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Menopause: Questions and answers

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I wondered if I could share something with you which I found very helpful for peri-menopausal symptoms. Milk thistle works very well for me in an unexpected way - on my hormones! I am a peri-menopausal woman, and my hormones were badly affected. My periods vary between being very light and very heavy, with a gap of anything from four days to two months - it's different every time. I was very tired all the time; very irritable, and very angry. I was anxious about everything, had horrendous hot flushes, and could not sleep. I tried Avogel Menosan for the hot flushes and it worked brilliantly, but the symptoms remained the same. I thought I'd try some Milk Thistle to see if that would help my liver. I use the tincture rather than the tablets so I can vary the dose depending on how I feel. It worked like magic and, within a few days, I was calmer, less anxious and much more energised. My periods have returned to normal - a light flow every 28 days - so I feel as though I am back to normal. It was only when I read more about how the Milk Thistle complex affects cholesterol and hormones, that I realised that it might be helpful if other women knew about the positive effect that Milk Thistle can have on peri-menopausal women. The online checking that I did suggests that taking Milk Thistle in the long term does not cause any negative side effects. I am planning on taking Milk Thistle until I am all the way through the menopause. I thought that it might be something other woman might like to try, and I wondered if you'd came across Milk Thistle helping other women like this before?

Thank you so much for letting us know about this positive outcome. We are aware that Milk Thistle can help, both with PMT and the menopause, and we... Read the full answer 〉

I have been feeling very peculiar for most of this year - I have been experiencing bouts of anxiety, sleeplessness, stiffness in the neck and shoulders, slight ringing in the ears, terrible tiredness. More recently I have been having phases of feeling completely overwhelmed and have uncontrollable crying fits where I have produced more tears than I ever thought possible! I have rages too, but keep hoping these are PMT which I have tended to suffer from in my 40s. My periods have been a little closer together over the past couple of years but still very regular however I have not had a period for over 10 weeks now. I am by nature a little emotional and highly strung and inclined to worry but feel that I am more emotional than ever. I consulted my doctor and asked for blood tests to check hormone levels - results came back normal and inconclusive although I gather it is quite a difficult thing to test for. I feel inclined towards being in denial because my mother experienced the menopause at 56, so I have convinced myself that menopause is a long way off but I am beginning to think not! I would find it so very reassuring to KNOW what it going on, that I am not going mad - Is there another test I can have, for example in Germany you can have a simple ultrasound on your ovaries. I would like to know what I am dealing with before exploring ways to help deal with symptoms.

This is really common, so don't panic: you are not going mad! The reason behind it is low oestrogen levels. Oestrogen acts as a mild... Read the full answer 〉

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