I am weighing up my continued approach to managing perimenopause. At the moment I am on HRT (Oestrogel and Utrogestan) and have to say am still struggling with getting doseage right perhaps but in the meantime struggling with symptoms associated with perimenopause.
I am seeing growing research around the fact that there are 'other' more natural methods for managing menopause and I have to say so far, I am not convinced that what I am doing is going to help me feel drastically better any sooner than other more holistic methods. Besides that, I see that even though these are classed as bio idential??? that nevertheless these are still hormones in my body and if I am replacing those that are destined to decrease, this feels an awful lot like I am messing with the rhythm of my body in a similar way to taking a contraceptive pill. Also, how long do people take them for? Perimenopause can last years. Besides that I see that across the world others do not view menopause like we do in the UK and necessarily dose themselves up with stuff either but neither do they necessarily have all the symptoms either I guess.
I wondered if people would share their approaches with me and why they opted for what they have?
I am seeing that a combination of supplements such as Black Cohosh, Agnus castus, Ginkgo Biloba perhaps can do wonders and would like to understand how successful others have found them to be too.
Thanks in advance
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SandraCC
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My sister swears by Clary Sage for hot flushes. I tried Black Cohosh but it did nothing for me (also prolonged dosage/ excess can be harmful to some- Hidden recently advised on this). I bought the Gottfried Protocol book & doing it useful for suggestions to help with different symptoms ( eg linseed & Macca powder were suggested to me when I filled in a questionnaire of symptoms)
Thanks for this - I have yet to try Black Cohosh but Clary Sage sounds more like what I need anyway because I do have cramps intermittently but more often than not
I’m having leg aches/ cramps- have had this before with low b12 and thyroid medication not optimal. However, I’m thinking new aches to lower legs/ feet may be linked to peri menopause. I’m currently trying Dr Vogel’s horse chestnut gel- it’s cooling but sticky. I’m preferring frankincense oil mixed in a carrier (I like almond oil) as this smells nice & relaxes muscles.
Hi some women have no problem with the menopause and others like myself struggled and needed something , I took Aguaje which is from the Peruvian Rainforests I was lucky in that my nephew imported it, his wife is Peruvian , however I can't recommend this because due to its popularity there is alot of fake Aguaje out there.It was good for me during menopause but I don't need it anymore as I have come through the menopause , I occasionally have pregnenolone, I have a couple of glasses of red wine every day and this is a good source of estrogen.
You said you are taking utrogestan I understand that to be a natural bio identical form of progesterone, so you are lucky that your GP prescribed this , I don't know about the oestrogel but it could be very strong stuff if it is pharmaceutical estrogen the side effects being bloated tummy and feeling off, it really is a case of getting the balance right, check out pregnenolone and wild yam
Hi there, I have been trialling and erroring for quite a while now and really I am concerned about depending on something such as this long term, particualry as I am not seeing any real benefits. Glad you got through menopause unscathed 😊
You will get through it too, I wouldn't be concerned about depending on hrt, why don't you ease off estrogen and see if that helps , what symptoms are you having ?
I am having night sweats, memory loss and weight gain. I know the latter is supposedly all part and parcel of this time of life but I am currently following a tailored plan which I should be having success with as I am following to the letter and although initially I had some consistent small weight loss (I was grateful for that considering how hard it is to lose at this time of life), funnily enough the majority of that was when I had paused taking oestrogel. Weight has been static for the last 5 weeks. I was told to reintroduce oestrogel after having bloods done which showed my oestrogen levels at < 18 where I was told that low oestrogen can also prevent weight loss. So I have re-introduced first 1/2 a pump now 1 pump. When I was on 2 pumps i lost nothing and experienced weight gain all around abdomen and heightened symptoms.
I am also experiencing similar symptoms that I used to get prior to my period so minor to more prominent cramping so much so that I feel like I could start my period but then the pain recedes though it is only perhaps a few days a month that it is absent altogether. I have been trying the HRT and working on tweaking it for months now and I really just dont feel significantly better at all or really even somewhat. There was mild
It used to help me yes, I still take it bc it is good for hormone balance , I take 2x 1000 mg capsules every day , do you think any of these symptoms are due to underactive thyroid ? Did you show signs of hashimotos or just hypothyroidism ? Oestrogen dominance can trigger autoimmune disorders such as hashimotos? Progesterone moderates estrogen
AFAIK thyroid issues have been ruled out - I had full panel done last year and at that time had oestrogen dominance so I guess thats one thing I dont need to consider just now. I am on progesterone too and have been taking DIM to combat oestrogen dominance also. In the meantime thank you for the tip re evening primrose
if you get a copy of your medical records with blood results and reference ranges that might help. thyroid can fluctuate and knowing exactly what the tests showed including ranges can be essential, in my family i can’t count the amount of times people have been told things are ‘fine’ and after some digging they are far from it. fine and optional are very different and sadly i don’t rely on my GP to interpret my results now i test myself every 6 months, it’s exhausting
i’m just always cautious of hearing people taking hormones without first of all testing to see what their levels are. i got my day 3 tested by medichecks ( i’m getting them done by thriva this time around as i didn’t like medichecks customer service). i got my day 21 done alongside cortisol with regenerus ( saliva testing which doctors don’t like but i found useful)i would read up on testing to see if it’s right for you.
my testing showed my cortisol was normal so that helped me exclude the need to take anything to “lower cortisol” which i see some websites advocate
my day 3 showed my FSH and LH hormones were out of whack and possibly in early menopause. i’m retesting them this month to see what patterns i can identify
the day 21 test showed my oestrogen was dominant in relation to my progesterone.
if i would have added oestrogen that would have made my symptoms worse, which is why i believe people should try to test their hormones first and where i feel GP’s let people down if they give them hormones without testing.
I had a full panel of tests last year and it was on that basis that we stopped me taking oestrogel for a time. My most recent reading was <18 for oestrogen and this aligned with my symptoms which were as outlined night sweats, memory loss and weight in mid area, the latter which can also apparently be caused by not enough oestrogen. If it had been left to my GP to manage this I would never have had any testing at all!
I’ve had success managing peri menopause by using the quizzes and supplements in Sara Gottfried Hotmone Cure, hot flushes reduced and gone after approx 2 weeks, belly fat reducing. And the thing that blew me away was my Medichecks Well Woman ultra vit GP report stated:
‘Your follicle stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone are still very high. This is not in keeping with your normal oestradiol. The high follicle stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone are typically seen in the menopause however we would normally expect to see low oestradiol levels during this time. This may be an expected finding if you are using any oestradiol related medications such as hormone replacement therapy.’
I’m not taking anything apart from following the Gottfried protocol, supplements etc - amazing to see it in blood results 😍
Aw, that’s fab to hear! She’s such a game changer - I’ve also started following her on Facebook and Instagram as she often shares really helpful talks and videos 😍
That’s what worked for me 🤩The Hormone Cure: Reclaim Balance, Sleep and Sex Drive; Lose Weight; Feel Focused, Vital, and Energized Naturally with the Gottfried Protocol smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/14516...
It’s a bit of a list, as stuff for thyroid too, but here goes:
D3
K2
B complex
Omega 3
Maca
Vitamin C
Magnesium
Ashwahaganda
L-Theanine - amazing for stress/anxiety
Vitamin E
CoQ10
Turmeric
Selenium
Zinc
And a spore probiotic
I get resistant to taking them every so often and have a break, then I feel crap and get sweats, so get back on them 🤣 I really should just be consistent.
Oh yes, I recognise many of these. I have been or am on at least some of them. What do you take CoQ10 for? Maca? I see you take L-Theanine - amazing for stress/anxiety but doesnt Magnesium also do that too?
Its great that you have found a combination that works for you by the way 😀
Hey Sandra, I take the coq10 initially for energy release, but great for heart health, migraine and antioxidant too.
Maca, is adaptogenic for menopause, also good for anxiety and mood. It’s part of Gottfried protocol for balancing hormones.
L-Theanine is great alongside magnesium as it is calming but the big benefit I find is it improves focus at the same time (it’s in green tea) so great as alternative to caffeine that doesn’t stress out adrenals; I avoid caffeine. Also improves sleep if taken later in the day, which sounds weird, I know! Lovely calm but focussed feeling with it. My friend swapped out antidepressants for it and found same benefits without side effects (but I’m not recommending anyone comes of antidepressants without support).
I forgot to mention, I also found cutting out alcohol massive in improving energy, hormones etc, we need liver on top form to process hormones. I do like a drink, but these days I really suffer after it. Charcoal helps if I do, but I function much better if I don’t ☺️
This is result of many years of trial and measuring what what works for me 🤩
Thanks for your response Ashanat - I also suffer with alcohol after I have it. I have a drink once a week, only wine, but if I dont mix it with soda well enough, I will struggle badly. You say charcoal, again, can you share how you use it for that purpose?
I tend to have lots of ice in mine to water it down 🤣.
Activated charcoal, you can find cheaply on Amazon, one capsule with alcohol or after. My friends used to laugh when I handed out capsules on nights out, but now they buy it 🤩
This explains better than I can, I believe it’s commonly used in hospital for drug and alcohol overdoses.
‘Superheating natural sources of carbon, such as wood, produces activated charcoal. The black powder stops toxins from being absorbed in the stomach by binding to them. The body is unable to absorb charcoal, and so the toxins that bind to the charcoal leave the body in the feces’
‘The manufacture of activated charcoal makes it extremely adsorbent, allowing it to bind to molecules, ions, or atoms. In this way, it removes these from dissolved substances.
Making activated charcoal involves heating carbon-rich materials, such as wood, peat, coconut shells, or sawdust, to very high temperatures.
This ‘activation’ process strips the charcoal of previously absorbed molecules and frees up bonding sites again. This process also reduces the size of the pores in the charcoal and makes more holes in each molecule, therefore, increasing its overall surface area.
As a result, one teaspoon full of activated charcoal has more surface area than a football field.’
I think that last bit is so cool!! 🤣🤣clearly I need to get out more ☺️
I am afraid that there is very little scientific evidence that activated charcoal has any effect on hangovers or cleansing the liver. Our liver is perfectly capable to get rid of toxins without any help whatsoever. The only thing that makes the liver more efficient is a higher temperature, e.g when we have a slight fever!
Activated charcoal is used in poisoning, as it can bind things. If you are ingesting it without any 'medicinal' reason, it will bind all sorts of things including your medicine, minerals and vitamins in your food! It can actually reduce the absorption of your medications - not a scenario you want to find yourself in.
Thanks Tina, I can only speak from my personal experience and that of friends and family. I’ve found it very effective, particularly when detoxing.
You’re right about keeping it away from vitamins and medicine etc, I should have mentioned I always leave a minimum of 4 hours on the odd occasion I take it ☺️
Hi SandraCC I find this site useful. Although private, there is a huge range of resources and free stuff, including podcasts, on the perimenopause and menopause:newsonhealth.co.uk/
Hi Zebra, thanks for the link, lots of information on there. I notice they seem to advocate for HRT, in fact one of their testimonials states that increasing hers made her weight change - what approach do you follow, natural or HRT?
Hi SandraCC My menopause symptoms started 15 years ago (sounds terrible!) with vaginal atrophy (when I was 48, I am now 63) and I was prescribed a plethora of creams and gels which I found very difficult to manage even though I persevered. I have never had hot flushes but my main symptoms as time went on were aching muscles and joints, the dryness and a continuous state of anxiety/high alert (never before experienced) which meant I was exhausted and over-emotional. I was worn out and so was everyone else in the family! I was offered medication for depression, for anxiety and for insomnia (all in one appointment! ) and I just felt I didn't want to take all that - or need it - (this was before I was hypothyroid so at least I didn't have that complication). I went for an HRT tablet which I was happy with and which resolved all my symptoms. After about three years, I started to worry about taking HRT (there is always something, isn't there!) to the extent that I felt I should stop taking it so I came off it and moved onto an E-string (a brilliant vaginal ring with low oestrogen) and that worked well for a few years, but then I found it was not sufficient anymore - presumably as my own oestrogen levels continued to fall - and so went for the patch about five years ago, which is where I am now, and which suits me very well. Menopause and HRT and natural approaches can all be very difficult to decide upon because we are all different and people can have strong views - and be quite judgemental!; I don't tell people I take it anymore unless they are genuinely interested in my experience, because I have had people telling me what risks I am taking and how irresponsible I am - and it makes me feel guilty. They may be right but there are risks for me without taking it too. I don't know much about natural supplements for the menopause, but I do know that all the boring stuff helps (just like it helps with thyroid) such as rest, balanced diet and regular meal times, getting outside, not drinking too much alcohol and a form of exercise that you enjoy. I hope you get on all right and find something that works for you - and don't worry if you find you need to change your approach as time goes on if necessary.
Hi Zebra5,Thank you for being so open and candid with me. It sounds like you have been on quite a journey and, please excuse me for being naïve but you say 15 years 🙈. Small consolation but at least over the last few years you have had approaches that have largely ended up working for periods at a time.
In the meantime I will continue to investigate both natural and HRT approaches for menopause - I just hope that finally divine intervention takes place and whatever approach I end up on finally works and is zero - minimal risk on my health and wellbeing
Hi, I am in America and don't dose myself up. However, I do swear by Evening Primrose Oil for perimenopausal symptoms. I take 1300 mg a day. I have no hot flashes, no weight gain, sleep lovely with some added Magnesium at bedtime.Try the EPO. Give it a week or two, and report back.
I started full menopause when I was 49 and I was also interested in a more natural approach. Unfortunately for me, it was not possible. Like my grandmother and mother, I had a hot flush every hour day and night, certainly not productive if you are working and need a good night's sleep! I have a mirena (progesterone coil) and was prescribed an oestrogen only HRT (Elleste solo - 500mg). Why they can't produce a smaller dose is beyond me, as I found even this smallest dose too much. However, I played around with it and found that my symptoms are well controlled if I just take 2 or 3 of them a week. Sometimes I forget them and am reminded when I do get hotter. After 6 years, I have tried to wean myself off, but the flashes are still present, so thats not an option at present. I am not one for taking medicines when it is not necessary, but the studies that were done a while back linking HRT to breast cancer unfortunately were conducted on much older women with underlying health conditions and not corrected for previous hormone use. As a result, many women were denied hormone therapy and had to suffer. GPs still are not aware that the evidence has changed and try to scare you off. Well, they would look into it if it was affecting them badly!
Even if there were a small increase in breast cancer with therapy, this would be a very small risk and I am happy to take that risk, if it means that I have a much better quality of life. I am getting checked every 5 years, so that risk is minimal.
There are a lot of natural approaches to treat menopausal symptoms, some people seem to get benefit from it, some don't. The problem is, that none of them have been properly studied in randomised trials, and the ones who were tested, have mixed results. If some of it helps, then by all means. The only advise I would give is, don't buy the cheapest one and try to get them from a reputable manufacturer, so you can be sure that the quality is okay. The only one I would be very careful with is black cohosh, as there have been cases of liver damage associated with that supplement.
There are also some site that suggest to avoid gluten and dairy when you are entering the menopause - this is absolute nonsense and there is no scientific evidence to warrant a blanket approach.
Hope you will find what can help you, best of luck!
Hi Tina_Marie (incidentally do you know your name is that of a well known soulstress called Teena Marie? 😊). This is really helpful advice. Thank you for sharing your personal experience with me. Very interesting that you say that the oestrogen that you were given was too much and that you are playing around with it so to speak as I was originally put on 2 pumps oestrogel which I understand is 'standard.' However, this ultimately ended up being too much for me. Its hard to say but it is possible that there was a correlation between my symptoms 'improving' when I was told to stop taking the oestrogel for a time due to high oestrongen levels at the time ( over 800). If I think about it, the period between stopping and more recently when I guess the excess oestrogen would have been in decline and leaving my system, there has been a period of time where I have also been able to shed some pounds but that stopped recently. On advice I have re-introduced oestrogen but started slowly with half a pump and now on to one pump as I have now been told that due to low levels, this can also make the other syptomons more prevalent. Basically what I am trying to say is that you finding Ellesete 500 too much, perhaps for me, 2 pumps of oestrogel was too much too.
I do hear a lot about the testing of Supplements vs say HRT - I do think there are plusses and minuses to both and a whole range of testing for all of these elements that probably still need to be exhausted to eliminate fully any doubt of their suitability and safety for people. I really wish that some health professionals would hurry up and take the lead on such things so that we can all have a wealth of choice as to what we want to take to make us feel 'well'
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