Every day we hear from women whose symptoms are being misdiagnosed, which makes Penny Lancaster’s story hit close to home. She talks with Dr Louise Newson about the months she spent thinking she was depressed, the antidepressants she was offered in lockdown and the moment she realised her symptoms were linked to menopause.

They touch on a bigger cultural shift too. Menopause is being mentioned more often now, yet many women still struggle to get clear guidance or access HRT. Old fears linger, and too many people feel pushed aside in their working and home lives just when they need support.

Penny reflects on how getting the right information changed everything for her, and how the themes in her book Someone Like Me echo the resilience so many women quietly build. It’s a straightforward, reassuring listen for anyone trying to make sense of their own symptoms or wanting to understand this stage of life a little better.

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Buy Penny’s book, Someone Like Me 👉

https://www.waterstones.com/book/someone-like-me/penny-lancaster/9781526686978 

Take my online education course, Hormones Unlocked 👉 https://www.learningwithexperts.com/products/hormones-unlocked-dr-louise-newson 

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https://www.nlp-ltd.com/dr-louise-newson-breaking-the-cycle/ 

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

Many women experience menopause as more than hot flushes and periods stopping. It can also bring a deep sense of flatness, loss of joy, anxiety or even thoughts of hopelessness.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson speaks with Sally Wainwright OBE, the multiple BAFTA-winning writer and director known for Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack and Last Tango in Halifax. Her new BBC drama Riot Women has already had amazing reviews. Louise was the Medical Consultant for Riot Women.

Sally discusses her personal experience of menopause, and how being prescribed hormones has transformed her wellbeing and how those truths shaped her latest BBC drama, Riot Women. She also talks openly about her mother, who had both osteoporosis and dementia.

Together, they explore the link between menopause and mental health, the cost of silence around hormonal symptoms and the power of honest storytelling to change how women think and talk about menopause, as well as how they access hormone treatments. .

Disclaimer: This podcast is not connected to the BBC.

In the UK, you can contact Samaritans 24/7 at 116 123 or visit samaritans.org. If you're outside the UK, please reach out to a local crisis support service or emergency medical help.

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Watch Sally’s latest BBC Drama, Riot Women 👉

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002hd7x 

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Sign up for my Confidence in Menopause Course 👉 https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/education---confidence-in-menopause  

Despite increased awareness, misinformation around menopause is still everywhere with outdated fears about hormone therapy, confusion over types of hormones and mixed messages about risks leaving many women unsure where to turn. 

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson sits down with Amy Alkon, an American author and science writer, for a clear-eyed look at what the evidence really shows. Amy’s book, Going Menopostal, unpacks the research behind menopause and exposes how gaps in medical education still affect women’s care.

Their conversation covers the differences between hormone types, the importance of scientific literacy in medicine and the value of personalised, evidence-based treatment. It’s an honest, informative discussion that helps separate fact from assumption in menopause care.

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Buy Amy’s book, Going Menopostal 👉

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Menopostal-Science-Menopause-Perimenopause/dp/1637742452 

Take my online education course, Hormones Unlocked 👉 https://www.learningwithexperts.com/products/hormones-unlocked-dr-louise-newson 

Sign up for my Confidence in Menopause Course 👉 https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/education---confidence-in-menopause  

Many women reach their 40s and start feeling different. They find themselves more anxious, tired, forgetful or prone to migraines, without realising these are often early signs of perimenopause. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson speaks with Dr Mariza Snyder, a functional medicine doctor and hormone specialist, about how to recognise the subtle and often overlooked symptoms of hormonal change.

They discuss how fluctuating levels of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone can influence mood, cognition and sleep, and why these shifts can trigger or worsen migraines. The conversation also covers the importance of hormone replacement therapy and lifestyle strategies in restoring balance and protecting long-term health.

This episode helps women connect the dots between how they feel and what their hormones are doing, offering clarity, reassurance and practical next steps.

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Learn more about Dr Mariza and buy her book 👉

https://drmariza.com/ 

Content advisory: this episode contains themes of suicide 

Too many women reach perimenopause and menopause only to feel unheard, unseen and underserved by the healthcare system. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by wellbeing pioneer Liz Earle MBE to confront that invisibility and explore how knowledge, improved access to hormonal treatments and open conversation can change the future of women’s health.

Together, they discuss the barriers women still face when seeking care, the lack of research into female biology and the consequences of ignoring hormonal health as we age. Liz shares her personal experience of finding renewed strength and purpose later in life, while Dr Newson highlights what needs to shift in medicine to truly support women through menopause and beyond.

In the UK, you can contact Samaritans 24/7 at 116 123 or visit samaritans.org. If you're outside the UK, please reach out to a local crisis support service or emergency medical help.

LET'S CONNECT  

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Take my online education course, Hormones Unlocked 👉 https://www.learningwithexperts.com/products/hormones-unlocked-dr-louise-newson 

Sign up for my Confidence in Menopause Course 👉 https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/education---confidence-in-menopause  

Learn more about Liz Earle MBE and buy her book 👉

https://lizearlewellbeing.com/ 

Content advisory: this episode contains themes of suicide 

More than a million worldwide undergo a hysterectomy each year, for reasons ranging from heavy bleeding to pain or other gynecological problems - but what happens to your body post-surgery is rarely discussed in depth. When your uterus and/or ovaries are removed, your body’s hormone production of progesterone, estradiol and testosterone reduces which can trigger a cascade of effects on your brain function, mood, bone health, cardiovascular function, sexual wellbeing and overall quality of life.

In this episode of The Dr Louise Newson Podcast, Dr Louise speaks with Dr Kameelah Phillips, a leading New York obstetrician and gynecologist, founder of Calla Women's Health and author of The Empowered Hysterectomy. Together they unpack the science behind post-hysterectomy hormone changes, explain why estradiol, progesterone and testosterone remain important and discuss why so many women still miss out on the support and hormone treatment they both need and want.

Their conversation also covers how healthcare professionals can better prepare patients for surgery and recovery, as well as the crucial questions women can ask before surgery, and why hormone treatment should be considered after a hysterectomy as a standard part of care. 

In the UK, you can contact Samaritans 24/7 at 116 123 or visit samaritans.org. If you're outside the UK, please reach out to a local crisis support service or emergency medical help.

LET'S CONNECT  

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Join me on my upcoming theatre event in London 👉 https://www.nlp-ltd.com/dr-louise-newson-qanda/ 

Buy Dr Kameelah Phillips’ new book, The Empowered Hysterectomy 👉

https://www.callawomenshealth.com/the-empowered-hysterectomy 

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Sign up for my Confidence in Menopause Course 👉 https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/education---confidence-in-menopause  

For more than half a century, "the Pill” has been a routine part of women’s lives, prescribed not only for contraception but for acne, period pain and hormonal regulation. It’s so deeply woven into modern medicine and culture that most of us rarely question how it works or what it does beyond its prescribed use.

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson speaks with psychologist, researcher and author Dr Sarah Hill about the untold story behind synthetic hormones and their impact on the brain. Together, they explore how shutting down natural hormone production and replacing it with synthetic versions can alter mood, motivation, cognition and mental health - changes that are often dismissed or overlooked in both medical practice and public conversation.

Dr Sarah Hill also explains why progesterone remains one of the most misunderstood hormones in medicine. Far from being a simple reproductive regulator, it plays a vital role in neuroprotection, inflammation control and emotional stability with implications for conditions ranging from anxiety and depression to postnatal mental health and autoimmune disease.

This episode challenges decades of cultural assumptions about women’s health and invites clinicians, researchers and patients alike to rethink what we know (and don’t know) about how synthetic hormones shape the female brain.

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Join me on my upcoming theatre events in London and Birmingham 👉 https://www.nlp-ltd.com/dr-louise-newson-qanda/ 

Buy Dr Sarah Hill’s new book, The Period Brain 👉

https://www.sarahehill.com/books/ 

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Why are women still not believed when they describe their symptoms? And what happens when stories of pain, struggle or resilience are dismissed by healthcare professionals, families or even society?

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by award-winning author and podcaster Elizabeth Day for a conversation that cuts to the heart of these questions. Best known for her podcast How to Fail and her new novel One of Us, Elizabeth brings both personal experience and cultural insight to a wide-ranging discussion about fertility, perimenopause and the ongoing stigma around conditions like PMDD and menopause.

Together they explore how women often minimise their own symptoms, how fertility treatment can mask or trigger later hormonal issues and why mental health struggles linked to hormones are so easily overlooked. Elizabeth also shares how fiction, vulnerability and social media can create unexpected spaces for recognition and empathy, helping women feel less isolated.

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Join me on my upcoming theatre events in London, Birmingham and Glasgow 👉 https://www.nlp-ltd.com/dr-louise-newson-qanda/ 

Listen to Elizabeth’s podcast, How to Fail 👉

https://open.spotify.com/show/4m7U7kNne0iu35HK571Ui8 

Follow Elizabeth on Instagram 👉https://www.instagram.com/elizabday/ 

Buy Elizabeth’s new book 👉https://lnk.to/OneOfUsElizabethDay 

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Across the world, populations are living longer but often with a decade or more of poor health at the end of life. For women in particular, the gap between lifespan and healthspan is significant and the consequences reach far beyond the individual. 

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Dr Tash Mirando, a UK-trained GP now based in Singapore, to discuss what healthy ageing really looks like. They examine the science of ageing, whether it should be considered a disease and the critical role hormones play in preventing conditions such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline.

Dr Mirando explains why lifestyle medicine must form the foundation and how modern hormone therapies can build on that base. This is a conversation about prevention, evidence-based care and practical strategies to improve quality of life for decades to come.

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LEARN MORE 

Join me on my upcoming theatre events in London, Birmingham and Glasgow 👉 https://www.nlp-ltd.com/dr-louise-newson-qanda/ 

Take my online education course, Hormones Unlocked 👉 https://www.learningwithexperts.com/products/hormones-unlocked-dr-louise-newson 

Sign up for my Confidence in Menopause Course 👉 https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/education---confidence-in-menopause  

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by broadcaster and menopause awareness campaigner Mariella Frostrup and chef Belles Berry, who is the daughter of renowned cook Mary Berry. They recently co-authored Menolicious, a cookbook designed to provide women with simple, nutritious recipes that make healthy eating more manageable.

Together they discuss how hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause influence metabolism, appetite and body composition, and why nutrition remains fundamental even alongside HRT. The conversation explains the mechanisms behind weight gain with low estrogen, including adipose estrone production, inflammation and altered glucose and insulin responses. They highlight the importance of protein, fibre and healthy fats, the role of the gut microbiome and the impact of reducing ultra-processed foods.

The discussion also considers how hormones, nutrition and lifestyle interventions combine to support long-term health and reduce risks such as osteoporosis.

This episode is essential listening for anyone looking to understand how hormones and nutrition work together and how food can be used as a powerful tool for health during and after menopause.

LET'S CONNECT  

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Spotify 👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/7dCctfyI9bODGDaFnjfKhg 

LEARN MORE 

Take my online education course, Hormones Unlocked 👉 https://www.learningwithexperts.com/products/hormones-unlocked-dr-louise-newson 

Sign up for my Confidence in Menopause Course 👉 https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/education---confidence-in-menopause