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Menopause

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Peri menopause supplements

26 replies

Unicornshorn · 05/10/2022 14:01

I have started experiencing peri symptoms particularly low mood, aching joints, headaches and feeling hot at night with changing levels of this throughout the month, I'm 46. I am on the mini pill and thought I would try some supplements before HRT (Health and Her and Starpowa Menobalance). However, on both occasions I've started getting really sore breasts and been very weepy and down to the point I haven't got past a week with either. Does anyone have experience of this and think it might be worth persevering? Many thanks Smile

OP posts:
Wiccan · 05/10/2022 14:42

Hi , I was using menopace supplements for around a year because I was having such terrible night sweats and terrible joint pain but I didn't feel much difference on it . But was also advised that herbal menopause supplements are unregulated . I have now been on HRT just 3 weeks and all sweats have stopped and no more low mood I feel pretty good now . Wish I'd started HRT sooner .

JinglingHellsBells · 05/10/2022 15:36

TBH most of these supplements are all a waste of time and money.

Reading the list of ingredients, they contain vits and minerals you will be getting in your food anyway. The only 'added' things are sage and soy (and you eat soy as milk or yoghurt etc.). These is sometimes helpful for hot flushes, but the science shows they are rarely effective and often a placebo effect.

Some herbs may help flushes- black cohosh, sage, etc- but it's all very hit and miss.

Your sore breasts etc may be nothing to do with the supplement, but a coincidence, and part of peri.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 05/10/2022 15:42

Vit D and magnesium were the most helpful to me.

Notsandwiches · 05/10/2022 15:51

I saw a medical herbalist for anxiety but also took agnus castus which is an adaptogen and helps regulate hormones. Changing from duvet to wool blanket helped night sweats.

JinglingHellsBells · 05/10/2022 16:22

This is from the British Menopause Society.
Both extracts are from the part of the site for professionals but they are failry easy to read.

thebms.org.uk/publications/consensus-statements/non-hormonal-based-treatments-menopausal-symptoms/

Non-hormonal-based treatments for menopausal symptoms

Summary practice points
As clinicians we must be familiar with alternative therapies, to help inform and guide women as to which options are most likely to be beneficial to them.

Few complementary and alternative treatment options have proven evidence of effectiveness, but although many options do not stand up to scrutiny from a robust and evidence based perspective there will be individual women who will benefit from some of these treatments

Placebo effect is not inconsiderable and in menopausal studies will play a part in individual experience and reported benefits.

thebms.org.uk/2015/09/treating-hot-flushes-without-hormones-what-works-what-doesnt/

The evidence is strong that exercise, yoga, paced respiration, and acupuncture do not work for hot flushes, although they may offer other health benefits, so the panel advises providers not to recommend them as hot flush therapy

Studies on over-the-counter and herbal therapies (such as black cohosh, dong quai, evening primrose, flaxseed, maca, omega-3s, pollen extract, and vitamins), relaxation, calibration of neural oscillations (a brain-training technique), and chiropractic intervention show that these therapies are unlikely to help, so the panel advises providers not to recommend them at this time. The panel also advises providers not to recommend stay-cool techniques and avoiding hot flush “triggers” at this time. These approaches are risk-free but don’t have studies testing their effectiveness, and sticking with these can just delay appropriate and effective treatment.

Unicornshorn · 05/10/2022 16:33

Thanks all. I think best to avoid them for now, the weird thing is the breast pain on both occasions and it's not something I ever suffer from. But it could of course be the start of more peri symptoms! I read all the reviews on Menobalance including on Trust Pilot which were mostly high ratings but I guess they're just not for me. This might sound crazy but my mum had a history of benign breast lumps and was told it was due to high estrogen so I've always thought I might have higher estrogen too and I've somehow increased it with the soya isoflavones and it's caused breast changes. I read that it's progesterone that often drops first in peri but I could be totally misunderstanding it. Thanks for all the advice.

OP posts:
Mammamel18 · 06/10/2022 14:27

Im adding a message as im new to this and dont know how to just add a new post?

Unicornshorn · 06/10/2022 15:43

You can just click "new" in the section you want to post in and type there?

OP posts:
Saza06 · 14/10/2022 20:11

There a site on ya for Magnesium for the peri menopause just been reading it really interesting it is

HyggeandTea · 14/10/2022 20:18

I tried various supplements and nothing worked. Flushes were about 18 times a day😳

As a final shout I tried magnesium, red clover, menopace plus and bee pollen! Flushes disappeared within a day or so. They returned when we went on a fortnights holiday and I forgot to pack the supplements. Bought the supplements and they disappeared again.

I don't know which it is, or if it is the combo, but it has worked for me.

HyggeandTea · 14/10/2022 20:20

I didn't try bee pollen, I tried royal jelly. 🙄😁

nonstoprenovation · 14/10/2022 20:25

Sorry to derail but if you are on the mini pill that's just progesterone? So your lower oestrogen would be causing the symptoms.

Have you spoken to your GP and adding in HRT? Or going on the combined pill?

On the supplements note the only one I've ever found I can notice is vitamin D, I use a mouth spay, it's great.

Saza06 · 14/10/2022 21:08

My Bp high all docs want to do with me is propranolol and AD. Don't want them. I took one of those propranolol today it's rough.
Really like to know a by supplements. I'm 47 been told I'm on the peri but can't do nowt cos HRT is risky with high BP

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/10/2022 01:22

Saza06 · 14/10/2022 21:08

My Bp high all docs want to do with me is propranolol and AD. Don't want them. I took one of those propranolol today it's rough.
Really like to know a by supplements. I'm 47 been told I'm on the peri but can't do nowt cos HRT is risky with high BP

You can take HRT as long as your BP is controlled properly.

Saza06 · 15/10/2022 01:24

It's escalating it is. It can be perfect then goes up quite high doctor refuses to give me it just all this harsh meds

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/10/2022 01:29

Saza06 · 15/10/2022 01:24

It's escalating it is. It can be perfect then goes up quite high doctor refuses to give me it just all this harsh meds

Do you track your BP 3x a day over a week to get the average?

Saza06 · 15/10/2022 01:48

Doctor I seem before told me to buy a monitor and do it for a week. When down on Thursday with the results wasn't interested told her I was scared a by the one result and how high my heart rate is. Just handed me readings Bk and said it's the change got to get BP down. Then script for Propranalol and that was it

Saza06 · 15/10/2022 01:49

On linisopril 10mg bin on it eight years

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/10/2022 13:06

What was the reason they gave for not prescribing HRT when you asked?

Saza06 · 15/10/2022 14:06

Cos my blood pressure to high need to make it lower and stable

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/10/2022 14:12

Saza06 · 15/10/2022 14:06

Cos my blood pressure to high need to make it lower and stable

Ah right, so they gave an explanation then,when it's stable perhaps it can be revisited .

Afterfire · 15/10/2022 14:21

Saza06 · 14/10/2022 21:08

My Bp high all docs want to do with me is propranolol and AD. Don't want them. I took one of those propranolol today it's rough.
Really like to know a by supplements. I'm 47 been told I'm on the peri but can't do nowt cos HRT is risky with high BP

You can treat the high BP and take HRT. They are separate issues. Menopause specialists Newson health told me this. They said HRT is unlikely to increase blood pressure and usually it’s just a coincidence if it happens at the same time. BP tends to rise during menopause and with age anyway. HRT may actually reduce it!

Saza06 · 15/10/2022 14:32

Exactly what hospital told me. They said that HRT would normally bring my BP down in my case cos the Change causing all my symptoms. Nightmare I have had for four months.

vjg13 · 16/10/2022 06:58

HyggeandTea · 14/10/2022 20:18

I tried various supplements and nothing worked. Flushes were about 18 times a day😳

As a final shout I tried magnesium, red clover, menopace plus and bee pollen! Flushes disappeared within a day or so. They returned when we went on a fortnights holiday and I forgot to pack the supplements. Bought the supplements and they disappeared again.

I don't know which it is, or if it is the combo, but it has worked for me.

I've been taking menopace plus for years and couldn't get it so replaced it with the regular menopace. Within 3 days was having hot flushes at night on consecutive nights. Bought some more menopace plus and the last 2 nights have been ok. I also take the red clover promensil.

sashaw87x · 21/10/2022 12:19

im not sure about the evidence behind some of the ingredients in menopause supplements. A lot more evidence needs to go into these nutrients for helping menopause symptoms like jinglinghellsbells said. 5htp shows some promise as an ingredient Googling '5htp for menopause' looks promising but again needs way more research.

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