Welcome Beverly and Pat,

Both of you sound like you are starting peri-menopause.......ah the joys of
being a woman LOL.

Six to 12 months without a menstrual period is the commonly accepted rule
for diagnosing menopause. Classic symptoms include hot flashes, skin
wrinkling, vaginal dryness, headaches and night sweats.
Menopause is thought to occur when there are no longer any eggs left in the
ovaries, This "burning out" of the ovaries reflects the natural course of
events. At birth, there are one million eggs. This number drops to about
300,000 or 400,000 at puberty, but only about 400 eggs actually mature
during the reproductive years. By the time a woman reaches the age of 50,
few eggs remain.

Hundreds of years ago, women relied upon their intuition and Mother Nature
to keep themselves healthy, The conventional medical treatment of menopause
disregards this factor and primarily involves the use of hormone replacem nt
therapy (HRT), whereby a combination of estrogen and progesterone is
utilized to control symptoms.

During the 1940s and 1950s, estrogen was widely prescribed to help women
cope with the symptoms of menopause. By the 1970s, estrogen replacement
therapy became firmly entrenched as the medical treatment of choice for
women in menopause. Unfortunately, the consequences of long-term estrogen
therapy were not well understood at that time.

It is now well established that estrogen replacement therapy is associated
with a 4-13 times increased risk of developing endometrial cancer (cancer in
the lining of the uterus). To combat this tendency, drug companies and
physicians began recommending that estrogen be combined with progesterone,
Estrogen replacement therapy thus became hormone replacement therapy. And
hormone replacement therapy carries with it the risk of causing other
cancers.

The Physicians Desk Reference (as do the package inserts for estrogen and
progesterone products) provides a long list of side effects of HRT. In
addition to the well-known risk of cancer, estrogen and progesterone
increase the risk of blood clots, breast tenderness, PMS- like symptoms,
depression, uterine fibroid enlargement, fluid retention and headaches.

Fortunately, herbal medicine and the use of botanical extracts can provide
effective, long-term relief of such symptoms.

The use of short-term (less than 6 months) hormone replacement therapy for
menopausal symptoms provides only temporary relief. It is not a permanent
cure; it only delays the inevitable. Long-term hormone replacement therapy
is not justified in most women (exception; women with severe osteoporosis)
because its risks outweigh the benefits. Breast cancer is the form of cancer
most likely to be exacerbated by hormone replacement therapy. In 1998, it is
also the most common cancer in women.

Thus HRT is not advised for women who are at high risk for breast cancer or
women with a disease aggravated by estrogen, including breast cancer, active
liver diseases, and certain cardiovascular diseases.

I am always fond of recommending high-quality formulations of standardized
herbs, and those which are prepared in combination. Nowhere is that more
important than in your natural approach to menopause. It is in the setting
of synergistically blended formulations that one herb enhances the effects
of another thereby producing a more profound effect on a woman's health. A
healthful lifestyle is vital, fun, exciting and most importantly, free of
the bothersome symptoms of menopause.

Here are the five most common nutrients I suggest to women who are suffering
from symptoms of menopause:

Dong guai (Angelica sinensis) Called the "female ginseng", it helps balance
levels of your two major hormones: estrogen and progesterone. It also
stabilizes blood vessel walls, eases PMS symptoms and can ease heavy
bleeding. Dong Quai is also an analgesic, antibacterial and a smooth-muscle
relaxant.

Chasteberry (Vitex agnus castus) Native to the Mediterranean, chasteberry
helps balance your hor- monal swings as well as hot flashes, vaginal
dryness, heart palpitations, night sweats and headaches.

Black cohosh (Cimic~ia racemosa) I have to thank my grandmother for
introducing me to this one. This herb was first used by Native American
women hundreds of years ago and now is a very popular alternative to HRT in
Europe. It is the most well-documented natural alternative (trade name:
Remifemin) to HRT and effectively relieves all menopausal symptoms.

Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Licorice balances your hormonal levels of
estrogen and progesterone ratios, helping to ease hot flashes, mood swings
and vaginal dryness. It is useful for treating fatigue since it also helps
replenish your adrenal glands.

Soy "The Bean" is finally gaining popularity in this country. It keeps your
vaginal tissues moist and healthy, counters hot flashes and protects against
cancer (animal studies show activity against breast cancer) and heart
disease. With regards to cardiovascular disease, soy lowers blood levels of
LDL cholesterol when consumed at levels of about 45 grams or more per day.

Whether or not you're taking hormone replacement therapy, it's perfectly
safe to try herbs if you're experiencing menopausal symptoms (hot flashes,
vaginal dryness, fatigue). I urge you to consider taking herbs if:

Your menopausal symptoms are mild but you'd like relief
You don't want to take HRT because of breast cancer risk or other concerns

You're on HRT but would like the added benefits of herbs

Bio Essence For Women is the best mix of the herbs (phytoestrogens) I
mentioned in combination.
Here is my web site for Bio Essence For Women.
http://www.herbals-unlimited.com/bio.htm

I presently take a very small dose of estrogen along with my phytoestrogens
which is working well for me.

What symptoms do you have Pat?

Beverly, you sound like you could benefit from Bio Essence greatly because I
know that it got rid of my hot flashes/mood swings etc.

I also had a complete hysterectomy in my early 30s and went in to full blown
menopause at age 40 (right after my birthday) what a great birthday present
LOL.

I hope you learn a lot from my menopause discussion group.

Trish
Email; trish@...
Web Site; http://www.herbals-unlimited.com
ICQ# 52898091


----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat Weir" <chinutt@...>
To: "menopausal Moderator" <menopausal-owner@egroups.com>
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2000 10:14 PM
Subject: Re: Welcome to menopausal


Technically, at 46 (going on 47) I guess I'm going through what they
call peri-menopause. Some things are changing so I know menopause
is looming on the horizon.

I believe in a mix of traditional western medicine and holistic medicine,
though I'm no expert in either. I'm not on any medication because I'm in
the early stages. I want to learn, be informed and educated about all my
alternatives as this process happens.

Pat
chinutt@...
Canada