Supplements

Consider starting Magnesium at bedtime and a good brand of Omega 3 fish oil. Most of the time, these supplements are extremely safe but always check with your doctor first, especially if you have any kidney disorder or take a blood thinner!  Magnesium helps with the anxiety/irritability part and also prevents the headaches associated with menopause.  Fish oil is a great anti-inflammatory agent and I even heard from my patients it helps them think faster and clearer.

 Botanicals

One of the best-known remedies is Black cohosh and it can be  pretty efficient, especially combined with other plants like St. John’s Wort. Even used as a tea in the evening, it has an additional effect on stress reduction. Both botanicals are not a good choice if you have liver disease and St. John’s Wort can interfere with quite a few medications! So, again, checking with your doctor is a must.

In addition to that, I would suggest:

– an adaptogen such as Ashwagandha to support your adrenals;

– Maca powder, especially if taken in the morning.  It can increase your energy, libido and hormone levels.

– Sage tea, 3-4 cups a day, is especially good for hot flashes.

Make sure you get your supplements from a reputable health store for both safety and efficiency purposes.

Finally, if you decide to use hormonal replacement for menopause try to take the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration possible. Consider bioidentical hormone therapy if possible since their structure is like ours.  I also like trans dermal (patch) form in terms of safety.

And keep in mind that 50% of women experience recurrent symptoms after discontinuing the hormonal treatment!  So, try using all the above methods prior to, during, instead of, or after hormonal replacement, as they could be extremely helpful.

Consider the potential risks and benefits of each available treatment!

But menopause hormonal testing is not needed most of the time, unless we are trying to rule out an adrenal fatigue or a thyroid problem for example. The same is true for adjusting the dose.  Your doctor should rely more on how you feel and how your symptoms are changing rather than testing.

I will group my thoughts on what can help you feel better during menopause in two short posts – this is a lot of information, and we don’t need to be additionally overwhelmed right now!  Let’s start with the basics:

Most of the time, I would suggest to make sure there is no major nutrient deficiency or imbalance by using something like Spectracell or Genova blood testing. Such imbalance is known to possibly play a role in slowing down your hormone production.  The same is true for adjusting the dose.  Your doctor should rely more on how you feel and how your symptoms are changing rather than testing.

Exercise and stress reduction techniques are extremely important in this phase of your life.  And they work!  Based on numerous studies, the effects don’t take long to show up and help you feel better. Start with something easy like the 4-7-8 relaxing breath: inhale while counting to 4, hold your breath while counting to 7, and exhale all the way to 8.  It’s easy and really works for everything including bad traffic!

 Diet: I always start with discussing the anti-inflammatory diet, eliminating sugar, processed foods are among the most important first steps. Certain foods like flax seed and organic non-GMO soy can help as well, due to their phytoestrogen content.

The conclusion? Women who should not or do not want to take hormones may turn to herbal and nutritional therapies for managing their menopausal symptoms and risk factors.

These natural therapies are increasingly popular and have a growing body of scientific evidence to support their efficacy.

Supplements, botanicals and essential oils will be covered in my next post.

Feel better!