101 – Luteal Uglies - what does this mean?

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 cycle. She describes the sharp drop in progesterone that can trigger low mood, anxiety, irritability, brain fog, fatigue and more, and why calling it the 'lutealuglies’ does women a disservice.Louise traces how PMDD was made a psychiatric condition in the 1960s and 70s, sidelining the work of Dr Katharina Dalton, a GP whose research on natural progesterone was decades ahead of its time. She explains why hormonal contraception doesn't actually contain hormones, why low testosterone is so often mistaken for fibromyalgia or depression, and how a symptom questionnaire can help you track your own pattern across your cycle.Louise closes with three take-home tips on getting the right diagnosis and treatment and why sharing this episode matters.Let’s connect👉 Track your symptoms andunderstand hormones, download the Balance app: https://bit.ly/4yZty5A👉 More from Dr LouiseNewson: https://linkin.bio/drlouisenewson