Herbal Remedies And Complementary Medicines For Menopause Symptoms

Find out more about using herbal remedies and complementary medicines for menopause symptoms.

Health shops sell a variety of products to treat menopause symptoms. But they're not tested and regulated in the same way as medicines such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), so it's not known how safe and effective they are.

It's a good idea to ask a GP or pharmacist for advice if you're thinking about using a complementary therapy.

Herbal remedies that are sometimes taken for menopause symptoms include:

• evening primrose oil
• black cohosh
• angelica
• ginseng
• St John's wort
• red clover

Herbal remedies such as red clover contain plant hormones that can act in a similar way to oestrogen, while black cohosh is believed to balance oestrogen and progestogen levels. These may help with some menopause symptoms but this is not supported by scientific evidence.

Even when there is some supporting evidence, there's uncertainty about the right doses to use and whether the health benefits last.

Some of these remedies (especially St John's wort) may also cause serious side effects if they're taken with other medicines.

These products are often marketed as "natural", but this does not necessarily mean they're safe. The quality, purity and ingredients cannot always be guaranteed, and they may cause unpleasant side effects.

Find out more about herbal remedies

Bioidentical or "natural" hormones

Bioidentical hormones are made from plant sources and are described as being similar or identical to human hormones.

Some people claim that these hormones are a "natural" and safer alternative to standard HRT medicines.

However, bioidentical hormones are not recommended because:

• they're not regulated and it's not clear how safe they are - there's no good evidence to suggest they're safer than standard HRT
• it's not known how effective they are in reducing menopause symptoms
• the balance of hormones used in bioidentical preparations is usually based on the hormone levels in your saliva, but there's no evidence that these levels are related to your symptoms

Body identical hormones are different. Because they have been regulated, tested and thoroughly researched, they can be prescribed to treat menopause symptoms.

Many standard HRT hormones are made from natural sources, but unlike bioidentical hormones, they're closely regulated and have been well researched to make sure they're as effective and safe as possible.

If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.