The Problem
A 52 year old woman presented with a terrible increase in menopausal symptoms. She had been experiencing mild symptoms for the previous year but suddenly they became more pronounced. She was having between 10 and 14 flushes a day which were becoming embarrassing at work and had resorted to sleeping in the spare room at home because she was disturbing her husband so much during the night due to night sweats.
Her biggest concern wasn't actually the sweats, but her mood swings. They were so bad that her husband had urged her to seek help. She was loosing her temper with her family and friends, but most importantly, had no time at all her her young daughter.
The Consultation
After taking a complete case history and dietary history, I discovered that she had been on the 5:2 diet for five months. She usually used weight watchers but had decided to give this a go. This diet is not good for anyone with blood sugar handling problems nor hormonal related problems. Any level of fasting will completely disrupt hormone function in the body. We discussed her changing back to the weight watchers program which she was delighted to do because she "hated" and dreaded the two days of fast.
Herbs that helped
I put together a mix of hormone balancing herbs and to help symptomatically until we had addressed the underlying hormonal issues, cooling and drying herbs. Sometimes it is worth while working symptomatically to give a patient relief in the short term as balancing and supporting organ function can take a longer time.
The beauty of herbal medicine is that the mood balancing herbs work really quickly so I was delighted when I saw her two weeks later that she had responded beautifully. Whilst she was still experiencing sweats, they were not nearly as extreme, but her mood was dramatically different. She felt more able to cope, her blood sugar levels were better balanced due to the dietary advice and she generally felt more energised.
Menopausal symptoms by their very nature fluctuate as hormones in the body fluctuate so therefore it is quite normal to have a period of stability for a good few months then for the body to shift a gear and for symptoms to emerge again. This is why herbal medicine is so successful in working with hormonal issues, because as the body adapts, we adapt the herbal prescription so it's a dynamic, fluid and more natural movement into the "wise woman" years. I continue to see this lady as we manage her symptoms successfully, and at this moment she is in a good stable position with minimal disruption to her life.
By Jean R Dow B.Sc.(Hons), B.A.(Hons), M.Sc.
graduated from the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine in 2004 and has
been practicing in Edinburgh, West Lothian and Glasgow since that time.Jean works from a vitalistic philosophy and uses herbal medicine in a manner that supports the person’s own innate self healing, self regulating ability.
Jean also works closely with people living with cancer, supporting with herbal medicine and nutrition both during mainstream medical care (chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy) and/or after this has finished. She has completed advanced nutritional qualifications with the Penny Brohn Cancer Centre in Bristol and also runs nutritional workshops teaching about the positive role of food for both the body and the mind with a particular focus on people living with cancer or chronic degenerative disease. To contact Jean, please call 0131 556 8440.
"I love what I do, Herbal Medicine is my passion and I love working with people."
~ Jean R Dow
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