Anyone had success with natural remedies for menopause symptoms?

[sweetfluffybunnies]

Over the last few weeks I've started having some symptoms, mainly hot flushes and insomnia. I can cope with these at the moment, but what I can't deal with is the mood swings.

I've always been prone to quite severe hormonal mood swings, and it seems really bad at the moment. It takes very little to set me off, and then I can't stop crying, and the feelings of anxiety are quite crippling at times.

I don't want to use HRT, so I have been searching the Internet for unbiased information about herbal remedies. It's not easy to find! So I was wondering whether any of you wise MNers had any experience you could share about herbal remedies for treating menopause, particularly mood swings.

Thank you for any help you can offer

I think you'll have problems with an answer to this simply because everyone reacts differently to supplements!

I'd recommend a book- Your Change Your Choice by M Dooley ( who happens to be my gynae!) and it's 50% info on HRT and 50% on complementary treatment- includes, yoga, acupuncture, herbs, supplements, diet, exercise etc.

All the research shows that nothing works as well as HRT and some of the herbs such as black gohosh have serious side effects in some people and there is also a question mark over breast safety with some herbs.

Thanks for replying miss. I'm not keen on HRT because of a family history of breast cancer, so I'm hoping to get through the menopause using natural remedies and lifestyle only. I'll read the book you recommend and see if that sheds any light on the matter.

Can any one recommend s good all round vitamin or alternative remedy for hot flushes please. I have found if I have one glass of red wine I overheat

I've had success with a medical herbalist making a prescription for me, it tastes disgusting but worth it because it's got rid of all my limb pain - had really painful arms and legs for months and months, was really affecting my mood. The 'magic potion' has completely changed that, such a relief.

My mum swears her 'easy' menopause was down to her making changes to her diet. Can't remember the exact details but she cut out meat and dairy from her diet (switched to soya or almond milk) and cut down on sugary stuff and caffeine. Apparently women in the Far East (or maybe just Japan!) dont even have a word for menopause as their diet means no symptoms.

Not sure I can bear to cut out my morning coffee(s) though