Black Cohosh is an alternative therapy for pre menopause symptoms and menopausal symptoms.  But just what is it and is it safe to take?  Black Cohosh, also known as squaw root, rattleweed or black snake root, is an herb in the buttercup family. It is a shrub that grows 5-7 feet tall and produces little white flowers.  The root has been used by Native American for over 200 years in relieving symptoms of menstrual cramps and for the  symptoms of menopause.   The early American settlers used it to for malaria, kidney aliments, arthritis, rattle snake bites and also for perimenopause symptoms.  Early physicians also used black cohosh for serious infectious diseases, including scarlet fever, smallpox  and whooping cough. Today it is used for hot flashes, irritability, sleep disturbances, mood swings, pms, uterine spasms and in reducing inflammation associated with arthritis. Today, herbalists use it as an emmenagogue; an agent that relaxes the uterus and  promotes uterine bleeding when your flow is hindered by stress and anxiety  It is also used in small doses in women with difficult labors in their last trimester.  It reduces labor pain and promotes more efficient contractions in order to prepare the uterus for full term delivery.

Exactly why it helps menopause symptoms is unknown exactly, but some think it’s because it mimics the effects of estrogen.  In fact many believe it is as effective as an estrogen supplement in relieving the menopause symptoms of night sweats, insomnia and moodiness among others.  In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists support the use of black cohosh for a limited amount of time to relieve symptoms.  There have been no studies past the use of 6 months in regards to this form of treatment, so that is why only 6 months is recommended.  There are no known side effects or contraindications at all.  Black cohosh is considered to be a safe and effective supplement.

Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, has come under scrutiny because it has been linked to causing certain cancer.  Because Black Cohosh has an estrogen like effect it is not to be used by pregnant or lactating women.  It can cause miscarriages, abdominal pain, nausea and dizziness if taken incorrectly.

Other supplements beneficial in reducing menopause symptoms include:  Evening Primrose oil, Vitamin E, Dong Quai, and Wild Yam.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE.

I read an interesting testimony today about inversion tables virtually eliminating perimenopause symptoms!  I don’t know if it really works, but it seems worth a try.  Imagine no hot flashes, moodiness, night sweats or any other pre menopause symptoms at all! Without having to take hormones!   I’m game.  Here’s how it works:

Inversion therapy is laying upside down or at various angles for a period of time. This shift in gravity brings oxygen rich blood to your brain, lymphatic and endocrine system.  It also reduces the pressure off your spine and spinal discs.

Benefits of Inversion Therapy

Many people report an improved sense of well being, increased energy levels and a greater sense of relaxation from practicing inversion therapy.  This could be because feeding your brain this oxygen rich blood produces endorphins similar to when you exercise.  Endorphins make you feel really, really good!  Sharper focus and improved memory are also reported among users.  That’s great because I  walk into a room and forget why I came way too often!

Hanging upside down stretches your whole body stimulating the circulatory and lymphatic systems, stretching all of the muscles, tendons and ligaments, and oxygenating the brain.

How does this help menopausal symptoms?  Well, when you think about it, by giving your brain, endocrine system and lymphatic systems what they need, they don’t have to take it from other places.  Therefore, every system runs efficiently.  Inversion therapy also needs be accompanied by quality nutrition and daily movement for optimum results.  Many women enter into perimenopause all stressed out at the bottom of their game.  They haven’t been taking great care of themselves so as a result they have menopausal symptoms.  Believe it or not, there are women who feel great all through the big “change of life”.  I want to be one of them!

Yoga recommends head and shoulder stands to reduce the  symptoms of menopause.  The yoga positions work, but it can be difficult to remain in one for 15 to 30 minutes at a stretch.  An inversion table makes it much more comfortable.  You can even watch tv or talk on the phone while you doing it.  But try to make it a time to “recharge”.  when you return from work.   It’s a great time to relax on the table, meditate and create some quality energy for the rest of the evening.  Like anything else, you need to commit to this routine to see optimum results for your symptoms.

Start out slow and be progressive with the angles and time.  Inversion tables can be purchased at stores like Relax the Back.    You could also order one from the internet at various sites.

Mood swings have been the worst for me.   I have gotten it to when they only show up a few days before my period, but that’s even too much for me because those days leave me a wreck!    I feel absolutely wonderful, then I can feel it coming like a downward spiral, taking me deeper and deeper into a dark abyss.  The worst part is even though I have warned my family, every time it happens they look at me like I’m some horrible person.  I don’t want to be moody and irritable, but sometimes I can’t help it.  It surprises me as much as it does them.  When these moods come on all I want to do is get on a plane and go somewhere far, far away until the real me returns.

It use to be much worse.  I use to feel irritable and moody three-quarters of the month.  My thyroid also had a lot to do with it and then perimenopause symptoms  made  it worse.    I have found ways to deal with these on slaughts of darkness, but it has been a long, hard road.

When I started complaining to my ob-gyn, she told me I had pre menopause symptoms and gave me a presecription for Prozac.  I was suppose to take it 7 days before my period started.  I only lasted 2 days.   The headaches this drug gave me were incredible and I had to stop.  Then she prescribed me Zoloft and I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.  Nothing could rock my world and it was smooth sailing.  That is until I gained 20 pounds seemingly overnight, and nothing I would do could make it disappear.   I then was given Wellbutrin to lose the weight, and it wreaked havoc on my mind.  I stuck it out as long as I could -5 days before I had to stop.  I thought I was going to kill either myself or somebody else.  It was the absolute scariest experience of my life!  The detox from that experience lasted 2 weeks and was awful.

My acupuncturist recommended I take Sam-e to balance my hormones and clean my liver of all the prescription drugs I had been taking.  It has worked beautifully.  I feel a peace and happiness I hadn’t felt in a long time, the weight is coming off, and I feel good knowing this supplement is good for my liver.  I will never, repeat never take a prescription antidepressant again.  There are far more gentle ways to balance your neurotransmitters and hormones for the menopausal symptoms of depression and moodiness.

A great book to read is by Julia Ross called the Mood Cure.  She explains in great detail the workings of the brain and how to balance it with amino acids.  Black Cohosh is also suppose to work great in balancing the hormones.  I personally take 400 mg of Sam-E a day with a B-complex vitamin first thing in the am before I eat breakfast.  It has worked magic on me and I know my family appreciates it!  You don’t have to suffer from the symptoms of menopause.