As HRT safety debate hots up, we’ve got lots of tips to help you overcome the menopause naturally

HORMONE replacement therapy (HRT) triples the risk of breast cancer, according to a new study.

With around one in ten women going through menopause relying on HRT to ease the often debilitating symptoms, that makes for a worrying statistic.

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During menopause your ovaries stop producing oestrogen but do not shut up shop overnight, working haphazardly for six months to two years.

As debate over the safety of HRT hots up, RACHEL HALLIWELL looks at more natural relief.

Embrace it

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THE menopause “isn’t an illness”, says psychologist and women’s health expert Dr Marilyn Glenville.

“The first thing we should do is accept it’s a natural and temporary stage of a woman’s life that we shouldn’t panic about and instantly want to medicate.”

Dr Glenville says some women find their sex drive increases, adding: “They might even feel newly invigorated because testosterone has become the more dominant hormone as their oestrogen levels drop.”

She believes there is a psychological element to the process and that those who accept some discomfort, knowing it will pass, tend to cope better with symptoms.

Beans & broccoli

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EATING foods high in phytoestrogens–soya, beans, sprouts, broccoli and cabbage – can help rebalance your hormones by mimicking oestrogen in the body.

As hormone levels fluctuate, phytoestrogens block your oestrogen receptors when levels are too high and boost them when low.

Keeping blood sugar levels steady is also important.

Dietician Emer Delaney says: “You need low-GI foods that release energy steadily.

“Rye bread is a great start in the morning.”

Caffeine /alcohol

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CAFFEINE tends to exacerbate hot flushes, while alcohol will worsen night sweats, says Liverpool GP Dr Arun Ghosh.

“Caffeine is a stimulant and this is a time when you want to calm things down, not fire yourself up,” he says.

“I ask my patients to limit themselves to one caffeinated drink a day, which seems to really help.

“Alcohol shuts down peripheral blood vessels in your hands and feet, so your extremities feel cold.

“But as soon as you get into your warm bed, those vessels quickly open again, which can trigger flushes and night sweats.

“The odd glass is fine but any more and you will make it even harder for your body to maintain an even temperature at night.”

Take up pilates

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AVOID high-intensity workouts that cause heavy sweating, as they will make hot flushes even worse.

But low-intensity aerobic exercise, such as swimming, lowers blood pressure and can ease symptoms such as palpitations.

Yoga and pilates can help with stress from fluctuating hormones.

Yoga teacher Katya Greer says: “Menopause is a challenging time and yoga helps bring things into balance, alleviates pain, strengthens the body and soothes you.”

C.B.T.

COGNITIVE behavioral therapy is a technique that can be used to help subjects alter negative thought patterns.

Pat Duckworth, who also practises CBT, says: “It’s about helping you to notice the negative thoughts you’re having and replace them with more helpful ones.

“Women can often lose confidence during the menopause.

“They feel older and less attractive.

“But a course of CBT sessions helps to replace the negative ‘chatter’ in their heads with more positive statements about where life is taking them.

“That can help massively with anxiety and depression.”

Try acupuncture

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BY stimulating nerve endings, acupuncture can cause the brain to release feel-good endorphins – and so helps menopausal women to relax.

Hypnotherapist Pat Duckworth says: “Acupuncture is a brilliant treatment for those suffering from stress and anxiety during menopause.”

Regular bedtimes

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MAINTAINING a regular sleep pattern is more important now than ever, insists Dr Ghosh.

He says: “Proper rest during the night will regulate your metabolism and help to improve your mood.

“Poor sleep will make you gain weight, leave you irritable and make your symptoms worse.”

Good sleep practice is key – so stay away from technology for at least an hour before bed, avoid caffeine after 3pm and try to go to bed and get up at roughly the same times each day.

Sage for sweets

HERBAL supplements during menopause can be effective alternatives to chemical treatments.

Dr Ghosh says: “Some of my patients swear by black cohosh and sage to relieve hot flushes and night sweats, while taking black cohosh and St John’s Wort together seems to be particularly effective at relieving menopausal mood swings.”

Pants magnet

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THE LadyCare magnet is the size of a 10p coin and can be attached to your underwear, to be worn day and night.

Its manufacturer reckons that when 500 women tried it, between 50 and 70 per cent reported reduced irritability and improved sleep, while a third claimed that they had fewer hot flushes.

It is often prescribed by private doctors, although some say there is no proof that it works and it may simply be an example of the placebo effect.

Available for £28.49 at Boots.

Trick your brain

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HOT flushes happen because falling oestrogen levels throw the part of your brain that acts as your body’s thermostat – the hypothalamus – off course.

Pat Duckworth teaches visualisation techniques that trick the brain.

“Picturing a control room in your brain, with a thermostat you can turn up or down, is a form of neuro-linguistic programming, where you signal to the brain what you want it to do rather than letting hormones control its actions,” she explains.

'The right diet can help'

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SUE GORE, 46, from Southport, Merseyside, started having menopausal symptoms three months ago after a hysterectomy. She says:

"I lost my mum to breast cancer and my auntie to ovarian cancer so I’ve always known that HRT wasn’t an option for me.

With that in mind I’ve been preparing my body for the menopause since my early 40s.

I take herbal supplements, which contain phytoestrogens to help control hot flushes and night sweats and I cook with turmeric, which reduces inflammation, to help with joint pain.

I don’t drink caffeine and keep alcohol to a minimum.

I eat lots of spinach and kale, which help to regulate oestrogen levels.

I’m experiencing terrible hot flushes, which affect my sleep and make me agitated.

I did experience mood swings but they have passed so my planning seems to be paying off.

My next move is to take up Pilates and yoga, which should help me relax."

'Saved by sage tablets'

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DEBBI McVEIGH, 47, lives in Telford, Shropshire and started with menopausal symptoms a year ago. She says:

"The hot flushes were terrible at first – I’d feel them start in my feet and work their way up my body.

They came from nowhere and I’d be boiling hot and red as a beetroot.

I was also waking up through the night, drenched with sweat, and not feeling quite as sharp as usual.

I saw my GP and told him I felt nervous about HRT because I’d heard it could increase your chance of cancer.

He suggested trying herbal tablets instead.

A friend said sage-leaf tablets worked for her and, after four months of taking them, my symptoms began to ease.

Now I don’t have any at all.

I’ll try coming off them soon.

I’m hoping I’ve passed through the menopause by now.

But if any of the symptoms do come back, then I will just go straight back on to them."

MENO HERBAL SUPPORT contains soya, red clover, hops, sage, alfalfa and flaxseeds to help naturally regulate oestrogen levels.

It is available from for £21.97.

MenoMood contains black cohosh and St John’s wort for the relief of hot flushes, night sweats, slightly low moods and mild anxiety.

It is available at Boots or Holland & Barrett, priced £16.99 for one month’s supply.

MenoHerb contains black cohosh for the relief of hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings.

Available at Holland & Barrett, it costs £10.39 for one month’s supply.

Menoforce contains sage leaf and is used to relieve excessive sweating.

It is available at health food stores and pharmacies for £12.99 (30 tablets).