Menopause Herbal

Has anyone taken herbal oestrogens do they work?

I am getting Symptoms Of Menopause like night sweats, aches fuzzy head dizzy spells etc, that point to a drop in oestrogen levels, I thought about trying the natural herbal oestrogen replacements, but there are so many. Has anyone taken them and did they actually work?

No.

In the UK, a recent national guideline from Clinical Knowledge Summaries states that "CKS does not recommend the use of complementary therapies". The reasons include:

* They have not been shown convincingly to work very well.
* There is very little control over the quality of the products available, which may vary.
* Some of these treatments (ginseng, black cohosh, and red clover) have oestrogenic properties and should not be used in women who should not take oestrogen (for example, women with breast cancer).
* Long-term safety (for example, effects on the breast and lining of the uterus) have not been assessed.
* Some may have serious side-effects. For example, severe liver damage has been reported with black cohosh and Java. Kava has been withdrawn from the UK market because of concerns over safety.
* Dong quai and some species of red clover contain chemicals called coumarins, which make them unsuitable if you take anticoagulants (such as warfarin).

A consensus statement from the British Menopause Society also states ...

"This guidance regarding alternative and complementary therapies is in response to the increased use of these strategies by women who believe them to be safer and more ‘natural’. The choice is confusing. Evidence from randomised trials that alternative and complementary therapies improve menopausal symptoms or have the same benefits as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is poor. A major concern is interaction with other treatments, with potentially fatal consequences. Some preparations may contain estrogenic compounds, and this is a concern for women with hormone-dependent diseases, such as breast cancer. Concern also exists about the quality control of production."

For night sweats you could try Clonidine. You need to have a chat with your GP really.

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