Managing Menopause

**Spoon** · 07-19-2006, 10:44 PM

"The change" may be inevitable, but suffering is not
by Meryl Davids Landau

Antoinette Kuritz, 56, embodies the new approach to menopause. Sure, she's enduring hot flashes and night sweats like generations before her. "My family calls me Flash, because about five times a day, someone turns an oven on inside me," she says. But unlike her mother's generation, Kuritz has opted not to treat her symptoms with hormones. And she's not alone.

"We're finally starting to view menopause the way we view pregnancy, as a natural process--not as a disease that needs to be cured," says Carol Mangione, MD, a professor of medicine at UCLA.

Last March, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel called for the demedicalization of menopause, in part as a result of research showing that nearly a third of symptoms improve without treatment, usually within 2 years after a woman's final period. Several studies on hormone therapy (HT) are also fueling the shift in approach. In 2002, for instance, data from the large-scale Women's Health Initiative (WHI) linked estrogen and progestin HT to higher rates of blood clots, heart disease, and breast cancer.

"Instead of looking for treatment, I'm trying to focus on the fact that my body is doing exactly what it is programmed to do," says Kuritz, a radio host in San Diego. But then she laughs. "Ask me again in a few years. If this continues, I may be sucking up every pill they can give me." Judging from the research, Kuritz probably won't get to that point. Hopefully, you won't either. For help in finding your best menopause strategy, keep reading.

First, Try Low-Risk Techniques
Take a breath.
Researchers at Wayne State University randomly assigned 33 women with frequent hot flashes to receive eight lessons in belly breathing, muscle relaxation, or a placebo treatment. The belly breathers reported a 50% drop in the frequency of flashes; the others had no change.

Try it at home: Sit comfortably in a quiet spot. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose for 5 seconds so that your belly expands; then exhale through your mouth for 5, continuing for 15 minutes. Once you've mastered the method, put it into action for 2 to 3 minutes whenever you feel a flash. The more you do it, the fewer heat waves you'll have. "It may be that deep breathing drops the body's core temperature slightly," says lead researcher Robert Freedman, PhD.

Get up and go.
Taking regular Spin classes won't nix hot flashes, but menopausal women who exercise do report less flash-induced discomfort. Apparently, the heat and soaking that come with flashes and night sweats don't seem so distressing if you're a regular exerciser, say researchers. Bonus: Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week can offset the increased heart disease risk that comes with menopause.

Smell the relief.
If you need an excuse to pamper yourself, a recent Japanese study of 15 women found that those who got two 20-minute aromatherapy rubdowns and performed self-massages with scented oil three times weekly reported fewer hot flashes and sounder sleep after 1 month.

Next, Consider Emerging Treatments
Try an herb.
Research on black cohosh has shown that it can reduce the severity of hot flashes and night sweats. The latest good news comes by way of a German study of 304 women. Half took 40 mg of a black cohosh supplement (Remifemin); the rest got a placebo. After 12 weeks, those on the herb experienced a reduction of symptoms similar to that seen with estrogen therapy.

Unfortunately, supplements aren't regulated, but the watchdog group ConsumerLab.com recently reviewed several other black cohosh supplements and deemed Jarrow Formulas Black Cohosh, Sundown Black Cohosh, and Swanson Health Products Premium Brand Black Cohosh among those with accurate label claims. (Always keep your doctor informed of any new supplements you're on.)

Chew a little soy.
Though many women swear by soy to ease menopausal symptoms, there's been little solid research on its effectiveness. Recent news, however, is promising: Scientists at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine put 35 women on 160 mg of a soy isoflavones supplement (Revival) or a placebo. After 3 months, the supplement group reported nearly a third fewer flashes than those taking the fakes.

The study used about 10 times the amount of soy found in the typical American diet. But study coauthor Adrian Sandra Dobs, MD, doesn't recommend popping large doses of supplements. Instead, she says, try to eat more tofu (20 mg isoflavones in 3 ounces), tempeh (37 mg), and other soy foods, which have additional nutritional benefits.

Still No Relief? Meds May Make Sense
Take an SSRI.
No one thinks hot flashes are caused by depression. But a 2003 study of 165 women by the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found that a 12.5 mg dose of Paxil (an antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI) reduced flashes by 62% in 6 weeks. Although these numbers are less impressive than the 75% reduction you may get with hormones, SSRIs don't carry the heart disease dangers of HT.

Get Out the Big Guns
Despite the risks uncovered in the WHI trials, experts say that if you're experiencing severe and persistent symptoms and nothing else is working, hormone therapy may be your best option. They recommend taking the lowest dose for the shortest time possible; your doc can help you determine what is best for you. The WHI study found that heart disease risk rises in the first year; the danger of blood clots was greatest during the first 2 years; and breast cancer risk increased 24% after 5 years.

Saying no to discomfort
Sales of personal lubricants rose 11% to $51.6 million in 2004. The average customer: a 52-year-old woman who buys lubricants three or four times a year.

This is Your Mood on Menopause
Science shows that menopause can cause hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness, but proof that it alters your emotions is elusive. An NIH panel on menopause found that mood swings and memory misfires could not be tied to this hormonal shift. Many women experience neither. If you feel moody, there's a good chance that sleep loss because of night sweats and hot flashes is responsible. However, if you've battled depression or an eating disorder in the past, you may experience a recurrence during menopause.

lifemadesimple · 07-21-2006, 10:36 AM

There is a Functional Formula put out by a company I know very well that target's WOMENS ISSUES like menopause, PMS, cervical issues, menstration, breast cancer--and it is also about PREVENTING these issues.
It has a lot of great ingredients and it comes as powder in a can to be later mixed with a cold liquid.
I've gotten great results using this formula. My good friend went off her Harmone Therapy after being on it for a while. I no longer have long-drawn out periods, they are a healthy looking red and only last 4 days. (good flow)
I also don't have simptoms of pain or bloating and moods stay even.

If you want to know more about the product let me know and I'll post more.

RAVEN · 07-25-2006, 08:30 PM

Please do.... my mom is going through Menopause right now and she thinks she is fine....lol but she is not. So I for one would be very interested in any additional info you might have

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifemadesimple

There is a Functional Formula put out by a company I know very well that target's WOMENS ISSUES like menopause, PMS, cervical issues, menstration, breast cancer--and it is also about PREVENTING these issues.
It has a lot of great ingredients and it comes as powder in a can to be later mixed with a cold liquid.
I've gotten great results using this formula. My good friend went off her Harmone Therapy after being on it for a while. I no longer have long-drawn out periods, they are a healthy looking red and only last 4 days. (good flow)
I also don't have simptoms of pain or bloating and moods stay even.

If you want to know more about the product let me know and I'll post more.

**Spoon** · 07-26-2006, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RAVEN

Please do.... my mom is going through Menopause right now and she thinks she is fine....lol but she is not. So I for one would be very interested in any additional info you might have

Same here. My mom has tried just about everything and has been going through menopause (mainly the hot flashes, I think) for MANY years now...any ideas for some natural remedies that may possibly work for her would be greatly appreciated.

07-19-2006, 10:44 PM	#1
Spoon Administrator Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 971	Managing Menopause "The change" may be inevitable, but suffering is not by Meryl Davids Landau Antoinette Kuritz, 56, embodies the new approach to menopause. Sure, she's enduring hot flashes and night sweats like generations before her. "My family calls me Flash, because about five times a day, someone turns an oven on inside me," she says. But unlike her mother's generation, Kuritz has opted not to treat her symptoms with hormones. And she's not alone. "We're finally starting to view menopause the way we view pregnancy, as a natural process--not as a disease that needs to be cured," says Carol Mangione, MD, a professor of medicine at UCLA. Last March, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel called for the demedicalization of menopause, in part as a result of research showing that nearly a third of symptoms improve without treatment, usually within 2 years after a woman's final period. Several studies on hormone therapy (HT) are also fueling the shift in approach. In 2002, for instance, data from the large-scale Women's Health Initiative (WHI) linked estrogen and progestin HT to higher rates of blood clots, heart disease, and breast cancer. "Instead of looking for treatment, I'm trying to focus on the fact that my body is doing exactly what it is programmed to do," says Kuritz, a radio host in San Diego. But then she laughs. "Ask me again in a few years. If this continues, I may be sucking up every pill they can give me." Judging from the research, Kuritz probably won't get to that point. Hopefully, you won't either. For help in finding your best menopause strategy, keep reading. First, Try Low-Risk Techniques Take a breath. Researchers at Wayne State University randomly assigned 33 women with frequent hot flashes to receive eight lessons in belly breathing, muscle relaxation, or a placebo treatment. The belly breathers reported a 50% drop in the frequency of flashes; the others had no change. Try it at home: Sit comfortably in a quiet spot. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose for 5 seconds so that your belly expands; then exhale through your mouth for 5, continuing for 15 minutes. Once you've mastered the method, put it into action for 2 to 3 minutes whenever you feel a flash. The more you do it, the fewer heat waves you'll have. "It may be that deep breathing drops the body's core temperature slightly," says lead researcher Robert Freedman, PhD. Get up and go. Taking regular Spin classes won't nix hot flashes, but menopausal women who exercise do report less flash-induced discomfort. Apparently, the heat and soaking that come with flashes and night sweats don't seem so distressing if you're a regular exerciser, say researchers. Bonus: Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week can offset the increased heart disease risk that comes with menopause. Smell the relief. If you need an excuse to pamper yourself, a recent Japanese study of 15 women found that those who got two 20-minute aromatherapy rubdowns and performed self-massages with scented oil three times weekly reported fewer hot flashes and sounder sleep after 1 month. Next, Consider Emerging Treatments Try an herb. Research on black cohosh has shown that it can reduce the severity of hot flashes and night sweats. The latest good news comes by way of a German study of 304 women. Half took 40 mg of a black cohosh supplement (Remifemin); the rest got a placebo. After 12 weeks, those on the herb experienced a reduction of symptoms similar to that seen with estrogen therapy. Unfortunately, supplements aren't regulated, but the watchdog group ConsumerLab.com recently reviewed several other black cohosh supplements and deemed Jarrow Formulas Black Cohosh, Sundown Black Cohosh, and Swanson Health Products Premium Brand Black Cohosh among those with accurate label claims. (Always keep your doctor informed of any new supplements you're on.) Chew a little soy. Though many women swear by soy to ease menopausal symptoms, there's been little solid research on its effectiveness. Recent news, however, is promising: Scientists at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine put 35 women on 160 mg of a soy isoflavones supplement (Revival) or a placebo. After 3 months, the supplement group reported nearly a third fewer flashes than those taking the fakes. The study used about 10 times the amount of soy found in the typical American diet. But study coauthor Adrian Sandra Dobs, MD, doesn't recommend popping large doses of supplements. Instead, she says, try to eat more tofu (20 mg isoflavones in 3 ounces), tempeh (37 mg), and other soy foods, which have additional nutritional benefits. Still No Relief? Meds May Make Sense Take an SSRI. No one thinks hot flashes are caused by depression. But a 2003 study of 165 women by the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found that a 12.5 mg dose of Paxil (an antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI) reduced flashes by 62% in 6 weeks. Although these numbers are less impressive than the 75% reduction you may get with hormones, SSRIs don't carry the heart disease dangers of HT. Get Out the Big Guns Despite the risks uncovered in the WHI trials, experts say that if you're experiencing severe and persistent symptoms and nothing else is working, hormone therapy may be your best option. They recommend taking the lowest dose for the shortest time possible; your doc can help you determine what is best for you. The WHI study found that heart disease risk rises in the first year; the danger of blood clots was greatest during the first 2 years; and breast cancer risk increased 24% after 5 years. Saying no to discomfort Sales of personal lubricants rose 11% to $51.6 million in 2004. The average customer: a 52-year-old woman who buys lubricants three or four times a year. This is Your Mood on Menopause Science shows that menopause can cause hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness, but proof that it alters your emotions is elusive. An NIH panel on menopause found that mood swings and memory misfires could not be tied to this hormonal shift. Many women experience neither. If you feel moody, there's a good chance that sleep loss because of night sweats and hot flashes is responsible. However, if you've battled depression or an eating disorder in the past, you may experience a recurrence during menopause.

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07-21-2006, 10:36 AM	#2
lifemadesimple Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hudson, NH Posts: 5	There is a Functional Formula put out by a company I know very well that target's WOMENS ISSUES like menopause, PMS, cervical issues, menstration, breast cancer--and it is also about PREVENTING these issues. It has a lot of great ingredients and it comes as powder in a can to be later mixed with a cold liquid. I've gotten great results using this formula. My good friend went off her Harmone Therapy after being on it for a while. I no longer have long-drawn out periods, they are a healthy looking red and only last 4 days. (good flow) I also don't have simptoms of pain or bloating and moods stay even. If you want to know more about the product let me know and I'll post more.

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