Alternative Remedies for Menopause Symptoms

The age a woman can expect to begin menopause is usually after 40 years. Women who have had to have a hysterectomy early in life can expect to experience menopause earlier. The symptoms for menopause include hot flashes, mood swings, irregular menstrual cycles, difficulty sleeping as the most common. There are a few options you can utilize to minimize menopause symptoms including prescription hormone replacement therapy or a variety of alternative remedies.

Herbs

The herbs used to relieve the symptoms of menopause contain an important compound called phytoestrogens that mimic estrogen in a woman's body. The list of traditional herbs is black cohosh, dong quai, flaxseed, evening primrose oil, soy, red clover, St. John's wort, ginko biloba, and chaste berry (vitex).

Ayureveda

Ayureveda menopause remedies target your mind body constitution. Menopause is considered the Vata (air) stage in life thus the remedies used to sooth the menopausal symptoms include but are not limited to ashwagandha, garlic, hawthorn berries, licorice, and sandalwood. To strengthen the female reproductive system saffron, kapikacchu, and wild peony are a few of the herbs most commonly used.

Chinese Herbal Medicine

Besides the herbs listed previously the Chinese herbs most commonly used to relieve menopausal symptoms include Red Date fruit, Huang Bai, Gan Cao (licorice root), Han Lian Cao, Xian mao Curculigo rhizome, and many others. The combinations of herbs are designed to not only relieve menopause symptoms but to also strengthen the immune system as well as the female body.

Natural Progesterone

Natural progesterone creams are made with Mexican wild yam. Mexican wild yam is the most widely used herb with over 200 million prescription medications created with its derivatives. There are studies that show women who use the cream made with Mexican wild yams increased their bone density by 25%.

DHEA

Another compound synthesized from Mexican wild yams is dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). DHEA is suppose to help with fatigue, increased libido, assist in weight loss, and perhaps even slow the aging process. However, there are concerns about women using DHEA since it is a male hormone, these include increase facial hair, depression, acne, jaundice, and increase risk of liver cancer.

Homeopathy

The use of homeopathy for menopause symptoms begins with making a list of your menopause symptoms. There are several homeopathy medications that you can select from, but choosing the right one will depend on your symptoms. To find the right menopause symptom remedy you can use the remedy finder available at ABC Homeopathy. See the resources for the link.

Warnings

Before using any OTC menopause drug be sure to check with your doctor. Herbs can create adverse reactions and counteract prescription medications. In some cases herbs can increase your blood pressure and thin your blood. Standard dosing instructions are on every package.

Resources

ABC Homeopathy

North American Menopause Society