My wife has been suffering through menopause for about 6 years now and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. She is ok except for the hot flashes and then the chills that sometimes follow. She has tried: hormone replacement therapy (Premarin), Progestrin cream, Black Cohosh, Exercise.

She hasn't had a good nights sleep for a long time and we are getting a bit desperate for some relief. She would really rather not going back to the Premarin but she had the most relief from that; still bad but better. She would really like not to take a drug that is manufactured from pregnant mares urine. (or any drug for that matter)

Thanks for any ideas/advice. Doug & Jo

-- Doug in KY (toadshutes@yahoo.com), August 07, 2001

Answers

I have friends who have great success with soy .1 cup of milk a day helps them .Also look into all natural products .A friend had a total removal at 32 and is taking all natural products with great success

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), August 07, 2001.

According to my naturopath, the alternating hot/cold is more related to immunity problems than menopause. She is a practioner of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and has me taking something called Xiao Chai Hu Tang. I get mine directly from her, but I see they're available on the web. It's not cheap, but some of the web prices are inflated. Here's a site that gives more information about this particular herb: http://www.thebody.com/pwa/sskt.html I wish I could tell you that this has given me spectacular relief, but all I can say is that it has made it somewhat better.

I am peri-menopausal myself. I wonder if there is a connection between that and immunity problems, but really don't know. Following are some links regarding hormonal changes and levels that may be of use:

http://www.johnleemd.com/

http://www.life-flo.com/

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), August 07, 2001.

I don't have first hand knowledge, but have heard good things about soy. It is supposed to really help.

-- Mona in OK (modoc@ipa.net), August 07, 2001.

You may wish to do some research into Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Our society's diet is extremely deficient in O-3's, and this has been linked to most of our society's major health problems.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), August 07, 2001.

I've been drinking soy milk for 5 years now and it REALLY helps. Was reccomended by my Doctor too. They carry it in bigger stores in the dairy case or do as I did and ask the dairy manager if they could order it. Now its one of their best sellers!Look also in the archives too for recipes on making your own.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), August 07, 2001.

No personal experience, of course, but I also have heard good things about soy. Also see advertisements here for clover-based products (particularly red clover, but subterranean clover would work as well), and I know there are good reasons why they could work. Too much clover (which contains a female hormone analogue) causes problems in wethers who can't produce their own competing testosterone.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 07, 2001.

I have had very similiar symptoms and found a great deal of relief from natural progesterone (prometrium). The creams were not consistent and were not always absorbed evenly. It might be worth a try. Three 100 mg. capsules of prometrium in the evening on a 14 day cycle, with 14 days off is the appropriate dosage. This is based on an endocrinologist that specializes in women's issues advice for peri and menopausal women. A side benefit is the preventive nature of prometrium for breast cancer and its ability to induce sleep.

-- Cindy Clarke (rclarke@revelstoke.net), August 07, 2001.

Try taking Don Quai for a while and, in the meantime, for sleepless nights, take Valerian Root(tea or caplet). It has the same effect as Valium. (Both have worked for me and several friends, but, like anything, if there are severe side effects by all means STOP taking them.)

-- MelleJan (janado@msn.com), August 08, 2001.

I was recommended all the raspberries or raspberry tea I could take. It did help and for some reason the soy made the flashes worse.

-- norma russell (logger@ut1.com), August 08, 2001.

I had a couple of friends with the same problem. They started taking Wild Mexican Yam (its a herb). Cleared it up for both of them.

-- Stacia in OK (OneClassyCowgirl@aol.com), August 08, 2001.

I have gone through "hell" with this too, what works best is a total body approach, diet and progesterone cream, and the best progesterone cream is Emerita, available from www.emerita.com, they have made this for over 25 years and all creams are NOT the same!

She should also take red clover extract, flaxseed oil capsules, at least 800 mg. of magnesium (essential for good sleep!!!), 1200mg. of calcium CITRATE, 100mg. of B-complex, and really eliminate as much meat and refined sugars as she can. Soy, from ORGANIC soy milk and other organic products, really helps most women, plus it helps reduce your chance of breast cancer as well. And men, it helps reduce your chance of prostate cancer too!!!

The premarin, and even the other plant source estrogens taken as a prescription drug, are not healthy for long term use, and they just suppress the symptoms, not treat the source of the hormone imbalance. Treat the source, and she will feel better. Our "American-style" diet is the primary cause of this imbalance, Asian and African women have no trouble at all with menopause.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), August 08, 2001.

check out rosemary gladstar's NATURAL HEALING FOR WOMEN. lots of good suggestions. soy, soy cheese, soy milk are all good. also try adding unrefined oils...such as safflower. t

-- marcee king (thathope@mwt.net), August 08, 2001.

Each of us is so different. What works for me won't necessarily work for others. I don't want to sound silly but I am serious. The best thing I did for myself was to get spayed! It has been 20 years now and I can't tell you what a joy it has been. I didn't realize just how much I had been dragged down by all the "female" problems until they were gone! Never had a moments regret and I can't imagine anyone going through that stuff when it is so easy to put it all behind you. No drugs, no worries, one size fits all!

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), August 12, 2001.

Doug,many have suggested good things. I have been dealing with this myself for several years now and have found a couple things that work for me that haven't been mentioned. I started taking evening primrose oil gel caps for extremely dry skin and noted an immediate drop in hot flashes and joint pains, as well as relief from the dry skin. I also have discovered that for me diet plays a role in hot flashes and nightsweats. Caffine and/or red meat will increase the number and intensity of both. I deal with waking up by getting up and taking the dogs out to pee, me in to pee and getting a drink of water, pretending the dogs got me up seems to help me get back to sleep easier. If that doesn't work, I keep professional journals near my bed, they put me right out (day or night). I know how hard it is function after sleepless nights, I work with children with special needs as case manager and classroom teacher, so I need my wits about me. My memory seems to have been affected recently as well as well as my emotions (feeling sad and/or lacking energy without any apparent cause) I've done a lot of reading recently and it appears that women are entirely individual with their symptoms and discomforts, but it seems that if the change to childbearing years, pregnancy and post partum periods were difficult, then this change tends to be difficult as well. I had trouble dealing with the symptoms at the beginning because I was single parenting, working full time and attending graduate school 3/4 time. I was able to relieve many symptoms by taking a low dose birth control pill for several years. When I stopped, I took StJohn's Wort for several months for the feeling of sadness and detachment that followed the removal of the female hormones from my body (in the amounts the body had become used to.) This 'depression' is one that I had also experienced in my child bearing years when I had stopped using the birth control pill before I conceived my first child. I'm looking forward to this new time in my life, my mother says it's the best yet, as a new adventure-akin to the one that motherhood has been. Helping your wife know that she is still a lovely, femine and desireable woman would probably help her emtionally during this time. I know that that was hard for me to come to grips with as a single woman since our current society seems to worship youth and think that all single people should be more sexually concerned than married people should be. (Has anyone else noticed that?) Before I start to ramble let me just say that from my reading it seems that many things that eventually help in the long run may take up to 6 MONTHS to begin to work and may actually make things appear WORSE for much of that time. If your wife is really unable to function (and it appears that you feel she is having a difficult time) this is the time to consult professionals. Some women find relieve in herbs, some in alternative medical practices, some conventional western medical treatments. The one thing it appears that helps ALL women is a good diet and a good, very active exercise program. (and a loving partner who is willing to understand, know when to leave well enough alone, symthaize, etc.,it does appear to be akin to successfully living with a pregnant woman-over a longer peiod of time)Good luck to both of you and happy next stage of life to your wonderfully womanly wife. betty

-- betty modin (betty_m9@yahoo.com), August 14, 2001.