Herbal and Homeopathic Remedies for Hormonal Imbalance

It has been estimated that 40% of American women are either menopausal or perimenopausal. The average age of menopause is 51. But symptoms often begin in the 40s or earlier. An estimated 75% of women endure hot flashes for two years, and another 25% have them for over five years. Symptoms include depression, fatigue, vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, and mood swings.

It isn’t necessary to use “big-pharma” pharmaceuticals to alleviate symptoms. Dietary changes, nutritional supplements, regular exercise, and other natural therapies including bioidentical hormones can help keep your hormones balanced safely and effectively.

The naturopathic approach is to help women through this transition with natural approaches that promote balancing their own internal hormones. There are plenty of tools to use from a holistic perspective to help the millions of women seeking support.

Herbs
Herbs can also alleviate menopausal symptoms. Black cohosh has been shown in numerous studies to relieve a multitude of menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations, and depression.

Maca root has a rich history of use in Peru to help women through the menopausal transition. Several double blind, placebo controlled studies show that it can indeed help hot flashes and a variety of other menopausal symptoms. Another unique herbal extract is red clover. According to research, this effective alternative treatment for menopause works to relieve hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and anxiety. Vitex, also known as chasteberry, helps common menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, and is also effective for premenopausal symptoms such as irregular and heavy periods.

Puerariamirifica, a member of the legume family contains hormone-balancing phytoestrogens. One study found that 50–100 mg daily for six days effectively reduced hot flashes and night sweats.

Herbal and Herbal-based Menopause Solutions:
• Life Seasons Pausitivi-T Menopause Support
• Natrol 5-HTP TR Time Release 200 mg
• Natural Factors MenoSense
• Youtheory Women’s Maca Root

Homeopathy
Do not underestimate the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies for the reduction of menopausal symptoms. One of the most common remedies is Sepia. Symptoms that suggest this remedy include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, irritability, low libido, and exhaustion. Another common remedy to consider is Pulsatilla. Women who may benefit from this homeopathic medicine feel worse in warm weather and desire fresh air. They may have mood swings and weepiness and feel better with company. They usually crave sweets such as chocolate.

Homeopathic Menopause Remedies
Here is a list of five homeopathic remedies commonly prescribed for hot flashes:

Lachesis
The person needing this homeopathic remedy typically experiences flushes of heat primarily on falling asleep, through the night, or on waking. While that in and of itself is not unique to this remedy, the greatest symptom found to confirm Lachesis is when even the most intense hot flashes happen without any perspiration - a dry heat. This remedy is arguably the most common of the remedies to give relief to those with menopausal hot flashes.

Sulphur
The woman needing this homeopathic remedy often feels warm and is worse from heat. The hot flashes tend to ascend the body, rising to the face and head, which may often feel hot. They may also frequently experience being too hot at night in sleep, especially the feet which they desire to uncover (although cold feet may also occur). Other general Sulphur symptoms include craving for sweets, hunger in the late morning (around 11:00AM), loose stools (often occurring in the early morning), an energy dip at 2pm and a fear of heights.

Sepia
A person needing this homeopathic remedy often has hot flashes that are typically accompanied by weakness, lots of sweating, with the feeling of heat usually ascending upwards. Sepia patients typically are better from hard workouts or exertion and can be emotionally sensitive and a bit nervous by nature. They are very chilly and can have an energy dip (or feel worse) from 3-5pm. They also tend to be sun worshippers – greatly enjoying the heat of the sun for long periods of time. If you are someone who does not enjoy the heat of the sun – it is unlikely Sepia will be helpful.

Pulsatilla
This remedy would be most often indicated in a menopausal woman who has become very sensitive, down, blue and weepy. She feels better from reassurance. The hot flashes are worse in a warm room and better outside in cold or fresh air. Typically patients are hot (like Sulphur, might want to uncover their feet at night), thirstless, have an energy dip around 1pm, and have a hormonal history with difficult periods or PMS.

Glonoinum
A woman needing this homeopathic remedy often has hot flushes that are sudden, violent, and with an upwards rush of blood to the head. Palpitations in the chest are also common, as are bursting headaches rising up from neck, with great throbbing and sense of expansion as if the head would burst; cannot bear the least jar.

Sanguinaria
A person requiring this homeopathic remedy often experiences heat that is burning in nature and tends to rise to the face and head. There is less violence to the hot flash than in those patients needing Glonoin and without the weakness so often associated with those needing Sepia. A headache often occurs with the heat flush. With the headache, the pain may begin in back of the head and spread over the head, settling over the right eye, in some cases with nausea and vomiting. The person needing this remedy may also find they are sensitive to noise and light.

Bioidentical Hormones
A recent study published by Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society revealed that “up to 2.5 million U.S. women aged 40 years or older may use bioidentical hormone therapy, accounting for 28% to 68% of hormone therapy prescriptions.” The general consensus of the study was that the bioidentical hormone therapy market was growing and that conversely, the market for FDA-approved non-compounded hormones (including brand name synthetic hormones like Premarin) had shrunk dramatically in the past decade or so.

One of the most effective natural hormones for relieving menopausal symptoms over-the-counter is natural progesterone cream. A double blind trial found that transdermal natural progesterone cream reduced hot flashes in 83 percent of women. A standard treatment is to apply ¼ teaspoon (20 mg) to their skin (usually forearms) each morning and evening. Although not a replacement for progesterone cream, eating foods high in vitamin C has been shown to help raise progesterone levels slightly.

For Further Reading:
• Dr. Axe has published an article, "6 Steps to Balance Hormones Naturally". The article is found at: https://draxe.com/health/10-ways-balance-hormones-naturally/
• WebMD's article, "Natural Treatments for Menopause Symptoms", is found at: https://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/menopause-natural-treatments
• Lybrate.com describes homeopathic approaches in the article "Homeopathy Treatment for Hormonal Problems in Women". The link is: https://www.lybrate.com/topic/homeopathy-for-the-hormonal-problems-of-women/5a0416bca20cfa176444100cfe78cfbd