Finding Peace In Perimenopause

By on June 21, 2010

Had I not seen my mother go through perimenopause (just before her hysterectomy), I would probably be making an appointment with a doctor. As a Baby Boomer, “the change” was getting closer. Having read several books on the subject, I am learning to embrace it and adjust my diet accordingly.

In Before The Change, Ann Louise Gittleman states perimenopausal symtoms are due to a hormonal imbalance. Relief can be attained and imbalance remedied with a change in diet and natural remedies. Some of the natural remedies Gittleman recommends are homeopathic, Bach flower, or cell salt in nature. They are taken via capsule, tablets, pellets, oils, teas or tinctures and may take anywhere from one week to two months to bring relief.

The following list of specific perimenopausal symptoms (listed in alphabetical order) can be treated with the following nutrients:

  • Anxiety – Despondency (a homeopathic remedy)
  • Cramps – Magnesium Phosphate – (cell salt)
  • Breast tenderness – Black Currant Seed Oil (an essential oil)
  • Craving for sweets – Magnesium, Chromium, or Manganese (cell salts)
  • Headaches – Evening Primrose (essential oil)Insomnia – Lachesis and Sepia (Bach Flower), Magnesium (cell salt), and Valerian (essential oil).
  • Irritability – Calcium and Magnesium (cell salts), Iodum (homeopathic)
  • Joint Pain – Glucosamine sulfate (cell salt)
  • Mood Swings – Chromium, Magnesium, and Manganese (cell salts)
  • Periods – Heavy Bleeding – Rose or Cypress Oil (essential oil), Chamomilla (homeopathic)
  • Periods – Irregular – Lavender or Melissa oil (essential oil)
  • Periods – Painful – Marjoram (essential oil), Magnesium Phosphate (cell salt), or Actaea racemosa (homeopathic)
  • Vaginal Dryness – Sepia (homeopathic)
  • Water Retention – Magnesium (cell salt), Evening Primrose (essential oil)
  • Yeast Infection – Sepia or Carbo-veg (homeopathic)

Gittleman also recommends massaging the essential oil of marjoram, jasmine, or over the abdomen as an all-purpose remedy. Remedy Rescue or Walnut (Bach flower remedies) are also recommended.

It must be noted, what works for one person won’t always work for another, and although some remedies may work well initially, others may lose their effectiveness shortly thereafter. Trying another remedy, as well as getting to the root cause of hormonal imbalance, will help bring relief to the underlying cause of perimenopause symptoms. It is worth knowing that the symptoms we experience will vary among women. My symptoms early on before improving my diet were foggy thinking, now it is mainly insomnia. I feel like I have been in a cocoon – it has been a time of rest, renewal and research into the next 50 years of my life. A welcomed change.

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly.”  ~Richard Bach~

About Carmen

Author, Coach, and Herbalsita POWERED BY: Real Food and barefoot walking/running. Connect with Carmen on Google+

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