed.
2. Start thinking about your menopause early – and probably earlier than you may expect. You may notice hormonal changes in your thirties, so be prepared and plan which healthcare professional may provide the support that you need to manage your perimenopause and menopause journey.
3. Embrace patient power – act as your own advocate and be persistent with your healthcare professionals about what you need. This includes if you are on HRT, as you may still benefit from tweaks to your current regime.

For more about Jill visit her website here and you can follow Jill on Instagram

@jill.chmielewski. 

Content advisory: this podcast contains themes of mental health and suicide.

Joining Dr Louise on the podcast this week are Lynsey and her husband Kieran. In this episode, Lynsey movingly describes a rapid deterioration in her mental health during the perimenopause which saw her sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

‘I just felt desperate that this was a new version of me and I couldn't work out why,’ she recalls.

Lynsey and Kieran, who is a GP, speak to Dr Louise about the need for greater understanding of how hormonal changes during the perimenopause and menopause can impact on mental health, coupled with improved access to HRT.

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 award-winning US broadcast journalist, podcast host and menopause campaigner Tamsen Fadal.

Tamsen describes how she didn’t recognise she was menopausal after suffering from hot flushes, brain fog and heart palpitations, as she believed she was still having periods. This prompted her to find out more and support other women along the way, including spreading awareness via the #MenopauseTok campaign on social media.

Dr Louise and Tamsen discuss the impact of menopause on careers, barriers to accessing treatment, the importance of being informed – and the growing voice of menopausal women on social media.

Here are Tamsen’s top three tips: 

1. Listen to yourself and your body and don’t miss signs that could be the perimenopause by putting them down to being busy or stressed.
2. Try and carve out time just for yourself, even when things are really busy.
3. Find your people: surround yourself with a community to support you through the perimenopause, menopause and beyond.

Follow Tamsen on Instagram @tamsenfadal and Tiktok @tamsenfadal.

Tamsen photo credit: Jenny Moloney

Regular listeners will know there is much more to the menopause than hot flushes – but how do hormone changes affect your memory, mood and cognition?

This week Dr Louise is joined by Dr Dan Reisel, Specialist Registrar in gynaecology at University College London and Newson Health Clinical Research Lead, to take a closer look at the relationship between hormones and brain health.

Dr Dan says awareness is improving, but researchers must up their game when it comes to studying the female brain. While mood and memory symptoms are common in menopause, too often, studies focus on male brains as they don’t want to deal with the complexity of female sex hormones, he adds.

Dr Dan’s three take home tips: 

1. If you’re going through the perimenopause or menopause and struggling with symptoms, don’t just accept how you feel. Seek out options for treatment such as HRT that can improve your symptoms.

2. Become an advocate for better care for women going through the menopause – speak to your friends, healthcare professionals and colleagues about your experiences.

3. If you are offered the chance to take part in research seize that opportunity to make your voice heard and improve the experience for women in the future.

You can follow Dr Dan on Twitter at @danreisel

Progesterone is a hormone produced after ovulation and dominates the second half of your menstrual cycle. It balances the effects of oestrogen, supports the body during pregnancy and is known as the relaxing hormone.

But how can progesterone impact your mental health in the run up to periods, after childbirth and during the perimenopause and menopause?

Joining Dr Louise this week is Newson Health GP and Menopause Specialist Dr Hannah Ward, whose interest in the menopause and HRT was ignited following her own hormonal struggles after the birth of her children.

Here, Dr Hannah shares her personal experiences of progesterone treatment, and takes us through the key differences between body identical progesterone and synthetic progestogens.

Are you experiencing symptoms like burning and itching around your vulva and vagina, or painful sex? Or perhaps you have the urge to wee more often or are plagued by recurrent urinary tract infections?

Joining Dr Louise this week is trailblazing US urologist and sexual health doctor Dr Rachel Rubin, to address these common menopause symptoms and the relief vaginal hormones – often used alongside systemic HRT – can bring.

Dr Rachel explains why we need to stop using terms like vaginal dryness and vaginal atrophy, which hugely downplay the impact of declining hormones on your whole genitourinary system.

‘When we say women have vaginal dryness, we minimise their symptoms, we minimise that it's no big deal, that you can just use a little lubricant, a little moisturiser,’ says Dr Rachel.

Plus, Dr Rachel and Dr Louise also discuss DHEA – a hormone treatment which converts to estrogen and testosterone in the vagina – and the benefits this can bring to women struggling with genitourinary syndrome of the menopause (GSM), again often alongside systemic HRT.

Dr Rachel’s three tips if you are struggling with GSM:

1. Know that if you have any symptoms that affect your vagina, vulva or urinary system and you’re over the age of 45, you deserve a vaginal hormone product.
2. Talk to your healthcare professional about access to this treatment that can prevent urinary tract infections, decrease your frequency and urgency of needing to urinate, decrease your pain in intercourse and lead to better lubrication, arousal and orgasm.
3. Keep using your localised hormone replacement: it is a safe product, so can be used long term to sustain the benefits.

 Click here to visit Dr Rachel’s website, and follow her on Instagram @drrachelrubin.

Noticed that your eyes are feeling drier, grittier or even more watery lately? It could be dry eye syndrome.

July marks Dry Eye Awareness Month, and what you may not know is dry eyes can be a hidden symptom of menopause.

In fact, one in four of the nearly 6,000 women surveyed ahead of the release of Dr Louise’s book, the Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause, said they experienced dry eyes during the menopause.

Joining Dr Louise on this week’s podcast is Maria McGoldrick, a clinical performance consultant for Specsavers who is based in Scotland. Maria, who is an optometrist with 13 years’ experience, gives us the lowdown on the typical symptoms of dry eyes and treatments that can help.

Maria’s top three tips to optimise your eye health:

1. Have a regular eye test, ideally once every two years.
2. If you suspect you may have dry eyes, make an appointment with an optometrist so this can be assessed and a treatment plan devised.
3. If you are perimenopausal or menopausal and have an eye appointment coming up, mention this to your optometrist. This will help them support you and make the right treatment plan for you.

Podcaster, author and journalist Lorraine Candy returns to the podcast this week to talk about thriving in midlife and the importance of sharing menopause knowledge and spreading awareness.

Lorraine is co-host of the popular podcast series Postcards from Midlife, which often looks at the Generation X experience of the perimenopause and menopause. In this episode, she joins Dr Louise to discuss her new book What’s Wrong With Me? 101 Things Midlife Women Need to Know, which is a compelling and reassuring account of how to live a magnificent midlife. The book draws on many women’s experiences to look at the emotional side of midlife and how our identity as women can change during this time.

 Lorraine shares three reasons you should buy her new book:

1. It will make you laugh – which is always important.
2. It is packed full of expert advice that can support you to change your life in midlife.
3. Find out more about the emotional changes and impact of midlife, looking at how your identity can change in your 40s and 50s.

Click here for more details on Lorraine’s new book. You can access the Podcasts from Midlife podcast here and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

This episode looks at how hormone changes impact women in the workplace and in their personal lives – and why do many women put their own needs last?

Dr Louise is joined by Dr Claire Kaye, an executive career coach and former GP specialising in perimenopause and menopause in the workplace. Dr Claire explains how career coaching can help bring about clarity and focus, particularly when you’re dealing with physical and psychological symptoms during the perimenopause and menopause.

And both Dr Claire and Dr Louise offer advice on how to navigate these changes and overcome negative emotions to prioritise your own health and wellbeing.

Dr Claire’s top three tips for building self-esteem:

1. Recognise what it is that you’re feeling, take a few minutes to work out what it is that’s an issue for you at the time and label it
2. Ask yourself ‘what might help here?’ or ‘who might help here?’
3. Pick one really simple thing that will help and feels really comfortable: and do it.

You can follow Dr Claire on Instagram @drclairekayecoaching, LinkedIn @drclairekaye or visit her website here.

Consultant dermatologist Dr Sajjad Rajpar returns to the podcast this week for a special summer episode about melasma, a condition that leads to darkening or brown patches developing on the skin.

Up to 85% of those affected by melasma are women – and there is a connection between this condition and female hormones.

Dr Sajjad and Dr Louise delve into what is known about this chronic complex condition, why it is crucial to protect your skin from the sun and the wide range of treatment options available, including topical treatments and laser therapy.

Dr Sajjad’s three top tips on what to do if you suspect you have melasma, plus advice on self-management:

1. Educate yourself on how to tell the difference between melasma and freckles – look at the areas of the face where it occurs. Family history and background may mean you are more susceptible.
2. Sun protection is crucial in managing melasma. This means being really disciplined with using sunscreen, and seeking out a tinted version that will block visible as well as ultraviolet light.
3. There are a wide range of active skin ingredients that can help with melasma; Dr Sajjad suggests starting with azelaic acid or arbutin to treat your condition.

For more information about Dr Sajjad, visit www.midlandskin.co.uk

How do you work out what the right dose of HRT is for you and balance the benefits with any potential risks?

In this episode, Dr Louise talks about HRT doses with Corinna Bordoli, who began experiencing menopausal symptoms when she was just 10 years old.

Corinna shares her experience of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) – menopause before the age of 40 – and of the challenges she faced in getting a prescription for a higher dose of estrogen to help both her symptoms and future health.

Dr Louise and Corinna discuss why hormone needs and absorption can vary from woman to woman, particularly for those with POI.

Corinna’s three tips for those who may suspect they have POI: 

1. Keep track of your perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms so that you have evidence when you go to see your doctor.

2. If you are diagnosed with POI make sure you seek out a specialist in the condition to get the best care.

3. If you have POI, find a community of other people with similar experiences for support, such as through the Daisy Network. Sharing your story and hearing other people’s stories can make a huge difference and be healing.

Find out more about the charity the Daisy Network mentioned in the podcast here, or on Twitter  @thedaisynet.

On this week’s episode of the Dr Louise Newson podcast, Dr Louise welcomes Sharon Saunders.

Sharon is a menopausal woman with learning disabilities and is a wheelchair user.

During the episode, Sharon talks about when she first learned about the menopause from her mum, and her menopause symptoms, including joint aches and pains and headaches. She describes how these symptoms make her feel and the impact on her daily life, and Dr Louise and Sharon also talk about treatment options.

Finally, Sharon offers some important advice to other women with learning disabilities who are going through the perimenopause and menopause: speak up about how you are feeling, and don’t give up.

Sharon is supported by Dimensions, a not-for-profit organisations supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, behaviours of distress and those with complex health needs.

Click here for more information more about Dimension or on Twitter @DimensionsUK.

And click here for an easy read booklet on the perimenopause and menopause by balance and Dimensions.

Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of Leon, food campaigner and writer, joins the podcast this week to talk about the dangers of a diet high in ultra-processed foods – that is, foods with a long list of ingredients such as preservatives and emulsifiers not typically found in home cooking.

While convenient, ultra-processed foods such as breakfast cereals and mass-produced breads do not fill us up, encourage us to eat more and contribute to weight gain, Henry says.

‘Food is by far the biggest thing making us sick,’ he says.

In this episode, Henry talks to Dr Louise about breaking the ultra-processed food cycle, ignoring calories and eating more food cooked from scratch. They also discuss his new book Ravenous, which looks at how to eat in a way that is better for you and the planet.

Henry’s three tips: 

1. Exercise has huge benefits for your health, so find an enjoyable form. Don’t think about it as being for weight loss, but for other health benefits.
2. Cook from scratch as much as you can and include lots of fibrous green veg and pulses in your dishes.
3. Try and reduce ultra-processed, plastic-wrapped food packed with mystery ingredients in your diet. Getting rid of breakfast cereals is a good place to start.

Find out more about Henry’s work here and follow him on Twitter @HenryDimbleby

Laura Bibby joins Dr Louise to share her experience of managing the perimenopause shortly after a life-changing spinal cord injury.

A senior nurse and an ambulatory wheelchair user, Laura shares her struggles to have urinary symptoms, crippling anxiety and joint pain recognised as being due to her perimenopause, and not just attributed to her injury.

In an empowering conversation, Laura and Dr Louise discuss the importance of persistence, and speaking out to help women with disabilities overcome barriers preventing them getting the menopause care and treatment they deserve.

Laura’s three tips: 

1. Be persistent – If something doesn’t feel right with your health, keep pushing and seeking for the right treatment. Even if a healthcare professional dismisses your request, keep going and explore other options
2. Speak up and don’t feel ashamed. Menopause affects everyone
3. Normalise conversations around women’s health, don’t have them in secret. Discuss periods and the menopause openly so that it is easier to go and ask for help when needed

Follow Laura on Instagram @blue__brick_disability and you can read more about her story in this article on the balance website.

The supply of HRT medication Utrogestan is being restricted by the UK government because of shortages amid increase demand.

Pharmacies will only dispense two months’ worth of Utrogestan 100mg capsules per prescription to help ensure continued access for women.

In this special episode, Newson Health pharmacist prescriber and menopause specialist Faiza Kennedy joins Dr Louise to talk about the restrictions, and where and how to seek advice and help.

They talk about the importance of taking a progesterone as part of your HRT regime if you still have a womb, as well as alternatives to Utrogestan, including progesterone in pessary form, the Mirena coil and combined forms of HRT containing both estrogen and progesterone.

Faiza’s top three tips: 

1. Only order the amount of Utrogestan you need to help everyone get through the shortfall
2. Be organised about ordering your HRT prescriptions. Do it about two weeks before you run out so you have time in case you have any difficulties getting your supply or need to seek an alternative
3. Reach out for help if you are struggling with your supply

Click here for a balance article for more information about the current Utrogestan supply restrictions, plus alternatives.

You can read more about Faiza here.

Bestselling author of Chocolat Joanne Harris joins Dr Louise Newson to talk about her latest book, Broken Light.

Broken Light’s protagonist is Bernie, a 49-year-old who has given her life to her family and friends, and feels invisible. But Bernie finds her supernatural powers as she reaches the menopause, which becomes a metaphor for the anger of women in later life who are too often silenced in art and reality.

In this episode, Joanne talks about her own menopause experience, and her and Dr Louise discuss their work in ensuring the voices of women are heard as they get older – and the progress that still needs to be made.

Joanne’s four reasons to read her new novel: 

1. Menopause is a universal experience that needs to be understood. The way women feel shapes our world and shouldn’t be ignored
2. Because if you are a woman you will experience the menopause
3. If you are man, menopause will also be part of your experience at some point, and you need to be informed
4. Because it is a fun read!

Click here to find out more about Joanne Harris, and follow her on Twitter at @Joannechocolat

Advisory: this podcast contains themes of mental health and suicide.

Earlier this month Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week was marked across the UK. In this week’s episode Emma Hammond, an employment lawyer specialising in advising women who have experienced discrimination due to the menopause, generously shares her own story.

After a traumatic birth with her first child, Emma developed serious symptoms, including psychosis and not sleeping or eating, that ultimately led to medication and hospitalisation. While she wanted a second child, her periods stopped and she was told she was perimenopausal – but an unexpected development took place soon after she was admitted to a mental health hospital.

Here she and Dr Louise talk about the powerful role of hormones in women during pregnancy, birth and perimenopause, and how hormones can be overlooked by healthcare professionals caring for women struggling with their mental health.

This podcast follows an earlier episode with Emma where she talked about her career, and offered advice on menopause in the workplace.

Emma’s three tips: 

1. See your GP promptly if you are struggling with your mental health and don’t think you can fix everything yourself
2. Be honest and open with your family and friends about what you are going through so that they can support you
3. Think about life changes and holistic approaches as well as hormonal treatments or medication.

Read more about Emma here.

Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123. 

In a special episode on the eve of International Nurses Day, this week’s guest is Sue Thomas, an advanced nurse practitioner with an interest in menopause who works alongside Dr Louise at Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre.

They discuss Sue’s 30-year nursing career, including her work in cardiovascular disease prevention, and talk about the vital role nurses play in raising awareness and treating women during the perimenopause and menopause.

And with figures showing nine out of ten UK nurses are women, and more than half aged over 41, Sue and Dr Louise discuss the impact of the perimenopause and menopause on the nursing profession, with Sue sharing her own menopause experience and the barriers she faced when trying to access HRT.

Sue’s three take home tips for fellow nurses and healthcare professionals are:

1. Look for more education about the menopause, such as the free Confidence in the Menopause course
2. If you are struggling with menopause yourself, be open with colleagues and line managers – we need to look after each other
3. Let’s make the menopause a positive thing.

Click here to read an advice article by Sue for healthcare professionals on coping with menopause in the workplace.

Making a welcome return to the podcast is menopause activist, author and documentary maker Kate Muir.

Kate is the author of Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause (but were too afraid to ask) and the producer behind Davina McCall’s two award-winning menopause documentaries; her third documentary, investigating the contraceptive pill, is currently in production.

This week, after more than 200 episodes of the Dr Louise Newson Podcast, Kate is the one asking the questions. She asks Dr Louise about her hopes for HRT and menopause care over the next decade, and about the importance of hormones for healthy ageing and prevention of future disease.

They also discuss barriers to accessing HRT, the so-called natural approach to the menopause and tackle claims the menopause is being over-medicalised.

And in place of the usual top three tips, Dr Louise shares the four things in her handbag that she can’t live without.

For more about Kate visit her website

Follow Kate on Twitter @muirkate and Instagram @muirka

Kate Muir photo credit: Suki Dhanda

Dr Andrew Weber is Medical Director of the Bodyvie Medi-Clinic in London and has more than 40 years of experience as a GP and 25 years specialising in advanced medical aesthetics and cosmetic procedures.

In this episode, Dr Weber and Dr Louise Newson discuss the impact of the perimenopause and menopause on the skin and throughout the body, the importance of hormones and benefits of HRT, and why it is crucial healthcare professionals listen to their patients.

The episode also covers how HRT has advanced and the importance of individualising treatment to find the right dose – Dr Weber likens HRT to buying a bespoke, made to measure Savile Row suit, rather than an off-the-peg outfit.

For more about Dr Andrew Weber and the Bodyvie Medi-Clinic visit bodyvie.com

Follow Dr Andrew Weber on Twitter at @drandrewweber

Bone density for women can plummet around the time of the perimenopause and menopause.

An estimated one in two women over 50 (and who do not take HRT) worldwide will develop osteoporosis. This puts women at high risk of bone fractures, which can have a major impact on health and wellbeing.

Here Chicago-based Dr Kristi DeSapri, who specialises in bone health, joins Dr Louise Newson to talk about what can increase the risk of your bones becoming weak, the role of hormonal changes in this and what to do about it.

Hear what the latest research says about the valuable role that HRT can play in protecting bones to keep you fit and strong in the future.

Dr DeSapri shares her top three tips for listeners worried about their bone health:

1. Find out how healthy your bones are and whether you could be at risk of fractures.  This could include booking a bone density scan, or completing free online assessments and taking that information to your doctor
2. Increasing evidence suggests HRT can help protect bone health, so consider this treatment option to keep your bones strong
3. Find out about the importance of bone health so that you can be your own advocate - make sure you have the right information to make the right decisions.

You can follow Dr DeSapri on Instagram @boneandbodywh. Her website is www.boneandbodywh.com

Consultant Dermatologist Dr Sajjad Rajpar makes a welcome return to the podcast this week to talk about the chronic skin condition rosacea, and how it can be impacted by the perimenopause and menopause.

In a special episode to mark Rosacea Awareness Month, Dr Louise and Dr Sajjad discuss the physical and psychological effects of rosacea, as well as offering practical advice on avoiding triggers, and treatment strategies.

Dr Sajjad’s top three tops if you have or suspect you have rosacea:

1. Really look at your skincare routine and strip it right back to a gentle non-foaming cleanser and a light moisturiser containing ceramides.
2. Sunlight can be a trigger for rosacea, so block out the sun as much as you can.
3. Consider talking to your GP about trying active topical ingredients such as azelaic acid, metronidazole and ivermectin, because they can be a real game changer.

For more information about Dr Sajjad, visit www.midlandskin.co.uk

Joe Wicks really needs no introduction: he’s a fitness coach, presenter and bestselling author who kept the nation moving during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Joe is also one of the expert contributors in Dr Louise Newson’s new book, The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause.

In this episode, Joe and Dr Louise discuss the importance of keeping active, and finding the motivation and time to exercise during the perimenopause and menopause.

Joe offers tips on setting achievable goals, plus beneficial exercises, and they talk about how replacing hormones with HRT will help ease symptoms so women can also better focus on exercise and nutrition.

Joe’s top three tips if you are struggling with motivation to exercise:

1. Prioritise your sleep: see sleep as an investment to give you more energy to work out
2. Work out in the morning: working out earlier can be transformative to how you take on stress at work, and for your relationships too
3. Prep like a boss: meal prepping on a weekend will protect you against fast foods and convenience foods during the week.

Follow Joe Wicks on Instagram @thebodycoach

Find out more about the Body Coach app on Instagram @bodycoachapp and online at www.thebodycoach.com

Advisory: this podcast contains themes of mental health and suicide.

In this episode, Jo shares a moving account of her menopause experience before finding the right treatment for her.

Struggling with numerous symptoms including vertigo, dry mouth and eyes, joint pain and vaginal dryness, Jo went from not visiting her GP for six years to monthly appointments. After being prescribed a cocktail of medication and spending thousands of pounds on dental treatment to no avail, Jo felt she was never going to get better.

She talks to Dr Louise about the effect of low hormones, and the transformative impact finding the right dose and type of HRT had on her mental and physical health.

Jo’s three top tips: 

1. Download a period tracker, such as the balance menopause support app, to track your periods. This will help you notice any changes and identify any patterns of other symptoms occurring.
2. Educate yourself: try to read as much as possible about the menopause so that you can understand what's happening with your body.
3. Reach out to friends: by being honest and saying how you're feeling, you can help others to open up too.

In this episode, Dr Louise is joined by Kat Keogh to talk about Dr Louise’s new book, The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause.

Packed with advice and information from leading experts, it is the definitive, accessible and evidence-based guide to help you navigate your perimenopause and menopause.

It covers key facts about hormones, family histories, the complete guide to HRT, libidos, mental and physical health, how menopause affects careers and relationships and so much more.

Kat, who works at Newson Health, shares her top three reasons to buy The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause: 

1. It gives clear, practical advice on talking about the menopause with your children.
2. If you’re starting, at any age, to feel like your hormones are off balance, buy this book to find out everything you need to know about the role of hormones in your health and how to manage that.
3. If you’re struggling and alone with the perimenopause or menopause, turn to this book for reassurance, support, knowledge and to be empowered.

Order your copy here

Dr Walter Rocca is a neurologist from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, USA, where he studies common neurological diseases as well as the aging processes between men and women. He has a particular focus on estrogen and the effects of menopause on health risks.

In this episode, Dr Rocca explains how sex hormones have a much greater role in many of the body’s functions than simply regulating the menstrual cycle and reproduction. He explains why it’s so important to treat women with hormone replacement after bilateral oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy or early menopause, especially younger women.

Dr Rocca’s three take home messages:

1. The ovaries are a tremendously important organ for healthy functioning of our heart, brain, bones, kidneys, lungs and more.
2. For healthcare professionals: be very careful when thinking about removing the ovaries and/or the uterus, unless there is a very clear clinical indication. The longer-term harmful effects of these surgeries are greater than the apparent short-term benefit to symptoms.
3. If a woman has a high genetic risk of ovarian cancer (>40% risk level), removal of the ovaries is appropriate, but she should be given estrogen therapy afterwards as the risk associated with this treatment is very low (including for BRCA carriers). If a natural menopause occurs early or prematurely, these women should also be offered estrogen therapy, unless there is a specific contraindication.

More about Dr Walter Rocca

Dr Namugga Martha Monicah is one of four female urologists in Uganda.

She recently completed the Fellowship of the College of Surgeons (FCS) exam at the College of Surgeons East and Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) exams, finishing top of her class. She was supported with a sponsorship from Newson Health.

This episode of the podcast, released on the eve of International Women’s Day which this year centres around equity for all, looks at women’s health and access to care in Africa.

Dr Monicah tells Dr Louise Newson about the barriers to women’s health in Africa, the shame surrounding it and the international support making a difference.

She also addresses the stigma around the menopause and the need to move past a ‘suffer in silence’ approach.

Guest’s three tips:

1. Anyone in the world who listens to the podcast, know that there is somewhere where menopause doesn’t have to be taken on humbly and that something can be done to improve your quality of life.
2. To the African girl child, know that despite all the challenges, the hurdles, you can still do it, you can still emerge victorious.
3. In whatever small way, any individual can do something to improve the life of another.

For more about Dr Namugga Martha Monciah, visit https://www.baus.org.uk/professionals/urolink/urolink_home.aspx.

Dorothy Byrne returns to the podcast this week to discuss her previous role as former Head of News and Current Affairs for Channel 4 television and the commissioning of and reaction to the menopause documentaries. She also updates us on her new role as president of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge University – one of only two higher education institutions in the UK for women only – and how she hopes to inspire young women especially in the fields of medicine and science.

During the conversation, Dorothy shares some of her experiences of how a menopausal lack of sleep affected her at work, why she continues to take HRT in her 70s, and the ongoing systemic gender discrimination in medicine and the workplace.

Dorothy’s advice to women who are struggling to get menopause treatment:

1. Go to your doctor and ask for accurate, up to date information about HRT, and if they are not able to provide this, ask to see another doctor
2. Don't think you just have to put up with your symptoms
3. Don't be embarrassed by anything related to the menopause. If something’s going on ‘down below’, find out what the cause of it is, it may well be the menopause and there are effective treatments available.

Nina McGowan is a visual artist and Bikram yoga practitioner from Ireland who discovered freediving while on holiday in Egypt when she was in her mid-forties. Shortly after she turned 50, Nina secured a world record dive of 43 metres that involved holding her breath for 2 minutes and ten seconds.

In this episode, Nina explains how her yoga practice helps her free diving and she outlines the benefits of eating well, sleeping well and clearing your mind to focus on your breath. Nina also shares some of her own personal experience with her hormone journey and seeking out the right support.

Nina’s three priorities for a positive lifestyle change:

1. Prioritise your sleep and protect that space
2. Make any diet changes slowly and one at a time
3. Have faith in yourself to take a step into the unknown and a bridge will appear across the chasm.

Follow Nina on Instagram

Emma Hammond is a lawyer with gunnercooke LLP specialising in employment law. Often assuming the role of Investigating or Grievance Officer, Emma leads enquiries into complex bullying, harassment and discrimination complaints for individuals and organisations. Emma has an interest in mental health and its impact on the workplace and she incorporates as much pro bono work into her practice as possible, specialising in advising women who have suffered discrimination due to the menopause.

In this episode, Emma chats to Dr Louise Newson about the effects of the menopause at work, the intricacies of legal protections for women suffering professionally because of menopausal symptoms, and they discuss some positive examples of working in a menopause confident organisation.

Read more about Emma Hammond here.

Breast cancer specialist, Dr Tony Branson returns to the Dr Louise Newson podcast two years since his first appearance. Tony is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, based at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne.

In this episode the experts discuss the current situations women can find themselves in when having treatments for breast cancer and experiencing the onset of menopausal symptoms. Tony supports the women he sees through some challenging decisions around managing the risk of cancer recurrence while for some, treating menopausal symptoms with HRT to improve the quality of their lives.

Two important issues for women come together in this episode of the Dr Louise Newson Podcast featuring guest Joeli Brearley. Joeli founded the charity Pregnant Then Screwed after she was fired from her job the day after telling her employers she was pregnant. Joeli wanted to create a space for others to share their stories of discrimination at work, which quickly grew into Pregnant Then Screwed, a charity dedicated to ending the motherhood penalty and campaigning for change.

Joeli shares a personal story of her own changing hormones in her late 30s; she recounts her struggle to be listened to by healthcare professionals and to find the right treatment for her symptoms that were exacerbated by progesterone intolerance.

Joeli’s three tips for women who think they might be perimenopausal:

1. Talk to other women, it’s a great way to find out really useful information
2. Keep going and don’t give up. Trust in yourself and how you know you’re feeling. Keep pushing for what you feel you need.
3. If you don’t feel well and feel like you’re going mad after having the Mirena coil fitted, tell your healthcare professional. You could have a sensitivity to the progestogen in it and there may be a better alternative method for you.

For more about Joeli’s work and her books, visit pregnantthenscrewed.com

Follow Pregnant Then Screwed on Instagram or Twitter.

Dr Louise Oliver, a GP and functional breathing practitioner and therapeutic life coach, joins Dr Louise Newson as a guest on the podcast this week. Louise Oliver has had a special interest in women’s health and menopause for many years and now incorporates her skills as a functional breathing practitioner to raise awareness of how breathing is altered by hormones, how this can lead to symptoms of inefficient breathing and how to improve the connection between our brain, body and breath.

Louise’s three tips to breathe more efficiently:

1. Be aware that your hormones affect the way you breathe and how you breathe affects your health and wellbeing. Learn more about breathing. The book ‘Breath’ by James Nestor and all Patrick McKeown books and podcasts are excellent.
2. Assess your breathing efficiency by observing your breathing at different times over the next week and see whether it matches the description of effective breathing as discussed.
3. Improve your breathing efficiency by learning the techniques and dedicating some time over a number of weeks and months to adjust your breathing style until it becomes more natural for you.

For more about Dr Louise Oliver, visit her website.

The video link mentioned in the episode from Mr Vik Veer, ENT consultant, to improve snoring and sleep apnoea can be found here.

Louise is on Instagram as @drlouiseolivertlc and on Facebook here.

Dr Marianne Tinkler is a respiratory consultant from Swindon. In March 2020, Marianne contracted Covid-19 and had to take a month off work with a severe cough and extreme fatigue. She returned to frontline work on the wards at the height of the pandemic but found it difficult due to ongoing symptoms of tiredness, breathlessness, a racing heart rate and significant brain fog. Later that year, when long COVID became more recognised and Marianne was continuing to experience severe symptoms, she was encouraged to take an extended break from work, and this gave her time to reflect on her hormonal journey as well as learning how to navigate life with long COVID.

In this episode, the experts discuss the relationship between long COVID and the perimenopause/ menopause, the barriers to accessing treatment and some of the benefits of diet, movement and HRT for those suffering with long COVID.

Marianne’s advice if you have long COVID:

1. Pace yourself carefully and don't ‘push through’.
2. Track your symptoms on the balance app and consider HRT if you think some of your symptoms may be due to perimenopause or menopause – even if you think you’re ‘too young’.
3. Look at your diet and activity levels and eat foods that are good for your gut microbiome. Try and get outside every day, even if your energy levels will only allow you to sit on a bench.

Mr Osama Naji is a consultant gynaecologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital in London and he leads the busy department of women’s cancer diagnostics at Guy’s Cancer Centre. Mr Naji specialises in early detection of pre-cancerous conditions and is an international expert in advanced gynaecological scanning, contributing significantly to scientific research in women’s gynaecological health.

In this episode, the experts discuss the complexity and influence of the menstrual cycle, bleeding on HRT and when it should be investigated further, and the safety of HRT with regard to gynaecological cancers.

Mr Naji’s three take home messages are:

1. The workforce of women is needed now more than ever, therefore we must invest in women’s health and wellbeing and paramount to this is education about HRT.
2. Endometrial cancer is on the rise but can usually be detected at an early stage and treated very effectively through raising awareness, identifying the causes, managing risk factors and engaging and empowering the patient.
3. HRT is the very last item on the list of risk factors for endometrial cancer, therefore believe and trust the patient on whether the bleeding is abnormal for them and work through the management process using a shared decision-making approach.

For more information on Mr Osama Naji, visit www.rylonclinic.com

GP and menopause specialist, Dr Sarah Ball, makes a record fifth appearance on the podcast this week to discuss her work exploring experiences of menopause care in women who have had breast cancer.

The experts discuss findings from a recent survey carried out by Sarah and the Newson Health team to highlight how things have improved in recent years and identify some of the ongoing needs.

You can read more about Sarah’s survey and other recent menopause research carried out by Newson Health here.

Follow Dr Sarah Ball on social media on Instagram and Twitter.

View the breast cancer booklet here.

Clinical Director of Newson Health, Dr Rebecca Lewis, returns to the podcast this week for a special end of year episode with Dr Louise Newson. The business partners and friends reflect on some of the positives over the last 12 months and discuss the continued challenges in trying to help more women with their experience of perimenopause and menopause.

Rebecca’s three hopes for 2023:

1. Testosterone needs to be licensed for women (and not just for low libido)
2. Treatment for significant and severe menopausal symptoms in the workplace to help keep women in work
3. Education about the perimenopause and menopause reaching out to other medical specialties so more healthcare professionals understand how it affects the patients they see.

 Follow Rebecca on Instagram at @dr.rebecca.lewis

Professor Chris Harding is a Consultant Urologist working at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne and at Newcastle University. He has a particular interest in bladder dysfunction, continence and urinary tract infections (UTIs). In recent years, his research has focused on non-antibiotic treatments for recurrent UTIs and developing targeted treatments for specific patient groups.

In this episode, Professor Chris talks to Dr Louise about the challenges of diagnosing UTIs accurately, the severe impact recurrent UTIs can have on your life, how antibiotics can be used appropriately, and how to prevent UTIs occurring. The experts share some of their plans to study the effects of systemic HRT and vaginal hormone treatments on UTIs in women.

Chris’s advice if you have recurrent UTIs:

You don’t need to put up with UTIs in the perimenopause and menopause; there are many proven treatments available

Acknowledge that current tests for UTIs are not 100% accurate. If you think you have a UTI, you probably have, even if your test was negative - the diagnosis can always be questioned

Discuss with your doctor how you can prevent infections if you have had 2 episodes within 6 months, or 3 within a year

Hormone replacement, particularly vaginal treatments, are significantly protective and preventative against UTIs.

Follow Prof Chris Harding on social media at @chrisharding123

This episode contains reference to suicide

Professor Jayashri Kulkarni is a psychiatrist working in Melbourne, Australia, specialising in women’s mental health and researching the role of estradiol in mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression. She founded and directs the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, a large clinical research group in Melbourne.  In 2022, Professor Kulkarni launched and directs HER Centre Australia – a Monash University Centre delivering Health, Education and Research in women’s mental health - dedicated to improving the quality of care for women with mental illnesses by developing specific treatments tailored to suit women’s needs.

In this episode, the experts discuss the different ways estradiol influences brain health and function, what this means for healthy brain aging and longevity, and they share some of their experiences when helping women with mental health changes during the perimenopause and menopause.

Prof. Kulkarni’s tips for women experiencing mental health changes:

1. Trust your instinct – you know you best. If you think it might be hormones, help is available.
2. Look at your background history. If you had premenstrual mood changes or postnatal depression in the past, this may mean you are particularly sensitive to hormonal changes.
3. Early life trauma (e.g. neglect or emotional/physical/sexual abuse) can disrupt hormone signals and brain chemistry and this may make you more vulnerable to mental illness.
4. Whatever your past history, there is help available in the form of HRT. See your local healthcare provider or a menopause specialist if needed.

You can find the Meno-D questionnaire here. This tool identifies the specific mood changes that are more typically present in perimenopause and menopause related depression.

For more information on Professor Kulkarni’s work and research, visit www.maprc.org.au

Dr Samantha Newman is a British doctor working in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. After training in obstetrics and gynaecology, a moving encounter with a patient led her to re-train as a GP and develop an interest in supporting women’s health and wellbeing. Samantha’s clinic, FemaleGP, was established in 2016 to improve access to focused healthcare for women including gynaecological and sexual health and treatments for perimenopause and menopause.

In this episode, the experts discuss shared decision making with their patients, symptom improvements with HRT, and supporting women to ‘listen’ to their hormones. Samantha also shares some of her experiences working with women from the Māori community and culture.

Dr Samantha’s three tips:

1. See your hormones as a journey and not as separate, distinct phases of life. Find support along the way – wherever in the journey you find yourself.
2. For healthcare providers: see your patients as a whole person and as part of their families and find out their true thoughts and desires.
3. Be honest with your patients and encourage them to be honest with you. If they haven’t taken your advice, revisit things and find out what didn’t align with their values rather than viewing it as a negative.

For more information about Samantha’s work, visit www.femalegp.co.nz

Follow Samantha on social media at https://www.facebook.com/FemaleGP and https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-newman-34223b230

Dr Laurena Law is a general practitioner working in Hong Kong who has a special interest in nutrition and lifestyle medicine to improve healthy aging and prevent chronic illness. When Laurena gained personal experience of perimenopause and saw the impact it was having on her own life, she decided to learn more about hormone health and evidence-based treatments for the menopause so she could help herself and her patients.

In this episode, Louise and Laurena discuss cultural differences and similarities between British and Chinese approaches to menopause from both an individual and healthcare perspective. Laurena emphasises the importance of educating women so they know how to recognise their perimenopause or menopause and to empower them to make their own health needs a priority. She educates healthcare professionals in Hong Kong and further afield to ask women the right questions in consultations and to know how to prescribe body identical HRT.

Dr Laurena’s three tips for women:

1. Complete a menopause symptom questionnaire and repeat it every few months. This can form the basis of a conversation with your healthcare provider
2. Find a healthcare provider that is educated and updated in menopause care
3. Find a support group of women also going through the menopause to talk about the problems and challenges you’re going through – you’re not alone.

GP and menopause specialist, Dr Sarah Glynne, joins Dr Louise Newson on the podcast this week to discuss menopause care after breast cancer.  The experts share more about the breast cancer steering group established as part of the Newson Health Menopause Society that is working towards producing a consensus statement to support clinicians and improve the quality of life for menopausal women who have had breast cancer.

Dr Sarah Glynne discusses the importance of individualising the risk-benefit ratio for every woman when making decisions around treating the cancer and weighing this up with treating menopausal symptoms. Sarah emphasises the importance of talking through the implications of each of these considerations using a shared decision making process.

Sarah’s three tips for women after breast cancer:

1. Understand the risks and benefits of the drugs used to treat your breast cancer and what this means for you personally. Ask your oncologist for more information about your own breast cancer, if you are not sure. You can then use the PREDICT tool online for understanding more about your own cancer risks and what additional benefits any treatments may offer.
2. Read about non-hormonal options to help your menopause symptoms and cancer recovery such as diet, yoga, or acupuncture. Try various approaches to find the ones that may bring some benefit to you. Vaginal moisturisers and lubricants may also help and these do not contain hormones, and there are other medications your GP may be able to prescribe for some of your symptoms such as hot flushes.
3. If your menopause symptoms are severe and your quality of life is suffering, ask your clinician to explain the risks for you regarding your cancer prognosis if you decide to take HRT, versus the risks to your quality of life and long-term health if you choose not to take HRT. If you have genitourinary symptoms of soreness and dryness, vaginal hormones are very safe for improving these symptoms. Read information on the balance website and the book ‘Oestrogen Matters’ by Avrum Bluming, and make a choice that is right for you through discussion with your clinician using a shared decision making process.

In this episode, Sam shares her moving account of the journey she has been on for the last five years when, after a miscarriage and losing her father, things started to unravel and her mental health suffered. A difficult few years followed spent navigating depression, trialling several antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications, and seeking help from psychiatrists to try and understand what was going on. At the time, Sam believed she was years away from becoming menopausal and through her own research sought treatment privately in the form of ketamine due to her desperation to feel better and function again. Through learning more about hormones and their effects on the brain and mental health, Sam has recently begun to take HRT and feels she has started on a more positive path to health and stability.

Sam’s three tips for those struggling with mental health:

1. Try and be assessed by a menopause specialist before accepting a diagnosis, medication or treatment from a psychiatrist – it may save you a lot of unnecessary suffering.
2. If you do start taking HRT, be patient. It can take time and the dose and type may need tweaking before you feel the beneficial effects.
3. Become as well informed as you can about your hormones and the menopause from good sources online. And talk to other women – you’re not alone.

Human beings are hard wired to adapt to unexpected life events but how do we manage this process alongside our natural need to control? Psychotherapist, Julia Samuel MBE has been interested in this question throughout her 30 year career supporting families with grief and bereavement. Julia founded the charity Child Bereavement UK and has worked extensively with families in the NHS and private sector as well as writing books on grief, family, and change.

In this episode, the experts discuss human nature and our response to adverse life events and times of transition. Julia speaks of the importance of love and connection with others and about the impact menopause can have on relationships, family life and work.

Julia’s tips for helping your relationship:

1. Be aware of how you’re communicating in your relationship and look at what has changed
2. Try and form a regular habit like going for a walk together to talk and listen to each other and make time to reflect
3. Be aware of your own inner critical voices and turn down the volume on those. Turn up the volume of self-compassionate voices and practice being kinder to yourself
4. Remember connection with others is key throughout our lives

For more information about Julia Samuel and her books, visit juliasamuel.co.uk

For support and information if you have experienced the loss of a child or care for a grieving child, visit www.childbereavementuk.org

Newson Health has recently appointed a Chief Medical Director to ultimately help more women improve their health. In this episode, Dr Magnus Harrison shares a whistlestop tour through his professional life so far as a Consultant in Emergency Medicine via New Zealand, Australia, and Manchester and his experiences in leadership at Stoke on Trent in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust’s ‘adverse mortality’ investigation. Via Harvard, USA and India, Magnus then oversaw the merger of Burton upon Trent and Derby NHS Trusts before the hardest time of his career to date – the COVID 19 pandemic where 8 staff members from his organisation lost their lives.

Magnus discusses with Louise what he hopes to bring to the medical leadership and management of Newson Health and the key values that underpin his mission.

Magnus’s aims for his leadership at Newson Health:

1. I will be humble and led by professional curiosity to learn how to help more women
2. I aspire to be a compassionate leader, will listen to understand, empathise and ask how I can help
3. Kindness is essential and should underpin all that we do.

The focus of this year’s World Menopause Day is cognition and mood. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to Dr Clair Crockett, a GP and menopause specialist with an interest in mood, mental health and hormones. Clair’s interest in the topic stems from her own experience of escalating anxiety, low mood and intrusive thoughts in the premenstrual phase of her cycle during her mid-to-late 30s. Through her own research, she looked for ways to help her symptoms including through lifestyle changes, supplements and antidepressants. While these all helped some aspects of her mental health, it wasn’t until she began taking HRT that the premenstrual mental health symptoms eased.

The experts discuss the importance of considering hormones when helping women experiencing mental health problems and outline some of the ways they are working to improve education about menopause and mental health amongst healthcare professionals.

Clair’s tips to women with mental health symptoms in perimenopause and menopause:

1. Track your symptoms and periods, the balance app is a good way to do this. This will make it easier to relay to your healthcare professional when you see them. Ask who has an interest in women’s health in your GP practice so you can see the most appropriate person.
2. Tackling mental health in perimenopause and menopause is multi-faceted, it can take a while to get it right through a combination of taking HRT, your food choices, exercise, and doing work that inspires you.
3. Make peace with your body image and don’t let it stop your progress.

If you’d like to read more about Clair’s personal experience of mental health and hormones, you can read her story here.

On World Menopause Day, Dr Louise Newson has recorded this special edition of her podcast on her own. She describes her medical career to date and her reasons for doing what she is doing. She discusses her interest as an undergraduate and postgraduate and also talks about her lack of menopause training during this time.

Louise has a medical degree and also a degree in pathology which is even more relevant when thinking about the menopause as a systemic condition in which the low hormones, especially estradiol, affect all the cells and organs in the body. During this podcast she talks openly about her reasons for setting up a private menopause clinic and how the clinic has enabled her to finance the free balance menopause app and also the free Confidence in the Menopause education programme for healthcare professionals.

She clearly states this is the beginning of her journey and she has much more work to do. It will be very interesting to watch and see how the next year unfolds for menopausal women.

Her three take-home tips are

• Work as a team - communicate with others and share your knowledge and experience
• Ensure information you receive is evidence based - there is plenty of really good quality information both on the free balance app and the balance-menopause.com website
• Be positive – working together to make a change will enable women to have better future health

In this episode, Georgina talks openly about her struggles to get a diagnosis for her erratic periods since she was 15. In her early 20s, her concerns around fertility were brushed off and she acknowledges she didn’t have the strength and resolve to pursue the issue. Georgina then began to experience low mood, muscle fatigue, joint pains, hot flushes and night sweats. When her mental health dipped further, this became the tipping point and with the help of a supportive mother, Georgina pushed for a formal diagnosis and treatment for her debilitating symptoms.

Dr Louise Newson explains the impact of premature ovarian insufficiency and the risk a lack of hormones presents to your future health. Georgina shares the struggle she went through to access the right type and dose of HRT and reminds others to advocate for yourself to get the right help.

Georgina’s three tips to young women:

1. Talk openly with other women about periods, sex and vaginal dryness to understand what is and isn’t common
2. Do your own research about your symptoms and the menopause to get enough knowledge to advocate for yourself
3. Be patient with your HRT and give it time to work

Dani Binnington was diagnosed with breast cancer as a young mum at 33. For the next few years her life did not feel under her own control amidst countless medical appointments, treatments and surgeries. After discovering she carried the genetic BRCA1 mutation, Dani chose to have a double mastectomy and at 39 she opted to have both her ovaries removed as several family members had died from ovarian cancer.

Previously a jewellery designer, Dani then embarked on a change of direction towards yoga and healthy living, and she now offers programmes for women on menopause after cancer. Dani is on a mission to empower women to learn about their choices, seek out specialist menopause care and her goal is for every women to have the conversations with healthcare professionals that they deserve.

Dani’s tips for women after cancer:

1. Talk about it with the right group of people that understand what you’re going through
2. Make time for yourself to check and understand your symptoms
3. Continue conversations with your healthcare team and ask for specialist menopause care
4. Learn all your treatment options, including hormonal and non-hormonal treatments, complementary therapies, lifestyle management, and how to avoid triggers.
5. Don’t sit back, show up for yourself and be empowered. Be active in your own recovery.

Visit Dani’s website at www.healthywholeme.com

And follow her on social media at:

www.instagram.com/healthywholeme/

www.facebook.com/healthywholeme

The Menopause And Cancer podcast:

Listen here on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-menopause-and-cancer-podcast/id1631842514

Listen here on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3OhAwupemqzdI6sCXCZLSX?si=DsriNnCXSIee6i10Cd4kww

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide

Vanessa had always suffered with PMS and struggled with her mood and emotions after the birth of each of her children. After her fourth child was born, Vanessa’s mental health took a severe turn and she became suicidal. When her husband intervened and insisted she received specialist care, a psychiatrist realised how unwell Vanessa was and this was the beginning of an eighteen year journey of taking medication and receiving mental health support, including spells of inpatient care. It was all Vanessa could do to wake up every day and look after her children. Vanessa had wondered whether her mood was linked to her hormones as she would have 2 good weeks in every month before two bad weeks would inevitably creep in. In more recent years, friends persuaded her to see a menopause specialist and begin topping up her declining hormones and, as Vanessa explains, this has been lifechanging.

Vanessa’s advice:

1. You may not be well enough to go and ask for help yourself, allow family and friends to support you with this.
2. Don’t always accept everything you’re told by healthcare professionals, challenge thoughts and negative attitudes towards mental health and the link with hormones.
3. We develop lots of coping strategies to mask how we are really feeling. Don’t carry on hiding how you really are, speak to someone.

Help is available if you are struggling. Please contact the Samaritans by phone on 116 123, download the Samaritans Self-Help app or email jo@samaritans.org

Dr Taher Mahmud is a rheumatologist from London who has the ambitious plan of eradicating the bone weakening disease osteoporosis by 2040. Osteoporosis is a common disease, particularly for women around the time of the menopause, but with the right nutrition, exercise and hormone supplementation it is possible to prevent loss of bone tissue and even reverse osteoporosis if it has developed.

The experts discuss this worldwide preventable problem and some common misconceptions about bones. The discussion covers the challenges of current healthcare systems in getting accurate information about your bone health and the importance of raising awareness of how preventable osteoporosis is to all individuals.

Dr Mahmud’s tips:

1. Take time for yourself, think about your body and your health and value it
2. It is easy to diagnose osteoporosis and treat it, however…
3. It is far better to learn about your bone health and do what you can to prevent osteoporosis

To learn more about your own risk of osteoporosis, visit www.sticksandstones.org.uk

Dr Mahmud is based at the London Osteoporosis Clinic, for more information visit www.londonosteoporosisclinic.com

Janet Birkmyre began her career racing as a track cyclist in her mid-30s and won her first elite medal at the age of 40. She went on to win three elite National Championship titles and multiple masters World and European titles.  Now at 55, Janet is continuing to improve her times and fitness, and she is a champion of women continuing to enjoy and excel at sport at any age.

In this episode, the conversation covers Janet’s experience of perimenopause and menopause and taking HRT. As an elite athlete however, there are sanctions for Janet if she takes testosterone replacement as there are currently no exemptions to the regulations for therapeutic use in women, only for men. Janet shares her frustration at the unfair choice imposed on her of continuing with the sport she loves and excels in or replacing her low testosterone levels to help with her ongoing menopausal symptoms.

Janet’s three positive steps to improve health through exercise:

1. Enjoy being active – make it fun
2. Exercise with a friend – you will motivate and encourage each other
3. Don’t be self-conscious or compare yourself with others – we come in all wonderful shapes and sizes.

So whatever you look like, whatever you’re wearing, be active and enjoy it!

Follow Janet on Instagram @janbirkmyre_torq_track_cycling

Dermatologist, Dr Sajjad Rajpar makes his third visit to the podcast this week to separate the facts from the fiction about skin changes in perimenopause and menopause and debunk some of the messaging around recent skin products marketed for menopause.

Dr Rajpar explains the importance of estrogen for skin and how HRT can prevent and heal damage to skin tissue such as leg ulcers, for example. The experts discuss the negative impact of skin product marketing on initially younger women and now menopausal women, and unpick some perceptions about what a ‘menopausal’ face cream will and won’t do for your skin.

Dr Rajpar’s three tips for problematic skin:

1. For dry and irritable skin, avoid foaming and detergent based cleansers and use very gentle cleansing products or even a moisturising lotion to wash with. They may not lather or bubble but they do adequately remove dirt from your skin.
2. Use a good moisturiser once or twice a day, consider a lotion in the day as it is lighter and use a cream at night.
3. There are creams containing active ingredients that don’t have to rob the bank. Look for ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, and sunscreen.

You can visit Dr Rajpar’s website here www.midlandskin.co.uk and follow him on social media @dr.rajpar_dermatologist on Instagram.

This week offers a chance to revisit a previous podcast conversation – or perhaps hear it for the first time. Lucy Holtom is an experienced Ashtanga yoga practitioner who has a particular passion for helping with women throughout all cycles of life whether it’s to help manage the fluctuation of hormones during menstruation, postnatal recovery, or perimenopause and postmenopause.  In this episode, Lucy and Louise discuss the different types of yoga, individual practices and the benefits they can bring. Lucy explains how her interest and experience in well woman yoga evolved and how she supports women in the perimenopause and menopause.

Lucy’s 3 tips for those interested in trying yoga for the first time:

1. If you want to try a class, look for recommendations from others and chat to different teachers to find what’s right for you.
2. Wear comfortable clothing – you don’t need to spend money on new yoga outfits, just wear whatever you can move freely in.
3. Go with an open mind and enjoy!

Visit Lucy’s website at www.livingyouryoga.co.uk

Follow Lucy on Instagram @xxlivingyouryogaxx

This podcast episode was first released in October 2019

Advisory: we would like to apologise for the sound quality in this episode, which was due to technical issues experienced during recording.

Dr Pooja Saini is a Chartered Psychologist and Reader in suicide and self-harm prevention based at Liverpool John Moores University. Her work has a particular focus in suicide prevention in primary care and developing community-based interventions for high-risk groups.

Since connecting, Louise and Pooja have been discussing the impact of perimenopause and menopause on mood, mental health and suicide and the many research gaps and unanswered questions in this space. In this episode, Pooja explains more about what is known and unknown regarding the effect of hormones on suicidal thoughts and outlines the research plan for a PhD funded by Newson Health Research and Education.

Pooja’s tips for those with suicidal thoughts:

1. Early intervention is key; seek help as soon as you feel you are not yourself
2. Change your habits to do more of what you really enjoy
3. Talk to your loved ones, family and friends. Don’t try and hide or mask it.

If you need support, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 for free from any phone or email them at jo@samaritans.org

Pooja's Social Channels

Twitter

Work Website

Reference for BMJ article discussed:

McCarthy M, Saini P, Nathan R, McIntyre J. Improve coding practices for patients in suicidal crisis. BMJ. 2021 Oct 15;375:n2480. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n2480. PMID: 34654729.

Dr Anna Chiles is a GP and works in an NHS practice in Gloucestershire and at Newson Health as a menopause specialist. In this episode, the experts discuss the range of symptoms that can occur in the perimenopause and menopause and the impact of these on daily life, and they highlight what can be done for women when symptoms persist for many years.

Anna’s 3 tips for women who have struggled with symptoms for many years:

1. It’s never too late to start HRT and have that discussion with your health practitioner. If you choose to try it, you don’t have to continue with it if you don’t like it.
2. You don’t have to stop taking HRT when you reach a certain age
3. It’s so important to keep active, for your independence, your balance, joints, and muscle strength. This goes hand in hand with hormone replacement.

Margaret Reed Roberts is an experienced social worker and educator who noticed a change in how she felt in her late 40s. Along with more obvious symptoms of perimenopause, such as hot flushes and migraines, there came a deterioration in her cognition – she struggled to initiate, plan and complete daily tasks and the mental load became unmanageable. A friend suggested there may be more than perimenopause going on and questioned if Margaret was neurodivergent.

In this honest and insightful conversation, Margaret shares of the ‘relief and grief’ of being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and the impact she now understands ADHD has on her daily activity, home life and relationships.

Margaret’s three tips for those who have ADHD or think they might have it:

(provided after the conversation)

1. Be informed. Knowledge is a game changer. You feel more confident when you understand and are better able to advocate for yourself. Challenge others where necessary, using your acquired knowledge and pass that information on.
2. Don’t be alone; join support groups, talk to empathetic friends and family.
3. Tell your story. You and your story are valuable, not everyone will listen or care, but the more we talk, the more we break taboos and stigma.

Follow Margaret on Facebook

Twitter: @geordiereed

Susie Crowe is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist who is passionate about advocating for and empowering women to understand their bodies and supporting them to make choices about their medical care and their lifestyle.

In the midst of the pandemic, Susie noticed fatigue creeping in and put it down to burnout from her busy job. When she began having night sweats and saw her doctor, the menopause was the initial diagnosis suspected but there were no other symptoms of perimenopause occurring. Susie became more unwell and after months of having normal blood tests, further investigations revealed that she had non-Hodgkin lymphoma – a type of blood cancer. In this episode, the experts discuss women’s experiences of sudden onset menopause after treatments for cancer and the benefits and safety of HRT.

Susie’s advice to healthcare professionals:

1. Listen to your patients as they know their bodies best
2. Have empathy for a women’s menopausal symptoms (as they may be worse than those from the cancer or side effects from treatments) and she may feel very vulnerable
3. Prioritise personalisation and choice by providing the right information and encouraging your patient to make their own decision based on what’s important to them and their life.

Follow Susie on social media:

Twitter @susannacrowe

Instagram @theholisticobgyn

Farhana is an accredited family law specialist and mediator working with Family Law Partners in London. During her 20-year career, Farhana often noticed an unspoken element at play when helping women through divorce, but it wasn’t until she identified perimenopause within her peer group and those close to her that she appreciated the extent of the problem and was able to professionally decipher the impact of menopause on relationship breakdown. Farhana launched the Family Law Menopause Project to see whether any other colleagues in family law were factoring in this important element  and to raise awareness of perimenopause and menopause when it comes to family cases dealing with divorce, splitting the assets, children issues or domestic abuse.

Farhana’s tips for family lawyers:

1. Listen, enquire, and communicate. Look for cues and don’t be afraid to ask questions
2. If you think a client is experiencing peri/menopausal symptoms affecting their relationships and wellbeing, invite them to see their doctor
3. Factor the menopause into your cases. Pick a family process that suits the client, for example arbitration or mediation, and be sympathetic.

Visit Farhana’s family law practice at www.familylawpartners.co.uk

Follow Farhana on Twitter at @ShahzadyLaw @LawMenopause or lawmenopause on Instagram

Until a few years ago, Jill was in denial about her age, the menopause and what that meant for her future health. She had worked for 30 years as a fitness instructor and sports massage therapist; she was incredibly fit and had never given her heart health a moment’s thought. This abruptly changed in 2021 when Jill had sudden and severe pains in her chest and after some doubt and misdiagnoses by the medical team in A and E, she was found to have had at least one significant heart attack, possibly more. Since then, Jill has had ongoing intermittent chest pain, especially when having hot flushes, and she realised her continued cardiac symptoms were potentially linked to her changing hormones.

Dr Louise Newson explains the link with estrogen deficiency and cardiac symptoms, and the increased risk of heart attacks after menopause. Together they discuss gender bias in heart research, the difficulties diagnosing heart attacks in women, the possible reasons for poorer outcomes compared to men and the cardiovascular benefits of HRT.

Jill’s 3 tips to women if worried about your heart:

1. Listen to your body, you know it best
2. Do your own research, such as balance-menopause.com, Blood Pressure UK, British Heart Foundation websites
3. Have someone with you at appointments, or over the phone if not in person
4. If you know there’s something wrong with your heart, ask for a troponin blood test

You can read Jill’s story here

Dr Devika Patel joins Dr Louise Newson in this episode of the podcast to share how a chance encounter when overhearing an educational webinar on the menopause was a light bulb moment for her practice as a psychiatrist. Devika takes us through her journey of how this knowledge from learning about menopause has transformed the psychiatric care she now offers to her patients.

Devika’s 3 tips for those with mental health challenges who are in perimenopause/menopause:

1. Don’t forget the important lifestyle changes (healthy diet, exercise, reduce stress, improve sleep and have meaningful connections with others) apply to mental health just as they do with menopause.
2. When seeking help, go with your own data to your healthcare appointment. Track your moods with your cycle and really make any links clear to your clinician.
3. If you don’t feel your healthcare professional is the right match for you, see someone else and advocate for yourself.

Website/socials details – Instagram @drdevikapatel Twitter @drdevikapatel

Podcast: “Our Extraordinary Stories with Dr Devika Patel”

Victoria Jones is a community pharmacist at Bonnybrook Pharmacy in Coolock, Dublin. She received very little education on the menopause when training and became more interested in hormone health after her sister experienced severe symptoms at 40 and began taking HRT. The dramatic return of her sister’s health and wellbeing prompted Victoria to move away from running a chain of pharmacies to set up her own independent pharmacy with a focus on women’s health. When Victoria experienced her own perimenopause and she saw the profound benefits of HRT for herself, her passion escalated and Victoria now takes a very active role in raising awareness in her community with the public and local healthcare professionals, and in educating others through her social media.

Victoria’s advice to women:

1. Ask your pharmacist if they’ve done any training on the menopause and if not, mention the resources available such as on balance website and the Confidence in the Menopause course on fourteenfish.com. Find the right pharmacist for you.
2. Don’t be fobbed off by healthcare professionals, if you aren’t listened to the first time, go in more empowered with information the next time. Ask for a specific clinical reason why they will not prescribe HRT, and ask them to write it down for you.
3. Your pharmacist can explain how and when to take your HRT medication if your doctor wasn’t sure, or you didn’t have time to discuss thing fully.
4. Your pharmacist can also help with information on improving health through lifestyle measures such as nutrition and exercise.

Victoria’s pharmacy website is www.BonnybrookPharmacy.ie

Follow Victoria on Instagram and Facebook @The_menopause_pharmacist

Dr Heather Hirsch makes a welcomed return to the podcast this week. Heather is an internal medicine physician, specialising in women’s health and menopause care at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston Massachusetts, USA. Her clinical work and research centres on inequalities or unanswered questions in the field of women’s health, specifically in menopause education.

In this episode the menopause experts discuss the bigger picture of menopause care as a gender issue, women’s role in society and in the workplace, perceptions of women’s suffering and the menopause as a medical specialty. Louise and Heather share the challenges they each continue to face to educate and inform the public and healthcare professionals on the perimenopause and menopause and the benefits and safety of HRT.

Heather’s 3 tips:

1. Know what’s going on in your body by keeping a journal and tracking your symptoms. I recommend the free balance app to my patients for this.
2. List your own priorities and what matters most to you, whether that is your sexual health, your hair or skin, your sleep and so on.
3. Understand the three strands of menopause management: lifestyle changes, non-hormonal treatments and HRT, and know the pros and cons for all to realise what choices are best for you.

Follow Heather at:

Instagram @hormone.health.doc

Website: heatherhirschmd.com

YouTube: Health by Heather Hirsch

Podcast: Women’s Health by Heather Hirsch

Dr Saira Hameed is a consultant endocrinologist working at the Imperial Weight Centre and at Imperial College London. Her work focusses on researching the drivers for appetite, obesity, and regulation of body weight to develop science-based interventions that help people manage their weight and lead healthier lives.

In this episode the experts discuss the impact of obesity on individuals’ health, on the NHS and wider society, and the science behind sugar, fats, and processed foods. Dr Hameed’s book, ‘The Full Diet’, explains the weight loss programme that is used in the NHS by clinicians and patients and was developed and trialled at Imperial College.

Saira’s 3 tips:

1. Short term – do everything you can to remove ultra-processed foods from your environment
2. Medium term – look at all the factors that contribute to your weight such as your stress levels, sleep, activity levels and seek to address those too
3. Longer term – be your own biggest fan. Feeling good about yourself will have a positive ripple effect on other areas of your life.

‘The Full Diet’ book is available now and published by Michael Joseph.

Find her on her social channels on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drsairahameed/ and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thefulldietbook 

Dr Sharon Malone is an eminent American physician who has worked as an obstetrician and gynaecologist for over 30 years in Washington DC. After 15 years of working mostly as an obstetrician, Sharon changed to specialise in menopause care around the time of her own perimenopause. She is passionate about educating women to understand their own hormone journey and empower them with evidence based information about hormone treatments.

The experts discuss the challenges of influencing and persuading medical colleagues on the benefits of hormone replacement, the importance of patient choice and agency, and the lack of menopause research and need for government funding.

Dr Malone’s advice to women:

1. Find your community of women who will support you and understand what you’re going through
2. Be active, keep exercising regularly
3. Maintain a healthy diet and eating habits; processed foods negatively affect so many aspects of your health

To read or listen to Dr Malone’s Washington Post op ed, visit https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/28/menopause-hormone-therapy-nih-went-wrong/

Dr Malone is the Chief Medical Officer at US based menopause company Alloy, to find out more visit www.myalloy.com

Dr Clare Bailey is a GP and health columnist with extensive experience in helping people lose weight and improve their health. Dr Michael Mosley is a science presenter, journalist and executive television producer. Together, they have authored several bestselling books on weight loss, diet and diabetes and created the popular 5:2 and fast 800 diets.

In this episode, the guests describe the evidence showing the positive effects of incorporating principles such as the Mediterranean style diet and time-restricted eating into your lifestyle and how the fast 800 diet can dramatically improve your health outcomes, particularly in reversing type 2 diabetes. The ‘metabolic car crash’ of poor sleep, low hormones, poor diet and weight gain for women during the perimenopause and menopause are also discussed.

Clare and Michel’s top tips:

1. Enjoy olive oil. You don’t have to be stingy with it – it’s good for you!
2. Eat oily fish – remember SMASH: Sardines, Mackerel, Anchovies, Salmon, Herring.
3. Avoid snacks (especially in the evenings) or if you have to, reach for a few nuts.

For more information on Clare and Michael’s diet books and the fast 800 diet, visit thefast800.com

Follow Clare’s recipes on Instagram @drclarebailey

Rupa Lyall is a clinical pharmacist who works in a GP practice in Buckinghamshire seeing patients with minor illnesses and prescribing medications. In this episode she tells Dr Louise Newson how she became interested in the perimenopause and menopause and how, through the training on fourteenfish.com and resources on the balance website, Rupa now supports and educates other clinicians in HRT prescribing.

Their conversation covers raising awareness among professionals, working with patients from BAME communities, the importance of empowering women to improve their quality of life and the transformational effects of hormone replacement.

Rupa’s 3 tips for pharmacists interested in the menopause:

1. Go to fourteenfish.com and do the ‘Confidence in the Menopause’ course
2. Don’t be frightened of the menopause, learn more and talk to others
3. Speak to patients about their HRT, ask them how they’re doing, especially in the community. You will learn a lot by doing this.

In this episode, Dr Thulasi Naveenan talks to Dr Louise Newson about her experiences as a 3rd year GP trainee working in a central Manchester practice and learning on the job when it comes to HRT prescribing. The conversation covers working with patients from different cultures and with interpreters or family members, challenging misinformation, health risks after menopause and gender differences, and introducing the topic of hormones at 40-year health checks. Thulasi gives an honest and reflective account of what she has learnt about women’s health and hormones in her last 7 years of practising as a doctor.

Thulasi’s advice to clinicians learning about menopause:

1. Always have hormones in the back of your mind and there is no younger age limit cut off. Don’t be afraid to ask patients about their periods, vaginas and symptoms.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask about what you don’t know, use resources like the balance app and NHMS to find out more information. Find your local expert and seek out their knowledge and experience.
3. If you’re ‘junior’, don’t be afraid to challenge more senior clinicians – they may not be as up-to-date on the latest practice.

You can follow Dr Thulasi Naveenan on Instagram at @tnaveenan and on Twitter at @ThulasiNaveenan

Since the recording of this podcast, there has been further discussions with Cancer Research UK.

Consultant Gastroenterologist Professor Barbara Ryan and Clinical Dietitian Elaine McGowan are The Gut Experts, passionate about digestive health and helping women with debilitating bloating and irritable bowel symptoms.

In this episode, the experts discuss why more women are troubled by gut related symptoms compared to men, how gut and bowel problems have a very real impact on women’s lives, and why eating the right type, amount and variety of foods is so important for your gut health and overall wellbeing. The Gut Experts also talk about their new book written for women of all reproductive ages experiencing gut and bowel related symptoms.

Barbara’s tips for improving your future digestive health:

1. If you’re having digestive symptoms seek a correct diagnosis rather than self-diagnosing
2. Don’t look at your gut and digestive health in isolation, take a whole-body approach. Remember TEAMS: Total gut and body health, Exercise, Alcohol (reduce/cut out), Mental health, S

Elaine’s tips for improving your diet:

1. Fibre is a superfood for your gut microbiome – find the right amount of fibre intake for your own gut as everyone is different
2. Variety and diversity of foods is crucial, eat the rainbow, following a Mediterranean style diet.

Visit the Gut Experts website at https://thegutexperts.com/

The Gut Experts book, ‘What every woman needs to know about her gut’, contains solutions for bloating, IBS, and digestive symptoms and is out now, published by Sheldon Press.

Follow Barbara and Elaine on instagram @thegutexperts

Dr Rajvinder Khasriya is a urogynaecologist who leads the Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms clinic at the NHS Whittington Hospital in North London, and is also involved in research work at University College London.

In this episode, the experts discuss urinary tract infections (UTIs) and the role a lack of hormones play in their occurrence and ongoing recurrence. Dr Khasriya explains how common and debilitating UTIs can be for women in the peri/menopause, why traditional methods of testing and treatment are often unsuccessful, and she outlines the benefits of using vaginal hormonal treatments as part of a holistic approach for managing UTIs.

Dr Khasriya’s tips for women with UTIs:

1. As always, do your own research and find patient groups for support and information.
2. Understand all the factors that can contribute to UTIs such as weight gain, your general health, your diet and stress levels, as these are also important.
3. Be generous when using your vaginal estrogen, it is completely safe to use and in the long term.
4. Trust yourself, you know your body best.

The patient groups:

Embedded/Chronic UTI Support Group

Do you suffer from reoccurring UTIs? Many of us have been previously incorrectly diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis (IC) and have come to learn our condition is actually an embedded or chronic UTI...

Home - CUTIC

1 in 3. women will have a UTI by the age of 24 1. 90%. of chronic urinary tract infections are missed by the standard MSU culture test 2. 70%. the risk of recurrence within a year 3.

Bladder Health UK

Women asked if bladder drug should be available to buy. A pill to help treat an overactive bladder - which affects millions of women - could soon be available to buy in the UK without prescription.

Dr Jan Smith is a chartered psychologist, executive coach, author, campaigner and the director of Healthy You Ltd. She has over 15 years’ experience providing psychological support to those affected by injury and clinical negligence. In 2014, Jan developed a birth trauma service and campaigns to improve safety in maternity services for families and staff and provides training in the UK and internationally to maternity students and healthcare professionals on birth trauma and its impact.

In this episode, Jan describes to Dr Louise Newson how women can feel after a difficult birth or medical experience, and how trauma related emotions can resurface many years later at peri/menopause when psychological and genitourinary changes occur, often affecting relationships and intimacy.

Jan’s 3 pieces of advice:

1. If you had a difficult birth or healthcare related experience that affects how you feel about your genitals and intimacy, it is never too late to get help, even if it is years down the line.
2. Workplaces need to view women’s health as a continuum, not separate stand-alone events like pregnancy or menopause.
3. Think about ‘reaching in’ to help other women going through it – to listen, to validate and let them know they are heard and seen. This can be hugely beneficial for everyone’s mental health.

For more about Jan and Healthy You, visit https://healthyyoultd.co.uk/

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson speaks to Dr Abbie Laing about why she now specialises in menopause care and what she has learnt through her research and writing on the subject. Together the experts discuss clinical hot topics where misinformation and misunderstandings are rife such as what the evidence shows about the risk of clots and breast cancer with HRT, and treating symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) with vaginal estrogen.

Abbie’s 3 tips for women with symptoms of GSM:

1. Seek help early and use vaginal estrogen; persist with treatment options if the first one doesn’t suit you. The benefits are huge, and treatment should be long term.
2. If you have recurrent UTIs, consider vaginal estrogen treatments .
3. For elderly, frail, or very busy women, the vaginal estrogen ring (Estring) is a very effective and safe option.
4. Vaginal estrogen treatments are very safe and do not have any associated risks, including for people who have had cancer.

To access the treatment pathways discussed in this episode, become an associate of the Newson Health Menopause Society at www.nhmenopausesociety.org

For more information on any of the treatments discussed, visit the balance website at www.balance-menopause.com

In 2004, Dave and Steve Flynn started a fruit and veg shop, with the aim to create a happier, healthier world. The Happy Pear now has vegan food products in nearly 1,000 stores in Ireland, 2 cafes and a farm, and their five cookbooks have all been no.1 bestsellers. The Happy Pear online health and lifestyle courses – in which they partnered with plant-based experts from across the globe – have helped over 50,000 people from 120 different countries.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson chats with Dave and Steve about how they came to realise in their early 20’s that eating plant-based and whole foods would transform their own lives and those in their community. The lads energetically describe the different ways in which they have helped others turn their lives around, reduce risk of heart disease, feel happier and lose weight.

Dave and Steve’s 3 tips to improve your diet and future health:

1. Try to eat more whole foods, if you don’t like many vegetables, start with fruit.
2. Be more intentional about your food choices
3. Find your community, create an environment around you that will support you to make healthy choices.

For more information about the Happy Pear cookbooks and lifestyle courses, visit https://thehappypear.ie/

Dr Robert Lustig is Professor emeritus of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. He specialises in the field of neuroendocrinology and his research and clinical practice focuses on childhood obesity and diabetes. Dr Lustig has led a global discussion of metabolic health and nutrition, exposing some of the leading myths that underlie the current problem of diet-related disease. He is the author of several books including the books Fat Chance and Metabolical: The truth about processed food and how it poisons people and the planet.

In this episode, Dr Lustig talks to Dr Louise Newson about the influence of sugar, fats, and processed foods on our brains and health, changing minds of the public and health professionals and challenging the food industry. And – just as with changing public perception of HRT – challenging misconceptions about sugar and processed food starts with education.

Dr Lustig’s 3 tips to improve your diet:

1. Yoghurt is good but make sure it doesn’t have any added sugar
2. Juice is not healthy. Fruit is healthy and has fibre which is the good part. It’s food for your microbiome.
3. Trans fats are not good for you at all, try and avoid them at all costs including watching what oils you cook with.

Dr Lustig’s website is https://robertlustig.com/ and you can find out more about all his books here.

Ava Vanderstarren is a performing artist, actor and public speaker. She is the co-author of Blossom Living With Premature Ovarian Insufficiency / Early Menopause Journal and is the co-founder of the charity Innocence Lost Foundation. She has over 10 years lived experience of POI & mental health maintenance.

In this episode, Ava discusses her experiences of her POI diagnosis when she was 17 and how confused and isolated she felt at the time. Ava has co-authored a supportive journal for young people to help readers through diagnosis of POI or early menopause and to provide clear information and help them feel less alone.

Ava’s 3 tips:

1. Advocate for yourself, even though its frustrating and exhausting
2. Remember self-care and your own health come first
3. Don’t underestimate the impact of hormones on your physical and mental health

For more about the Blossom Living with POI / EM Journal: https://amzn.to/3HZx4Cr

Connect with Ava on social media:

Instagram & TikTok: @avavanderstarren

Twitter: @AVAnderstarren

YouTube & Facebook: Ava Vanderstarren

Ava’s professional website: http://www.avavanderstarren.com/

Ava’s charity working with child soldiers in Sierra Leone https://innocencelostfoundation.com/  

Vicki is 39 years and has struggled with heavy periods and related pain since she was 10 years old. She was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis at 22 but continued to suffer with severe pain, heavy bleeding and UTIs, despite treatments and multiple surgical interventions. As a last attempt to be pain free, Vicki chose to have a hysterectomy when she was 35. Even though her ovaries were not removed, she realised she was entering menopause after the operation when she began having night sweats, insomnia, anxiety and very dry hair and skin. The ‘cure’ Vicki was hoping for didn’t materialise – another battle just began instead, as it took 18 months to access the treatment she now needed for her menopause.

Vicki shares some of the struggles younger women have when trying to get help for endometriosis and/or a surgical or early menopause, and reflects on the decision she made and the lack of information provided to her at the time. Dr Louise Newson advises women in this situation to speak with their doctor about the likelihood of surgery triggering menopause and to find out about the symptoms and benefits of HRT in advance, so you are prepared.

Vicki’s tips if you have, or think you have, endometriosis:

1. Do your own research and be your own advocate, push for answers
2. Keep pushing your GP, make them listen to you, show them your pain diary and take someone with you who sees you when you have pain
3. Learn as much as you can about endometriosis; treatments are not just surgical, there’s exercise, diet, physiotherapy, and others
4. Understand that hysterectomy isn’t a cure for endometriosis but if it is the right decision for you, learn about the menopause and benefits of HRT in advance.

You can read more about Vicki’s experience here and follow her on Instagram

Vicki helped contribute to the booklet, ‘Endometriosis and You’

For more about endometriosis, visit Endometriosis UK

Jonathan Wolf is the CEO and co-founder of ZOE, a health technology company that focusses on personalised nutrition. ZOE runs the world’s largest nutrition science study with universities such as Harvard and King's College London, investigating the gut microbiome and how nutrition can improve overall health and wellbeing. During the COVID pandemic, their valuable technology was utilised to help scientists understand more about the virus. The COVID-19 symptom study app was designed at record speed and had a million users within 24 hours of launch.

Dr Louise Newson speaks with Jonathan about the latest understanding of how the gut microbiome affects our health and weight, how much our genes our to blame (or thank) for our body shape, and about ZOE’s latest study into the menopause and metabolic responses, nutrition and the microbiome.

For more information on ZOE’s research and products, visit https://joinzoe.com/

The podcast mentioned and hosted by Jonathan is ‘ZOE Science and Nutrition’.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by two women, Rhona and Tanya, who share their experiences of fertility support, pregnancy, and having symptoms of low hormones after the birth of their children.

Rhona asked the fertility specialists whether the hormone treatments she was taking to become pregnant would affect the onset of her menopause and she was told that it wouldn’t. 18 months after giving birth while still breastfeeding, Rhona experienced severe symptoms due to low hormones and spent 2 years suffering and seeking help before a friend suggested it could be her perimenopause. After seeing a menopause specialist and finding real improvements with HRT, Rhona wants other women to be aware that problems after childbirth might not simply be ‘baby blues’ but could be the start of perimenopause.

Tanya also had a child with the help of fertility treatments in her 40s, and during screening tests it revealed that indications of perimenopause had begun. The IVF was successful, but after the birth of her baby and a relocation, Tanya’s mood plummeted and she experienced a range of symptoms caused by low hormones. Her GP offered antidepressants, but Tanya didn’t think it was postnatal depression and knew her hormones were involved. Tanya is now pregnant again and is apprehensive about what will happen due to low hormones after her next birth.

Louise explains what is – and isn’t – known about hormones during pregnancy and in the postnatal period, and why this can affect women so much in the months and years after birth. She describes the benefits of topping up those hormones with HRT and the multiple improvements it could bring to women at this challenging time.

Rhona and Tanya’s advice for women thinking about pregnancy and perimenopause:

1. do you own research and seek medical help if you have perimenopausal symptoms
2. don’t be scared to try IVF, but know the possible effects of low hormones after birth, especially if you’re in your 40s
3. be aware of what your own body is telling you before you start fertility treatments, are there signs you could be in perimenopause?
4. If you choose to do extended breastfeeding, know that your hormones will be low and this may cause symptoms

For more information on breastfeeding and HRT, postnatal depression and another personal account relating to post-pregnancy hormones:

https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/breastfeeding-hrt/

https://balance-menopause.com/uploads/2022/02/What-is-reproductive-depressionfinal-with-links.pdf

https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/my-story-of-hormonal-depression-when-my-hormones-change-i-change/

Content warning: suicide

Peter Smith joins Dr Louise Newson this week in a difficult and emotional episode. Peter lost his wife, Victoria, to suicide a year ago after she experienced a sudden change in her mental health in her late 40s. In their quest to understand how things could have got to such a crisis point for Victoria, Peter and his family have learnt more about the menopause and mental health, and they’ve raised the question of whether Victoria’s perimenopause could have been responsible for, or at least contributed to, her sudden mental illness when she had never previously experienced any such difficulties.

Peter describes the series of events that led up to Victoria’s death and how healthcare professionals dismissed the possibility of hormones playing a part in the worsening of her mental health, both at the time and during a recent inquest. Louise explains the work she is now jointly involved in, with Peter’s help, to raise awareness of the link between mood and menopause both in Pete’s local NHS Trust and nationwide.

Peter’s advice for partners if your loved one is struggling:

1. Go with your partner to see a GP, and if needed, find someone that specialises in the menopause.
2. Talk about it with each other. Listen and try and understand what they’re going through, and support them as best you can.
3. Encourage them to talk openly with friends about it too.

Sarah Davies is an experienced business coach and trainer who previously spent over 15 years in senior international corporate roles and as a head-hunter for senior executives. Sarah supported her sister, Dr Louise Newson, as business manager, six years ago when Newson Health menopause clinic was launched. Seeing how devastating the consequences of the menopause affect personal and professional lives, Sarah set up Talking Menopause to educate and support men and women across all levels on the impact of menopause at work. 

In this episode, Louise and Sarah look back on starting their respective journeys into menopause care and support services, and discuss the real-life impact of the perimenopause and menopause in the workplace. Sarah shares some of the outcomes of her workshops and webinars and describes how Talking Menopause stimulates cultural change within organisations.

Sarah’s advice to workplaces:

1. Everyone should be aware of the peri/menopause and respond to it as a normal process for their employees and their partners.
2. Consider the practical side; where is the safe space for women to escape to? What are the practical solutions for women suffering at work?

And to women at work:

3. Don’t suffer in silence, talk to a friendly colleague, download the balance app and go and see your healthcare professional if you’re not getting the right level of support. There’s a lot of help out there.

You can learn more about Sarah’s work at www.talkingmenopause.co.uk

Simona Stokes is an experienced counselling psychologist who uses CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) to help people with stress, depression and anxiety. After 20 years working in the NHS and voluntary sector, she then founded her own clinic in Birmingham, and has developed an interest and specialist knowledge in helping women with the emotional and psychological challenges of the peri/menopause. Simona’s personal experience of hormonal changes hit her hard and this led her to develop and successfully implement the psychological tools she had at her disposal to support her own journey and made her realise many women need help to understand the impact their hormones have on their moods, thoughts and emotions.

In discussion with Dr Louise Newson, Simona explains the power of estrogen as our primary fuel and the problems that can arise when estrogen falls. She explains the difference in perimenopausal depression compared to general depression, what CBT is and how it can help women at this time of life that can often be a pinch-point on our emotions. Simona advises how to look after yourself and your emotions and elaborates on why so many women feel a sense of loss of one’s role, of identity, and loss of purpose at this time.

Simona’s advice for women experiencing emotional challenges:

1. Menopause is unavoidable but suffering is optional. CBT helps us to change the narrative we create about the difficulties we’re facing, and allows us to let go of the struggle against the changes we’re feeling. An attitude of compassion, kindness and curiosity to yourself will help you understand your difficult emotion in a more helpful way than being harsh, self- critical, and just wanting a feeling to go away.
2. It’s really important to make peace with all your emotions. We’ve been conditioned to think that difficult emotions are undesirable and we must strive to feel happy and grateful. Increase your openness to difficult emotions and this will help you be more resilient and emotionally ‘fit’ to cope with your peri/menopause.
3. ‘Emotion follows motion’, so engage in physical activity, even if you don’t feel like it, as physical activity is a powerful tool to change how you feel. Use your body to calm down your mind either through breathing and relaxation techniques or getting out there and being active.

Simona’s clinic and website details can be found here.

The ‘Meno D’ rating scale to detect depression that Simona refers to can be found here.

If you would like to access psychological therapies via the NHS explore your options here.

You can find Simona on her social media pages a:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/menopausecbtclinic/ 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThrivingBeyond40 

Dr Louise Newson met Dr Naomi Jiagbogu over a decade ago at Birmingham Medical School when Louise was mentoring students who were studying medicine as a post-graduate degree. Naomi subsequently qualified, began her GP training and moved to Manchester with husband, Aria, who was training to be a paediatrician. Louise and Naomi discuss their memories of the post-graduate course and reflect on how the students were older, from more varied backgrounds and had broader life experiences than you would typically find on an under-graduate course and how these factors enhanced the student’s skills and learning, especially when relating to patients.

After beginning her GP training, Naomi’s husband Aria sadly developed a brain tumour and after surgery, treatments and a yearlong remarkable recovery, the cancer returned and Aria died in 2020.  During his illness, Aria wrote two children’s books for their young son about sickness, loss and family, and he also wrote a memoir for adults titled, ‘Broken Brain: Brutally Honest, Brutally Me’. Together, Naomi and Louise discuss the importance of looking beyond the disease and connecting with the person not just the patient, and consider how personal suffering can transform the way you communicate as a clinician.

For more details about Aria’s story and books please visit his website https://www.ariatheauthor.com/

The books can be purchased from https://theendlessbookcase.com/authors/aria-nikjooy/

Or Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Broken-Brain-Brutally-Honest-Me

The royalties from Arias children's books are going to Brain Tumour Research, Royal Medical Foundation, Society for the Assistance of Medical Families and Royal Medical Benevolent Fund. 

If you have listened to Naomi’s story and would like read more and donate to Brain Tumour Research, please go to

https://www.braintumourresearch.org/stories/in-our-hearts/in-our-hearts-stories/aria-nikjooy

You can follow Aria on Instagram at @ariatheauthor64

Medical oncologist, Dr Avrum Bluming makes a welcome return to the podcast this week to re-visit the hot topic of menopause hormone therapy after breast cancer. Avrum has spent decades studying the research on the benefits and risks of HRT in women with a history of breast cancer and is passionate about giving women clear, evidence-based information that dispels myths and combats the misinformation that has unnecessarily frightened women and clinicians for over 20 years.

In discussion with Dr Louise Newson, Avrum clearly explains what his recent review of the literature reveals about the safety of HRT and the benefits it brings for your future health. The experts highlight the gender disparities that are commonplace in how women with cancer are treated with regard to their hormones compared to men, and they also discuss the importance of patient-centred medicine and giving women choice.

Avrum’s 3 tips for women interested in exploring their menopause treatment options after breast cancer:

1. Speak to your oncologist. Tell them about your menopause symptoms, ask to discuss the possibility of starting HRT and have a conversation about the benefits and risk for you individually.
2. When it is available, take Avrum’s article that will be published in the ‘Cancer’ journal in May/June 2022, and show it to your oncologist and GP. Don’t accept a dismissal of your views – engage them in discussion.
3. ‘Oestrogen Matters’ (2018, published by Little Brown) is a book co-authored by Avrum that is for women and clinicians, including a chapter on HRT after breast cancer, and it is heavily referenced to show all the evidence behind the information given.

Links to Avrum Bluming’s upcoming journal article will be published on the balance-menopause.com website when it is released.

Dr Rupy Aujla was in his mid-20s and beginning his career as a doctor when heart problems caused him to re-evaluate what he thought he knew about health, nutrition and medicine. Having previously rejected his parents’ influences of traditional Indian medicine, Dr Rupy began delving deeper into some of those concepts and the science of nutrition that he wasn’t taught at medical school.

In this episode, he talks to Dr Louise Newson about the principles of healthy eating, how a busy lifestyle and your environment often make it challenging to find and choose healthy, affordable foods, and the experts share their concerns around childhood obesity, anxiety around food, and the particular metabolic changes faced by those going through peri/menopause due to a lack of estrogen.

Dr Rupy’s 3 tips for improving your nutrition:

1. Start with making a small change to your diet by adding just one more fruit, vegetable, nut or seed, at every meal if possible.
2. Have a back-up healthy meal that’s easy to prepare, or stored in the freezer, for those times when you are tired and lacking motivation.
3. Try to reflect what foods you really like but find a healthier version of it. For example, if you love pasta, add 3 different vegetables to any pasta recipe.

For details about Dr Rupy’s app, his books and recipe ideas, visit thedoctorskitchen.com

Kate Muir returns to the podcast to discuss her ground-breaking new book on the menopause, which she describes as the most difficult and complex subject she has investigated to date. Dr Louise Newson speaks to Kate about the shoddy science and lies that women have been told over the years and what Kate has learnt about past and current research from speaking to over 100 experts, and the real life impact on women from the conversations she has every week.

In this episode, discussion also turns to the ‘Davina effect’, referring to the impact of Kate’s Channel 4 documentary that was aired in May 2021, presented by Davina McCall, and has been a game-changer in raising the social and medical profile of menopause within primary care and in helping to inform and empower women to seek help.

Kate’s 3 wishes over the next 3 years:

1. A symptom list to be given out at your local GP practice
2. Good quality research into body identical estrogen and micronised progesterone
3. Research happening in the UK into Alzheimer’s and the role of estrogen and testosterone in women’s brains

Kate’s new book is titled ‘Everything you need to know about the menopause (but were too afraid to ask)’ and is published by Gallery UK. A second documentary about the menopause with Davina McCall will be released in May 2022.

Journalist and presenter, Mariella Frostrup, joins Dr Louise Newson for an energetic discussion and a whistle-stop tour through current insights and reflections on the way society approaches the menopause. Mariella talks about why she is ‘still banging on’ about the menopause, why you needn’t be afraid of HRT, and why it’s time to stop the silence and shame that surround it.

In 2018, Mariella presented one of the first documentaries on the menopause and broke the taboo of celebrities speaking honestly about their own experiences. Mariella’s recent book, ‘Cracking the Menopause: While Keeping Yourself Together’, separates the myths from the reality and offers expertise, hope and advice for all affected by the peri/menopause.

Mariella’s 4 hopes to improve the experience of menopausal women:

1. Knowledge is our armour; we each need be more informed individually so we can combat the myths and ignorance we will be faced with.
2. We need a trained menopause professional in every GP practice in the land and an invitation from the NHS for every woman to come for an appointment before the average onset of perimenopause, to let her know what will happen and how she can get help.
3. There should be menopause groups everywhere, so everyone can find support and we should all educate our daughters about it.
4. We need to ensure women are supported in the workplace so they can remain the valuable and experienced team members that they are.

Find out more about Mariella’s work at www.mariellafrostrup.co.uk

‘Cracking the Menopause: While Keeping Yourself Together’ is published by Bluebird.

Popular online personal trainer, James Smith, admits he only read Dr Louise Newson’s most recent book to check out the literary competition when their new books were released back-to-back. He bought a copy and read it on holiday and while he may have got some funny looks for his poolside choice of reading, James discovered many new insights about the perimenopause and menopause that he knew would really help his female clients in their quest to reach fitness and weight loss goals.

Louise and James discuss the common pitfalls many people go through when trying to exercise, perhaps out of obligation or to lose some of that midlife spread around the middle, and they warn against the plethora of misinformation on the internet about nutrition and training.

James’s 3 exercise tips for you:

1.  Ask yourself ‘how much do you want to train on a daily basis out of 10?’ If your answer is below a 5, don’t train but ask yourself ‘why?’ and tackle those things first, whether it be stress, lack of sleep or nutrition. Understand why you’re not motivated and fix that first.
2.   If you want to lose fat and/or manage your calorie intake, figure out your daily allowance and x7 for the week. You can overconsume on the weekend if you wish, but then divide what’s left by 5 for the days in the week and you’ll be surprised by how low it is. You will get a clear picture of how much you’re overeating on the weekend and it may make you think again about patterns of over-restricting then binging.
3.   Pick any exercise that you like and find rewarding, there isn’t a hierarchy of the ‘best’ ones, you have to enjoy it and want to do it.

For help with a personalised exercise programme and meal plans, check out James’ website at www.jamessmithacademy.com

James’ bestselling books, ‘Not a Diet Book’ and ‘Not a Life Coach’ are published by Harper Collins.

Dr Rebecca Lewis, Clinical Director at Newson Health, returns to the podcast for the first episode of 2022 to discuss the perimenopause with Dr Louise Newson. The experts explain what the term means, what’s happening to your hormones during this phase, and how it can be diagnosed. Rebecca offers practical advice on how to speak to your healthcare professional to convey the range of related perimenopausal symptoms and raise the issue of hormones.

Find out what your increased health risks are when your hormones change and what you can do to mitigate these risks. The perimenopause is discussed as an opportunity to take stock and consider introducing some small changes to your lifestyle that will improve both your physical and mental health.

Rebecca’s 3 top tips if you think you might be perimenopausal:

1. Take control and think about balancing your hormones and protecting your future health
2. Get a diagnosis earlier rather than later, download the free balance menopause support app and start tracking your periods and symptoms
3. Consider HRT to help your symptoms and feel better, and then you can look at making changes to your lifestyle that will benefit your future health and wellbeing.

Pharmacist, Jonathan Underhill is a consultant clinical advisor for the Medicines Optimisations team at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). His work is focussed on evidence-based medicine but, as he explains, this is more than simply telling people what to do. One of the particular focuses of Jonathan’s work is the process known as ‘shared decision making’ between the clinician and the patient and he’s interested in how you involve a person in choices and decisions about their own healthcare.

Jonathan outlines some of the reasons NICE was originally set up – to reduce uncertainty and variation in prescribing – and with Louise, he evaluates whether this has been the outcome 6 years down the line, after the release of the NICE guidelines on menopause diagnosis and management.

Jonathan’s tips for shared decision making as a patient:

1. It’s OK to ask questions.
2. If you need it, take someone with you that you trust who can listen and advocate for you

And for healthcare professionals:

3. David Haslam’s (former Chair of NICE) consultation skills advice for doctors were basically ‘shut up and listen, show empathy, and know something’. If you can do these 4 things well it will make a big difference
4. Practice your conversation skills as a clinician. You can learn to communicate better with your patients.

The NICE guidelines on menopause can be read in full here and more about shared decision making can be found here.

If you are a healthcare professional, the following link offers 4 hours of free online learning in shared decision making from NICE and Keele University:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng197/resources/shared-decision-making-learning-package-9142488109

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Lucy Chatwin, who is responsible for the not-for-profit organisation, Newson Health Research and Education. Lucy has had a portfolio career that has taken her through environmental science and operations, through human resources and management into health, in particular service improvement and transformation roles in the NHS. Her last role in the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network focussed on supporting the adoption of innovation into health services to improve health outcomes for people. Lucy is perfectly placed to bring together the often diverse worlds of industry, academia, and clinical organisations to drive improvements that will make a real difference to the lives of people in the perimenopause and menopause and those around them.

Lucy discusses the range of opportunities for innovation in menopause research, education and management and encourages those working in health and academia to ‘think hormones’ as an integral part of their practice. A key catalyst for this is the soon-to-be launched Newson Health Menopause Society that Lucy is leading on. The society will provide a global arena for integrating and energising research, driving education and upskilling professionals working in the field of menopause care.

Lucy’s tip for women is make time for yourself to unpick what is going on if you think you may be perimenopausal, don’t just assume it’s down to other things. Download the balance app at www.balance-menopause.com to help understand your hormones, the impact they’re having on you and how to get help for your symptoms.

Lucy’s tips for healthcare professionals:

1. Connect with other interested experts outside of your specialty, this is often the best way to expand your thinking
2. Make your mantra, ‘could it be hormones?’ If you treat women, don’t underestimate the influence of changing hormones in so many health conditions and presentations.

Register your interest in joining the Newson Health Menopause Society at www.nhmenopausesociety.org and follow them on Twitter at @NHMenoSociety or LinkedIn at Newson Health Menopause Society.

Dr Richard Hull teaches philosophy at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Due to a coming together of work life and home life in lockdown and his wife’s experience, Richard began thinking and writing about the menopause from an ethical and philosophical perspective. As an issue under our noses all the time, he was astounded that more isn’t written about it, and he queries the lack of ethical concern for women regarding this time of life and the impact on those around them.

Richard discusses with Dr Louise Newson the importance of raising awareness of perimenopause and menopause, sharing accurate information, training healthcare professionals and empowering women with the right knowledge to recognise what is happening to them and to get the help they need through treatment.

Richard’s 3 hopes for change:

1. Personal and public awareness of the impact of the menopause is crucial
2. For everyone to have the confidence to seek support in all its forms and find out about HRT
3. Talk more and spread awareness and knowledge with others. The more people are aware, the less it can be ignored.

You can read Richard’s article on the menopause here. Richard’s wife, Jaany, has written about her experience here.

Gaele Lalahy had a successful career in consumer electronics as Board Member and Head of Brand Communications & Olympic marketing at Panasonic. Having been with the same company for two decades, Gaele became fearful of not having tried a different career, so she decided to take the leap and leave her job without a plan in place. When the opportunity came up to run Dr Louise Newson’s balance menopause support app, it didn’t immediately grab Gaele’s interest because, as she admits, she knew nothing about the menopause or the scale of the problem facing women.

After doing her own research and realising hundreds of thousands of women were suffering and struggling to get treatment, Gaele came on board as the Chief Operating Officer for balance at the start of 2021. Since then, the app has grown ten-fold and is really helping to change the narrative around perimenopause and menopause and empower women with the information they need to get help from their local GP practices. Gaele shares some of the remarkable statistics that show how the app helps women get a diagnosis and treatment more efficiently, and she discusses plans for the app’s future that will make even more of a difference to people’s lives.

Gaele’s 3 reasons to use the balance app:

1. The balance app is a safe space to share and get support from like-minded people who also going through the peri/menopause.
2. All the information on the app is very easy to digest, all medically approved and based on the latest evidence.
3. Come to the app to figure out what is going on with your body and mind and join the dots. You will learn more about the many changes you may be experiencing and can then use this insight in discussions with your doctor to get a diagnosis and treatment.

Find out more information about the balance app on the balance-menopause.com website here.

Read about balance for healthcare professionals (HPs) or share with your HP on their website here.

Look out for balance+ coming in early 2022!

You can follow the balance app on their social platforms at:

Facebook @balanceMenopause

Instagram @balancemenopause

Twitter @balanceMeno

LinkedIn @balance-app

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by a long-time friend, retired consultant urologist, Steve Payne. Together they discuss Steve and his wife Jan’s experience of her breast cancer and subsequent treatment that led to estrogen depletion. Steve describes the decision-making process they went through as a couple when Jan’s quality of life deteriorated due to severe urine and kidney infections, as well as other symptoms relating to a lack of estrogen.

The experts talk about how some people’s experience in cancer care clinics can fall short of patients and their partners being given full and balanced information into how cancer treatments will affect your hormones and what this potentially means for your quality of life. Steve shares his honest reflections and insights about cancer care clinics and offers invaluable advice for those navigating these complex and confusing decisions at such a difficult time.

Steve’s advice for making decisions about cancer treatments:

1. Ask what the benefits, and especially the downsides, of the treatment are. It is key that you understand all the pros and cons of a treatment being recommended to you.
2. If it’s treatment for cancer, ask about the pure cancer survival rates – once deaths from other causes have been removed from the data – to make sure you know the actual level of survival benefit that the suggested treatment offers.
3. If you’re having side effects from breast cancer treatment due to a lack of estrogen, have a discussion about the pros and cons of taking HRT, for your particular type of cancer. Ask how taking HRT could improve your daily life and wellbeing and what benefits HRT offers for bone and heart health in the future. Ask how would taking HRT affect your pure cancer survival rate.

Steve has written more about his and Jan’s experience and offers practical advice here, along with a new factsheet about making informed decisions during cancer care.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson explains about an exciting new appointment for Newson Health and introduces Alistair Darby as the new CEO. Coming from a hospitality background, Alistair explains what led him to apply for the role of CEO of a menopause healthcare company, and he shares how his awareness of menopause increased after he witnessed the devastating impact on his wife 5 years ago.

Alastair and Louise discuss the problem of the menopause in the workplace and the resulting gap of female talent at the top. They talk through their joint mission to normalise getting treatment for the perimenopause and menopause and speculate on what a difference this would make to relationships, the workplace, healthcare and society.

Through his role, Alistair hopes to:

1. Get men to wake up and smell the (menopause infused) coffee! This is a huge gender inequality issue.
2. Work together to scale up what we do and give more women access to treatment and HRT than is currently the case. This will have a transformative effect on many more lives.
3. Help women to feel fitter, and more energetic as they grow older, so they can continue to make an amazing contribution – for them, their families, society and the economy.

Professor Isaac Manyonda is back by popular demand to discuss perhaps the most important issue for women considering and taking HRT; what is the risk of breast cancer if I take HRT? Professor Manyonda expertly takes the listeners through the different issues, one by one, including comparing the level of risks of breast cancer from HRT with lifestyle factors such as weight and alcohol intake. He outlines the risks according to different types of estrogen and progesterone, and explains the difference between estrogen receptor positive and negative breast cancers.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to be able understand – and clearly explain to others – the evidence-based picture around breast cancer and HRT, for both healthcare professionals and anyone interested in the topic.

Prof. Manyonda’s 3 take-home messages:

1. The strong evidence shows that estrogen does not increase the risk of breast cancer and it could even have a protective effect.
2. If you take estrogen and develop breast cancer you have a lower risk of dying from the cancer than women not taking estrogen.
3. The benefits of HRT extend way beyond the improvement of your symptoms and include protection of the cardiovascular system, your bone health, your immune system, and potentially prevention of dementia.

Menopause specialist, Dr Sarah Ball, makes a record 4th appearance on the Dr Louise Newson podcast this week, to talk about an important group of women that often feel marginalised when it comes to menopause care and treatment. One in seven women will experience breast cancer, and many more of us have a close relative who has had breast cancer. Thankfully, thousands more women are living longer after breast cancer, but this often means living with the menopause and symptoms of a lack of hormones.

The experts discuss the risk factors of developing breast cancer and the complexities of the association between hormones and breast cancer. Dr Sarah Ball has researched the experiences of menopausal women having breast cancer treatment and her findings reveal women are having to endure menopausal symptoms for an average of 7 years before seeking, or being given, help and treatment, and sadly, only 10% of the women surveyed felt they were involved in decisions about their care.

Dr Ball and Dr Newson are both passionate about helping women after breast cancer and believe it is essential that these women are listened to, that healthcare professionals discuss in full the treatment options for their menopausal symptoms, and that women feel empowered to make a decision that’s right for them, at that time, being aware of all the relevant information.

Sarah’s 3 tips for women after breast cancer:

1. Don’t feel guilty for how you feel about your menopause, you’re not complaining, or moaning or being ‘weak’. It’s really important that your symptoms are addressed. You are your whole body, not just your breasts. Don’t lose sight of the health of your heart, your bones, your skin, your sex life, your mental health and brainpower – these are important too.
2. Symptoms relating to your vagina, vulva and urinary function are treatable by using vaginal estrogen. This is safe to use after breast cancer and is not absorbed by the whole body in the same way as HRT. You can tackle these symptoms successfully, even if you feel you do not want to take HRT.
3. Understand you do have a choice. Guidelines recommend you should be listened to and have a say in decisions about treatments. Tell your healthcare professionals what is most important to you in terms of living your life, treating your menopausal symptoms, and managing the risk of cancer returning.

Follow Dr Sarah Ball on Instagram @drsarahmollyball and Twitter @sarahball14

Making decisions around your cancer treatment and menopause is often a complicated and overwhelming process. There is a new factsheet on balance website about making informed decisions about cancer treatments here, and a personal story written by the partner of a woman having worsening menopause symptoms after breast cancer treatment here.

Dr Nneka Nwokolo and Dr Martina Toby are both consultant physicians in sexual health and HIV medicine, and together they have joined forces to help educate and advocate for women of colour experiencing perimenopause and menopause.

In this episode, the experts share what prompted them to set up the ‘Shades of Menopause’ Instagram group and the benefits of using social media to support women of colour. Together with Dr Louise Newson, they discuss some of the socioeconomic and cultural factors, as well as gender inequalities that affect a woman’s experience of healthcare, and the unfortunate lack of research around use of HRT in women of colour.

Nneka and Martina’s three tips to women of colour:

1. Do your own research and ask other women about their experience
2. See your GP for help. Ask who is the best person to see at your practice. Go equipped with knowledge already, and you will get a much better outcome.
3. You are not alone, millions of women like you are going through it. If you feel you can’t speak up, find a friend who is willing to do it for you. Your voice matters and needs to be heard.

Follow the podcast guests on Instagram @shadesofmenopause

Carolyn Harris MP left school at 16, had two children at a young age and worked as a barmaid. Her young son, Martin, was tragically killed in a road accident in 1989 and this changed her life forever. She sank into a black hole for the next few years but turned things around when at 34 she became the first person in her family to go to university. Carolyn never dreamt that 20 years later she would be the MP for her community, Swansea East, and although she continues to experience imposter syndrome regularly, once she has decided to fight for change, she does not give up.

Carolyn has campaigned on topics such as child funerals and gambling. She did not realise her collection of health problems were related to the menopause at first, but when she joined the dots and learnt more about the effects of the menopause, especially in the workplace, she set up an All Party Parliamentary Group on menopause and was successful in changing the law in Wales in removing the prescription fee for HRT.

Carolyn’s advice to women:

1. Be part of the menopause revolution. Find us on social media, there’s a template letter on the APPG website so you can write to your local MP, and contact my office or on Twitter if you’d like to get involved. Join us in London in Parliament Square for the Menopause Support Bill on the 29th
2. Dreams can come true. Don’t think you can’t achieve something. You are brilliant and strong. You can be what you want to be, you just need to be brave.
3. We are using our platforms to call for change, but you can go into your place of work, talk about your own experience, ask others about theirs, say ‘do you think this could be the menopause?’

Carolyn Harris MP details:

Website: www.carolynharris.org.uk

Twitter  @carolynharris24 and @AppgMenopause

Email: carolyn.harris.mp@parliament.uk

Maggie Honey was diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome, which can be described as having ‘sticky’ blood that is prone to clotting. When she was 46 and a busy mum of triplets, Maggie began having insomnia, recurrent UTIs and dry eyes, skin and mouth. It wasn’t until her periods had stopped for a year and she felt dreadful all the time that she realised many of her symptoms might be related to menopause. When she sought help, she was given more diagnoses related to her blood condition but no help for her symptoms. Her blood disorder consultant at the time told her, ‘whatever you do, don’t go on HRT’. This was due to the inaccurate belief that all HRT holds a risk of clot.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson talks through all the issues that Maggie’s story illustrates, including explaining why HRT is usually safe for people at risk of clot, when estrogen is given through the skin via a patch, gel or spray. They discuss how beneficial HRT can be for your quality of life, and what lifestyle factors do actually raise your risk of getting a clot.

Maggie’s 3 menopause tips for people at risk of clot:

1. Listen to your own body, keep a symptom diary like the one on balance app. Trust your own instincts and don’t be fobbed off.
2. Find a menopause specialist as well as a sympathetic blood specialist doctor (haematologist). Encourage communication between your different doctors, including your GP.
3. Share information with friends, family and colleagues. The more we talk about it, the more help we can give to one another.

Read more about Maggie’s story here and for more information, read our booklet on Menopause and Clots.

Thrombosis UK is the charity mentioned in this episode for people at risk of, or living with, thrombosis (clots) and the website is www.thrombosisuk.org

In this special episode, released on World Menopause Day 2021, Dr Louise Newson talks to two women about their own experiences of menopause. Melanie is a midwife from Birmingham who talks about her ongoing challenges of coping with menopausal symptoms, getting the right support at work, and finding a treatment that works for her. Grace is in her 50s and went through an early menopause in her late 30s. She struggled over the years to be listened to by healthcare professionals and have her needs understood as a gay woman. After watching the documentary with Davina McCall, Grace felt empowered to push for the help she knew she needed.

Melanie and Grace’s conversation with Louise aptly illustrates what World Menopause Day is all about – raising awareness about the effects of menopause on women’s health and wellbeing globally, and elevating voices of those going through the menopause from all cultural backgrounds and sexual orientation. As Louise says, we cannot fully celebrate World Menopause Day until all women, all over the world are able to get the help and support they need.

Grace and Melanie’s top reasons for speaking out for WMD:

1. Educating others about the effects of the menopause is so important.
2. Women need support and to know they are not alone – it’s not that something’s wrong with them.
3. Get ready for the menopause, it’s inevitable, embrace it, and be empowered to deal with it when the time comes.
4. Regardless of your colour, religion, or sexual orientation, come together and support one another.

Healthy Eating Doctor, Dr Harriet Holme, joins Dr Louise Newson on the podcast couch this week to discuss the importance of nutrition for reducing long term risk of disease and improving your future health.

Before becoming a registered nutritionist, Harriet worked for ten years as a doctor before her interest grew in the link between what we eat and our health. She is passionate about sharing evidence-based knowledge to help people understand more about their own diets and health, and offers nutritional consultancy as well as lecturing on culinary science and nutrition.

Harriet’s four key ingredients for eating in the peri/menopause:

1. Calcium is key, try and get it from your diet as much as possible.
2. Balance your diet with a wide variety of wholegrains (brown bread and brown pasta, for example) fermented food (such as kimchi or kefir), lots of fruit and vegetables, and avoid sweeteners and fizzy drinks.
3. Top up your omega 3 by eating 2 portions of oily fish a week.
4. And last but not least, vitamin D. Take this one as a supplement especially in autumn and winter in the UK. If you’re vegan, also take a B12 supplement, but otherwise it’s always best to get nutrients from your diet rather than relying on supplements.

Listen to Harriet on her own podcast, ‘Eating for Health’ or visit her website: healthyeatingdr.com

Find Harriet on social media at:

Facebook = @healthyeatingdrcom

Twitter = @healthyeatingdr

Instagram = @healtheatingdr

Dr Zoe Hodson returns to the podcast this week to talk to Dr Louise Newson about the hormone testosterone. Zoe is a GP and senior doctor at Newson Health, and together they discuss the impact of low testosterone on your daily life, why it can be difficult to get hold of, and gender inequalities in healthcare provision when it comes to this particular hormone.

Zoe is on a personal mission to ask every local health commissioning group if their clinicians can prescribe testosterone and, if not, why not? Change is happening slowly within primary care and Zoe and Louise are committed to continue to push for testosterone to be regarded as an integral part of menopause care at a free, local level for all.

Zoe’s 3 asks for change:

1. We need to normalise testosterone in women, so please keep talking about it. If you take it already, tell people, and tell your healthcare professionals about the difference it makes to you.
2. Keep alerting your GP practice to the ‘Confidence in Menopause’ course on fourteenfish.com. It is now free for all healthcare professionals across the globe.
3. If you’re going to a menopause clinic and they haven’t mentioned testosterone, ask them about it.

Zoe would like to thank all her followers on social media for their wonderful support and encouragement to keep speaking up for women and trying to bring about change for good. You can follow Zoe on Instagram @manchestermenopausehive

Rachel was a very active 45-year-old, who loved the outdoors and her job as a specialist teacher when her fit and healthy body began suffering with one problem after another. Joint problems and crushing fatigue curtailed her hobbies of hiking, climbing and cycling. The following months saw her list of unexplained symptoms grow and grow from being in constant pain, migraines, and gum problems, to palpitations, dry mouth and eyes, anxiety and electric shock sensations. Within 2 years, she describes herself as ‘just a shell who couldn’t leave the house’, she had given up her job, and living with this version of Rachel had a huge impact on her husband and son. After multiple trips to the GP and blood tests, she was given a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

In this episode, Rachel tells her story to Dr Louise Newson and takes listeners through her journey, including self-diagnosis and battles to get the help she knew she needed. After beginning on estrogen replacement and seeing some mild improvements but still experiencing severe fatigue, she learnt about testosterone and its importance for energy and stamina. Now, 6 months after starting on testosterone, Rachel describes the improvement as ‘life-changing’. She feels a fully functioning human again, is able to work part time, and even manage a 5 mile walk.

Dr Newson explains what testosterone does, why we need it, and why it can be so hard to get hold of the hormone at your local GP practice. Louise reassures listeners that she is working hard with NHS England on this very matter and is hopeful that change will come.

Both Louise and Rachel agree that testosterone should not be described as the ‘icing’ on the HRT cake but a crucial ingredient of the cake itself.

Rachel’s top 3 tips:

1. Remember GPs aren’t trained in peri/menopause, so go armed with useful information and the NICE guidelines to help you have a factual conversation.
2. Don’t give up trying to get the help you need.
3. Be kind to yourself and listen to your body.

Note: Rachel had to see a menopause specialist to get her initial prescriptions for testosterone. After lots of persevering on her part, it has now been agreed to be prescribed via her usual NHS GP.

In this unique episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to her husband, who is a consultant urologist, about the lack of menopause training among medical professionals, the importance of urologists understanding the consequences of the menopause on urinary function and the benefits of HRT and vaginal estrogen.  

Paul Anderson explains some of his fascinating work as a highly specialist reconstructive surgeon, and together they discuss the rewarding aspects of each of their careers in transforming the quality of lives of men and women through surgery and menopause care respectively.

If you’ve ever wondered about what kind of man is married to Dr Louise Newson, this is the episode for you!

Paul’s 3 reasons why urologists should know about the menopause and HRT:

1. Simply because it will affect 50% of the population
2. Urologists need to know about conditions associated with Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause so they can adequately treat the urinary tract infections that they will encounter frequently in postmenopausal women.
3. We need to start recommending HRT to women as part of general health advice, just like you would suggest someone lose weight if it was impacting on their health. We should explain that the health risks of HRT have been overstated, and the benefits greatly outweigh the risks for the vast majority.

Professor Isaac Manyonda, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George's Hospital in London, makes a welcome return to the podcast to discuss the important hormone, testosterone, with Dr Louise Newson. 

The experts discuss why awareness of testosterone in women is usually overshadowed by estrogen and they describe what type of symptoms can be greatly improved by replacing testosterone, as well as the different preparations available, licensing issues and challenges of accessing the medication on the NHS.  

Isaac’s top 3 tips if you’re considering testosterone: 

1. Understand that testosterone isn’t just a male hormone, it is a key female hormone, and tell your doctor this if they are unaware! 
2. Be clear (with your doctor) about what symptoms testosterone can help specifically that estrogen alone may not fully alleviate, such as brain fog, sleep disturbances, lack of energy, and low libido. 
3. If your usual doctor will not prescribe testosterone for you, look into what other NHS clinics in your region will, it can take a bit of finding out how to receive it. It should be something you can access via the NHS, but change is slow.

Dr Katy Munro was a GP partner in a Hertfordshire practice for many years and developed migraine in her 40s, around the time of her own perimenopause. This led to an interest in migraine and her involvement with the National Migraine Centre, first as a patient and then as a doctor. 

Katy now works as a GP Headache Specialist at the National Migraine Centre, a charity that raises awareness on migraine, shares information and advises how to manage it. In this podcast episode, she chats to Louise about what migraine is, dispels myths, and explains why migraine is not just simply a ‘bad headache’. The experts discuss the role of estrogen in migraine, other possible triggers, and ways to help minimise the onset, severity and frequency of migraine. This hugely useful conversation is a must-listen if you or a loved one experiences migraine. 

Katy has recently written a book on migraine, ‘Managing Your Migraine’, and it is available to buy now. 

Katy's 3 reasons to buy her book: 

1. Educate yourself on migraine and take control of it. 
2. There is hope, no matter what you’ve already tried there will be something else – you’re not at the end of the line. 
3. Migraine is genetic. Think about not just who you got it from, but who you’ll pass it on to. We need to learn more about how to help children who go on to develop migraine and there’s a chapter on this in my book. 
   
   National Migraine Centre - www.nationalmigrainecentre.org.uk 
   
   ‘Managing Your Migraine’, by Dr Katy Munro, is published by Penguin Life Experts and is out now.  

Dr Louise Newson’s new book, ‘Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause’ is now released by Penguin Life as part of the Penguin Life Experts series. Health journalist, Kat Keogh, worked with Dr Newson to write the book, and in this podcast episode they discuss the importance of creating factual and engaging information about the menopause, not just for women but their partners, children, friends and colleagues. 

Kat Keogh has worked as a health journalist for 15 years and currently writes for a nursing journal. She collaborated with Dr Newson on her first book in 2019, the Haynes Manual on the menopause, and Kat is passionate about writing to not only educate but empower women in their perimenopause and menopause journey. Now that she has all this knowledge from working with Dr Newson, she is better prepared for menopause than her grandmother was, whose only means of coping was to go and shout down a well at the bottom of her garden! 

Kat's 3 reasons to buy Dr Louise Newson’s new book: 

1. For women, it's all about empowerment. Have the knowledge to get the best treatment for you. 
2. For men, it’s a great window into understanding what’s happening in a woman’s life at this stage, whether that is your partner, friend or colleague. 
3. For a teenager, it will be an eye-opener. Teenage hormones and menopausal hormones can be an explosive combination. This book is very easy to read and can be digested in small chunks. 

'Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause' published by Penguin Life, is out now and has reached Amazon's Number 1 Best Seller on its launch day, 26th August.

Journalist, podcaster, and author Lorraine Candy, who is former Editor in Chief of Cosmopolitan, Elle, Sunday Times Style, and Former Parenting Columnist for the Sunday Times Magazine. She co-hosts the chart-topping weekly podcast, ‘Postcards from Midlife’, with fellow journalist Trish Halpin. During lockdown Lorraine, 53, wrote the highly successful book, ‘Mum, What’s Wrong With You? 101 Things Only Mothers of Teenage Girls Know’, a family memoir of hilarious personal anecdotes and guidance from experts on adolescent mental health and parenting as a perimenopausal woman.

From teenage hormones to menopausal hormones, in this podcast episode Lorraine and Louise discuss the importance of educating women about the perimenopause and menopause, and revisit their experiences of battling the media to help bring the taboo topic to normality. Further in, Lorraine and Louise have an honest conversation about raising teenage girls in particular, and offer advice on how to keep your cool while keeping the channels of communication open.

Lorraine’s book is heartily recommended by Louise, a mum of teenage girls herself, and it is available to buy now, published by 4th Estate.

You can find Lorraine Candy on social at:

Instagram - @lorrainecandy

Twitter - @lorrainecandy

Facebook - @sundaytimesLorraine

World renowned Consultant Gynaecologist, Nick Panay, of Hormone Health, shares his past and current interests in hormone related issues such as menopause, pre-menstrual syndrome, progesterone intolerance and Premature Ovarian Insufficiency.

He describes ongoing areas within women’s hormone health where there continues to be huge unmet need and how, through training, he is seeking to overcome this, not just in the UK but globally through his work with the International Menopause Society.

Together, the experts discuss the importance of their roles in empowering women and supporting them to make their own choice about treatments and both agree that as a public health issue, the menopause requires a national approach that focusses on preventative rather than reactive medicine.

Nick’s 3 aims for global menopause care:

1. Women have ease of access to information about the menopause
2. Recommendations on hormone therapy and menopause care need to be updated and made applicable, globally, to all healthcare professionals
3. Receive funding for a definitive study on the best way to treat the menopause for all the benefits and no side effects or risks – that is the holy grail.

Find Nick on social media at:

Twitter - @HormoneHealth92

Facebook - @HormoneHealthClinics

Instagram - @hormonehealthuk

LinkedIn - Nick Panay

Website - https://hormonehealth.co.uk/

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to Arabella Preston, co-founder of Votary skin company, about her background as a make-up artist and what prompted her to start creating cleansing and facial oils from her kitchen table.

Together they discuss how to best care for your skin and how to know what products to buy among the crowded skincare marketplace. Arabella discusses the almost taboo topic of female facial hair and how to deal with it. She also talks openly about recognising her own early signs of perimenopause and what she has learnt about the impact of hormone changes on the skin.

Arabella’s 3 top tips for looking after your skin:

1. Make sure you’re cleansing your skin properly using a non-foaming product and a proper face cloth, every day.
2. The best thing to do for your skin when it comes to anti-aging is to wear a good SPF (suncream) that suits your skin and wear it every day, all year round.
3. Explore active ingredients to help your skin, like retinol and retinoids, they are a vitamin A derivative and great for menopausal skin.

Find out more about Arabella’s cleansing and facial oils or her magic razors at the Votary website www.votary.co.uk

In this inspiring episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to Anita Elawure, a women’s health advocate, who shares her startingly honest experience of Premature Ovarian Insufficiency since she was a teenager. After many years of trying to ignore her situation, she began to look into what it really meant, for her fertility and the impact of living in a postmenopausal state for the rest of her life. 

Anita decided to create a platform for her to share her experiences, in the hope that she and others wouldn't feel so alone, and provide a safe place that offered support and learning from others going through POI. Eighteen months ago, Anita founded Blossom Living with POI and, as her page says, “You have me. I have you. Together we blossom.” 

Anita’s top 3 tips: 

1. If you’re at the start of a journey with POI, find your support system. Get someone you can rely on emotionally, that can come to appointments with you or help you do research, because it’s so important. 
2. If you know someone facing POI, be there for them, tell them you’re here for them and ask what you can do to help. 
3. Sometimes it might feel like you’re going crazy. It’s OK. You’re not going crazy and your feelings are valid. Find ways to express yourself and take one day at a time. Advocate for yourself, understand your treatments, and know what you need to take care of yourself. 

Follow Anita and Blossom Living with POI on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube 

Gordan Lauc is a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Chief Scientific Officer at GlycanAge. In this episode Dr Louise Newson feeds her inner geek and enjoys a fascinating conversation with Gordan as he describes his groundbreaking research into glycan molecules and their role in aging and disease processes. Even though scientist's understanding of the biological importance of glycans is still developing, ‘glycoscience’ has now become a vital field in life and medical sciences.

Aging is the accumulation of damage in your body over time, caused by a long-term over-activation of the immune system. Analysing your body’s glycan molecules is a way of discovering your biological age and helps you know whether your current lifestyle is optimal for good health as you age. It is possible to lower your biological age by changing your diet, exercise, sleep habits and stress levels.

Professor Lauc’s top 3 tips:

1. If you’re interested in finding out more about your biological age and future health, you can get a test from www.glycanage.com that uses a pinprick of your blood and analyses your glycans. You can receive a report that will advise you on healthier changes you might need to make to your habits and lifestyle.
2. Don’t be afraid of finding out more about your future health, it can be a very useful warning signal and potential negative changes to disease processes can be halted and reversed.
3. Nourish your health and take care of it. We were not made to live into our 80s or 90s, so invest in your health and do something about it. Do something today for the good of your health tomorrow.

GlycanAge is giving away a 15% discount to our listeners and donating a further 15% to @themenocharity for every test purchased with the code 'NEWSONHEALTH15'.

You can find Gordan Lauc on social media at:

Twitter: @gordanlauc

LinkedIn: gordanlauc

You can also find GlycanAge on social media at:

Instagram: glycanage

Twitter: glycanage

Website: https://glycanage.com/

Helen is a Functional Imagery Training (FIT) practitioner and weight loss coach who discovered FIT a couple of years ago and has been helping women to achieve lifestyle changes using this effective technique. FIT is a technique that supports behaviour change using mental imagery.

Coming from two decades of research showing that mental imagery is more strongly emotionally charged than other types of thought, FIT gives people a powerful tool to strengthen and sustain motivation to reach goals they value: weight loss, increased physical activity, or better sleep for example, which in turn leads to confidence and increased self-esteem. Women often experience weight gain, lethargy, or low mood around the perimenopause and the menopause which can lead to a negative cycle of poor choices, comfort eating and misery!

Living through the pandemic and associated lockdowns with all the extra stresses it has brought has also made healthy living harder for some. FIT uses mental imagery blended with motivational interviewing (a type of empathetic counselling/coaching) to help clients identify the health and fitness challenges they face now and how they would like to feel in the future. FIT is about mindset change, not a diet technique. It teaches people to imagine in a detailed way what it feels like and looks like to achieve their ideal selves and how that will benefit their health, and also benefit the people closest to them. FIT enables people to imagine in detail the steps they have chosen to reach their ideal selves. 

Helen's 3 take-home tips: 

1. Don’t see change in a negative way. We tend to focus on the things we have to give up when thinking about changes we need to make to lose weight, get fitter, have a more balanced sleep, work, or play routine. But if we can look more at the positive benefits to come out of changes to our lifestyle and plan manageable steps that don’t feel like we are denying ourselves everything we enjoy, the changes will be positive and enjoyable. 
2. Weight gain, along with symptoms of the perimenopause and menopause such as poor sleep, brain fog, or lethargy often leave women feeling depressed and self-critical. We can sometimes feel we have little control over the changes and beat ourselves up over what we may perceive as 'letting ourselves go'. Don’t beat yourself up, acknowledge that it can be a difficult time and it is not a weakness of character or an inevitable slippery slope. Talk to someone, a friend, an expert, a FIT practitioner or coach. You are not alone!
3. Prioritise yourself. In the words of RuPaul, ‘if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you going to love someone else!’ We are used to putting family and others first and sometimes forget (or just don’t consider) our own needs. Try to put some time into your day when you just focus on yourself, take a walk, read a book, listen to music, but above all take a moment to ask yourself, ‘am I looking after myself? What do I need? How do I feel and how do I want to feel?’ After all, no one else can look after you as well as you can look after you.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Professor James Simon as they take a deeper look at our bones and discuss osteoporosis: what happens to your bone strength during the menopause, what are the risk factors for developing osteoporosis and what we can all do to try and prevent it. 

Professor Simon's 3 top tips for keeping your bones strong and healthy are: 

1. Have adequate calcium from your diet and if you're lactose intolerant (or vegan) you may need to take calcium supplements spread throughout the day. 
2. Take good care of your skin by using sun block and a hat, but try and get the vitamin D you need through time in the sun and from fortified foods. 
3. Do regular weight-bearing exercise that impacts through your bones as you hold your own body weight during the activity. 

If you have a male partner, this episode is definitely one for them too. Dr Jeff Foster is a GP and Men's Health specialist who shares an interest with Dr Newson in hormones and the effects of them - or lack of them - on our lives and future health.

Together they discuss what makes up the specialities of Men's Health and Women's Health, and explain why seeing the bigger picture - one that looks at the whole person - is crucial to understanding and treating hormone deficiencies. Dr Foster discusses testosterone in men and how symptoms of low testosterone can mirror some menopausal symptoms. They discuss the benefits of testosterone on wider aspects of health, and caution is shared about the worrying popularity in some young men to use steroids and newer unregulated drugs such as SARMs.

Dr Foster's advice to women is to look at the men in your life and see if they're struggling with similar symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, or low libido, and give them a nudge to speak to their doctor.

Dr Foster's 3 tips for men are:

1. If you think you may have low testosterone, fill in the Adam Score which is 10 simple questions that indicate whether this might be a problem. Fill in the Adam Score here.
2. Go and speak to your doctor if you are showing symptoms of low testosterone, don't be tempted to book a testosterone test yourself online.
3. If your test results come back normal but you continue to have symptoms, try and see a Men's Health specialist doctor for further investigation and discussion.

Dr Foster's website is www.drjefffoster.co.uk and you can follow him on social media:

Instagram @drjefffoster

Twitter @doctor_jef

The British Society of Sexual Medicine has some useful guidance for healthcare professionals on managing testosterone deficiency, read this here.

Emily Fisher had always known her mother experienced an early menopause and was wary the same could happen to her. When she went to the doctors with her concerns, she was merely given the advice to 'have children young', but she wasn't ready to take this step in her early 20s and decided to look into her fertility options. Investigations did indeed confirm her fears and with the help of a fertility specialist with an interest in POI, she was able to become pregnant. 

After having twins, Emily suffered with multiple symptoms that could have been explained away as related to post-pregnancy hormones, but she knew there was more to it. Specialists offered conflicting advice on how best to manage her very low mood, brain fog and hot flushes. With the help of a POI specialist, Emily had to advocate for herself to get the right type and dose of HRT, and she's now becoming more confident to talk to family and friends about what she has gone through and about the treatment she takes. 

 Emily's tips for young women who may have POI: 

1. Find out your family history, ask your mother, aunties, cousins, grandmothers what age they were when they started menopause. If any of them had it when young, try and speak to a healthcare professional about it. If you're having any trouble getting pregnant, act early and if you can afford it, see a fertility specialist that specialises in POI. 

2. Do not give up! If you think something's not right, see another doctor if you have to, or a nurse specialist.  

3. Talk to you partner, tell your friends and family. Don't be embarrassed, we need more women to speak about this. Doing this will help you feel less alone.

You can follow Emily on Instagram at @motheringandthemenopause 

Back for a second time on the podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by yoga teacher, Claudia Brown who runs workshops at Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre.  Claudia is an Om Yoga magazine columnist and runs classes, workshops and retreats in Cheshire and the West Midlands. She is currently launching, ‘The Ultimate Wellness Experience – Mindfulness and Menopause.’  She also works with professional footballers, teaching yoga at a number of football clubs!  Together, Dr Newson and Claudia discuss mindfulness, what it is and what it isn’t, why compassion and embodied cognition are so important during your menopause journey, and they discover that Louise is actually an advanced mindfulness practitioner! 
 

Claudia’s 3 Top Tips for your mindfulness practice are as follows, 

1. STOP.  Build time into your day / schedule to stop, breathe, move, and treat it like you would treat an important meeting. 
2. Make an event of it!  When you have decided what works for you (for eg, a mindful shower or a mindful walk) really make an event of it and take in all 5 senses, sound, sight, taste, touch and smell) 
3. BE KIND TO YOURSELF!  Tame that Inner Critic and remember, you can have awareness but without compassion it isn’t mindfulness. 

1. Greater recognition of the impact of perimenopause and menopause on women's lives
2. More education for women and healthcare professionals alike
3. Better support for women and professionals working with menopausal women.

This episode features a very open and honest account from GP and Newson Health doctor, Melanie Martins. Mel was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34 and, after a further diagnosis and chemotherapy, found herself 'flung' into the menopause with very little warning or discussion with the health professionals caring for her at the time. 

Dr Martins shares with Dr Louise Newson why she believes every woman's experience of breast cancer is unique to them and a 'one size fits all' approach must be avoided. She shares about her own quest for help with persistent and worsening genitourinary symptoms and the psychological process of navigating evidence and making a decision to take vaginal estrogen, when she had avoided contact with this hormone for years. 

Dr Martin's 3 pieces of advice for women experiencing menopause after breast cancer are: 

• Read this booklet and listen to the podcasts on menopause doctor website: https://d2931px9t312xa.cloudfront.net/menopausedoctor/files/information/601/Been%20through%20breast%20cancer%20(with%20links).pdf

• If you're troubled by vulval and vaginal symptoms, stop using soap or shower gel and use an emollient wash instead. You can buy this over the counter in any chemist. These symptoms tend to worsen over time, don't struggle on and get desperate, seek help for them. Vaginal estrogen is safe, it can be used in the long term, alongside HRT, or on it's own. 

• Find accurate information about menopause and treatments after breast cancer. And then make a decision that's right for you and you alone. You need to be at peace with that decision, and remember it's not set in stone forever. We can only make decisions based on the information we have and how we feel at the time, so don't look back with regret about what you did or didn't decide to do. 

1. Go and see your doctor if you're suffering. Tell them you need to know more about your treatment options and get advice. Ask them to discuss HRT with you rather than it being quickly dismissed.

2. Not sleeping is a serious lifestyle and medical issue. Don't put up with it, the long-term effects on your health from a lack of sleep are considerable.

3. Going through the menopause and being an older woman can be great. You can be more confident, you receive less unwanted attention from men, you don't have to worry about getting pregnant, there are so many upsides. Don't accept the consequences of menopause when you can have another 20, 30, or even 40 years of a great life ahead of you.

Newson Health celebrates its 100th podcast episode with the Clinical Director of Newson Health, Dr Rebecca Lewis. When Dr Louise Newson began these podcasts with the aim of reaching more women, she didn’t envisage doing more than 10 episodes, let alone 100! 

In this emotional episode, Dr Lewis and Dr Newson reflect on their joint menopause mission to help women globally with the perimenopause and menopause, as they talk about how their worlds have dramatically changed from being GPs within the NHS, to owning and running the largest menopause clinic in the world. 

Their joint aims for the next decade:

1. See more women getting the right treatment for their menopause. Currently, only 14% of women in the UK take HRT despite it holding benefits for many more women. The Newson Health doctors would like to see 60 - 70% of women receive this safe and effective treatment.

2. Continue to raise the profile of perimenopause and menopause, not only medically but in society - especially in the workplace.

3. Raise the profile of menopause globally; many countries don't have a word for it let alone access to treatment.

Journalist and menopause activist, Kate Muir joins Dr Louise Newson in this podcast episode to discuss Kate's experience of her own menopause journey and what propelled her to make the Channel 4 documentary, Sex, Myths and Menopause.

Kate shares how she struggled to find the right information about her symptoms and HRT, and after an unsuccessful spell taking compounded bioidentical hormones, she was shocked to realise how little advice was out there and how limited healthcare professionals' knowledge is of up-to-date treatments. Kate thought if she, as an educated woman with an enquiring mind was fumbling in the dark, how much harder is it for other women from all walks of life to get the right menopause care and treatment?

Kate's 3 messages for listeners:

1. Body identical HRT saves your life, it saves your work, it saves your relationships, it makes your body work. It's fantastic.
   
   
2. The research on the long-term benefits of HRT is fascinating. If you're in a family with a history of osteoporosis, heart disease, or dementia, I would be paying very close attention to the evidence on the benefits of taking body identical HRT for your future health.
   
   
3. Tell your story. Every woman has a unique story to tell of their perimenopause or menopause. We need to talk about it more and more.

Davina McCall makes a welcomed return appearance to the Newson Health podcast to discuss what she has learnt from making Channel 4's taboo-smashing documentary, 'Sex, Myths and Menopause'. Dr Newson and Davina discuss a broad range of topics such as the role of estrogen in our bodies, types of HRT, the huge need for more research, and the gaps in menopause care across the country. 

If you listen to this episode when first released, please note Davina's documentary airs on Channel 4 on Wednesday 12th May at 9pm. 

Davina's 3 reasons to watch her documentary: 

• Someone you love, someone you know, or someone you work with will be going through what this programme is about. You may end up with a much greater understanding of that person 
• If you're pro-women, in any way, there are ways you can get out there and make a noise for positive change. 
• You will be informed about something that half the nation will go through. Everybody should know about it 

Dr Newson speaks with Professor Robert Langer in this episode. Robert Langer is Professor Emeritus in Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California in San Diego. He was also an investigator of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Study. Together, they discuss how the WHI Study from 2002 turned the world upside down for women and how they have both been trying to right it ever since.

Professor Langer describes in detail what was understood about the benefits of hormone replacement therapy before the WHI study, how the notorious study came about and why it was finished prematurely and so badly misreported in the media. His unique account of how the events unfolded helps listeners to understand the bigger picture of why healthcare professionals and women remain unaware of the benefits of HRT and are often overly cautious of the perceived risks to this day.

Professor Langer's 3 top tips are:

1. All of the evidence shows that for women who are within 10 years of their menopause, or under the age of 60, if she has reason to take HRT, there is absolutely no need to be concerned about HRT. For these women the benefits strongly outweigh the risks.

2. There's no reason to stop taking HRT at any age, if you've been taking it from the time of your perimenopause or within 10 years of your menopause.

3. With a knowledgeable practitioner, there's no reason that a woman who is past her menopause or over 60, can't start taking HRT, as long as the clinician is aware of how to start slowly and get hormone levels to the right point.

Dr Newson has a fascinating conversation with Kay Anderson, a woman in her 80s who began taking HRT after a hysterectomy in 1972, when she was only 36. Kay remembers the frightening and devastating depression that suddenly engulfed her, as a mum with 3 young children, and how her gynaecologist agreed to use her as a 'guinea pig' and let her have some HRT.

They discuss the different types of HRT that Kay has taken and prescribing trends over the last 50 years, and Dr Newson explains how safe modern types of estrogen is through the skin, and how it can protect the health of your heart, bones and mind as you age. Kay has been the only one of her friends to take HRT and is also the only one who doesn't have to take any other medications!

Kay's top 3 tips:

1. See another doctor if they won't give you HRT or try and make you stop taking it.
2. Don't feel pressured to stop taking it, because if you do you will probably be right back where you started.
3. Tell your friends and family what you want, so they can support you to get the right help for you.

Lorraine Kelly joins Dr Louise Newson in this podcast episode and they discuss their shared experience of talking about the menopause on that infamous couch!

Lorraine talks openly about her own menopause and how treatment radically changed her work life, relationships, and emotional wellbeing. Every time menopause is discussed on Lorraine's show, they have an overwhelming response from women who are struggling with their symptoms and can't get the help they need.

Dr Newson outlines some of the ways she is trying to counteract the misinformation around HRT and general lack of awareness from the public and healthcare professionals. They discuss how attitudes are slowly changing around menopause and share their frustrations at the uphill battle they face in trying to get more help for more women.

Lorraine's top 3 tips for women who are thinking about getting help:

1. Get all the information you can and read up on everything you might need to know.
2. Don't be fobbed off when you go and try and get help. Remember you're doing it for you, to feel better, but you're also doing it for everyone that loves you.
3. If you're given HRT and you don't think it's working , don't give up, keep trying with it, or discuss changing the dose or type, it might take a while to find what suits you. Just go for it and be empowered.

Follow Lorraine on Instagram - @Lorrainekellysmith

Just before her 40th birthday, Caroline was given the unexpected diagnosis of breast cancer. The grueling treatments brought on the menopause and she endured a miserable seven years as a 'functional wreck'. Nine years on, Caroline reflects on this experience. She describes her search for help for the awful menopausal symptoms that were making her feel so unlike her usual, outgoing self and shares how she came to the decision to take HRT, despite being surrounded by advice to the contrary. Dr Newson outlines the complex and little understood relationship between breast cancer and estrogen, and reminds listeners that once accurate information is shared, the choice about menopause treatments after breast cancer ultimately belongs to the individual.

Caroline's three tips:

1. Keep an honest record of how you are really feeling and look back on it. If you notice menopausal symptoms and you're just getting through the day, see your doctor. If they suggest antidepressants, don't agree straight away, find out more about how effective they are for menopausal women.
2. Talk to someone who specialises in the menopause, even better, someone who treats menopausal women who've had breast cancer. Then you know you're getting gold standard information.
3. Don't beat yourself up if all you're worried about is the cancer coming back. It's normal to feel like that. But also allow yourself the possibility of a better, brighter future. You need to know there is hope and help out there - you deserve it.

Food and health writer, Sam Rice joins Dr Louise Newson in this episode to discuss eating well in midlife. Sam tells of her unconventional route into nutrition and wellness, and how living in Bali inspired her to write the Midlife Kitchen with her good friend and best-selling author Mimi Spencer.

After the success of the Midlife Kitchen, Sam has recently published her follow up book, The Midlife Method, which supports women who have made the transition to healthier eating but struggle to shift the weight they would like to lose. She urges us to turn away from toxic diet cultures and worrying about our dress size, and focus more on our microbiomes, and having a healthy, happy gut.

Sam’s three top tips are:

1. Think about the balance of food you’re eating, you don’t need to cut out whole groups of food, just focus on your complex carbs, lean proteins and healthy fats.
2. In your regular exercise routines, don’t forget to include strength training with weights and resistance, as well as your cardio activities like walking or Zumba.
3. Embrace eating with awareness. Give yourself permission to eat well and allow yourself to enjoy food.

The Midlife Kitchen: Health Boosting Recipes for Midlife & Beyond

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Midlife-Kitchen-health-boosting-recipes-midlife/dp/1784723185

The Midlife Method: How to Lose Weight & Look Great After 40

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Midlife-Method-weight-great-after/dp/147227893

Instagram: @midlifekitchen

Blog: http://www.midlifemethod.co.uk 

In this episode, Dr Newson has a lively discussion with Heather Hirsch, the Clinical Programme Director for the Menopause and Midlife Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Heather was shocked to see, during her fellowship, that what was being taught about menopause principles and care was actually wrong and realised that menopause was the biggest gap in women’s healthcare across America.

The experts discuss the problem of unregulated compounded bioidentical hormones and the reasons why 2-3 thirds of American women use this type of non-approved hormone treatment, rather than FDA approved body identical HRT that is prescribed by doctors in the UK. They reflect on the shift away from using HRT over the last 2 decades, and the devastating consequences to women’s health because of this, and offer practical advice on how to educate other healthcare professionals to unlearn the pervasive myth that estrogen is dangerous.

Heather’s three take away messages are:

1. Medical students should spend time with a menopause doctor and see how they help women.

1. Menopause care is a team effort and a global effort; everyone has to come together.

1. Tell a friend,  colleague or family member about evidence-based sources of menopause information such as podcasts, youtube channels, or social media. Help spread the truth about HRT.

IG @hormone.health.doc

Website: heatherhirschmd.com

YouTube: Health by Heather Hirsch 

Podcast: Women's Health by Heather Hirsch 

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson chats to Hayley Etherington, a young woman who has been menopausal since the age of 14.

Hayley talks openly with Dr Newson about her experience and how, even though she was given HRT as a teenager, she has been struggling with many different symptoms for so many years. Hayley's GP didn't make the connection between her symptoms and her menopause diagnosis and never suggested that she may be on the wrong type or dose of HRT.

Since having a virtual consultation with Dr Newson at the Newson Health clinic, Hayley is now on a new regime of HRT and says she feels like a new person, one who feels well and is full of energy.

Hayley has decided that now is the time to speak out about her premature menopause which she held inside for 25 years, in the hope that it may help others who are experiencing something similar.

Hayley's Three Take Home Tips:

1. You know your body - not the doctor. Be persistent if you feel you are not getting the right help.
2. Get a second opinion, try other GPs or see a menopause specialist if you can.
3. Find your tribe of ladies. There is support out there for you - you are not alone.

Follow Hayley on Instagram: @prematuremenopause14

Read Hayley's blog: https://hayleysmenopause14.blogspot.com/ 

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to Rushna Mia about her menopause experience and how she is aiming to increase awareness of the menopause and support for women and their families within her local Asian community. 

Rushna works in a primary school, is a busy mother of 4, grandmother of a 3-year-old and helps run her family’s businesses. She is passionate about supporting women within her community and takes a lead in various women’s groups. Rushna describes the particular issue of the menopause as a taboo within Asian communities and says it is mostly swept under the carpet and not spoken about. 

It took Rushna around 8 years to recognise that the symptoms she was experiencing were due to the menopause and the doctors she saw did not raise this possibility either. After seeing Dr Sarah Ball at the Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre and feeling so much better on the right treatment, Rushna now wants other women to know the right help is available. 

Rushna's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Use social media, there’s lots of free information out there that can be really helpful regarding your symptoms. 
2. Speak to your GP or try the Nurse again, ask if there are any local women’s groups. 
3. Women should work together to help other women and their families. It's important that everyone knows that help and support is available. 

Professor Isaac Manyonda is a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George's Hospital in London with a major interest in the menopause.

In this very detailed discussion, Prof Isaac and Dr Newson talk about the huge benefits of oestrogen in HRT and how many ways oestrogen can improve future health and prevent disease. They discuss the misinformation and misunderstanding of HRT over the last 20 years and how this has led to so many women being inappropriately denied HRT.

Prof Isaac also speaks very eloquently about the perceived risks of HRT and also how oestrogen on its own can lead to a lower future risk of developing breast cancer and also dying from breast cancer. Dr Newson says that the information discussed in this podcast is evidence based and it is essential that all women listen carefully! 

Professor Isaac Manyonda's Three Take Home Tips:

1. HRT prevents many of the health problems that women can develop after the menopause and it does so in a very simple, cheap and effective way.
2. In terms of the menopausal symptoms that women often experience, there is no better intervention than HRT.
3. Here is a hormone that is essentially like  'magic bullet' - it really can help improve quality of life.

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Chris Mann, a consultant gynaecologist and one of the world's leading experts in endometriosis. Chris has received extensive training in many countries in the surgical treatment of endometriosis from some of the world's leading laparoscopic surgeons. He talks to Dr Newson about this condition, which affects around 10% of women and explains how, for many women, it takes seven years for a diagnosis. Far too many women do not seek medical help and those that do are often dismissed and given inappropriate advice or treatment. 

Chris and Dr Newson talk about the different treatment options available for endometriosis and how women with endometriosis can be given different types of HRT during the perimenopause and menopause. He recommends that any woman who is not receiving adequate help should persevere and see another doctor. 

We are releasing this podcast the first week in March to coincide with Endometriosis Awareness Month. Taking place across the world, Endometriosis Month exists to help increase awareness and highlight the symptoms of this debilitating condition that affects an estimated 176 million women worldwide. 

Chris Mann's Three Take Home Tips: 

1. If you suspect that you may have endometriosis and the symptoms are negatively impacting your life then please seek help. Too many women suffer in silence.
2. If you are not getting anywhere with your GP then you can ask for a second opinion. If you still are not getting the right help then book a private consultation with a specialist, if you can afford it. A specialist can then write to your GP and advise them on your treatment going forward.
3. Don't give up! For too long, too many women have been fobbed off. It isn't something to just 'put up with' and there are now more of us out there that want to help.

Visit Chris Mann's website: https://www.theendometriosisclinic.com/christopher-mann/ 

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is delighted to chat to Dr Tosin Taiwo who is a doctor currently in his third year of GP training. Dr Tosin has an orthopaedic background as he used to work as an orthopaedic registrar before changing to general practice. Since beginning his training as a GP, Dr Tosin has developed a keen interest in lifestyle medicine. 

Dr Tosin discusses menopause education for GPs and how much he learnt from Dr Newson's 'Confidence in the Menopause' online education programme with FourteenFish. He feels like it should be renamed the “epiphany video”!

Despite his busy career in General Practice, Dr Tosin also hosts his own Podcast series, called 'Dr Tosin's Podcast - Healthy Living Beyond Medicine.' 

Dr Tosin's Three Take Home Tips for fellow GPs in training:

1. Watch Dr Newson’s 'Confidence in the Menopause' video in the FourteenFish programme
2. HRT reduces the future risk of Cardiovascular disease in women who take HRT, within 10 years of the menopause, by up to 50% 
3. Always have perimenopause/ menopause in mind when seeing women in their mid 40s, especially those that present with non-specific symptoms or 'tired all the time' symptoms  

Listen to Dr Tosin's Podcast here

Find Dr Tosin on Instagram: @dioscuri2

YouTube: Dr Tosin

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson and Newson Health nutritionist, Emma Ellice-Flint discuss habits that might help with weight loss and general weight balance.  

During the UK’s third lockdown, many women are finding it difficult to feel motivated to exercise and eat well. Many are having to home school their children; some are working harder than ever due to the pandemic. Plus the UK’s winter weather discourages outside exercise and movement.  

Dr Newson and Emma discuss what a woman might do to try and help herself during this time. In particular they discuss the link between what a person eats and their mood and energy. Emma talks about prebiotic foods that help to feed the good gut microbes, such as rocket, garlic, onion, leek and more. They also discuss some healthy eating ideas and meals that the kids/teens at home might like too! 

Emma's Three Take Home Tips for Weight Balance:

1. Avoid snacking in the evenings - Eat a satisfying evening meal so that the craving for snacking into the evening is less. The habit of evening snacking is more likely to lead to weight gain, than at any other time. 
2. Avoid alcohol - Drinking alcohol regularly can contribute to weight gain.
3. Where possible, try to make your own food rather than buy in pre-prepared food. This way you can be in control of what exactly goes into your meals. 

Emma is a Nutritionist and former chef. She works at Newson Health seeing clients for nutrition/food, weight balance and gastrointestinal health related issues. She runs monthly online food and health workshops, plus she shares her recipes regularly on social media and on her website. 

Find Emma on Instagram here: @emmas_nutrition 

Facebook: @emmasnutrition 

 https://emmasnutrition.com 

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Emma McAuley, a young woman who was thrust into a medical menopause at age 24, after undergoing treatment for breast cancer. 

Emma speaks openly to Dr Newson about her experience and how she was told very little about the menopause before her treatment. Emma expected a few hot flushes and instead experienced a vast range of menopause related symptoms and issues. 

Dr Newson and Emma also discuss their first meeting at an event held by young adult cancer support charity, Trekstock. Dr Newson was speaking at the event, titled 'Lifting the Lid on Cancer and the Menopause' and Emma talks about the effect it's had on her to finally feel safe enough to ask questions and be able to get the correct advice.

Emma's Three Take Home Tips:

1. In terms of hot flushes - layers are your friend! Even in the winter, wear items that are easy to take off and put back on.
2. Speak to everyone you can - whether that's your peers or a medical professional. Knowing you are not alone can be a huge help.
3. Even though other people around you may be complaining about their periods - it's okay to miss having your own. Talk to your friends about how you are feeling.

Take a look at this booklet from Dr Newson - 'A Young Woman's Guide to Menopause After Treatment for Cancer'

Dr Annice Mukherjee is a U.K. hormone specialist with almost 3 decades of experience in hospital medicine. From the early days, her specialism in hormones has always focussed on optimising quality of life in hormone diseases, imbalances and deficiencies. Her knowledge helped her hugely when she went through an early menopause due to a cancer diagnosis ten years ago.

Annice is the author of “The Complete Guide to the Menopause” which is hot off the press, having been published by Penguin Random House on 28th January. 

In this episode, Dr Newson and Annice discuss how different hormones in the body interact with each other and the importance of using holistic approaches in managing menopause alongside HRT, as well as for those of you who do not take it. She emphasises that in the context of today’s world, lifestyle approaches are all the more important and should be adopted by every women in menopause to optimise wellbeing and long-term health.   

Annice’s Three Take Home Tips:

1. Menopause affects every system in the human body and all hormones interact with each other. Improving your overall health can help with hormone balance and your menopause experience. Understanding how to do this is key. 
2. Stress is more prevalent and relentless in today’s world and acknowledging and addressing your stress, even with tiny lifestyle tweaks, downtime and applying selfcare can be transforming, both in terms of menopause symptoms and your overall health. 
3. Exercise, good nutrition, good sleep habits, stress management and some complementary therapies can work as well as, or better than the many of the alternatives to HRT and don’t have any of the down sides or side effects. 

You can buy Annice’s book here: https://linktr.ee/annicemd 

 Find Annice on Instagram:  @the.hormone.doc

Facebook: @thehormonedoc