Complimentary therapies/natural remedies
If you are struggling with menopause symptoms and do not want to consider Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) or are unable to take HRT then many women will consider Complimentary / Alternative therapies or Herbal /natural remedies to help relieve their symptoms.
The major menopause societies around the world (so the Australian, British, European, International and North American menopause societies) are aligned in their views on such alternatives. There is research that shows that such therapies and remedies help with symptoms and there is equally as much research that shows that they do not alleviate symptoms.
There is significant evidence supporting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as a method for helping with menopause symptoms such as anxiety and stress, depressed mood, hot flushes and night sweats, sleep problems and fatigue.
It is also recommended that if you are considering herbal remedies that you look for the THR logo standing for traditional herbal medicines. These products have been approved and you can be sure that the product has the correct dosage, is of high quality and has suitable product information.
The UK government provide a list of all herbal medicines granted a traditional herbal registration:
However, there are websites which provides much more detailed information on the herbal remedy itself in terms of its origins, different names, and whether it can taken with any pre-existing medical conditions etc. It is important to check this site before taking any herbal remedy for any health issue not just menopause symptoms.
British Herbal Medicine Association:
https://bhma.info/indications/
US Government’s Natural Library of Medicine: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/herb_All.html