Natural Remedies for Menopause Symptoms

You don't necessarily have to have a prescription medication in order to relieve the symptoms of menopause. There are many ways to get natural menopause relief. However, different things work for different women and what might work for a friend may not work for you. Herbal applications abound in drug stores and in health food stores and you will be able to purchase them without a prescription. You should follow the instructions on the bottle to the letter. It may take three months for any natural remedy to work so you will have to be patient.

Herbal remedies for menopause relief include black cohosh that can be taken in a capsule form. This herb has a tendency to lower blood pressure as well. Black cohosh seems to stop working after about six months in some women. There are a few side effects such as gas, nausea and vomiting.

Dong quai is an herb found in China that will help with hot flashes. It seems to have an ability to regulate unbalanced hormonal levels due to the phytoestrogens it contains. It's not known whether the herb works because it has effects that mimic the role of estrogen, or if it blocks estrogens within the body.

Chasteberry is another popular herb for relieving the symptoms of menopause. Chasteberry, either by itself or used in combination with other herbs like black cohosh and dong quai, tends to stabilize your hormone levels. It appears to work by restraining the secretion of prolactin from the pituitary gland.

St. John's Wort will treat the depression caused by menopause, and when used with black cohosh it seems to provide a lot of relief from all menopausal symptoms. But be careful because taking this herb will make you sensitive to the sun and not only will you get sunburned more easily, the sun will stop the herb from working. In any case, it stops working after about 2 years.

Vitamin E also seems to have the ability to reduce hot flashes, as does soy. You can take Vitamin E in capsule form, and soy can be ingested by eating soy milk, tofu, green soybeans, also called edamame, or by eating soy nuts.

Some things to avoid when going through menopause that can spur some of the symptoms are coffee, alcohol, hot and spicy food. Make an effort to reduce the stress in your life. Using ice packs when a hot flash hits is sometimes beneficial and it has been shown that exercise reduces hot flashes. Never take a hot bath or shower before bedtime to reduce the risk of night sweats.

You can also go to the health food store and get some other suggestions from their knowledgeable staff. Just remember to keep taking the remedy for at least 3 months to see if it will work. Any less and you are wasting your time and money since it sometimes takes that long for the benefits to show. Always check with your physician before using any herbal remedies because they may severely conflict with certain medications, both prescription and non-prescription.