Learn about hormone therapy alternatives, such as lifestyle changes, other medications, or herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms. You can try lifestyle changes, supplements, other therapies, and medications to help reduce and control menopausal symptoms. Talk to your doctor to get started. The above statements are not designed to scare people away from using complementary therapies; there are some that benefit many patients.
However, it's important for Joe Public to truly understand the key issues related to complementary therapies. Phytoestrogens are the most commonly used complementary therapies for menopausal symptoms, but many people also use interventions such as yoga and acupuncture, with great claims of effectiveness. Some of these issues are addressed below. Herbal remedies, such as red clover, contain plant hormones that can act similar to estrogen, while black cohosh is thought to balance estrogen levels and progestogen.
These may help with some menopausal symptoms, but this is not supported by scientific evidence. Some of these remedies (especially St. John's Wort) can also cause serious side effects if taken with other medications. People can also manage their hormonal health by seeking alternatives to hormone replacement therapy.
There are many alternatives for achieving hormonal balance and treating related symptoms, such as dietary changes, herbal remedies, acupuncture, bioidentical hormone therapy (BHT), and mind-body techniques. Oxybutynin is a medication that is primarily used to treat bladder problems, but it can also help reduce hot flashes. It's a good option if you have bladder problems and hot flashes at the same time. This medication has been shown to be effective in controlling menopausal symptoms without hormones.
Clonidine is an old medication used primarily to treat high blood pressure, but it can also help with hot flashes. It's not used as often today because newer treatments are available, but it may still work well for some women. The main disadvantage of clonidine is that it can cause side effects such as dry mouth or drowsiness. Gabapentin and pregabalin are medications that are usually used to treat nerve pain and seizures, but they can also help with hot flashes and sleep problems.
If you're having trouble sleeping because of menopause, these medications may be a good option to have take into account. They are generally safe for women who have had breast cancer.
