Menopause is defined as cessation of menstrual periods for at least one year.  Peri-menopause precedes actual menopause and can last for 2-10 years.  During the perimenopausal period women may experience all the symptoms of menopause including hot flashes, night sweats, irregular periods, emotional changes - anxiety, depression, irritability, anger, and poor sleep.   Menopause and peri-menopause are a natural transition in a woman's reproductive life, just like puberty.  As such, they are not a medical condition and in and of themselves, do not need to be medicated.  However, when the symptoms of perimenopause/menopause are sufficiently severe as to negatively impact a woman's quality of life, easing the symptoms is in order. 

Causes of Menopause Symptoms

1. The adrenal or stress glands can help to ease the hormonal transition at menopause.  The adrenals produce the building blocks to make hormones like estrogen if more is needed.   Often women with menopause or peri-menopausal symptoms have overly taxed and fatigued their adrenal glands through excessive coffee consumption, nicotine intake or prolonged/chronic high stress levels. 
2. The liver is responsible for breaking down excess hormones and manufacturing building blocks for new steroid hormones.  Hormone imbalance symptoms like those seen at menopause can be the result of an overburdened liver. 
3. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to poor production of serotonin - a mood elevating neurotransmitter, and melatonin - a sleep inducing neurotransmitter. Dopamine is a calming neurotransmitter.  Neurotransmitter imbalances can lead to many of the symptoms of menopause or peri-menopause such as poor sleep, depression and anxiety. 

My Naturopathic Approach to Menopause and Perimenopause

1. Support and nourish the adrenal glands while reducing stress.  Stress reduction is vital because otherwise you only end up breaking even with the adrenal support, you aren't able to make progress.
2. Liver detoxification (not the kind found in the health food store!) can help relieve a congested liver and enable more efficient liver function.
3. Vitamins like B6 and minerals like magnesium are helpful for production of serotonin and melatonin, as well as facilitating many enzyme reactions throughout the body. Tyrosine helps support dopamine production.  5HTP can also help with serotonin production.
4. Plant hormone like substances can help make up for hormone deficiencies and smooth the transition at menopause.  Phytoestrogens and phytoprogesterones have very weak hormone like activity that acts to moderate hormone levels.  Current data suggests that there is no cause for concern when consuming these as they are very weak and if anything they appear to have anti-cancer properties. 
5. I do not recommend hormone replacement therapy, even bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.  Supplementing hormones is risky business since under certain conditions the body will shunt hormones into estrogen production which may promote cancer growth.  Bioidentical hormones are no safer in this regard.

NEWS

Abdominal acupuncture is an effective and safe method for menopause depressive disorder, it improves the menopause depressive symptoms with persistent action, less symptoms relapse and adverse reactions.

Source: Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2010 Nov;30(11):913-7

DISCLAIMER: The information provided here may not apply precisely to your individual situation. Diagnostic and therapeutic choices must always be tailored to the individual patient's circumstances, and consultation with a licensed naturopathic physician should be undertaken before following any of the treatment strategies suggested in this web site.