Natural Treatments For Peri-menopause
Menopause might be a natural process that all women go through, but like other rites of passage, it’s not always easy! Menopause symptoms like fatigue, anxiety and hot flushes can make life really difficult, especially when we’re still trying to work and run the home. That’s why many women look for ways to alleviate their menopause symptoms, and although HRT might work well for some, it’s not for everyone. In my experience natural treatments for peri-menopause are often as effective, or even more so, and they work in harmony with your body too.
What is Peri-menopause?
Menopause marks the first anniversary of your last period, so it’s a very clear point in time, just like the day your first period started. Peri-menopause is the lead up to menopause, and it can take a few years, just like adolescence starts a while before periods do.
The same hormone changes that happen in adolescence also happen in peri-menopause, but in reverse. In the earlier stages, menopause symptoms tend to affect mental health more, causing anxiety, insomnia or mood swings. Later, the more physical symptoms may come along, such as fatigue, hot flushes or joint pain. See my other blogs for ways to deal with each of these in more detail. Symptoms can sometimes continue after menopause as well, but if HRT isn’t right for you, there are plenty of natural alternatives to HRT you could use instead.
Why Use Natural Treatments For Peri-menopause?
There are lots of reasons why women seek natural treatments for peri-menopause symptoms. Some have concerns about the side effects of HRT, others simply don’t like the thought of force feeding hormones when they’d naturally be declining. Women with a history of certain cancers, stroke, and other serious illnesses are advised against taking HRT for medical reasons. Certainly when a woman’s been through an oestrogen receptive cancer, there’s a lot of physical and emotional trauma to deal with besides the menopause symptoms. Some even say that the menopause symptoms are worse than the cancer treatment! Because we’re complex beings, each affects the other and it’s important to address each aspect in a way that feels comfortable for you.
The beauty of using natural treatments for peri-menopause is that they’re personalised to you. This is vastly different to mainstream medicine where there are standard treatment protocols which don’t cater for each person’s unique needs. In my practice we take as much time as we need to deeply understand what’s going on for you, and come up with a natural treatment plan that will work. If there’s any question about the herbs we’re using, you get to say whether you’d like to use those herbs. Eg, if you’d been through cancer treatment you might feel uneasy about taking certain herbs that contain phyto-oestrogens. We’d discuss the research around that herb, and then it’s up to you to decide whether you’re happy to take that herb or you’d prefer an alternative. It can be really refreshing to have that level of control over treatment for menopause symptoms especially if you’ve felt out of control for a long time.
Which Natural Treatments For Peri-menopause Work Best?
It really depends on what the deep causes of your peri-menopause symptoms are, and where you’d like to start. Some of my peri-menopause patients tell me that their periods have been difficult since they first started and their hormones have never felt right. If a patient is willing, I always like to look at the subconscious aspects of what’s happening as well as the physical ones. Period problems often suggest that there’s been some issue which has made being female, or expressing feminine energy, difficult. A typical example would be if you felt that your brothers were more loved or treated better than you. If there’s a clear subconscious pattern sitting behind the symptoms, something like menopause hypnotherapy, EFT, or EMDR would help to clear it quickly.
Hypnotherapy For Menopause
There are lots of reasons why I love using Hypnotherapy for peri-menopause. Traditionally, menopause was a time when we consolidated all of the wisdom and life experience we’d gathered over the years, and brought it out into the world in new ways. That sounds lovely if you say it fast, but the reality is that it can be a very gruelling process! The effects of the hormone changes on the brain can unlock any childhood traumas which have been hidden for decades. As you can imagine, this can have quite a devastating impact on mental health, showing up as anger, insomnia, anxiety or depression. It’s made harder by the fact that the woman has no idea that this is what’s happening, so please help to spread the word and make it easier for our sisters! Menopause hypnotherapy is a fast and fascinating way of finding peace with the past and moving on.
Hypnotherapy can be used in other ways for peri-menopause too. I use a technique called ‘hypno-healing‘ where we can work on physical pain and symptoms in deep hypnosis. It’s great for hot flushes and other peri-menopause symptoms too, especially if a woman is going through treatment for another health condition and feels nervous about taking herbs.
Not everyone feels the need to explore their subconscious as part of their peri-menopause journey. For women who’d like to focus more on the physical, I tend to suggest starting with guided self care. You might already know that changes to diet and eating habits, exercise, relaxation etc can make a real difference through peri-menopause and beyond. You might not be aware that sometimes those changes need to be quite drastic, and aren’t so easy if you’ve got nobody to support you. Introducing health coaching into my herbal practice a few years ago massively increased my success rate, because it makes the herbs work so much easier! If you’d like to get started with guided self care at home, take a look at my Rejuven8 programme.
Herbal remedies offer an amazing natural treatment for peri-menopause. They’re powerful but very effective at the same time, and can be blended according to your needs at the time. If you’re struggling with a number of peri-menopause symptoms, I’d ask you to prioritise the ones you’d like to tackle first. This video talks in more detail about how I put a herbal remedy together for peri-menopause, working on several different areas at the same time.
My Five Favourite Herbal Peri-menopause Remedies
All of these herbs can be grown in your garden if you live in the UK, and here’s why I love them so much.
Sage – Salvia officianalis
Sage is traditionally a very feminine plant and traditionally if it grew well in a garden, the lady of the house was thought to be in charge. It contains some quite strong phyto-oestrogens, which help to regulate the action of your home made oestrogens in the body. It’s also specific for hot flushes and sweating, and I use it for brain fog too. It’s currently being researched as a potential treatment for dementia as it reduces inflammation in the brain.
Motherwort – Leonurus cardiaca
I hardly see this herb mentioned or used in respect of menopause, but it’s one of my favourites and goes into just about all of my peri-menopause herbal remedies. It’s Latin name literally means ‘lion heart’ and the saying went that if you took it you’d live forever. As well as for peri-menopause, it goes into most of my prescriptions for heart failure and patients just keep going much to their Doctor’s surprise!
In terms of peri-menopause symptoms, Motherwort is very calming, but still lets you drive and operate heavy machinery. She helps when sleep is being disturbed by flushes or sweats, and will help to regulate periods too. As a bitter tasting herb, Motherwort aids liver function and digestion and you can find out more about it here.
Lemon Balm – Melissa officianalis
If I had to pick a favourite herb, this would probably be it. Ruled by the planet Jupiter, Lemon Balm brings instant joy and will quickly lift a low mood. At the same time it’s also calming when it needs to be, so perfect for those who flit between anxiety and depression, or have both at the same time. Lemon balm always knows what to do and gets on with the job.
Lemon balm also helps to heal the gut and calm the vagus nerve, which is lovely when stress aggravates the digestion. Studies have found it beneficial in aiding reducing menopausal insomnia and hot flushes.
Rosemary – Rosmarinus officianalis
Another great herb for brain fog and improving circulation to the brain. As well as a tincture, I use essential oil of Rosemary as part of the Focus blend to quickly revive a flagging mind. It helps to reduce excess oestrogen levels, and regulate blood sugar which is implicated in weight gain, brain fog and inflammation throughout the body.
Like Lemon balm, Rosemary will lift mood instantly. It’s a herb of the sun, loving to grow in sunny spots and it literally brings sunshine in to help us through the darker times.
Ashwagandha – Withania somnifera
Although its native to India, Ashwagandha will grow over here but might prefer a greenhouse on cooler days. There have been some safety concerns over using Ashwagandha in recent years, but it’s thought that these have mainly been where the wrong part of the plant has been used to make a remedy. If you’re making your own, please just use the root only! You can find out more about the safety of Ashwagandha here.
I use Ashwagandha a lot where there’s fatigue and burnout alongside peri-menopause. It’s a relaxing adaptogen, meaning that it helps the body to cope with stress but without stimulating it to work harder. Ashwagandha helps us to relax, and take pressure off the adrenal glands as they take over the production of oestrogen post menopause. It can also aid restful sleep.
Can I Use Natural Treatments For Peri-menopause and HRT at the same time?
Yes, although some herbal remedies for peri-menopause may need to be checked for interactions with HRT or other medication first. Likewise if you’re on other medications like antidepressants there are some herbs that wouldn’t be suitable to take.
Why Is It Best To See A Medical Herbalist For Peri-menopause Symptoms?
There are lots of reasons why it’s best to let a specialist help you overcome your menopause symptoms naturally, including:
- Not all herbs are safe or suitable for all people. I assess each patient’s needs and prescribe the best herbs accordingly.
- It’s not just about the herbs – you also need care, compassion and some expert guidance to help you heal.
- The quality of your medicine is guaranteed. I only use trusted suppliers who allow me to visit their facilities.
- I’m an extra pair of eyes! If you mention any concerning symptoms during your first appointment, I can write to your GP to ask for some tests.
- Your prescription changes with you. As you feel better we change your herbs and dosage until you don’t need any more treatment.
Where Can I Find Out More?
If you’re based in the UK, click here to book a free call and tell me what’s going on for you.
