Medication for menopausal symptoms
The menopause is not a disease and therefore does not necessarily require treatment. However, if symptoms such as hot flushes and sweating are very pronounced, something should be done: various remedies and tips alleviate the symptoms and help affected women through the menopause:
Medication containing hormones such as oestrogen was long considered the treatment of choice for hot flushes & co. However, it is now known that this hormone replacement therapy can be associated with considerable side effects, especially when used for long periods of time. Many women are therefore not allowed or do not want to use hormone preparations. There are alternative treatments for such cases.
Herbal preparations for menopausal symptoms
Herbal preparations for menopausal symptoms are often available in the form of dietary supplements, occasionally also as a medicinal product requiring approval.
Soya
Red clover
Red clover also contains oestrogen-like compounds and is therefore often offered in the form of food supplements. An effect against menopausal symptoms has not yet been proven and too little is known about possible side effects.
Black cohosh
Many women take tablets containing extracts of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) to treat menopausal symptoms. These are approved as herbal medicines in Germany. The medicinal plant is said to reduce hot flushes, depressive moods, sleep disorders and vaginal dryness. However, not all studies have been able to confirm this effectiveness.
Possible side effects of Cimicifuga include gastrointestinal complaints, headaches, dizziness, nausea and reddening of the skin. Severe liver damage can also occur with long-term use. Possible symptoms include yellowing of the skin or eyes, noticeably dark urine, loss of appetite, tiredness, upper abdominal pain and nausea. If such symptoms occur, women should stop taking the Cimicifuga preparation immediately and consult a doctor.
Furthermore, such preparations should not be taken together with oestrogens or in the case of breast cancer.
Other herbal preparations
Preparations containing other medicinal plant extracts are also available for menopausal symptoms, such as
- Rhapontic rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum)
- Monk’s pepper (Vitex agnus castus)
- Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis)
- Essential oil of evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)
To date, it has not been possible to prove with certainty that such preparations can alleviate hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms. Before using them, women should inform themselves about possible side effects and incompatibilities with other medications.
For example, ginseng should not be taken together with anticoagulant medication (such as ASA or heparin) or with evening primrose oil, as otherwise bleeding may occur.
Menopause: tea made from medicinal plants
Tea preparations made from various medicinal plants can alleviate the symptoms of the menopause. Sage, for example, is used to combat sweating and lemon balm, valerian, hop blossom and passion flower are used for sleep disorders. The medicinal plants are offered individually or in combination in tea blends. Some of them are also available as oral preparations (such as high-dose sage preparations).
St. John’s wort is also a popular medicinal plant. It has a proven mood-lifting effect – and depressive moods and mood swings are possible side effects of the menopause. Medicines containing St. John’s wort are available, as are dietary supplements and tea preparations containing this medicinal plant.
