The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

217 - Menopause and the brain: why we need to bridge the gender gap in research

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

 

216 - All about progesterone: PMS, PMDD, postnatal depression and menopause

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.

 

215 - More than ‘a little vaginal dryness’: how vaginal hormones can transform lives

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.

214 - Dry eyes and menopause: what’s the link?

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.

213 - Lorraine Candy: how to make your midlife magnificent

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.

 

212 - How to thrive at work during the menopause

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.

 

211 - Melasma: keeping hyperpigmentation at bay in the summer

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

 

210 - What is the right dose of HRT for you? Hormones and premature ovarian insufficiency

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.

209 - Learning disabilities and the menopause

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.

208 - Ultra-processed food unwrapped with Henry Dimbleby

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