Reversing the tide, parting the clouds
Sometimes you have to wonder if the news is designed to let the wind out of your sails. For women suffering from menopause, it must feel like an onslaught, if they bother to listen to the news at all anymore in hopes of something, well, hopeful. You have to wonder if it's not better to toss out your television altogether, and there are days when I'm tempted. However, in my opinion, gathering information puts you in a much better position to make wise decisions in regards to your health. So, sometimes the bad news is a good thing-take hormone replacement therapy-better to know that hormones can lead to breast cancer, than to not know it. With my last House Call, I told you that good news had come around the pike: Since women were made aware of the correlation between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer, rates of breast cancer have dropped. You know this type of good news has to upset Big Pharma.
There was a recent study that was done, and it appeared that the door was slamming once again for women seeking alternatives for menopause symptom relief. Black cohosh - a popular herbal treatment - was found to be minimally effective in relieving hot flashes and night sweats in menopausal women.
Researchers placed 351 women suffering from hot flashes and night sweats into different groups for about a year. One group was given black cohosh, and the other groups given a placebo, hormone supplements, or a botanical mix that included black cohosh, alfalfa, licorice and ginseng. After a year, it appeared the women taking the herbal treatments had about the same level of relief as those who took a placebo, with the herbal treatments reducing hot flashes by only about half an episode per day when compared with those taking the placebo.
Now, don't despair. There was a silver lining provided in this particular study: Since there were women taking the placebo who saw some improvement, hope was offered that some women could find relief through other methods, such as meditation or self-hypnosis. And black cohosh isn't the only alternative out there. (See The Wisdom of Menopause by Christiane Northrup, M.D., a prominent, outspoken women's health expert and advocate.)
Another thing to consider is the amount of women who swear by black cohosh as a remedy. You see, one negative study does not constitute a definitive answer to the question. The medical establishment and the popular media have a tendency to dismiss non-drug treatments based on one negative study, even if there have been other positive studies and the overall weight of research evidence favors the treatment. There are many commonly used drugs-including popular cholesterol-lowering drugs and anti-depressants-that have had some negative trials, but you don't see the so-called "experts" calling for their withdrawal. Quite the opposite! There were a fair number of studies before this one-mostly from Europe-that show a benefit for black cohosh. And it appears to be safe, certainly for a period of up to 6 months. In my own experience with patients, I have found it works for some women, not for others. It is a reasonable choice-if it works within 2 to 4 weeks, you're in business. If not, then discontinue it.
The prodct called Remifemin is a high-quality, widely available European pharmaceutical black cohosh that I commonly recommend. It just may work for you. By the way, if you're not taking good care of yourself by eating a sound diet, managing your weight, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and managing stress (hypnosis, meditation, biofeedback, massage and acupuncture are all reasonable options), you'll miss the boat. Like most matters of health, the problems of menopause need to be approached on many fronts for the best results. Of course, it always helps to work with an experienced, open-minded practitioner who can help show you the way.
