Night sweats help please. Black cohosh or HRT?

[mrsjackrussell]

I think I'm definitely going through the menopause now. I'm 50.
For the last 3 years iv had irregular periods and night sweats so I then take black cohosh and it all goes back to normal then I stop taking it and within a few months it all starts up again. Apart from 4 months last year when I wasn't taking it and I had non stop bleeding for 4 months. Had a scan all OK. I don't know whether the cohosh actually worked or if it was just coincidence.
Forward to now and no period since October.
I'm having night sweats and it's affecting my sleep badly and in turn my life.
I'm disabled too and get horrendous cramps and what with my husband snoring.
I'm thinking about taking the black cohosh again but I'm worried about the side effects re. Liver damage. Iv been put off HRT by others saying its not good to mess with your body which I agree with to some extent. Also with the HRT would I then have to stop it again in the future or is it for life?
Would all of the menopausal symptoms come back?
Coul d I have some advice please from you lovely people

Thanks, Neffi! Also chocolate.

Agnus Castus really helped me. I was on fire at night last year and it was really interfering with my sleep. I did a month long trial of alternative options and found that Agnus Castus made a huge difference.

I think with menopause there is no one fits all solution. Some people get on really well with HRT, others have to try various different doses or combinations of hormones, some find soy works, some black cohosh and so on.

I hope you find what works for you OP, as menopause symptoms can really suck.

Other things that helped me were cutting down on proper coffee - no idea why but proper coffee exacerbates my hot flushes. I've also found that cutting down on sugar and refined carbs (so cakes, biscuits etc) has helped too.

Have you ever tried magnesium spray for cramps? I think it is amazing stuff. You can get it in Boots.

Neffi- I am a health writer so I talk to doctors and consultants in order to provide accurate information.

I've also been on HRT for 11 years , see a top UK consultant, and have the chance to talk about HRT a lot.

oh and no connection with an Big Pharma for the poster how said there were 'sock puppets' on this forum. Whatever they are...

I don't want HRT as I don't want periods back.

You don't need to have periods restart because of HRT. I am on HRT and have no periods but I do have a life back, I was having up to 70 hot flushes a day and could see no point in continuing to live like that. I tried every herbal/natural remedy going and the only thing that has worked for me is HRT.

HRT changed my life.

I'm asking the GP about it soon, Cat. Last appointment they said that if I took HRT within a year of my periods stopping, they might return.

I don't take soy supplements may I say. I just changed semi skimmed milk for soya milk. Well the point is that soya milk works for me. I don't want you to take soya milk. I am not asking you to take soya milk. I am not advocating soya milk. I am merely saying it's an option for people. I am not on here dissing HRT. You obviously have an issue with me suggesting soya milk as you keep bringing it up.
Soya milk has worked for me. HRT has worked for you. Soya milk might work for others. HRT might work for others. I am not having a go at you for taking HRT so please stop going on at me for drinking soya milk in my tea. Thank you x

Mine too!

Bless you Peppercorn xx

Margolovebutter,
Oh are a cracking gal! ♥️Great post!

Thanks for clearing that up. You have good knowledge but everyone is different x

All I can say is I have had 10 yrs perimenopausal which caused angryness anxiety depression weirdness mixed up periods then I went on to crying nastyness on/off periods aching boobs spotty chin start of hot flushes. Then last year stopped periods which equalled worse hot flashes but brilliant mood totally happy but horrible hot flushes. Changed normal semi skimmed milk for soya milk since Xmas - now hot flushes reduced by 80% but got grumpy crying spotty again. So I am thinking of quitting soya milk to get my happiness and hot flushes back!!

No-one is having a go at you for drinking soya milk in your tea!

I don't have periods. Just an even mood, no hot flushes, no aching joints and great sleep

^A sockpuppet is an online identity used for purposes of deception. The term, a reference to the manipulation of a simple hand puppet made from a sock, originally referred to a false identity assumed by a member of an Internet community who spoke to, or about, themselves while pretending to be another person.
The term now includes other misleading uses of online identities, such as those created to praise, defend or support a person or organization, to manipulate public opinion or to circumvent a suspension or ban from a website. A significant difference between the use of a pseudonym and the creation of a sockpuppet is that the sockpuppet poses as an independent third-party unaffiliated with the puppeteer. Sockpuppets are unwelcome in many online communities and may be blocked^.

This board in particular attracts BigPharma sockpuppets who come and go under different identities, but always pushing the same message, often stridently, that HRT is the only answer. They are very knowledgeable (of course) and tend to browbeat posters who don't agree with them, or challenge their assertions.

I'm a HRT devotee and think that more wonen could benefit, but wouldn't cast aspersions on anything that helps someone with what can be very debilitating symptoms.

Erm, I am not big pharma.

The op asked which she should take in her title.

Honestly I won't bother next time. Find out for yourself!

I only wish I could find a GP who offered HRT rather than anti-d's. I'm not depressed I'm menopausal. I'd give HRT a go in a flash.

I'm laughing here thinking what the job description would be for someone employed by a pharma company when they wanted someone to infiltrate forums to promote their drugs A marketing guru? A former MI5 spook?

If you have any suspicions about me @Kedgeree , please contact MNHQ. I am sure they would be more than happy to look into my user ID and confirm to you that I am a simple MN member who is also a health writer.

I'd link to my own work for you to read, were it not for outing myself.

Do you honestly think that there are such people?

I don't know how many people read the meno forum. My guess is a few thousand.

Big pharma is not going to make much money from people here. HRT is dirt cheap for a start (I buy my own at the RRP as it's private prescription) and it's barely more than an NHS prescription.

Pharma makes their money from diabetes drugs, statins, heart disease and high BP drugs, antidepressants (oh hang on, we have posters extolling their virtues on MN too!) and pain killers.

HRT is a mere drop in the ocean to them and is unlikely to change by a few women reading MN!

Honestly !

Most of my posts are linked to information from a) medical professionals and b) medical organisations like NICE and the BMS.

Maybe they have been infiltrated too? Aaaargh!

Of course people get paid to come onto forums such as this and push messages on behalf of corporations. It's a well-established marketing tactic. I'm amazed that any of you are surprised or think it's far fetched and in the realms of spooks. Dear oh dear.

Kedgeree I find your insinuations offensive actually. Trying to stifle debate by clouding the issue with 'big pharma' is doing women no favours.

Do you believe in chem trails too?

The only posts I have seen where products are promoted are those that no scientific proof that they work and in those cases I have linked to evidence from the RCOG.

I have reported your posts because in so many words you are calling me a troll.

I give my time here freely; it's a bit of a 'hobby' - I'm giving back and spending time when I could be writing this for a fee.

If you think anyone is not who they say they are, talk to MNHQ.

You are out of order.

Black Cohosh has worked a treat for me in stopping hot flushes.

The 'magnet in your knickers' one used to come up with tedious regularity- "it changed my life!" You too can be symptom free if you just buy this very expensive magnet..."