What have you found are the best natural remedies for peri menopausal symptoms?

[SpringTimeCartwheels]

Thinking of coming off HRT.

Looking for something to help:

Joint pains
Mood swings
Anxiety

So thinking of trying:
Collagen
Magnesium
Star flower oil

Any personal recommendations would be fabulous thanks 😊

Pretty much everything but hot sweats disappeared completely.

I have found slow release melatonin helps me with sleep, night sweats and hot flashes.

Also take Menopace (when I remember - supposed to take with a meal).

I felt my joint stiffness coming back on last night and put another patch on!

Think I will try some of the alternatives along side my HRT.

Do you feel menopace makes a difference?

@SpringTimeCartwheels

I do think the Menopace helps - and the melatonin not only helps with the 3am wake ups (I still wake up but get straight back off to sleep) but has really calmed down the night sweats and hot flashes.

Would you not consider other types?
Lots of women don't get on with progesterone (Utrogestan) but there are many other sorts of HRT.

If you haven't already, you could try using it vaginally, or on a longer cycle ( 6-12 weeks, taking it just once in those weeks- with your dr's agreement.)

There are also other options like Femoston ( the progestogen in it is almost as body-identical as Utrogestan and it has a good safety profile.)

Or there is the Mirena and patches.

Alternative remedies are very hit and miss and individual and they don't give heart and bone protection.

Has your GP offered you other types?

There has actually been a bit of research into the beneficial effects of melatonin in improving bone density in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. I see that as a potential added benefit rather than the main reason for taking it.

Am I wrong here, but isn't melatonin in the UK not available OTC (as it's classed as an illegal drug for safety reason?) Might have got my wires crossed or guidance has changed.

Melatonin can be prescribed

Thanks @JinglingSpringbells

Not sure about taking the progesterone less frequently .. surely the recommended dose is there for a reason?

Have tried patches snd didn't get on with the progesterone in them either.

I've posted a link a couple of times in the last month to the NICE prescribing guidance. It says that a 3-monthly cycle is available for women in peri and post menopause.

[[https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/menopause/prescribing-information/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/

Scroll down that page to REGIMEN and you will see the 3-month regime.

Incidentally, there is a tablet form of HRT which is called Tridestra and it's a 3-month cycle.

Thanks so much @JinglingSpringbells 🙏

If HRT was initiated in the perimenopause, consideration should be given to switching from monthly or 3-monthly cyclical regimens to continuous combined regimens after the woman becomes postmenopausal.

How will you know if you are post menopausal if you've been taking HRT in peri?

I find Menofog helpful, Amazon sell it

I've switched to lenzetto spray today.
No clue how that will work either, bur cant feel any worse than on the patch.

It's so weird as I did have some great days on the evorel patch, but sleep was awful. It's so hard to know what to do.

What patch are you on @SpringTimeCartwheels

The Regimen advice also includes a 3-monthly regime for post-meno women (if you scroll down.)

You don't know when you are post meno on HRT but 80% women are by aged 54. Obviously a lot depends on how old you were when you started peri- the older you are, the sooner you will be post meno.

This is not so black and white as it appears in the guidance. Private consultants have the ability to tailor doses and regimes to each women, not being tied by NHS guidance, but using their own experience and expertise.

eg It is not mandatory to use continuous HRT when post meno. Some of us are many years post meno but still on sequential for various reasons. The problem is that most GPs have the bare minimum of training and just go by the guidance, without being able to tweak it.

Everol 75
With cyclical utrrotestan

Have you stopped alcohol Runaround? I can't sleep if I drink any.

@Runaround50 I liked lenzetto very much to begin with. But I needed more as my aches & pains came back. And the max dose is only comparable to a 50 patch.

@SpringTimeCartwheels yes I fear this Is going to be my issue too; not enough oestrogen. Today my bladder has been irritated and I'm either high as a kite or all doom and gloom! What to do? No clue! 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Just stuck my 75 patch on. I was on 100. What a shit show things are with this meno lark!!

Some supplements that have helped me : ashwagandha is great as a mood leveller.
Also Holy Basil to relax. I take magnesium to help with sleep. Just started on Schisandra - this is supposed to stimulate your central nervous system, improve cognition and balance neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine that can get out of balance in perimenopause and menopause.

I can’t take HRT due to breast cancer history so need to throw all the supplements and lifestyle changes at it.

Have cut out all sugar (apart from some wine but have cut this down).

Upped protein to help with weight gain.
Upped strength training with heavier weights as per above.

@Delatron what ashwangandha supplement do you take? What is holy basil?

I've had BC too.

Same, sadly. Aches and pains much better. More energy, better sleep.

Weight lifting at the gym. Weight machines. Essential to build up muscles/tone for the bones. Yoga for maintaining flexibility. Walking 10k for overall health.

There is some evidence to suggest that DHEA supplements can help.