Menopause

Diet and Nutrition: (references)

• Eat low fat, high fiber, vegetarian based diet with whole grains, legumes, raw seeds and nuts, fruits, and vegetables making up the core of the diet
• Avoid sugar, refined carbohydrates, salt, dairy products, alcohol, and caffeine in coffee, teas, colas, and chocolate
• Eat foods containing phytoestrogens: soybeans, apples, carrots, yams, green beans, peas, pomegranates, potatoes, red beans, brown rice, whole wheat, rye, sesame seeds, legumes, flaxseed and pumpkin seeds

Vitamins and Minerals: (references)

• Vitamin B-Complex: take as directed on the bottle
• Vitamin B6: 150 mg.
• Vitamin C: 1 - 5 gm.
• Vitamin D: 200 - 400 I.U.
• Vitamin E: 400 - 800 I.U.
• Calcium (Citrate form): 600 -1200 mg.
• Magnesium: 400 - 800 mg.

Supplements: (references)

• Bioflavonoids: 1 - 3 gm.
• EFA: 2-4 gm.
• Ovary Glandular: 2 - 4 tablets BID
• Uterus Glandular: 1 tablet BID
• Dehydroepeandrostrone (DHEA): 20-50 mg.
• Melatonin: 3-6 mg. at 9PM

Botanicals: (references)

• Dry Herbs - Glycyrrhiza glabra (120 mg.), Leonurus cardiaca (120 mg.), Angelica sinensis (240 mg.), Arctium lappa (240 mg.), *Vitex agnus castus (120 mg.), Cimicifuga racemosa (120 mg.): take 2 capsules TID

• Individual botanicals to be considered for this condtion:
  Aletris farinosa (True unicorn)
  Angelica sinensis (Dong quai)
  Arctium lappa (Burdock)
  Cimicifuga racemosa (Black cohosh)
  Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice)
  Humulus lupulus (Hops)
  Leonurus cardiaca (Motherwort)
  Medicago sativa (Alfalfa)
  Salvia officinalis (Sage)
  Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek)
  Vitex agnus castus (Chaste tree, Monk's pepper)

Homeopathic Remedies: (references)

• General menopause:
  
  acon, agar, alet, aloe, aml-n, apis, arg-n, aur, bar-c, bell, bell-p, bor-ac, bov, bry, cact, calc, calc-ar, camph, caps, carb-v, carc, caul, chin, cimic, cocc, coff, con, croc, CROT-C, crot-h, cycl, ferr, ferr-p, gels, glon, GRAPH, helon, hydr, ign, jab, kali-bi, kali-br, kali-c, kali-s, kreos, LACH, laur, lyc, mag-c, mag-p-a, man, manc, MANG, meli, mosch, murx, nat-m, nit-ac, nux-m, nux-v, ol-an, orch, ov, ph-ac, phos, phys, piloc, plat, plb, PSOR, PULS, rhus-t, sabin, sal-ac, sang, sars, sec, sel, SEP, stront-c, SULPH, sul-ac, tab, ter, ther, tril, ust, valer, verat, visc, xan, zinc, zinc-valer
• Hot flashes:
  
  acet-ac, am-m, ant-c, aur, bell, carb-v, fl-ac, hep, kali-bi, lach, op, phos, puls, SEP, sulph, sul-ac, TUB, xan
• Obesity with menopause:
  
  calc, calc-ar
• Premature menopause:
  
  absin

(For an overview of Homeopathy, click here.)   

Other Therapies: (references)

• Exercise: 30 minutes 3 / week
• Stop smoking
• Estrogen replacement therapy (primarily estriol, preferrably from plant sources)

Recommended Labs:

• Check for menopause: FSH, LH
• Rule out diabetes: Fasting Glucose, Fructosamine, Hemoglobin A1c
• Rule out hypothyroidism: Thyroid Panel with TSH
• Rule out occult malignancies: Antimalignant Antibody
• Rule out pituitary insufficiency: Hormone Panel, MRI
• Rule out polycystic ovarian disease: Ultrasound
• Rule out uterine/endometrial polyps or malignancy or Asherman's Syndrome: Laparoscopy, Ultrasound, CT Scan, MRI
• Rule out uterine fibroids: Ultrasound

*  The recommended use of this supplement or therapy is based on a physiological mechanism or empirical data and is not necessarily supported by peer-reviewed research studies.

Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).