8 Natural Ways to EASE Menopause Symptoms`

8 Natural Ways to Ease Menopause Symptoms

If you want relief from hot flashes and night sweats without taking
estrogen, you’ve got several options. By Joan Starker, MSW, PhD
WebMD Answers to Questions

Question:

I’m going through menopause right now and my hot flashes are pretty
bad. With everything in the news now about HRT, I’m hoping I can take
something else for relief. What do you suggest?

Answer:

Suffering from hot flashes and/or night sweats but do not want to
take estrogen?

Here are some non-estrogen options:

1. Behavioral interventions
Wear layered cotton clothing. Avoid coffee, alcohol, spicy foods, and
stress! Sip cool drinks or use ice packs. Relaxation and deep,
abdominal breathing (6-8 breaths per minute) have been shown to
reduce hot flashes by about 40% when practiced as minimally as twice
per day. Eliminate hot baths or showers before bedtime.

2. Vitamin E
Some women experience a reduction in hot flashes when taking Vitamin
E. However, a placebo-controlled, randomized study evaluated vitamin
E supplements (800 IU/day for four weeks) for 120 breast cancer
survivors with hot flashes and found that vitamin E only marginally
decreased hot flashes.

3. Soy
The results of the research on soy are inconclusive and
contradictory. Some studies have found that soy has a positive effect
on hot flashes, whereas others suggest that there isn’t any
beneficial effect. Christiane Northup, MD, in her book The Wisdom of
Menopause, cites research that indicates that women who ate 60 grams
of soy protein per day in the form of a powdered drink mix had a 45%
reduction in hot flashes after 12 weeks. The following servings
contain about 35-50 mg of soy isoflavones: one cup soy milk, 1/2 cup
tofu, 1/2 tempeh,1/2 cup green soybeans (edamame), and three handfuls
of roasted soy nuts.

4. Natural progesterone cream
A study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1999
found that natural progesterone cream significantly reduced hot
flashes compared to the placebo group. In The Wisdom of Menopause,
Northrup says that a 2% progesterone skin cream works in about 85% of
perimenopausal women. A little as 1/4 tsp once per day can ease hot
flashes. Make sure that you read the labels of natural progesterone
cream products careful as there is great variability of progesterone
content. Some creams contain less than 5 mg progesterone per ounce,
whereas others contain more than 400 mg progesterone per ounce. This
can be obtained over the counter or by prescription.

5. Herbs
An isoflavone or plant estrogen derived from red clover, Promensil,
was found to significantly reduce the number and intensity of hot
flashes in a study conducted in 1998-99. However, an article by
Adriane Fugh-Berman, MD (The (National Health) Network News,
July/August 2002) states that trials of red clover were not effective
over placebo for hot flash reduction.

Probably the most common herbal remedy for hot flashes is black
cohosh. However, the results of trials have been mixed. Three
randomized, controlled trials found that black cohosh was as
effective as pharmaceutical estrogen in relieving hot flashes.
However, a placebo-controlled, randomized trial, involving 85 women
with a breast cancer history, found that black cohosh and placebo
similarly decreased the frequency and intensity of hot flashes.
However, the authors did note that black cohosh was significantly
more effective than placebo in reducing excessive sweating. Side
effects are rare but may include gastric discomfort, nausea, and
vomiting. It can, however, lower blood pressure. The general
recommendation is to use black cohosh for up to six months
continuously.

According to Northrup, the usual dose of Remifemin (a standardized
extract of black cohosh distributed by GlaxoSmithKline) is two
tablets (60 or 120 mg per tablet) twice per day. A woman can also
take black cohosh in any of the following forms, three times per day:
powdered root or as a tea, 1-2 g; solid, dry 4:1 powdered extract,
250-500 mg; fluid extract, 1:1 tincture, 4 mg (1 tsp, or about 5 ml).

Dong quai acts like an estrogen and can ease hot flashes for some
women. However, Lila Nachtigall, MD, in her book Estrogen states that
it is not recommended because it contains psoralen, a known
carcinogen.

6. Other prescription drugs
Low doses of antidepressants such as Effexor or Paxil have been
effective in reducing hot flashes. Clonidine, (Catapres), a drug
normally used to treat hypertension, can sometimes help relieve hot
flashes. However, it may lower normal blood pressure. A drug that has
been used in other countries and is undergoing clinical trials in the
U.S. is tibolone (marketed as Liviol). It has estrogen-like effects
on hot flashes but does not result in hyperplasia. As a result, this
drug may be a promising remedy. Megestrol acetate (Megace) is the
only type of progesterone that is FDA approved for women who have had
breast cancer and can help diminish the frequency and severity of
flashes. An article in Neurology reported on six women taking
gabapentin (neurontin) for seizures or migraines who had decreased
hot flash frequency and needs to be studied more extensively.

7. Acupuncture and yoga
The benefits of acupuncture and yoga for menopause symptoms haven’t
been carefully studied. Many women, however, say they help. One
Swedish study found that women who had acupuncture experienced relief
from hot flashes. The benefits lasted several months. Also, women are
increasingly turning to yoga to alleviate menopause symptoms. Suza
Francina in her book The New Yoga for People over 50 describes
specific yoga postures to alleviate hot flashes, night sweats, mood
swings and depression. Some yoga studios are now offering special
yoga classes for the menopausal woman.

8. Exercise, exercise, exercise!

Research shows that exercise alone can alleviate hot flashes. In one
study, aerobic exercise reduced the severity of hot flashes in 55% of
postmenopausal women. For many women choosing not to take HRT,
regular weight-bearing exercise and strength training can also help
maintain strong bones. Miriam Nelson, Ph.D, author of Strong Women
Stay Young, has done extensive research at Tufts University on the
benefits of weight training. Nelson compared two groups of healthy
postmenopausal women who were sedentary at the start of the program.
One group lifted weights for forty minutes twice a week; the other
group remained sedentary. The sedentary control group lost about two
percent of their bone density during the year, while the strength-
training women gained one percent in bone density. Another study of
menopausal women found a 3.5% increase in lumbar spine bone mineral
density among women who exercised, compared to a 2.7% decrease in the
group of women who didn’t exercise.

Joan Starker, PhD, MSW, a clinical social worker since 1970, has
spent a major portion of her career helping individuals cope with
normal life transitions such as midlife and menopause. A member of
the North American Menopause Society, she is on the advisory board of
the Oregon Menopause Network.

The opinions expressed herein are the guest’s alone and have not been
reviewed by a WebMD physician. If you have a question about your
health, you should consult your personal physician. This event is
meant for informational purposes only.

Updated April 10, 2003.
Originally published Aug. 5, 2002.