The Laura Dowling Experience

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
the charity for people with early onset Parkinson's that Ian co-founded

Parkinson's Ireland
the national charity supporting people with Parkinson's

The Michael J. Fox Foundation
the Parkinson's research foundation Ian mentions

Samaritans 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. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist 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.
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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.
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist 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.
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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
The hormone clinic Louise co-founded with Dr Rebecca Lewis

Balance
Louise's free app for tracking symptoms and learning about hormone health

Confidence in Hormones
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. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist 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.
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In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, Dr Clare Cromwell explains why muscle is just as important as bone in midlife, and lays out a simple twice-weekly strength routine that protects against falls and fractures.

We talk a lot about protecting our bones in midlife. But what if the real key to staying steady on your feet, and even to your brain health decades from now, is your muscles?

🔑Key Points
• As oestrogen drops, bone density naturally declines, but muscle loss speeds up too, especially after menopause
• Strong muscles improve balance and reaction time, so you're less likely to fall, and better protected if you do
• Aim for at least two strength sessions a week: roughly three exercises for your upper body and three for your lower body, a few sets of moderate reps
• It doesn't need to be heavy lifting or a gym membership; a couple of dumbbells at home can be enough, as long as you feel it

🎧 Listen to the full episode here.
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist 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.
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Veterinary surgeon and founder of Village Vets, Charles Cosgrave, joins Laura to share what every pet owner should know about keeping their animals healthy, happy and safe — from neutering and pet insurance to behavioural problems, emergency care and the realities of life as a vet.
Growing up on a dairy farm in County Meath, Charles watched his father answer veterinary calls at all hours, even on Christmas Day. After qualifying from UCD and working in the UK, he returned to Ireland and helped build Village Vets, which has grown to 35 locations, including three 24-hour emergency centres.
Charles takes us behind the scenes of veterinary medicine, explaining what happens during overnight emergencies, why children can provide the most useful information about a sick pet and how veterinary care has evolved to include specialist treatment for conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy and cancer.
Laura also asks the questions many dog owners have: Should you neuter your dog? What should you look for in pet insurance? How can you prevent behavioural problems? And what needs to change to tackle puppy farming in Ireland?
They explore the responsibility of pet ownership, the importance of early training and socialisation, the challenges of treating seriously ill animals and the difficult decisions surrounding end-of-life care.
Alongside the practical advice, Charles shares the challenges of growing a family business, the shortage of vets in Ireland and why, despite running 35 practices, he still misses working directly with animals.

🔑 Key Points
Neutering and pet health:
Charles discusses neutering male dogs, potential health concerns and factors owners should consider with their vet.

Pet insurance:
Why Charles recommends insurance, what to check before choosing a policy and how switching providers can affect cover for existing conditions.

Training and behaviour:
The importance of socialising dogs early, establishing routines and helping them adjust to people, noise and unfamiliar environments.

Puppy farming and microchipping:
Charles discusses dog breeding in Ireland, existing microchipping requirements and the challenges of tackling irresponsible breeding.

When pets become seriously ill:
How vets manage chronic conditions including diabetes and epilepsy, treat cancer and approach difficult end-of-life decisions.

Inside veterinary medicine:
From overnight emergencies to specialist care, Charles explains the pressures facing vets and the growing demand for veterinary services.

📚 Resources

Village Vets
Charles's practice group, 35 clinics across Ireland and three 24-hour emergency centres

UCD School of Veterinary Medicine
where Charles trained, and still the main route into the profession

Dog microchipping
what's required in Ireland, and the measure Charles says would curb puppy farming

⏱️ Timestamps

02:37 – Growing up with a vet for a father
05:36 – How vets treat different animal species
07:30 – Building Village Vets
10:00 – Veterinary education and the shortage of vets
13:44 – Inside 24-hour emergency veterinary care
15:45 – Why children notice changes in sick pets
17:00 – Pet ownership and rehoming
19:20 – Neutering male dogs
21:09 – Puppy farming and microchipping
23:30 – The responsibility of owning a dog
26:30 – Unusual pets and animal stories
29:30 – Cats, dogs and different personalities
31:54 – Dog training and socialisation
33:41 – Pet insurance and switching providers
35:25 – Diabetes, epilepsy and chronic illness
37:20 – End-of-life decisions and cancer treatment
40:20 – Why Charles misses being a practising vet
43:00 – Growing Village Vets while maintaining quality
50:15 – Be bold, be brave and back yourself
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist 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 for more information.