Alternative treatments for menopause

Research at the University of Exeter shows that 50.5% of women now use one or more complementary or alternative medicines to ease menopausal symptoms.

Learn more about menopause symptoms

Their analysis of surveys found that six out of ten women rated their treatment as successful, and the five most popular therapies were herbal medicine, followed by soy, evening primrose oil, relaxation and yoga.

The rise in the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine has followed a decline in HRT use after reports of links between hormone therapy and increased risk of breast and endometrial cancer, heart disease and stroke although, for many women, the real increase is slight. Personal factors such as age, weight, family and medical history will affect the level of risk, as will the duration of the treatment.

HRT: what are the risks?

Nevertheless, research suggests that many women are attracted to alternative treatments in the belief that they are natural and safe – which may not always be the case – as well as being effective.

The challenge for women searching for a natural remedy is finding one that works. Relatively little research has been carried out, and sometimes the evidence is wanting or negative. According to a Yale University School of Medicine report, phytoestrogens (derived from plants), black cohosh and vitamin E may be no better than a placebo in reducing hot flushes, while the Exeter team says the same about evening primrose.

However, a survey of 2,500 German gynaecologists who were asked to rate the effectiveness of each therapy based on observations of their patients found that most of the doctors believed in the effectiveness of at least one alternative therapy. Straightforward lifestyle changes were rated the best, with 54.4% saying that they were effective, while 35.7% reported that they worked sometimes. And alternative treatments that were rated as effective by the doctors were St John’s wort (25%) and black cohosh (21%).

Natural treatments for menopause symptoms

The best bets

Simple lifestyle changes have been shown to ease hot flushes, including maintaining a healthy weight and stopping smoking, as well as more obvious adjustments such as creating a cooler environment, wearing light and layered clothing and using fans when needed, according to one Yale University study.

The best treatments for menopause symptoms

Group relaxation therapy can work, according to a 2012 study by gynaecologists at Linköping University, Sweden. Postmenopausal women with seven or more moderate to severe hot flushes a day had either relaxation therapy or no treatment at all. In those who had the therapy, the number of hot flushes dropped by five a day compared with 1.9 in the other group after 12 weeks.

Hot flushes and sweats: strategies for coping

Exercise

Aerobic exercise three times a week for three months can have a significant beneficial effect on some menopausal symptoms. One trial at Minnesota University showed improvements in sleep quality, insomnia and depression, but not in hot flushes.

10 ways to breeze through the menopause

Yoga

A study at the University of California San Francisco showed that eight weekly 90-minute sessions of yoga led to an average drop in hot flushes each week of 30.8%. The researchers say bigger trials are now needed.

Yoga - which type is right for you?

Pine bark

According to one study at Keiju Medical Centre in Namao City, Japan, a supplement based on pine bark eased almost all menopausal symptoms, but was particularly effective against hot flushes, night sweats and insomnia. The study involved 170 women taking either 30mg of Pycnogenol French maritime pine bark extract or a placebo a day, and found significant improvements after four weeks in the women on the supplement.

St John’s wort

Better known for its use as an antidepressant, it has been shown to improve quality of life in women around the time of the menopause. The study, at the University Hospital of Quebec, found that after three months of taking St John’s wort, women had significantly better quality of life and fewer sleep problems than those who were taking a placebo. The jury is still out.

Learn more about St John's Wort

Black cohosh

Some studies have found it effective, while others have not. A study funded by the US National Institutes of Health found it to be no better than a placebo for relieving hot flushes. However, a Swiss study based on more than 400 women showed that it was effective: ‘Treatment in patients with hot flushes and night sweats resulted in a significant improvement of symptoms,’ say the researchers. One in four German gynaecologists also considered black cohosh to be effective.

Learn more about black cohosh

Acupuncture

This ancient Chinese therapy can reduce the severity of symptoms of hot flushes according to a study at Stanford University in California, where postmenopausal women with moderate to severe hot flushes were given nine sessions of acupuncture or placebo needles. Acupuncture resulted in a significantly greater decrease in the severity, but not the frequency, of hot flushes. Other studies have found no effects.

Evening primrose oil

Some research shows that the third most popular natural remedy used by menopausal women is effective, but a report in the British Medical Journal found that gamolenic acid – a major compound in primrose oil – offered no benefit over a placebo in treating hot flushes. However, a study at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran involving the same number of women found primrose oil to be superior to a placebo, with a 42% improvement in the severity of symptoms.

Learn more about evening primrose oil

Hops

A number of symptoms, including hot flushes, were eased among women taking an extract of hop flowers daily compared with those who had a placebo preparation. The research at Ghent University Hospital in Belgium found that the reduction in hot flushes was significant after six weeks.

Soy

Some trials show it is helpful, while others have found it ineffective. Its use is based on the idea that soy contains compounds called isoflavones, which have some small oestrogen-like effect. A study at the University of Minnesota concluded, ‘Consumption of 30mg/day of soy isoflavones reduces hot flushes by up to 50%’.

Tofu - how to add this superfood to your diet

Folic acid

The supplement widely used in pregnancy to lower the risk of birth defects may also be a way to treat hot flushes. Improvement in hot flushes was reported by 65% of the women taking the active treatment (but also by 16% of the placebo group!) in a study at the University of Alexandria. Two weeks after stopping the tablets, hot flushes recurred in all women who had shown an improvement. Folic acid may have an effect on the brain chemical serototin, which has been implicated in hot flushes.

Learn more about folic acid

Can you delay the menopause?

Regular fish-eaters are up to 40% less likely to go through an early menopause, according to research at Demirel University Medical School, Turkey. In a group of women with an average age of 52, fish-eating delayed menopause the most, while lifelong sun exposure increased the risk of early menopause the most.

10 healthy reasons to eat more fish

Red wine

Women who drink red wine have a lower risk of an early start to the perimenopause, the two to eight years leading up to the menopause itself, according to Harvard University research based on around 500 women aged 36 to 45, who were monitored for more than five years. One theory is that it is down to a non-alcoholic compound in red wine, resveratrol, which has oestrogen-like actions.

Milk

Results of a 20-year study of 46,000 women show that the more low-fat dairy products a woman consumed the later her menopause. The Harvard University researchers say that cow’s milk contains compounds that appear to increase the amount of oestrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body, which might cause the delaying effects. Low-fat dairy products contain more of these compounds, which may explain why the same effects were not seen for full-fat dairy items.

Before you decide

Before ruling out conventional treatments, it’s worth discussing HRT as well as other prescription medications with your doctor so you can weigh up the relative pros and cons of the different treatments and decide what’s best for you.

HRT: which type is right for you?

Health warning

Talk to your doctor before using complementary and alternative medicines. Some herbal therapies can be dangerous, and can interact adversely with prescription medications, yet in a study of users by Exeter University researchers, more than half of the women had not told their doctors about their use of complementary and alternative medicine.

Understanding drug interactions

Menopause symptoms

• Hot flushes – suffered by seven out of ten women
• Night sweats
• Loss of libido
• Vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex
• Palpitations
• Headaches
• Mood changes
• Insomnia
• Urinary tract infections

How to tackle embarrassing menopause symptoms