The Laura Dowling Experience

About The Laura Dowling Experience

Conversations about health, science, wellness, life, love, sex and everything in-between. Laura is a Pharmacist who loves to talk to interesting people about their unique life and work experiences. See @fabulouspharmacist on instagram for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Laura Dowling

Category

health & fitness · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

23 Aug 2022

Latest episode

5 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

229 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Nov 2026

   His Parkinson's Started With Depression with Ian O'Brien #194

   Ian O'Brien was 38 when a neurologist told him, within a couple of minutes, that he had Parkinson's disease. For about a year before that he had been on antidepressants for anxiety and depression, and for two years he had been finishing sentences with his left hand holding his right. His first question was whether Parkinson's could cause the anxiety and depression. When the answer was yes, he says it felt like a weight off his shoulders. Now 46 and nearly ten years in, Ian, who co-founded EOPD Ireland, tells Laura what early onset Parkinson's is really like: medication that now lasts him about an hour, switching "off" like a light, planning his day around tablets and protein, and the evenings his daughters help him get ready for bed. He talks about telling his eldest with a poem and letting her interview him on camera, and about Parkinson's being one of the factors in his recent separation. He also explains dopamine in plain language, the gambling and compulsive behaviour dopamine agonists can trigger in some people, deep brain stimulation, why exercise should be the first thing a neurologist mentions, and why talking to other people with Parkinson's has been his best education of all. 🔑 Key Points Depression came first His first symptoms were anxiety and depression, and he spent about a year on antidepressants before a physio friend told him to ask his GP for a neurologist. The movement signs he missed For around two years his handwriting shrank and stopped mid-sentence, and he would reach across with his left hand for the keys in his right pocket. A diagnosis can bring relief Ian says he almost wanted something physically wrong with him to explain how he was feeling, and he walked out of the neurologist's office feeling better. Medication is a daily balancing act Levodopa now lasts him about an hour, and eating close to a dose, especially protein, can stop it working, so he plans tablets, meals and work around the times he needs to be on. Exercise should come first He says neurologists don't always lead with it, but high-intensity exercise made him feel almost as if he didn't have Parkinson's, and he has got worse since slowing down. Your whole family gets Parkinson's He regrets being a bit selfish at the start and sees the condition as one of the factors in his recent separation, though he and his wife still raise their girls together. Telling his daughter with a poem Ian read his eldest a poem about Parkinson's, then a week later let her interview him on camera with questions she wrote herself. Life isn't over He knows people living well 20 to 30 years after diagnosis, and his advice to anyone newly diagnosed is that you just need to make adjustments. 📚 Resources EOPD Ireland (https://eopd.ie/) the charity for people with early onset Parkinson's that Ian co-founded Parkinson's Ireland (https://www.parkinsons.ie/) the national charity supporting people with Parkinson's The Michael J. Fox Foundation (https://www.michaeljfox.org/) the Parkinson's research foundation Ian mentions Samaritans Ireland (https://www.samaritans.org/ireland/) free support, any time, if you are struggling ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome back to the podcast 02:17 — Anxiety and depression came first 04:16 — "It was like a weight off my shoulders" 06:30 — The movement signs he missed 09:18 — Why exercise should come first 10:22 — Parkinson's and dopamine, explained 12:17 — Levodopa and planning the day 14:40 — Telling his daughter with a poem 17:15 — Dopamine agonists and compulsive behaviour 24:59 — Playing soccer for Ireland 28:15 — The whole family lives with it 33:44 — Deep brain stimulation 37:00 — Setting up EOPD Ireland 38:52 — "Life isn't over" Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN4xDBAAv7WCZCJ0VJC8lIXiX8_QtHFZJ&si=yi8ifI_sbjJJISSi). Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience (https://www.instagram.com/lauradowlingexperience?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==) for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist (https://www.instagram.com/fabulouspharmacist?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==) for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   3 Nov 2026

   Bitesize Moment: "My Sensitivity Was Actually My Power." — Lynn Mac on Empaths and Boundaries

   In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, Lynn Mac explains how her sensitivity works, how it once left her overwhelmed by other people's emotions, and how healing and boundaries let her choose when to switch it on. Ever been told you're too sensitive? Lynn Mac used to think so too, until she realised it was never a weakness. Here's how she learned to protect her own energy without shutting herself off. 🔑Key Points • Lynn describes her gift as a heightened version of the sixth sense everyone already has, like a gut feeling • She used to absorb other people's emotions so heavily it felt overwhelming, especially early on • She names this as being an empath: soaking in the energy and emotions of everyone around her • Her people-pleasing meant she gave endless support to others until she couldn't cope anymore 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. (https://shows.acast.com/the-laura-dowling-experience/episodes/6884beb36e658a8b3cc9246b) Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN4xDBAAv7WCZCJ0VJC8lIXiX8_QtHFZJ&si=yi8ifI_sbjJJISSi). Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience (https://www.instagram.com/lauradowlingexperience?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==) for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist (https://www.instagram.com/fabulouspharmacist?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==) for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   29 Oct 2026

   Why Prescribing HRT Made Her a Target with Dr Louise Newson #193

   Dr Louise Newson, GP, menopause specialist and founder of Newson Health and the Balance app, joins Laura Dowling for a frank conversation about hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the barriers women face in accessing treatment and the criticism she has faced for challenging established approaches to menopause care. Louise traces her advocacy back to the 2002 Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study and the publication of NICE's first menopause guidance in 2015. She explains why she believes the risks of HRT have been misunderstood, why prescribing remains low, and why the distinction between different types of hormones matters. Laura and Louise discuss testosterone for women, starting HRT later in life, individual responses to estradiol, and difficult questions around hormone treatment following breast cancer. Louise also explores progesterone, PMS, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and postnatal depression, including the influence of Dr Katharina Dalton's work. These are complex areas where treatment decisions require individual medical advice. Louise speaks openly about professional opposition, BBC Panorama, correspondence involving the British Menopause Society and the scrutiny of her clinic. She reflects on the personal cost of speaking out, why she continues to campaign for better menopause education and what she hopes will change for women's healthcare. 🔑 Key Points HRT prescribing fell off a cliff after 2002 Louise kept prescribing HRT as a GP for decades and only realised after NICE's 2015 guidance that many colleagues had stopped, while her friends were being given antidepressants instead. Guidelines are only a guide She says the NICE guidance mentions risk 22 times more than benefit and groups synthetic and bioidentical hormones together, which leaves busy clinicians confused. The over-60 risk came from synthetic hormones The heart attack signal in the Women's Health Initiative study was in women given horse-derived oestrogen and a synthetic progestogen, not the estradiol and progesterone she prescribes. Testosterone has a long history in women It was prescribed in the 1940s and '50s for period problems and menopausal symptoms, and she says its reputation comes from the synthetic anabolic steroids of the '60s and '70s. Some women need more than the licensed dose Skin varies in how much estradiol it absorbs, and her clinic's published data shows about a fifth of patients need a higher than licensed dose. Progesterone changed her thinking on PMDD A colleague's own postnatal illness led Louise to Katharina Dalton's work, and her clinic now prescribes progesterone for PMS, PMDD and postnatal depression. Ten years of being targeted Louise says the emails she obtained show people trying to silence her, and the pressure on her and her family brought her close to giving up. Only 5% of menopausal women get HRT Every menopause guideline calls HRT first-line treatment for most women, yet she says only 14% of menopausal women in the UK and 5% globally are prescribed it. 📚 Resources Newson Clinic (https://www.newsonhealth.co.uk/) The hormone clinic Louise co-founded with Dr Rebecca Lewis Balance (https://balance-app.com/) Louise's free app for tracking symptoms and learning about hormone health Confidence in Hormones (https://www.newsoneducation.co.uk/programmes) The hormone health education programme for doctors and healthcare professionals ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome to The Laura Dowling Experience 03:47 — Rereading the WHI study after NICE's 2015 guidance 11:18 — Why HRT is scrutinised like no other medicine 15:43 — Testosterone's forgotten history in women 20:43 — Starting HRT after 60 24:43 — "A body of people trying to take me down" 29:33 — If she were a male gynaecologist 32:07 — Are her doses too high? 35:45 — HRT after breast cancer 39:43 — Progesterone, PMDD and postnatal depression 42:16 — The Care Quality Commission inspection 45:47 — Running a private clinic 48:27 — Has the pendulum swung too far? 53:02 — Advice for young people and the meaning of life Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN4xDBAAv7WCZCJ0VJC8lIXiX8_QtHFZJ&si=yi8ifI_sbjJJISSi). Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience (https://www.instagram.com/lauradowlingexperience?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==) for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist (https://www.instagram.com/fabulouspharmacist?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==) for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Who has been a guest on The Laura Dowling Experience

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dan McCartney
• Denis O'Driscoll
• Kenneth Keavey
• Robert Kelly
• Siobhan Murray

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

546,540

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

1,096 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 87 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

82

Social presence

97

YouTube

86

Engagement

96

Contact The Laura Dowling Experience

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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