Podcasts · Health & Fitness

The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

Dr Louise Newson

300 episodes

Dr Louise Newson is an award-winning physician, respected women’s hormone specialist, educator, and author committed to increasing awareness and knowledge of perimenopause, menopause, and lifelong hormone health. Each week, Louise dives into the newest research, treatments and hot topic issues, providing accessible, evidence-based information to empower your future health. Joined by fellow experts and special guests, with answers to your burning questions, Louise explores how hormones impact every aspect of our lives.

More about the show

Described as the “medic who kickstarted the menopause revolution”, Louise aims to empower a generation of women to have a greater understanding, choice and control over their treatment, bodies, minds and future health through their hormones. She is the creator of the award-winning free balance app, a Sunday Times bestselling author and the founder of the Newson Health clinic. With over three decades of clinical experience, Louise is a member of the Royal College of Physicians, a Fellow of the Royal College of GPs, a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge, a regular contributor to academic journals including the Lancet and the British Journal of General Practice, and has been awarded an honorary Doctorate of Health from Bradford University.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dr Louise Newson or the Newson Health Group.

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. 113 – Does menopause speed up ageing? What estrogen does to inflammation

    · 32 min · S2 E113

    Does menopause speed up ageing? The science shows inflammation accelerates in perimenopause, and estrogen can slow it. Nikolina Lauc is CEO of GlycanAge, which measures a marker of low-grade inflammation in our…

  2. 112 – Primodos: the harmful hormone pill prescribed to millions of pregnant women

    · 37 min · S2 E112

    Primodos was the pregnancy test pill containingsynthetic hormones that was prescribed to millions of women during the 50s, 60s and 70s that caused severe congenital malformations, stillbirths and miscarriages.Primodos…

  3. 111 – Can hormones help postpartum psychosis?

    · 35 min · S2 E111

    Can hormones help postpartum psychosis? Why the fall in estrogen and progesterone after birth is so often overlooked. Jade Lloyd had her daughter in December 2020 after a three-day labour. Within months she was living…

  4. 110 – Can't tolerate progesterone? It may be progestogens

    · 31 min · S2 E110

    Biochemist Dr Phyllis Bronson on why women who can't tolerate progesterone may actually be reacting to progestogens/progestins (the synthetic type of progesterone) Phyllis has spent decades researching progesterone…

  5. 109 - Can you take HRT with endometriosis?

    · 31 min · S2 E109

    Can you take HRT if you have endometriosis? Nicola Roberts feared it would bring her pain back. Now she takes estradiol, progesterone and testosterone and feels the best she has since she was 12. Nicola's periods were…

  6. 108 – Why is there so much confusion about HRT education for clinicians?

    · 32 min · S2 E108

    Doctors are being taught to treat hormone guidance as if it's law, but according to retired GP and medical educator Dr Mark Coombe, that guidance is too often "at best very conservative, at worst wrong." Mark spent…

  7. 107 – Menopause, testosterone & rowing the Atlantic at 50

    · 33 min · S2 E107

    In this really interesting episode, two ocean rowers over 50 share their menopause journeys. One of them takes all three hormones, and the other would love to but has been refused testosterone by so many doctors. Gail…

  8. 106 – Hormonal acne, hair loss & ageing skin with Dr Saj Rajpar

    · 30 min · S2 E106

    Consultant dermatologist Dr Saj Rajpar, making his fifth visit to the podcast, joins Louise to explain why acne, hair loss and ageing skin are so often driven by hormones rather than skincare. Saj runs Midland Skin in…

  9. 105 – Mathilde Barker: endometriosis at 19, menopause at 23

    · 34 min · S2 E105

    Mathilde Barker was 23 when she finally understood why, since the age of 14, doctors had told her it was "just" muscle strain, put her on antidepressants, and once removed her appendix by mistake. It took five years to…

  10. 104 – What the research shows about menopause and suicide risk

    · 32 min · S2 E104

    In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Pooja Saini and psychologist Dr Olivia Hendriks to discuss their important research into perimenopause, menopause and suicide risk. Together, they explore why hormonal…

  11. 103 – A fighter pilot's menopause: HRT, testosterone & guilt with Jo Salter

    · 39 min · S2 E103

    Jo flew supersonic jets under extreme pressure for a living, but missed the menopause happening inside her own body. This week Dr Louise Newson is joined by Jo Salter, Britain's first female fast jet pilot, who spent…

  12. 102 – GLP-1s, hormones & the truth about weight gain with Rose Stokes

    · 33 min · S2 E102

    Rose Stokes, journalist and host of the Matter of Fat podcast, joins Dr Louise Newson to talk GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, the hormones behind weight gain and the shame around women's bodies. Rose has lived with obesity…

  13. 101 – Luteal Uglies - what does this mean?

    · 28 min · S2 E101

    Up to 80% of women with PMDD have suicidal thoughts. Online, it's being trivialised as the 'luteal uglies'. In this solo episode, Dr Louise Newson explains what'sactually happening in the second half of your menstrual…

  14. 100 – Sepsis, UTIs & quadruple amputation: Kim’s story

    · 32 min · S2 E100

    Kim Smith went on a family holiday to Spain with a UTI and woke up nine weeks later having lost all four limbs to sepsis. Twice missed by Spanish doctors, Kim's kidney pain and uncontrollable shivering escalated so…

  15. 99 – Gut health, hormones & food noise with Dominique Ludwig

    · 27 min · S2 E99

    Nutritionist Dominique Ludwig, author of No NonsenseNutrition, explains why your gut controls your hormones and hunger. Dominique trained at King's College and has spent 20 years in clinical practice, working with…

  16. 98 – Why the type of hormone matters for health and fitness - Davey Maher

    · 29 min · S2 E98

    Many women are told that all hormone treatments are essentially the same. But the reality is far more complex, and understanding the difference could have a significant impact on your health, fitness and wellbeing. In…

  17. 97 – PMDD, ADHD & autism: addiction as a coping mechanism

    · 30 min · S2 E97

    Natalie Sykes spent years using heroin and crack cocaine to self-medicate undiagnosed PMDD, autism and ADHD, and now finally understands why. Natalie, founder of the PMDD & Neurodivergence Alliance, tells Dr Louise…

  18. 96 – How India is waking up to hormone health Sanjith Shetty

    · 27 min · S2 E96

    In India, one woman asked her gynaecologist about HRT and was told: "over my dead body." Dr Louise Newson travels to India to meet Sanjith Shetty, founder of the menopause community Miror and one of the country's most…

  19. 95 – Rosie Moss: is it grief or hormones?

    · 31 min · S2 E95

    Rosie Moss spent years being told her symptoms were simply grief, when actually there was undiagnosed PMDD also at play. Rosie hosts the podcast Widowed AF, and after her husband Ben died suddenly in a scuba diving…

  20. 94 – Fixing doctors' fear of hormone treatments including testosterone

    · 32 min · S2 E92

    Dr Holly Carding, GP, Women’s Hormone Specialist and Education Lead at Newson Education, joins Louise to expose the hormone training gap that leaves doctors too scared to prescribe hormone treatments including…

  21. 93 – PMDD misdiagnosed for 10 Years: Anna's story

    · 29 min · S2 E93

    Content advisory: This episode contains themes of mental health and suicide Anna, a nurse, was sectioned, hospitalised in psychiatric wards for months and overdosed more than once, all while being diagnosed with…

  22. 92 – Hormones, mood and mental health myths Dr Sue Varma

    · 34 min · S2 E92

    Psychiatrist Dr Sue Varma joins Dr Louise Newson to unpack why hormones are so often left out of mental health care and what gets missed as a result, from puberty to postpartum to perimenopause. Dr Varma is a…

  23. 91 – Demi Brown: Endometriosis, fibroids & hormones

    · 32 min · S2 E91

    Love Is Blind's Demi Santana Brown opens up aboutendometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids and the power of natural hormones. Before Love Is Blind UK, Demi was a professional footballer for Millwall, West Ham and Leyton…

  24. 90 – Hair loss, hormones and menopause: what’s really causing it? Archana Rao

    · 26 min · S2 E90

    Hair loss can have a profound impact on confidence, yet many women are told it’s simply part of getting older or encouraged to spend hundreds of pounds on products that promise far more than they can deliver. This…

  25. 89 – The six lifestyle changes that support your hormones and health

    · 35 min · S2 E89

    Women are often told to choose between hormone treatment or lifestyle changes, when in reality the two work best together. This week, Dr Louise Newson is joined by GP and lifestyle medicine physician Dr Clare Nieland…

  26. 88 – Endometriosis, surgical menopause and getting the right hormone treatments

    · 28 min · S2 E88

    Having your ovaries removed causes an immediate menopause, yet many women are still told to simply ‘see how they get on’ afterwards. This week, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Laura Daly, who shares her experience of…

  27. 87 – When motherhood changes your brain: the missing role of hormones Laura Guckian

    · 35 min · S2 E87

    Becoming a mother is often described as the happiest time in a woman’s life. But for many, it can also be the hardest. In this week’s episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Motherhood Coach, Maternal Mental Wellbeing…

  28. 86 - How hormone treatments, including testosterone, reduce future diseases

    · 33 min · S2 E85

    Hormone treatments are often seen as a treatment to help with symptoms, but many clinicians still do not understand how they can improve our future health too. This week, Dr Louise Newson is joined by physician,…

  29. 85 – Why being healthy feels so hard, and how to change it

    · 27 min · S2 E85

    We’re surrounded by advice about what to eat, how toexercise and the latest wellness trends. Yet despite having more health information than ever before, many people feel overwhelmed, exhausted and nohealthier. This…

  30. 84 – Why so many women stop feeling like themselves Elinor Wilde

    · 34 min · S2 E86

    Many women suddenly start feeling anxious, overwhelmed or unlike themselves during times of hormonal change. They often assume they’re no longer coping or are told it’s simply stress, depression or the pressures of…

  31. 83 – Why are women still leaving work because of their hormones?

    · 28 min · S2 E83

    We’re losing experienced, talented women from the workforce because hormonal symptoms are still being overlooked, misunderstood and too often left untreated. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Mecky…

  32. 82 – The hidden link between epilepsy and hormones

    · 20 min · S2 E82

    For women living with epilepsy, times of hormonal changes can all bring unexpected changes in seizure patterns. Yet many are never told that fluctuating hormones could be playing a role. In this episode, Dr Louise…

  33. 81 – The hormone confusion that’s affecting millions of women

    · 30 min · S2 E81

    What’s the difference between natural and synthetic hormone treatments, and why does it matter? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by pharmacist and hormone expert Sara Hover, who has spent more than 30 years…

  34. 80 – What if we’ve misunderstood hormones all along?

    · 32 min · S2 E76

    Many people only think about hormones in relation tomenopause, puberty or fertility. But hormones influence every cell in yourbody, affecting everything from your energy and metabolism to inflammation, sleep and…

  35. 79 – ”I knew it wasn’t depression”: Jenny’s PMDD story

    · 30 min · S2 E79

    For years, Jenny was wrongly told she had depression. She was prescribed antidepressants, saw multiple healthcare professionals and even underwent a hysterectomy, yet no one addressed the underlying hormonal changes…

  36. 78 – Primodos: The forgotten synthetic hormone scandal

    · 33 min · S2 E78

    Millions of women were prescribed Primodos as a pregnancy test even though there were concerns that it was associated with many different and often devastating birth defects. More than 60 years later, many of the…

  37. 77 – Hormones after cancer: why women deserve a choice

    · 31 min · S2 E76

    For many women diagnosed with cancer, conversations about hormones end before they’ve even begun. They’re often told they can never take hormone treatment again, without being given the evidence, the options or the…

  38. 76 – Why migraine is so much more than a headache with Dr Eli Sader

    · 33 min · S2 E76

    Migraine is one of the most common causes of disability worldwide, yet it’s still widely misunderstood and often dismissed as “just a headache”. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by neurologist and migraine…

  39. 75 – Can technology help us live healthier for longer?

    · 27 min · S2 E74

    We often talk about living longer, but what about living better? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by award-winning technology journalist, broadcaster and author Lara Lewington to explore the difference…

  40. 74 – The case for hormones: choice, health and longevity

    · 27 min · S2 E73

    For decades, women have been told to fear hormones. But what if understanding them is one of the most important steps you can take for your current and future health? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by…

  41. 73 – Hormone treatments after 70: why you don’t need to stop

    · 26 min · S2 E73

    So many women are wrongly told they need to stop takinghormone treatments when they reach a certain age, yet there is noevidence-based age limit for natural hormone treatments. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is…

  42. 72 – ADHD in women: the hidden role of hormones

    · 30 min · S2 E72

    Why are so many women only discovering they have ADHD during perimenopause? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by wellbeing coach, author and host of the ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Podcast, Kate Moryoussef, for…

  43. 71 – What’s your skin telling you about your hormones?

    · 31 min · S2 E71

    So many women notice changes in their skin and hair duringtimes of hormonal change, yet hormones are rarely discussed as part of the conversation. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by consultantdermatologist…

  44. 70 – How perimenopause can really impact you and your partner

    · 31 min · S2 E70

    What happens when women finally realise they’re not “going crazy”, but experiencing hormonal changes? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by comedian and content creator Matt Hyams, whose viral social media…

  45. 69 - How hormone treatments can prevent disease

    · 31 min · S2 E69

    Why do we wait for people to become ill before we help them get better? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by GP and preventative health specialist Dr Harpreet Sood for a conversation about why healthcare…

  46. 68 – Testosterone: Why is it so hard to access?

    · 30 min · S2 E68

    Why are so many women denied testosterone? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by US menopause specialist Dr Susan Hardwick-Smith for a vital conversation about testosterone and why so many women are still…

  47. 67 – The Power of Hormones

    · 44 min · S2 E67

    Ahead of the publication of her new book The Power ofHormones, Dr Louise Newson sits down with journalist and Balance editorial director Kat Keogh to explore the hidden history of hormones and why women’shealth has…

  48. 66 – PMDD and mental health: what’s really going on?

    · 31 min · S2 E65

    What if severe changes in your mental health were being driven by your hormones? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Isabella Sillar, an Australian doctor, who shares her powerful and deeply personal…

  49. 65 – The truth about food and health with The Happy Pear

    · 31 min · S2 E64

    What if improving your health could start with what’s on your plate? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dave and Steve Flynn, also known as The Happy Pear, for a refreshing and practical conversation about…

  50. 64 – Estrogen: separating fear from fact

    · 33 min · S2 E64

    Why are so many women still being told estrogen is dangerous? In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by oncologist and author of Estrogen Matters, Dr Avrum Bluming, to explore how fear around hormones took hold…

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