Vitamins & mineral supplements question

[Mrsbclinton]

A lot of what Im reading about peri menopause says various supplements & minerals can help with symptoms.

My question is for those of you that take supplements do you take a complete multivitamin or would you take separate ones eg a magnesium one, a vit D one, a b vitamin etc etc.

At the moment Im taking a centrium multivitamin which has everything in it & krill oil & tumeric. Cant imagine taking everything that is recommended individually but interested to know what others do.

Also if anyone has any recommendations for a good supplement that would be great.

My main symptoms are sleep disturbances, bloating, weight gain, joint pain & tiredness.

I use menopace it is a complete multivitamin. The pharmacist recommended it and it has helped me. I can't have HRT after a radical hysterectomy.

I take the centurian one too, I also take extra vitamin D, magnesium (for sleep) and calcium (I wasn’t out in HRT immediately and may drop this when I run out). I have 5-htp gummies on hand for if my sleep is terrible, but since starting one one pump of estrogel I am much better sleep wise - not perfect but getting enough.

No supplements will replace estrogen. Sorry!

You ought to take Vit D (everyone should) but apart from that you just need a healthy diet with 5-7 veg/ fruit a day, and all the other foods that are good for us.

You should be taking at least 25mcg of vitamin D A DAY. I take double on advice of NHS consultant. If you look at vitamin list on packet of multivitamin the vit d is often much less than this....RDA is very low compared to optimum dose for a middle-aged woman, bar a few exceptions (kidney disease I think is one)

I tried HRT for 6 months and it actually made me feel worse, but it was also the first 6 months of the pandemic so it was unusual circumstances with lots of change. I agreed with the GP to take a break. I'm currently taking:

Magnesium Citrate
Turmeric (this has really helped joint pain)
High strength Vit D3
St John's Wort
Agnus Castus

I generally find multivitamins don't contain enough of each item. I take one, but I also take 3,000iu spray Vitamin D per day, magnesium (I have tablet and skin spray), B12, and a small amount of iron, because I rarely eat iron-rich foods.

Vitamin D!!!! 5000iu (125mcg) a day for most adults, especially those who have darker skin or live in places with little sunshine. I live in Los Angeles and take 5000iu a day and my levels are just right. It makes a huge difference for me particularly with serotonin and sleep

I recall reading about red clover supplements, which can work as a milder form of HRT due to the estrogen- like properties.

I'd recommend seeking out your local family planning/sexual health clinic and check if they have a menopause clinic too. A friend used to go there, as found they had more time to discuss symptoms and options than her GP. She was seen by either a gynaecologist or the nurse specialist and felt they seemed to have more knowledge of the latests therapies and meds if needed.

I take Menopace, Boots Red Clover & Isoflavones, vitamin D plus turmeric and glucosamine for my joints. I'm certain they have helped.

I've not felt the need for HRT other than topical oestrogen for vaginal dryness.

Thank you all for your replies a lot of info there which Im grateful for.

There is research around b6 and magnesium, I think it's on Dr Newson's page. I do think b complexes are helpful.

Definitely vitamin d as described above.

Magnesium glycinate is best for sleep. Taurine is also helpful, for sleep and general anti anxiety and with magnesium. (Google it, it's used for a lot.)

There's a book called "the xx brain," definitely worth a read as lots of dietary advice. Basically a protein rich primarily vegan diet (but can eat some fish and meat and dairy). So all lentils, chick peas, loads of veg etc. Dark chocolate (whoop!) She also says omega 3 fish or algae oils are very important for brain, less if eating lots of oily fish. She's a big fan of hrt and describes how it's really important to help tackle dementia in women.