Promensil

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I can't have HRT and following advice in a best selling natural menopause book bought some of these supplements.

My symptoms haven't been terrible, I bit of a struggle with focus and anxiety but all manageable, I took them really in the hope that they'd protect against bone loss by mimicking estrogen.

Anyway, since I started on them I've been having horrendous hot flushes, which hadn't been a problem before, and I realised on a week away when I forgot to take them that the flushes had stopped.

I started again when I got home, and the flushes were back within 24 hours, realised a possible connection and stopped and I've been fine the last couple of days. I was have 15 spells a day when suddenly sweat would be literally running down my back and face. I could feel it trickling! And up to ten at night.

But, I can't find anyhting at all to suggest that this is a recognised side effect, they're supposed to help hot flushes.

Anyone else?.

I'm not aware of that supplement.

What's the active ingredient in it?

How do you know it's the supplement and not an escalation in your symptoms that are coinciding with it?

Just be aware- If you can't take HRT because of previous breast cancer or blood clots you need to check with your consultant as some herbal products or supplements can be risky.

If you've not been advised by a consultant that you can't use HRT , for any reason, it's worth checking simply as some GPs are misinformed.

Apologies if this is off the mark!

Just to add- herbs that are supposed to help hot flushes will not build bone density and if they did they would be contraindicated for women who can't use estrogen.

I can't have progesterone, and you can't have estrogen without it.

This is supposed to mimic the effect of estrogen and therefore support bone density. It's Red Clover Isoflavins.

I don't know it's the supplement, except that it's a symptom I didn't have before, which improves when I don't take it.

Why can't you have progesterone? Are you highly intolerant to it?
Have you tried all the types available? There are at least 5 different types now.
There are also off-licence regimens available through consultants where you can use it less often.
Might it help to pursue this a bit more with a specialist?

Yes, I looked up Promensil out of interest. I also did some digging into the research which says there is not enough evidence to recommend it and many of the 'successes' are placebo effect (done with a double blind trial.)

It is definitely not a treatment for bone density as it's very weak. I've had monitoring of my bones for many years and advised by two consultants - one who is a medical advisor to the Royal Osteoporosis Society.

Are you at risk from osteoporosis?

I'm just horrible on it. I always struggled with nasty rages with PMS, but this is a whole other level. I can't do it to myself or those around me.

I knew it was never going to do what HRT would but thought if it was a general catch all and might help some of the things menopausal women suffer, there was no harm in it. Then the horrendous flushes, which I hadn't had before started.

I shouldn't be at risk for osteoporosis, I eat the right things and do the right exercise, take my vitamin D, but both my parents have it (Dad after hormonal treatment for prostate cancer).

Fwiw worth I stopped taking it on Monday, the flushes have been easing all week. Yesterday I only had two (from 15/20 per day) and wasn't woken in the night at all last night. I haven't had one yet today 🤞

I don't "mind" not having HRT, my symptoms (apart from the flushes that may have been selfinflicted) were never that bad. I was only posting to see if anyone else had experience of this supplement.

I'm wondering how many different types you have tried?
Not just Utrogestan?
Your other post on flushes seemed to say you were suffering quite badly.

If your mum had osteoporosis, you could ask your GP for DEXA scan- not sure how old you are or of your periods have stopped - but osteo can be hereditary and it's worth having your bone density checked. That will give you a baseline to work from.

There is the Mirena coil and other smaller coils, one of which can be used.
There is a newly available type of progesterone Nalvee (dydrogesterone) which was available in Ireland for years but not on the NHS- it's now available here and some women like it. I've a friend who's swapped after years and years on Utrogestan.
There are also tablets and patches both with different types of progesterone.

You could consider seeing a specialist, probably privately as the NHS wait is ridiculous- and talk it all through especially considering the osteo in the family. It's a horrible disease and better prevented if possible.

I haven't tried a lot because it really was so awful, and for fairly mild symptoms I couldn't risk it, even for a few weeks to see how it goes. Honestly it's amazing I have any friends or family or a job left.

The flushes have been awful, but seem to have stopped now I've stopped taking the 'herb', and I didn't have them before I took it. Still nothing today.

Yes, I've been thinking about a dexa scan, just to check how things are.

I think a lot depends on if your periods have stopped or not.
Even when mine were petering out and a few months apart, I was fine. No symptoms at all. But once they stopped for good, the flushes came with a vengeance. If you're still having periods your flushes can stop when you're ovulating, even if that's not every month, but happen once your periods are over forever.

The last period was ar Easter, although I appreciate that doesn't mean they're necessariy finished for good. The previous one was about 6 months before that.

I was exactly the same when I took Promensil. My hot flashes got so much worse when I took it and improved when I stopped. I read that isoflavones have different effects based on your estrogen hormone levels. If you have high or normal estrogen levels, they may act as anti-estrogens. But if your estrogen levels go down they can have mild estrogen-like effects. So if you’re perimenopausal and your estrogen levels are up and down, the effect of Promensil can vary. It can help with hot flashes when your estrogen levels are low but as soon as they spike up again the Promensil can make your hot flashes worse.