Archie: Edith, if you’re going to have a life change, you have to do it right now. I’ll give you just 30 seconds. Now come on, CHANGE!
Edith: Can I finish my soup first?
– “All in the family”, 1972
As the vanguard of the baby boomer generation finds itself firmly entrenched in middle age, we are witnessing perhaps the largest population of menopausal women in the history of the Western world. In the United States alone there are currently 47 million women in the climacteric phase of life, with California accounting for more than 12% of them.
If this transition stage in a woman’s life experience (going from a reproductive to a non-reproductive phase) is a normal physiological process, why do reference libraries list menopause as ‘diseases of women’? Because traditional medicine treats it as a deficiency disease, not unlike scurvy or rickets, and the missing ‘nutrient’ is estrogen rather than vitamins C and D. This is not to say that this stage of life don’t show up with your own special set of needs. The symptoms women experience can range from mildly inconvenient to severely disabling. However, how women deal with symptoms that may arise during this period can have a dramatic effect on the rest of their lives.
Our society places so much importance on youth and beauty that many women fear that their old age will be a time when they have little or nothing to give. The reality, of course, is that this is a myth, perpetuated by the advertising and entertainment industries, backed by the fashion and cosmetic industries, and certainly by the pharmaceutical industry. Cross-cultural studies have shown that women’s reactions to menopause, both physically and psychologically, vary greatly around the world. The differences observed, however, seem to depend more on the status of postmenopausal women in each society than on other more superficial constructs.
Menopause is a complex phenomenon that involves many of the body’s systems. Homeopathy, being a comprehensive system of medicine that affects our physical, emotional and mental aspects at the same time, can easily deal with most, if not all. We will discuss some of the most commonly prescribed menopause remedies shortly. However, in addition to selecting the appropriate homeopathic remedy, we must also look at areas of lifestyle such as diet, exercise, medications, social habits, and the like. Addressing these areas is essential if we are to remove as many ‘barriers to healing’ (as we say in homeopathy) as possible. This will give the homeopathic remedy its best chance of effecting deep and lasting change. I must emphasize here that it should never be our intention to delay or prevent the changes associated with the climacteric. Our goal should be to help relieve symptoms that are severe, allowing for a smooth transition at all levels while helping to strengthen the body for a healthier future.
Before proceeding, a brief description of the physiology of menopause is required. The entire climacteric period, with its associated cycle changes, can last two decades or more. However, most women stop menstruating sometime between the ages of 45 and 55. During this time, the ovaries gradually become less sensitive to certain hormones secreted by the pituitary gland, specifically luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). the ovaries begin to shrink, the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the blood fall, producing more changes in other tissues (breast, uterus, vagina, bladder) that are also affected by these hormones. Now that the ovaries can no longer produce appreciable amounts of estrogen, the adrenal glands become the main source of estrogen in the body. By convention, menopause is defined as six months without menstruation. Artificial menopause occurs when this process is induced surgically or through other medical intervention. In this case, the body’s ability to adapt to these changes is lost, the symptoms will appear more suddenly and, usually, with greater violence.
Symptoms of premenopause and perimenopause (the periods of time leading up to and preceding menopause) can include irregular periods, night sweats, insomnia, irritability, and mood swings. Symptoms of actual menopause, whether physiological or artificial, can also include hot flashes, vaginal dryness (which can lead to painful intercourse), vaginal bleeding, various bladder problems including sudden urge to urinate, involuntary urination, and painful urination , hair loss, memory loss and depression. Two other vital considerations for menopausal women are the increased risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
Of course, there are symptoms that many women have during their reproductive years that are relieved by the drop in circulating estrogen. These include many of the symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), breast tenderness and fibrocystic breast disease, dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) associated with uterine fibroids, and endometriosis.
There are many useful remedies available to treat menopausal women. In fact, and according to homeopathic philosophy, any remedy can be used to treat menopausal women, if it is the right remedy for that particular woman. What this means is that the selection of a homeopathic remedy is always based on the person having the symptom, not the symptom itself. There is no remedy for hot flashes, night sweats, or the urge to urinate. But there is a remedy for a woman who has hot flashes, night sweats, and an urge to urinate, and it will most likely be a different remedy than the one her friend will need for her hot flashes, night sweats, and an urge to urinate. Take, for example, the following three remedies. The plant remedy Pulsatilla, the mineral remedy Natrum muriaticum and the animal remedy Lachesis all treat these three symptoms quite effectively. But whereas the Pulsatilla woman tends to be a soft, shy, hot-blooded woman, aggravated by heat and craving for butter, the woman with these same symptoms who would benefit from Natrum muriaticum tends to be more closed-minded, serious and responsible. she, hot or cold and has a craving for salt. And the Lachesis woman is an intense, passionate and jealous woman with a sarcastic side that is hot, she craves alcohol and can’t stand to have anything tight around her neck. As we see, different remedies are needed to treat the same symptoms in different people.
For the average person, choosing the right remedy from the thousands of homeopathic remedies available can seem like a daunting task. It is best to consult an experienced homeopath, who will know how to obtain from you the necessary information to choose the right remedy. However, there are also some more general homeopathic formulas on the market that are quite effective in treating many of the symptoms associated with menopause. They work by helping the body return to hormonal balance. One in particular is a formula of my own design, Dr. Garber’s Natural Solutions – FemCycle. Instead of adding potentially dangerous hormones from the outside, it stimulates the body from the inside to produce the appropriate level of hormones for each individual woman. It does this without producing unwanted side effects.
Earlier I briefly mentioned the estrogenic role of the adrenal glands during and around menopause. I cannot stress enough the importance of supporting adrenal function during this time. It is my firm belief that the reason we see menopausal symptoms in much greater numbers and severity in urban and industrialized populations is primarily due to stress-induced adrenal exhaustion. When the adrenal glands have been worn down by years of stress (both environmental and internal), they simply don’t have the “oomph” they need to kick into gear in this new capacity. There are many ways to support adrenal function. Of course, the chosen homeopathic remedy will play an important role in this. Other options include nutritional and herbal. Vitamin C and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) are important for the health of the adrenal glands. Adrenal gland extracts can be useful in the short term to reactivate very weak glands. Ribes nigrum gem therapy, made from the buds of the black currant plant, is an extremely effective support for the adrenal glands. (Gem therapy is a special type of homeopathic preparation made from the new growth parts of plants.) Licorice root, preferably taken as a tea, will also stimulate adrenal function.
A final note on obstacles to healing and health promotion. Apart from genetic risk factors, there are many aspects of lifestyle that can contribute to the number and severity of symptoms during menopause. Ensuring adequate intake of macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and “healthy” fats), micronutrient supplementation (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, etc.), reduction in alcohol and caffeine intake, smoking cessation, exercise (to include both aerobics and anaerobic types, with and without impact,) reducing emotional disorders, etc. The list goes on, and they all need to be addressed.
Menopause should be, and can be, an empowering and enriching time in every woman’s life. With proper understanding and proper management, this can be done without resorting to the use of potentially harmful drug therapies.
