Primodos was the pregnancy test pill containingsynthetic hormones that was prescribed to millions of women during the 50s, 60s and 70s that caused severe congenital malformations, stillbirths and miscarriages.Primodos contained etihylestradiol and norethisterone - two synthetic hormones that are still prescribed every day as contraception to millions of women.

These risks were covered up by Schering, the drug company, and the Committee of Safety of Medicine decided not to warn people of the harms of these synthetic hormones as they did not want women to be “scared away” from taking contraceptive pills which contain the same synthetic hormones.

In 1970, Marie Lyon’s GP prescribed her Primodos tablets to find out whether she was pregnant with her first baby. Nobody mentioned any risks, and when her daughter Sarah was born with part of her arm missing, Marie was told “these things happen”.

She has campaigned for decades as chair of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests. Millions of women were prescribed Primodos with countless harms to these women’s babies until it was banned many years after the initial warnings were reported.

Louise explains why synthetic versions of estrogen and progesterone can be harmful and the problems with prescribing them to pregnant women without proper testing. They talk about the early warnings that were completely dismissed, why so many mothers still blame themselves, and why Marie believes an apology by the drug company is no longer enough.

If your mother took this synthetic hormone pregnancy test, Marie’s advice is to ask your GP for your records. She closes with the three changes she wants to see in how medicines are regulated.

Chapters

00:00 What was the Primodos scandal?
01:27 How were pregnancy tests done before Primodos?
02:30 Where did synthetic hormones come from?
05:13 How did the pill become a pregnancy test?
06:14 What did Marie's GP tell her?
08:01 Was Primodos ever tested in pregnancy?
09:20 Did the drug company know about the risks?
10:39 What happened when Sarah was born?
11:24 When did families make the connection?
12:20 Who was Dr Bill Inman?
16:01 Who was Dr Isabel Gal?
18:38 What does duty of care mean once you know?
19:17 Which birth defects were reported?
21:05 How do you find out if your mother took Primodos?
25:42 Are synthetic hormones still causing harm?
28:31 Why weren't condoms made free?
32:00 Why isn't an apology enough?
33:01 What three changes does Marie want?

Let’s connect

👉 Understand the difference between synthetic and body-identical hormones in my book, The Power of Hormones:

👉 More from Dr Louise Newson:

https://linkin.bio/drlouisenewson

Can hormones help postpartum psychosis? Why the fall in estrogen and progesterone after birth is so often overlooked.

Jade Lloyd had her daughter in December 2020 after a three-day labour. Within months she was living with anxiety, intrusive thoughts and suicidal feelings, and when she asked her health visitor for help she was told to have a glass of wine, some chocolate and a bath. Weeks later she had her first psychotic episode and was admitted to a mother and baby unit, yet hormones were never once mentioned as part of her treatment.

Jade, now a maternal mental health advocate, talks to Dr Louise Newson about recovery, relapse and why her GP said it wasn't normal for a 32-year-old to take hormones. Louise explains the pioneering work of Dr Katharina Dalton, how some antipsychotics can lower hormone levels and where progesterone may help.

Jade closes with three take-home tips for spotting the signs and finding support.

Follow Jade: @jadealloyd

Let’s connect

👉 If hormones have never been part of the conversation about your postnatal mental health, the doctors at Newson Clinic can talk it through with you: https://shorturl.at/B0GIl

👉 Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode

👉 More from Dr Louise Newson: https://linkin.bio/drlouisenewson

Chapters

00:00 Why are hormones ignored after birth?
01:36 What happened after Jade's traumatic birth?
03:06 What did her six-week check miss?
04:24 What are intrusive thoughts after birth like?
06:01 Why was she told to have a glass of wine?
07:05 What are the early signs of mania after birth?
07:40 What does a psychotic episode feel like?
09:04 What happens in a mother and baby unit?
10:37 How did antipsychotics affect Jade's weight?
11:51 Can postpartum psychosis come back?
12:52 Did anyone ever mention her hormones?
15:29 Why did psychiatrists ignore hormones?
18:21 What is a therapeutic trial of hormones?
18:50 How does Jade feel on hormone treatment?
20:35 Why did her GP say hormones aren't 'normal' at 32?
22:32 How should doctors weigh benefits and risks?
26:16 Why is there a double standard on evidence?
27:51 Can progesterone prevent postpartum psychosis?
28:25 Can antipsychotics lower your hormone levels?
28:53 How do you ask for hormone treatment?
30:21 Are hormones safe while breastfeeding?
31:40 What are the signs of postpartum psychosis?
33:08 Where can families find support?

This conversation covers postpartum (postnatal) psychosis, intrusive thoughts, antipsychotics and the role of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone after birth.

Biochemist Dr Phyllis Bronson on why women who can't tolerate progesterone may actually be reacting to progestogens/progestins (the synthetic type of progesterone)

Phyllis has spent decades researching progesterone and mood, and her doctoral work looked at the molecular differences between body identical progesterone and the synthetic progestogens found in many contraceptive pills and older types of HRT. She joins Dr Louise Newson to share the primate study that changed how she saw synthetic hormones, and why a small change to a molecule can have such a big effect on the body.

They talk about progesterone as the "molecule of calm", how transdermal and oral progesterone work differently in the brain and why some women may simply need a higher dose. They also discuss progesterone's role in making cortisol, and why it's often the first hormone to decline, sometimes as early as your 20s and 30s.