Dr Claire Phipps is a highly dedicated GP turned menopause specialist based in London.

She works particularly close women and people with complex health histories or multiple medical conditions, and her approach combines evidence-based hormonal and non-hormonal therapies, as well as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Claire is also deeply committed to advancing access to evidence-based menopause care for underserved and underrepresented populations. She holds the British Menopause Society Advanced Menopause Certificate, is a member of the International Menopause Society, and European Andropause and Menopause society.

In this episode, we chat through:

• The menopause basics
• How we should be thinking about menopause in our 20s, 30s and 40s
• Her trauma-aware approach and how oestrogen boxes up how we feel
• Unrecognised symptoms and how you should prepare for consultation with your doctor
• HRT basics - Not ready for HRT? There are alternatives
• The good news - menopause doesn’t have to be scary!

More on Dr Phipps

Dr Claire Phipps is a highly dedicated and compassionate GP with many years experience in providing comprehensive healthcare to all ages.

Claire also specialises in supporting women through menopause, particularly those with complex health histories or multiple medical conditions. Her approach combines evidence-based hormonal and non-hormonal therapies with a deep understanding of how existing health issues can influence menopausal symptoms and treatment choices. She focuses on personalised care, aiming to restore balance, improve quality of life, and empower women to navigate this transition with confidence and clarity.

Dr. Phipps holds the British Menopause Society Advanced Menopause Certificate, is a member of the International Menopause Society, and European Andropause and Menopause society. She a certified menopause and GP trainer providing education to healthcare professionals. She is also CBT trained and sits on the British Menopause Society medical advisory council. Claire believes that the perimenopause and menopause are opportunities to take back control of our health.

Claire is deeply committed to advancing access to evidence-based menopause care for underserved and underrepresented populations. She sits on the board of different community charities. Her areas of special interest include providing education around genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) treatment and within this supporting survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM).

You can find out more and get in touch with Dr Phipps via her website: https://themenopausegp.com/ or instagram @themenopausegp

In this episode, I interview a leading Endocrinologist based in London, Dr Mark Vanderpump, on autoimmune diseases, with a special focus on thyroid conditions.

In this episode, I ask him:

• Why are women more imapcted by autoimmune diseases than men?
• What are autoimmune diseases and why do they occur?
• What are the autoimmune diseases triggers and treatment
• Conflicting researching surrounding increases and decreases in rates of autoimmune disease
• His view on lifestyle medicine and how gut health might impact
• Why is there a delay for so many women when it comes to diagnosis

About Dr Vanderpump

Dr Mark Vanderpump is a consultant physician and endocrinologist OneWelbeck in London, specialising in thyroid disease.

Dr Vanderpump is a highly experienced endocrinologist. He was a Consultant Physician and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Endocrinology and Diabetes at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust for 17 years, until he moved to full-time private practice, in 2016, after more than 30 years working in the NHS.

He is the past President of the British Thyroid Association (2014-2017), and a 2017 and 2022 Top Doctors award winner. He is the former Chair of the London Consultants’ Association.

He is a published author with a book and chapters on thyroid disease, and he regularly contributes to medical publications and teaches and lectures nationally and internationally.

After a decade long fight for answers to her symptoms, Rocsi was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's - where the body's own immune system attacks the thyroid. It didn't end there, as she still had to learn why she had such painful and heavy periods.

She discovered why, but it then meant she had to undergo a c-section surgery. She fought to support her thyroid through properly nutrition and anti-inflammatory practices, and although she still suffers from primary dysmenorrhea (painful periods without a cause) she is able to manage her autoimmune flare ups and improve her quality of life.

In this episode:

• Rocsi's upbringing and her first few extremely painful cycles
• Her experience with the birth control pill
• What led her to discover her autoimmune thyroid disease
• Pushing her body to the extreme with diets and exercise, losing her period
• Post surgery recovery and adjusting her lifestyle and nutrition to support her body
• Returning to a normal cycle and managing autoimmune disease