Natural Remedies That Alleviate Menopause Symptoms

I have suffered from terrible food sensitivities which manifest as acne all over my face since I was in my 20's. When menopause hit five years ago, I developed devasting hot flashes, as well. I have tried everything for the acne and the hot flashes. I did realize that phytoestrogens (often promoted for hot flashes) where making my hot flashes worse and caused extreme breakouts and boils on my face. To make a long story short, after trying EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING plus buying an infrared sauna ($$$$), I added some psyllium to my routine because I had started milk thistle to attempt to clean my liver. After one or two doses of the psyllium, I noticed my skin feeling better and my hot flashes decreasing. I actually didn't know it was the psyllium at first, but deducted that it was the only completely new thing I had added (I had used milk thistle before which never helped that much and actually is a phytoestrogen itself). So, I started to experiment with the psyllium husk by adding it to my diet slowly but surely. My skin has not looked this good since I was probably 10 years old (I am 50). My allergies are decreasing and my hot flashes are almost non-existent. I have eaten very healthy for the past 25 years, never seeing a benefit to my skin even when I made/grew my own sprouts, kefir, kombucha, juices, etc. The psyllium is like a true miracle. My stomach began to bloat a bit as I have been in menopause (I just attributed it to that and getting older) but I am starting to see it flatten again. It has only been about 5 days, but I have never seen such a change in my system and my health issues. I have heard that fecal matter that is encrusted in your colon can prevent foods/vitamins etc. from being absorbed into your body and that the psyllium can scrub it away. I would get acne from every supplement, vitamin and food I ate (even vitamin D and C made me have eczema like skin eruptions), and I believe it was because my bowels have not been able to absorb them so they acted as toxins and came out through my skin. I believe psyllium may be the greatest health food that exists. I have spent years of my life looking for a cure and thousands and thousands of dollars. Psyllium seems to possibly be the answer to my problems and I hope others will take note, as it may be a simple cure for all our bodies.

I did google that book - the reviewer said she thought it would be about menopause and hormones but it was a chiropractor not giving info about a solution but rather about coming to his clinic....did you read the book? I'm wondering about ordering it but that's the only review I can find of it.

I wonder if it worked.

Do natural remedies carry the same risks as HRT?

Birth control pills work by supporting the estrogen level. The week you schedule a period you simply stop the estrogen pills. If soy were the equivalent of six birth control pills then women who use soy frequently would notice irregular or absent periods during their soy consumption. Has anyone experienced this?

Aniseed relieves menstrual pain, has anti-diabetic properties, prevents bad breath, and good indications for treating insomnia

Oh boy, thanks for posting, Rosemary. It validates some of the exact symptoms I am going through..thought I was going crazy.

Menopause is no joke.

I first heard about this from a Romanian woman. It's a Folk Remedy using Apple Cider Vinegar. Pat down the body with full strength vinegar before retiring to bed for night sweats. It works!

WORKED TEMPORARILY

Yes, this worked within 4 days but the only issue for me was I only 4 weeks of relief from this supplement & went right back to the hot flashes. I haven't found any miracle vitamins to help more than a few weeks out to 2 months relief.. I can not go on hormone replacement because the cancer risk is way too high for me.

I was having hot flashes all night and, to a lesser extent, during the day for several weeks in a row. Black Cohosh 540 mg, taken twice a day with breakfast and dinner, decreased my hot flashes immediately by about 80%.

My hot flashes became "warm" flashes. But even the warm flashes were waking me up several times a night, and if I wasn't overheating, I was freezing.

So I added a generic menopause supplement twice a day containing Damiana, Black currant seed oil, Chasteberry, Dong Quai, Wild Yam, Black Cohosh and Ginkgo bilobba plus Evening Primrose Oil 80mg twice a day.

That's a lot, I know! But my body temperature completely corrected itself immediately. 100%. My body's thermostat is working properly again. I sleep better, although still waking up - just not due to body temperature any more.

I first read about acv here when I had peri-menopause and that was a few years ago! Now I am entering menopause with fun(!) symptoms all ladies report. I started taking 1 teaspoon of acv first thing in the am before breakfast and within a week all symptoms dissipated. Besides that, I feel great with loads of energy. Very pleased.

May be the high iron content....

I take maca to help menopause. After a few days, no more hot flashes and less hair loss. I am also losing a few pounds but that have made changes to my diet and am exercising more so I can't say if the maca is aiding weight loss. I will continue!

I was having insomnia, dry eyes, liver pain, bloated, rash, weight gain of eight pounds hot flashes, cholesterol was high 250, uneasy feeling brain fog, and all of this was which was triggered from hormones, I hired two doctor, ND /MD and a nutritionist. My estrogen was really low. All my hormones were low . My doctor put me on plant-based hormones. Levels were checked a couple times to be sure my hormones were balanced. This stopped the hot flashed in it's tracks.

I started taking flax seed oil, sprinkled milled flax seed sprinkled on my food. I found a good quality multi-vitamin, mineral supplement, a bone, collagen supplements and good probiotics. With probiotics it is good a take a few different kinds. My doctor told me to get blue light filter computer glasses because the computer blue light messes with the body's internal clock the body thinks it is day instead of night which sets off a chemicals in the body.

I stopped eating after dark, because stress hormones are secreted causing blood pressure to not decrease during sleep which should normally happen, but body remains on high alert like it is during the day time instead of relaxing I used to stay up late which messes up your cortisol and hormones and this is what causes weight gain, Now I go to bed at 9:30pm on the dot, this is so important for the body to get adequate deep sleep.

I dropped the eight pounds plus two more pounds so ten pounds altogether. I'm a vegetarian, found that eating more of 85-90% raw vegan diet helped me so much I feel so much better, lighter and more aware. I eat Non Gmo organic foods. I realize everyone is different but for me it is perfect fit. My yoga practice is better, my mind is super clear, feel a deep inner peace. I do rebound 10 minutes. I also do an inversion board ten minutes a day it keeps me young and fresh looking, help my back stay aligned. We all age, it is important to really understand what is happening to the body and give it all the things it needs to stay healthy, and vital

Tried wild yam capsules as a way to eliminate hot flashes. If anything, it made them worse. Took 500mg twice a day for two months as I've read several people online saying 'it takes time to work'. No, it doesn't. It doesn't work at all. Just another natural product that does nothing -- a placebo effect at best, I would say.

At this point, I have tried everything 'natural' to get rid of hot flashes -- apple cider vinegar, sage, magnesium, black cohosh etc. Have been struggling for over a year plus spending a ridiculous amount of money on natural remedies. I finally, made an appointment with my doctor and am going to go on HRT. At least I know that works.

My naturopathic doctor is a hormone top expert and apparently has people fly from outside the country to see her for hormone balancing. I was under her care she put me on plant based bio-identical hormones, and 75 mg progesterone that was dissolvable I took in the evening .

Also, it is worth noting that some menopausal women will have anxiety, uneasiness, which they have never had in the past, progesterone helps with that and increasing 5HTP which will increase serotonin levels. You can ask your doctor for neurotransmitter test, this helps shed light on what is going on. Also B-12 vitamin E and magnesium helps as well, and altering your diet eliminating sugar, gluten and caffeine. Alkalizing two to three times a day helps a lot. I chose the 20 hour fast with 4 hour window to eat strategy daily by Dr. Fung.

I did both, stopped all sugar, gluten and took black cohosh twice a day at first and I no longer felt warm. I never really had hot flashes, just felt warmer than usual which felt uncomfortable to me. I now prefer the indoor temperature to be 67-68.

I have always used lime instead of deodorant and just leave it there. No rinsing. Works like a charm

I have to give credit where credit is due! I began having hot flashes and night sweats and it was miserable! Not exaggerating, every 1 1/2 hours around the clock! I always visit this website before I do anything else and found fellow sufferers talking about ACV. One in particular talked about ACV tablets. What a miracle! Again, not exaggerating.....within 2 days of taking the tablets every single hot flash and night sweat was gone!

I bought Apple Cider Vinegar 625 mg. tablets and I took 2 tablets in the morning, 2 in the afternoon and 2 about an hour before bed. I don't know how it works, but I don't care! It's been 6 months and I now tell everyone that I know about this! They are large and I have always had trouble with pills, but I find taking it with juice or soda followed by a glass of water works well. My coworker and sister in law are now true believers also! Thank you to all who take the time to post to this site!

I have been in menopause for 2 years. I'm 45, and have been taking BSM and ACV with baking soda for two weeks. Also just got a period! But with lots of cramps :( I am going to try to keep going because I read that you feel like crap while your body re-adjusts. It was certainly unexpected!

You have to use unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses. That's the one they doesn't cause you to bleed more.

Vitamin E Works! I breezed right through all the signs of change of life by daily taking 800 IU of vitiamin E . My sisters were have a fit taking hormones. I wasn't sure I was in menopouse until my monthly stopped flowing. That how smooth it was.

I suffer from headaches and hot flashes due to fluctuating hormones (I'm 50). Tonight my headache had been particularly bad and I was thinking that I would not be getting very much sleep. After reading your post, I jumped up and made myself a drink of 2 TBS of organic apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp of baking soda and a small amount of agave nectar for taste. I then added a cup of purified water to it and drank. Almost instantly (literally ~30 seconds later) my headache was (and still is) gone. I don't even want to talk about it for fear it's all "in my head." But there you go. I feel awfully better!!!

Thank you so much "Mama to many" for all your wonderful tips on progesterone use. I really do appreciate you taking the time to give me such a detailed explanation/suggestions. Thank you again and God Bless......

Dear Loraine,

Here is my 2 cents on progesterone cream. I have used it with great results on and off over the last 10-12 years or so. (Mostly off. I have just used it as needed here and there.) I have not noticed any long term side effects. (Nor short term, for that matter.) It has helped with what I needed it for. (Regulating cycles when they were "off.") At the same time, I have read that "natural" progesterone is not really that natural. I know a naturopath who says she wouldn't touch it with rubber gloves. Rachel Weaver, an herbalist whom I have learned much from, recommends it when all else has failed. She considers it to be a "big gun" and not to be used carelessly. Personally, I am comfortable using it when my other options are not working.

Have you tried Evening Primrose Oil or any of the herbs that are commonly recommended during menopause? (i.e. Black Cohosh, Vitex, Damiana, etc?) I know there are some herbal formulas out there for this season of life. However, I am just starting to learn about it myself (I am 47.) so I don't have any hard and fast recommendations. Plus, it seems that everyone is different so there is not likely a one size fits all solution.

Hope I haven't muddied the waters worse than they were....as I said, it is just my 2 cents. Do let us know what you try and what helps!

~Mama to Many~

Hey EC.....Quick question which I hope someone can answer. I am thinking of using some progesterone since I am approaching menopause to balance out my whacked out hormones. The thing is after checking out different products online, I noticed that on some of the products, it clearly states that in the state of California, progesterone use can cause cancer. Now this scared the heck out of me. I know that one should not mess with their hormones but since mine was low, I figured why not use some to help me out in this transition but I have to say I was quite taken aback with this disclosure. Any help from you great people would be highly appreciated. Thanks guys

Thanks Timh for your response.

Lauren: You should surely benefit from the correct amount of these hormones. Start w/ a low dose of either and slowly work your way to a maximum dose.

For DHEA 10mg - 50mg. Pregnenolone 10mg - 50mg.

For more info read the book Your Hormoneous Life by Calvin Ross.

Hey EC....Since I hit menopause, I am considering using Dhea/Pregnonolone to help with hormonal/adrenal issues. Your input on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone.....hoping for a quick response.

I started taking DIM with calcium d-gluconate for menopause symptoms/hormone issues, specifically breast pain. I have been on it for about a month and the breast pain has almost completely gone away. I am hoping that the DIM will work to balance my hormones and help me lose the unexplained weight that I've gained over the last few years (estrogen dominance?) Time will tell.

Hi Elsa, Regarding the internal shaking - I get this on and off, and a few years ago I had it really bad, but what helped me the most was progesterone cream. I didn't need estrogen, that seemed to make it worse. I just started using 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. of progesterone cream on my inside wrists, and the shaking disappeared. I felt calmer, so much better.

I have low levels of estrogen and progesterone. They told me I was in the peak of menopause. During this time I have been dealing with internal shaking, sometimes a dull headache behind my right eye, nausea. It is like a moter idleling, or a cell phone was dropped inside your body, a cat purring inside of you, I can go on and on about how it feels. I started BHRT, and that lessoned the sensation, then it came on again. I tried another HRT, with only 1 of the 3 estrogens needed for my body that I was low in. They also found cysts in my overies and a fibroid mass inside my uterus. My question is has anyone found something to help with the with internal shaking, is it due to the menopause? Are they (Doctors) noticing more and more women are having this particular symptom, and looking into it? any answers would be welcomed.

Hot flashes stopped when my ND gave me a supplement containing extract of rhubarb root, it works fast, but pricey. I'm also taking organic unsulphered blackstrap molasses, 1 tablespoon twice daily, and one high quality (no soy) Vitamin E 400 IU's and a multiple vitamin. No hot flashes anymore.

Menopause may cause hair loss, tiredness, bloating, dry skin, skin changes , anxiety, mood changes, hot flashes, sweating, night heat, I think it just an overall feeling of being uncomforable... the next symptom is something that surprised me inner shaking and trembling feeling is from low estrogen!

Two ND's and my chinese medicine doctor told me NO soy products, because it is not processed correctly in our country unless you located old style genuine organic tofu maker. Vitamin E (not soy based) magnesuim citrate and vitamins B and D I think for the skin the best product is taking 2 tablespoons flax seed oil a day for week then back dow to 1 tablespoon a day and buy the best quality primrose oil helps 1 tablespoon molasses daily relieves hot flashes!