Join us at St Helen and St Katharine on Wednesday 1st May at 7pm to hear from Dr Louise Newson about her book The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause. 

Dr Louise Newson is the UK’s leading medical expert on menopause. She has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of women and their families through her work. Louise has been described as the doctor “who kick started the menopause revolution”.

Louise was working as a GP when she began to suspect that many patients with menopausal symptoms were being misdiagnosed by other healthcare professionals, or ignored. That led her to train as a menopause specialist and, in time, to become the UK’s most informed and passionate advocate for helping women find the help they need.

Menopause isn’t simply about hot flushes.  Symptoms can include memory loss, migraines, joint pain, insomnia, fuzzy brain and depression – all brought on by a severe reduction in hormone levels. Those hormone levels never recover. Women who think – as many do – that they should put up with their menopausal symptoms until they ‘get to the other side’ are sadly misguided. There are also increased risks of long-term health problems for menopausal women – including diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis. So menopausal women shouldn’t suffer silently. They should look for help.

After her specialist training in the menopause, Louise discovered she could change the lives of many menopausal women even in one short GP consultation.  Louise found that simply prescribing the right dose of HRT could be transformative for patients. But she also understood how crucial it was to give advice about lifestyle changes too – including exercise, diet and sleep.

When Louise started struggling with perimenopausal symptoms herself, she discovered first-hand how debilitating the symptoms can be and how hard it is to find a doctor with enough understanding and education to offer the correct treatments.

This was when Louise became more than a doctor, but a campaigner too. It has become her mission to educate everyone – including men – about the menopause and to improve the future health and wellbeing of women.

Louise established a specialist menopause clinic in Stratford-upon-Avon that sees thousands of patients a month – in person and remotely – with over 200 healthcare professionals and staff. And to reach more women, Louise set up the free balance menopause support app and balance menopause website which provide clear, evidence-based information about the perimenopause and menopause.  She has also developed a free learning programme called Confidence in the Menopause to help educate other healthcare professionals.

The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause covers the key facts about hormones, their importance and their effects on our bodies. It explores family histories and their effects on menopause, the complete guide to HRT, libidos, mental and physical health, how menopause affects our careers and relationships and so much more.

The book contains exclusive new medical research and answers the questions women most often ask Louise in her clinic. There are real stories from women who want their experiences shared to benefit others. And there is clear advice from other medical experts in related fields including mental health, dermatology, nutrition, psychology and oncology.

Dr Louise Newson says: “A lack of knowledge about the perimenopause and menopause and poor access to treatments has left women needlessly suffering for decades.  Every day I receive so many messages from those who are struggling to cope and are desperate for answers.  I have written this book to help women to feel informed, empowered and confident about getting the best menopause care, regardless of their age, background or health history.  From symptoms to treatments, and taking a holistic approach to health and well-being, this book is going to take away the guesswork for those going through menopause.  I want this book to transform the way we think about perimenopause and menopause and to help everyone who reads it.”