I know these sold really well when I worked at the drugstore so they must be ok. Right? I wouldn't necessarily draw that conclusion, Debby. Lots of things are sold, and sell well, that aren't particularly effective. And in some cases they can be harmful, depending on the individual. I looked up Swiss Naturals and saw that it contains a variety of ingredients including Chinese herbs that are said to help during menopause. I never tried those particular ones, so I can't comment. It also contains soy extract. I've read that it can be somewhat risky to get phytoestrogen (as from soy) through pills; it's better to consume them in food. I did eat a lot of tofu and other soyfoods during menopause, and still do. I had good results from taking Motherwort (an herb). I took it in combination with Hawthorn, which helped regulate my heartbeat, which could get pretty wild during that time. I also consulted with a good homeopath, who prescribed a remedy for my mood swings, which were beyond wild. That helped a lot, too. Good luck!

Junelynne, I tend to agree with Leigh here. Why take something when you are perfectly healthy now? I started having signs of perimenopause at 39, and when I started having extremely heavy periods for weeks on end, I went on the pill. I'm 44 now. I recently went off the pill (so far so good, no periods, no cramps, no sore boobs, for two months!)...my aim is to go through menopause without a single medication or supplement, unless there is a clear medical reason to do so. My husband is a doctor (radiologist, so he's fairly clueless about primary care) and was a little leery initially. Doctors are just conditioned to prescribe (or take themselves) "something" to "cure" a problem, or perceived problem. I am sure many doctors prescribe meds and procedures because its easy money. Also because many patients will go away feeling uncared for and dissatisfied if all the doctor tells them to do is let nature take its course, or lose weight, exercise & eat right. But many docs are simply inculcated in medical school. I see this with Mick, and his coworkers. (Funny, I am in much better health than him, and I barely ever even take a vitamin--he takes tons, and medicates himself for every little thing.) Anyway...I am also active and eat very well. My mother likewise. She went through meno at 44. She is now 68, does yoga and walk/runs five miles every day. She steadfastly refuses to take anything, and is healthy as a horse. She smoked for over 20 years, and I recently quit. If women are getting osteoporosis more than 50 years ago, its probably because so many people in this country are fat, eat junk, and don't get off their butts to exercise. And because advertising scares them, they take a pill. My .02.

Doctors, whether promoting alternative treatments or prescribed medications, are subject to propaganda and are well paid by the corporate companies. I would guess less so by the alternative manufacturers since they don't have the millions of dollars to spend. But as the consumer we have to go with our educated guesses. I have resisted hrt after a hysterectomy (uterus, ovaries, cervix) although my oncologist offers it every time I see him. Even though my cancer was estrogen receptive and my mother had breast cancer. And my symptoms are very mild infrequent hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. Since he is one of the best gyn oncologists in NYC I trust him for the oncology side but use my endocrinologist for hrt consultations - tomorrow we review a recent bone scan. And by the way - Replens seems to work well for the vaginal dryness and is cheapest at Walmart.

Hi, I just found this site by searching for menopause answers. I just turned 50 this year but have been taking birth control pills for quite sometime. am still active with sex and scared of having pregnant at my age. I recently stopped my pills at the end of my period last month but actually experiencing some mild hot flashes for a while. Am i going thru menopause? can somebody help me? I ask my doctor about menopausal symptoms but she told me , if i'm still taking birth control pills i might not know if i'm going thru it or not? that's why i decided to stop taking it.