Menopause will signal the beginning of a new phase of life for women. While the symptoms aren’t pleasant, and can last a long time, there can be some relief. Some women find that vitamins and menopause can go hand in hand.
The right vitamins and menopause can work together to help lessen some of the more unpleasant side effects of menopause.
When many of us think of menopause we will think of hot flashes. And while many a joke has been made about menopausal women, I’m here to tell you that menopause is not for wimps.
I have a friend who has been suffering from hot flashes for almost 10 years. These hot flashes can be so bad that she looks like she just ran a marathon she is sweating so much.
Not only is that very uncomfortable, it can also be embarrassing… especially if she is out in public when it happens.
In addition to the extreme hot flashes, she sometimes gets a migraine headache and nausea.
Fortunately, she doesn’t always get these extra symptoms but when she does it makes an already miserable situation much, much worse.
She has literally spent years trying to find a safe and effective treatment options for her symptoms.
Doctors used to prescribe hormone replacement therapy to help alleviate the symptoms but since it has been found to increase the risk of breast cancer they try to avoid this type of therapy in all but the most extreme cases.
If they do prescribe it, they prescribe the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time.
Another option that is gaining in popularity is the more natural option of taking vitamins and natural herbs.
There are many herbs and vitamins that can help for a myriad of symptoms and side effects of menopause. For example, one of the common side effects of menopause is the loss of bone density which can lead to osteoporosis.
Taking a Vitamin D supplement can help keep your bones strong. Also, some doctors will recommend taking Calcium for the same reason.
Taking Vitamin E may help relieve hot flashes, though everyone is different and some women find it doesn’t seem to help.
Vitamin A can help keep your hair and skin from drying out, another possible side effect of menopause. And Vitamin B complex can help with fatigue and stress issues that are common when going through menopause.
Some all natural remedies like black cohosh and red clover have helped some women find relief from hot flashes. Also, the Chinese herb called dong quai can help because it can act like a natural estrogen.
Of course, it is always important to talk to your doctor before you start taking any type of medicines, even all natural ones.
Even natural remedies can interact with other things you may be taking and cause some possibly serious side effects.
Depending on your doctor, you may not want to ask them if you should take natural supplements but only if it would be safe with what you are already taking.
The reason I say this is that many western doctors simply don’t believe in the thousands of years of anecdotal
evidence that these natural remedies work.
They are often very dismissive and would likely just tell you they don’t work… period.
And while it may be true that they won’t work for you, as long as there are no interactions with other things you are taking, what have you got to lose?
Vitamins and menopause can go hand in hand, just find out which ones are best for you.