The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

042 - The Big M - Kate Irvine & Dr Louise Newson

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Kate Irvine and together they discuss Kate's online perimenopause and menopause survey, The Big M. 

Kate began her survey as a way to find out how women really feel about the perimenopause and menopause, including which aspects of the Big M women find the most difficult, whether they felt they could discuss it with anyone and whether they had any help getting through it. Kate hopes to be able to use the information given to help other women in the future. Kate also intends to compile the detailed responses into a  book which helps women to feel better about what they are going through, she and Dr Newson discuss how the idea for the book came about, and how Kate hopes it will work. 

During this podcast, Dr Newson and Kate touch on several different topics which the survey highlighted, such as realising you are perimenopausal, how helpful GPs can be (or otherwise), women leaving the workforce because of their symptoms, the over-prescribing of anti-depressants and symptoms such as vaginal atrophy. Ultimately they agreed that talking is vital and makes you feel better, and Kate hopes that (if published!) reading her book will be like having a chat with friends about a common issue. 

The survey is still open for responses, or if you just want to email her about any aspect of your menopause experience you can reach her at: kate@thebigm.net 

Kate Irvine's Three Take Home Tips:

1. Don't feel alone! Don't be frightened to talk about it - communicate with your friends.
2. Look for helpful evidence-based advice such as the resources on menopausedoctor.co.uk and the British Menopause Society website
3. If your GP hasn't been the most helpful, look for a doctor that specialises in the menopause. They should be better informed.

041 - You Are Feeling Sleeeepy - Kathryn Pinkham & Dr Louise Newson

In this podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Kathryn Pinkham, Founder of The Insomnia Clinic, the UK’s largest insomnia service. 

Kathryn, along with her team at The Insomnia Clinic, help people who suffer with poor sleep and insomnia using NHS recommended techniques. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia is a structured programme which helps people to identify and change unhelpful behaviours and thoughts which maintain poor sleep. 

In this podcast, Dr Newson and Kathryn discuss:

• Why sleep is important but how putting too much pressure on sleep can cause us to get even less 

• How sleep hygiene can make a sleep issue worse for poor sleepers 

• The cycle of insomnia and how to break it

• Tips to strengthen your sleep drive to fall asleep faster and wake less but also how to improve quality of sleep 

• The importance of managing anxiety in boosting energy levels 

• Techniques to manage anxiety 

 

Kathryn Pinkham's Three Take Home Tips to Aid Sleep:

1.  Shorten your time in bed - go to bed later and get up earlier. Even if it's just by half an hour.
2. Set your alarm and then turn it over. When you wake up in the night, resist the urge to look at the clock.
3. Spend time managing your worries and anxieties instead of focusing on your lack of sleep. If you focus on lowering your stress levels then your sleep should improve too.

 https://www.instagram.com/theinsomniaclinic

040 - ’Supporting Your Immunity’ - Emma Ellice-Flint & Dr Louise Newson

In this week's podcast, Dr Newson is joined by Emma Ellice-Flint, a clinical nutritionist and former chef. Emma works alongside Dr Newson at her clinic, Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre and treats patients with all conditions, but digestive wellness and hormone balance are topics close to her heart. 

In light of the outbreak of Coronavirus, Emma chats to Dr Newson about the different things we can do to help support our immunity and keep our bodies healthy. Emma describes the certain foods, drinks and nutrients that are beneficial for our overall health as well as those that can strengthen our immune systems.

Emma has also written this informative article explaining how we can all adopt immunity boosting changes and habits.

Emma Ellice-Flint's Three Take Home Tips for Staying Healthy:

1. Rice is a family favourite! For a healthier alternative, try swapping it out for brown rice instead
2. Broccoli, cabbage, garlic and onions are prebiotic, immune boosting vegetables and are great if you can eat them everyday
3. Wherever possible, try and keep up your exercise during this time - in any shape or form!

Website: www.emmasnutrition.com

Instagram: @emmas_nutrition 

Facebook: @emmasnutrition 

039 - Oestrogen Matters - Dr Avrum Bluming & Dr Louise Newson

Avrum Bluming was a clinical professor of medical oncology at the University of Southern California and spent four years as a senior investigator for the National Cancer Institute. For more than two decades he has been studying the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy administered to women with a history of breast cancer. He is also the co-author of the book “Oestrogen Matters”. 

In this podcast, Dr Newson talks to Avrum about the numerous health benefits of oestrogen in women, including reducing future risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia. It is a very sobering thought that as many women die from osteoporosis as breast cancer, yet so many women are denied oestrogen in HRT for the wrong reasons. Avrum's wife was diagnosed with breast cancer many years ago and he talks about treatments for breast cancer which can lead to an early menopause. 

 https://estrogenmatters.com 

Avrum Bluming's Three Take Home Tips About HRT:

1. If every woman in the US started HRT, the median life expectancy of women would extend by 3.3 years
2. If you ever hear "If you must take hormones, then take the smallest dose possible for the shortest period of time" - there is no scientific support for this! Women can take HRT for as long as they need.
3. Some of the benefits of HRT, particularly for your bones, last as long as you continue to take it. If you stop taking the hormones, bone degeneration occurs at an accelerated pace.

038 - Research on Testosterone & Menopause - Lauren Redfern & Dr Louise Newson

In this week's podcast, Dr Newson is joined by Lauren Redfern, a researcher who has been exploring the experiences of women using testosterone as part of their HRT treatment. Lauren has been spending time at Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre over the past year observing many different aspects of women’s care; from the moment they make contact with the team right through to their consultation. She is interested in hearing stories from women first hand about their treatment journey and is particularly interested in the gendered aspects of hormonal care. Lauren hopes that her work will provide insight into the realities facing women negotiating menopausal care in the UK today; something that she feels is currently vastly underrepresented in both social and public health research.  

If you would like to know more about Lauren’s research you can visit her website www.laurenredfernwrites.com or follow her on Instagram @laurenredfernwrites where she posts about everything from the history of hormones to updates on her research.  

Lauren's Top Three Facts about Testosterone and Menopause care:

1. Time is an underestimated benefit in healthcare. Women need longer than 10 minutes to adequately explain their symptoms to a doctor.
2. Menopause isn't just hot flushes and something to "get through" - the symptoms can have a massive impact on a woman's life.
3. Testosterone is not just the male hormone, it is essential for re-balancing female systems, just as it is for men. 

Newson Health Research & Education

037 - Ageing Well, Menopause and Yoga - Claudia Brown & Dr Louise Newson

In this episode, 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 the West Midlands. She also works with professional footballers, teaching yoga at Doncaster Rovers Football Club! Together, Dr Newson and Claudia discuss ageing well and the menopause, demystifying meditation, how yoga is more than physical postures and why everyone should give it a try. 

Claudia's Top Three Tips for beginning your yoga journey:

1. Just do it! Don't be afraid to start, ask for recommendations and try different classes to find the right teacher.
2. Don't get caught up in buying the right outfit or equipment. You can practice yoga in just about anything!
3. Don't talk yourself out of it because of your body size - it isn't relevant to your strength or how your body moves. You will always be among friends in a yoga studio.

www.yogabyclaudia.com 

Twitter – yogabyclaudia 

Instgram – yogabyclaudia 

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

To find out more about Claudia's yoga workshops at Newson Health, or to book your place, click here.

036 - Sex and the Menopause - Samantha Evans & Dr Louise Newson

In this week's podcast, Dr Newson talks openly and candidly to Samantha Evans about sexual problems and the menopause. Sam Evans is a sexual health and pleasure expert, with a nursing background. She is also co-owner of the company www.jodivine.com

Together, Sam and Dr Newson discuss the various ways in which libido and sexual difficulties can arise during the menopause. There are various treatments depending on the underlying cause and these are explored in detail in this episode. Too many women are not experiencing the right help and advice to improve their sexual relationships with their partner and clearly this needs to change. 

Samantha Evans' Top Three Tips for sexual wellbeing during the menopause:

1. Talk to your partner about your symptoms - communication is key!
2. Invest in a good sexual lubricant and/or vaginal moisturiser. Don't forget to check the ingredients.
3. Invest in a simple sex toy, maintain the intimacy with your partner and have fun!

 

035 - Hair Loss and Hormones - Dr Sajjad Rajpar & Dr Louise Newson

In this week's podcast, Dr Newson is speaking with consultant dermatologist, Dr Sajjad Rajpar all about hair. Hair changes can be very common during the perimenopause and menopause. Dr Rajpar eloquently explains how our hormones are important with respect to hair growth and also hair texture. They discuss in detail reasons why women experience hair loss and the importance of having a holistic consultation to explore reasons why hair changes. Dr Rajpar talks about the different treatment options and provides some simple advice which will help us all regarding our hair.

Find out more about Dr Sajjad Rajpar here: https://belgraviadermatology.co.uk/

Dr Rajpar's Three Take Home Tips to help reduce hair loss:

1. Avoid any tight hairstyles. If you can leave your hair down, it will help.
2. Think about the health of your scalp too, it may be drier due to low oestrogen levels during the perimenopause and menopause.
3. If you are suffering with brittle hair then by sensible with heat and styling tools.

034 - Menopause Taboo in Women from Different Ethnic Groups - Dr Nighat Arif & Dr Louise Newson

Dr Nighat Arif is a GP with a specialist interest in women’s health, based in Buckinghamshire. In this week's podcast, Dr Nighat Arif talks openly with Dr Newson about her work educating and empowering women from different ethnic groups about the menopause. Many women from ethnic minorities think the menopause is a condition that only affects Caucasian women or it is a western phenomenon. However, it is well known that many women are experiencing symptoms such as pains in their bodies, “head to toe pain”, low mood and anxiety which are being misdiagnosed and inappropriately managed as these symptoms are not being linked to the menopause. Although language is often a barrier to consultations with a healthcare professional, there are also many cultural differences that need to be explored. Many women’s health issues, including the menopause, are kept “under the veil” and not spoken about. In this episode, Dr Newson and Dr Arif also talk about other taboo subjects such as vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and how that affects marital relationships in a conservative community. 

Dr Nighat Arif offers three take home tips in Punjabi to help break down barriers and empower women from South Asian Communities to not accept their menopausal symptoms and suffer in silence.  

Dr Nighat Arif's Three Top Tips:

1. For all women, please keep a symptom diary. No symptom is silly and this is useful to your doctor during the 10-minute consultation.
2. Never deny yourself treatment, there are always risks and benefits to every treatment and only your health and wellbeing will suffer if you don't seek help.
3. Don't suffer in silence!

 

033 - Bone Health, Osteoporosis & the Menopause - Professor David Reid & Dr Louise Newson

In this week's podcast, Dr Newson is joined by Professor David Reid, Consultant Rheumatologist and Osteoporosis Specialist at the University of Aberdeen. Professor Reid is also the Senior Medical Adviser and Fundraising Ambassador for the Royal Osteoporosis Bone Research Academy.

Bone density reduces as our hormone levels lower, as a result of the perimenopause and menopause. Around one in three menopausal women will have a osteoporotic hip fracture so it is essential we are all thinking about ways of improving bone density and reducing future risk of developing osteoporosis. In this episode, Dr Newson and Professor Reid talk about what osteoporosis is, how to diagnose it and also ways of increasing our bone density. 

Professor David Reid's Three Top Tips for Bone Health:

1. For people in their 20s and 30s, don't worry too much about your bone health - take plenty of exercise and eat well, this is the best way to prevent any future problems.
2. For women going through the menopause, now is the time to start thinking about your bones. Take preventative measures such as reducing your alcohol intake and stop smoking. Consider a DEXA scan to measure your bone density.
3. For elderly people, try regular weight bearing exercise and get the required amount of Vitamin D and Calcium, be careful to ensure your home is safe from trip hazards that can result in fractures.