This month’s case study is ‘Sally’ — who came to the Clinic because of Menopausal symptoms:

Sally’s story

My periods stopped quite abruptly at the age of 48 and I was suddenly faced with hot flushes and night sweats. I visited my doctor because the night sweats were stopping me from sleeping which was really affecting my energy and mood. She ran some routine blood tests and told me I was going through the menopause. I was quite shocked as I thought the menopause was a gradual transition and that my periods would gradually wind down. She explained that there is no common pattern and with some women their periods just stop and with others the cycle becomes more irregular and then stops.

My doctor talked to me about HRT but I knew that this was something I never wanted to take — no matter how bad my symptoms were. I was prone to lumpy breasts (fortunately just benign) but had heard that HRT could make this worse. However, I knew I had to do something to help myself because the symptoms were impacting on my daily life …

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Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), a member of the buttercup family, is a perennial plant that is native to North America. Other common names include black snakeroot, bugbane, bugwort, rattle root, rattle top, rattle weed, and macrotys. Insects avoid it, which accounts for some of these common names.

Black cohosh was used in North American Indian medicine for malaise, gynaecological disorders, kidney disorders, malaria, rheumatism, and sore throat. It was also used for colds, cough, constipation, hives, and backache and to induce lactation for breast feeding. In 19th-century America, black cohosh was a home remedy used for rheumatism and fever, as a diuretic, and to bring on menstruation. It was extremely popular among a group of alternative practitioners who called black cohosh “macrotys” and prescribed it for rheumatism, lung conditions, neurological conditions, and conditions that affected women’s reproductive organs (including menstrual problems, inflammation of the womb or ovaries, infertility, threatened miscarriage, and relief of labour pains)

Today black cohosh is known primarily as an herbal treatment for hot flushes and …

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It’s that time of year when children go off to college, and mums all over the country experience separation anxiety. The house is suddenly much quieter, the refrigerator much fuller and the biscuit tin so tempting. Here are some tips on weathering empty nest syndrome without piling on the pounds:

Don’t be alarmed if you experience feelings of sadness and loss of purpose when your last child leaves home. These are normal reactions and researchers from Cambridge University have shown that even animals suffer from it and continue to bring food home to offspring that have flown the nest. Find someone to talk to, such as your partner or a friend. If you don’t feel better, consult a counsellor or therapist.

Now’s the time to …

To read the rest of this article and for more information on ‘Natural News for Women’ please click here