Menopause.

Psychic Kay

Can anybody suggest a herbal remedy for menopauseal symptoms ? Ive tried a few and did not think much of them..

hepcat

Hi there, I think I'm getting menopausal symptoms as had hysterectomy last year and read that ovaries can give up 1-2 years later. I dont have hot flushes but have a lot of aches and cramps and am v emotional...was wondering are these symptoms? Usual criteria for diagnosal of menopause don't apply due to hysterctomy.

Sorry I can't be of any help but if you do find soething that owrks, please post!

Fatal Except1on

have you tried homeopathy?

Nevyn

http://www.womens-menopause-health.com/natural_estrogen_replacement.htm

Foods rich in phytoestrogen, a natural estrogen, will ease women through the menopause years. Foods containing phytoestrogens include soy products, whole grains and legumes, lignin-rich foods like flaxseeds, millet and barley.

The bonus to adding these foods rich in phytoestrogens to the daily diet are that the foods containing phytoestrogen properties are also nutritious and disease fighting. It is best to use a variety of estrogen foods for overall menopause health.

Foods rich in phytoestrogens, a natural estrogen:

* Soy.
* Millet.
* Barley.
* Flax seed.
* Lentils.
* Kidney beans.
* Lima beans.
* Rye.
* Clover.
* Fennel.
* Chickpeas (garbanzo beans).

Other foods containing the estrogen compound phytoestrogen include;

* Apples.
* Alfalfa sprouts.
* Celery.
* Parsley.
* Beets.
* Bok choy.
* Broccoli.
* Cauliflower.
* Carrots.
* Cucumbers.
* Mushrooms.
* Brussel sprouts.
* Seaweeds.
* Squash.
* Pumpkin seeds.
* Sunflower seeds.
* Cherries.
* Olives.
* Pears.
* Plums.
* Tomatoes.
* Prunes.
* Barley.
* Oats.
* Brown rice.
* Wheat germ.
* Bulgur.
* Brewer’s Yeast.
* Black-eye peas.
* Mung bean sprouts.
* Navy beans.
* Red beans.
* Split peas.
* Spices; cloves, ginger, hops, oregano, red raspberry, sage tea, thyme, turmeric.

Add pythoestrogens gradually to the daily diet, increasing the foods containing phytoestrogen to 30 to 50 mg per day. A simple add phytoestrogens to the diet is to incorporate one cup of soy yogurt mixed with one tablespoon fresh ground flax seed into your daily diet.

Soy foods containing phytoestrogens are found in many forms in your local health food store. There are soy noodles, soy hot dogs, soy milk, soy yogurt, soy cheese, soy flour, roasted soy beans, textured vegetable protein, tofu...

Soy foods can also be excellent sources of calcium, which help combat osteoporosis, a condition common among postmenopausal women. Calcium fortified soy milk is an excellent phytoestrogen rich food choice.

Flax seed is exceptionally excellent, not only as a food containing the estrogen-like phytoestrogen, but for general, all-around health. Flax seed taken daily decreases the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Flax seed improves liver function, vastly improves the condition of dry skin, dull hair and brittle nails and is helpful in the treatment of eczema and psoriasis. Flax seed alleviates some allergies can lower total serum cholesterol levels by up to 9 percent, lowers LDL cholesterol levels by up to 18 percent, aids in weight loss, improves energy and is effective in treating depressions. Flax seed also improves mental functioning and alleviates some cases of asthma.

Following extensive research conducted on the powerful benefits of flax seed and flaxseed oil, the Women’s Menopause Health Center recommends that women consume two tablespoons of flaxseed oil daily, or one tablespoon of fresh-ground flax seed daily.

Milled flax seed contains a much greater concentration of lignans, protein and fiber. We recommend buying the flax seeds whole and grinding them yourself. A small coffee grinder will do the trick.

jos28

A friend of mine swears by
http://www.herbal-menopause.com/agnus-castus.html
or Aggie's cactus as she calls it. You can get it in any Natures Way shops.

allabouteve

Thaedydal wrote: »

http://www.womens-menopause-health.com/natural_estrogen_replacement.htm

Further research on soy is needed to back up those claims, it doesn't appear to be the menopausal miracle it first seemed, although its useful for overall health.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1721472.stm

However, the researchers concluded that there was no evidence that soy intake was having any effect on levels of key sex hormones in the blood, which might bring relief from menopausal symptoms.

Sarah44

Hi there I am new to this so this is my first time to reply to a thread.

Anyway i came on here as i was trying to find info on Menapause on an irish site as there are lots on the UK and American sites.

Is this the only thread on Menapause or have i missed some other one?

I see you asked about natural solutions but i have tried so much of these and now i have ended up on everal 25 patch for eastrogin and conti for projesterone I cut this one in half as it is too high in content for me it has been a trial and error thing for me and i am not there yet...
The weight being a pain and lack of motovation too.

There is a bio identical hormone book by Susanne Summers I amgoing to look into that.
It sort of takes over your life this menapause its a real pain....

good luck to all the ladies on here going through this ....

hamlet1

if you are having hot flushes and night sweats try using starflower oil capsules.they work after about 3 weeks of using them.take one every day.

Supermummy

im only 31 and had both ovaries removed and so hit with menopause just thought i would come on this to see if any one else had same situation

SlimCi

I'm 44 and have been having wierd symptoms for a while, no flushes, but night sweats, changes in periods, headaches, nausea etc. Symptoms come and go, none seem to be constant....Don't know whether I'm coming or going lol!!:cool:

Pandora2

Supermummy wrote: »

im only 31 and had both ovaries removed and so hit with menopause just thought i would come on this to see if any one else had same situation

Hi Supermummy ;-),

Had my op 4 years ago and the menopause hit with a vengeance in a matter of days!! I never had flushes I went straight to sweats, day and night... I once counted 29 in a 24 hour period. Now these were a total change of clothes/change the sheets sweats, I lost all idea of day and night as it kept me awake and whilst recuperating I slept when I could.....my OH went to another room as I had to have all the windows open, it was Winter, and if we did sleep in the same bed I put pillows down the middle as his body heat set me off!! We were not long married, it was awful! The medics resisted giving me HRT as I had previous unrelated medical issues that contraindicated. I went back to work after 3 months but 8 weeks on I had to come out again as my moods were nothing short of scary, even to myself. I dealt with the public and it was clear I was not able for it. Now to be fair after the op I haemhorraged and had a blood transfusion, followed by a month of infection and more surgery so it was not all down to the menopause.;) All in al I was out of work 9 months, they were great!!

The family knew what was going on and worked with me but it was awful for them. I was crying a lot of the time and when the rage came on me was quite powerless to stop it..one day I almost pulled the steering wheel from my husbands grasp on the motorway...really I scared the bejesus out of myself and that was the end of my going through the natural route, I demanded HRT and got it...it was a quality of life issue for me. A year on and I am on Estradot patches/2 a week/75MCG and I have never felt better:D

It took a year working up the dosage and finding the level that was right for me but I am there now and delighted. As are my O/H and daughters (luckily daughters, they understood a bit more than lads wld have), I asked them recently what it was like for them and they said they were devestated to see me that way, it is so different from who I am. Apparently I veered wildly between being argumentative and then very distressed at my own behaviour:eek:

I gained a lot of weight too...it is now falling off naturally, I knew it had to be a symptom, I ate less after the op than before!! I've lost about 20lbs in the last 6 months and I am always pleasantly surprised these days on the odd occasion I step on the scales:D:D My hair and skin are great and I have more energy than ever before;) Hubby has taken up residency again and all is in order in that area;) The bolsters gone and now I know why my Granny & Great Aunt (both had full hysterectomies) never to my knowledge slept in the same bed as their husband after the age of 40 or so!! Apparently they didn't move back in to the marital bed when the symptoms eventually abated years after their onset, they both suffered as I did...No HRT then!!:eek:

I have been told that mine was an extremely violent onset and it is not the normal experience, even after surgery, and there is evidence to support that this is a family trait in my case:rolleyes: I got all the good stuff:rolleyes: I sincerely hope that you are not suffering as I did and go into detail only to give perspective but, my own choice was to abandon the alternative route and truth be told for all the things I tried, nothing made a dent in the symptoms but HRT....Oooh and I can no longer survive without heavy duty body moisturiser...really, all that very heavy Dove for older ladies stuff...my skin just drinks it up and I always had very good, normal skin before:eek: But no worries, there is a product out there and the skin is in very good shape otherwise!:D

Prior to my op I met a number of women who told me I would be up and about in no time, one who told me she drove herself home from the hospital...took a Phyto PM and never looked back..later found this was a vaginal womb only hysterectomy.....not at all the same thing!! But for the first three years of my menopause that wagon was never off my mind... I had to be doing something wrong/making a fuss over nothing, why did I feel so bad?? Truth is this lady's recounting of her experience was a barrier to my accepting my symptoms and dealing with them as their severity warranted. I wasted a hell of a lot of time fighting the menopause!! It won!

Jess16

When my Mum was going through this recently, Black Cohosh is a supplement that came highly recommended by a pharmacist friend of mine.

Supermummy

hey pandora2 thanks so much for your post, I havnt been on this with weeks. Like you ive had a complete melt down my gp has put me on HRT since monday femston tabs take one a day, started monday and my sweats havent gotten any better. Feel like a freak to be honest im really emotional. Feel at 31 im like an old woman. How long did it take for your HRT to start working. i think they all take time, in the week ive seen no difference.

Pandora2

Hi Supermummy,

Sorry to hear that you are suffering as I did, I found that HRT works much like the contraceptive pill and you should start seeing a difference in the 2nd month of taking it. They will probably have started you on a low dosage and they may have to up the amount until they find a dosage that's right for you....that process took about 6 months but I was feeling significantly better during that time. If you see no alleviation of symptoms then you should go back to the GP and ask him/her to increase your dosage, if this is the case.

Good luck

ElleEm

My mam swears by Menopace, which is a herbal remedy you can get on Boots.

Supermummy

thanks for that i was beginning to belive that i was hopeless case and noting would alivate my symptoms. I had night sweats again last night i was awake twisting and turning, got up to change bed clothes had to wake my DH. then up this morning with kids at 6.30 getting ready for school and creshe. ?Now im back in bed I cant get to sleep. Im back to work next week in which i cant believe how im going to function with no sleep with the kids full time job and getting no sleep. Rant over but I wish there was a magic pill that caould just stop it now..!

Pandora2

Morning SM,

I can really relate....how long have you been off work...are you going back too soon? I know I did (see original post), would you have a chat with your GP?? He might keep you out for a few additional weeks to give the HRT a chance to kick in? He/she knows the score as you were with him/her recently, it shouldn't be a problem....another few weeks might see you OK or at the very least much better than you feel right now and do not forget you had a major abdominal surgery, you are entitled to time to recover and getting a handle on the menopause is a big part of that;)

joanmul

I have a couple of comments to make on some of your posters' comments. Soy products in several different forms was recommended by one. Care needs to be take in the amount of soy products consumed as excessive use can cause thyroid malfunction. I can personally attest to that, and I read lately that Opfrey Winfrey was also affected in that way.

As regards HRT, one of my sisters had an excessively uncomfortable menopause and went on HRT, the miracle panacea. Six years later, she was diagnosed with cancer and died two years later, at the age of 61. I will add a caveat that she was a smoker. At the time, I myself was also on HRT, as was my other sister. Needless to say, we both stopped taking it. My symptoms haven't been too bad, but even if they were, I wouldn't take HRT.

Supermummy

I had to take HRT and its working really well for me im now sleeping and i am getting back to normal after a tough few months. Some women dont get things as severe as others and as i went through menopause surgically not normally i got it quite severe. Ive been on femston with past month and the difference it has made to my life has been unbelievable, i can now sleep almost full night, i am able to enjoy my family life and am not as down n no energy as I was before. I think its each to their own on this. I tried every thing and due to medical reasons i had to go on HRT. But I can honestly say my life was completely unbearable before I started the HRT and Im glad i have, its low dosage one im on and i know the risks.im sorry to hear about your sister joanmul. I dont think ill be staying on it long term but i will be on it for a while until i get myself better

acermaple

Jess16 wrote: »

When my Mum was going through this recently, Black Cohosh is a supplement that came highly recommended by a pharmacist friend of mine.

Be interested to hear if has anyone else tried this, a friend has also recommended it to me but wasn't too sure what symptons it relieves.

marywary

Have also been experiencing very bad symptoms which I have found distressing to say the least. Whilst night sweats are bad, the hot flushes during the day are unbearable especially since I also work in a customer facing role. Its so embarrassing when I feel a flush coming on, apart from my face and neck turning bright red, my face also becomes drenched in sweat and I can feel it running down me. This has been happening for months but am really against taking HRT as there has been breast cancer in the family.

Anyway, I have been drinking half a litre of light soya milk for the last week, a glass in the morning and a glass in the evening and last night I slept all night without waking for the first time in months! Today I have only had very mild flushes with no excessive sweating. Here's hoping I can say the same tomorrow!

Morag

Glad that is working out for you.
IUS are now being used to combat some of sympathums and as a type of HRT.
May not be suitable for every woman but it's another option.