Sueb, I bought in to black cohosh for night sweats when I went thru it and it didn't do me any good that I could tell. However everyone said to go to a health food store and get the best you could get from there, not just any old brand. That was a long time ago, so maybe there are improvements.

Edited to add: Here is what one website says about benefits and effectiveness: Side Effects: Mild stomach upset. Safe up to 6 months only due to possible estrogen-like effects. Liver toxicity has been reported. Effectiveness: Some small, short-term studies have suggested benefits, however most studies do not suggest that it works.

Black cohosh didn't help me. I do take DIM at night, but I'm not sure how much it helps. I'm able to get 6 hrs of sleep though without a hot flash.

Black cohosh might help a little bit, I take a supplement that has it in it, but not that noticeable. I had a bad spell of them for about nine months. What does help for me is--stress reduction, exercise and a low sugar diet heavy on the vegetarian side and low on the saturated fats. Lots of veggies, green ones, etc., whole grains and soy. Not tons of soy, just some. Soda pop is not good. I can't do diet soda or alcohol anymore either. Not sure if that helped because I had to cut that out at the same time I was using the herbal supplements. I take an estrogenic liquid supplement for two weeks, and then two weeks off. (No actual estrogen, just estrogen mimics but don't use if you have estrogen avoidance concerns) It included dong quai, angelica, black cohosh, I think raspberry leaf or maybe red clover or wild yam . . . Kicking the processed carbs and sat. fats is very helpful, along with eating the good fats that are in whole grains and olive oil. I also take a flaxseed/borage oil supplement. I don't do fish oil but do occasionally eat the fatty fishes. I eat canned salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines for my main sources. Mine stopped eventually, not sure why but my life did get less stressful. I gave up a 2.5 hour daily commute and a whole host of my health problems went away! Oh, and yes, taking a whole lot of it can cause stomach upset. I take it in tincture form, three times a day, relatively low dose compared to the dried capsules which I'm not sure are active but didn't set well on an empty stomach. Nothing unbearable, just didn't seem all that great for the system with the dried leaf capsules. I'd take them in a pinch but I prefer the tincture. That stuff tastes very nasty though, so wash it down with something like tea or juice. Soy milk smoothie or yogurt smoothie might be even better. Or kefir.

Didn't help me at all. I've been meno for 3 years now. I initially tried all the supplements that reportedly worked but I finally had to get on the bio-identical hormones to put a dent in it. Hot flashes were at least every couple hours sometimes more often. And I would be drenched - having to change clothing. I have a couple different auto-immune issues which may complicate... but my mom had horrid flashes too til age 70 or so but never took hormones. My sister will be 70 in Nov and still has pretty bad flashes, she used hormones for a short time but just doesn't anymore.

The BIH worked well for me until Dr changed dose last year and then all hell broke loose again. I went all summer without using just to see if anything changed and about died so am back on them since the end of Aug. I have maybe three during the day and two or so during the night but I rarely sleep more than 5 hours a night.

I do all of the diet, supplements, stress help, exercises that I can tolerate with my hips. Guess I'm just one of these women.

Ahhh Sue, the dreaded "M"! When I was at that stage I was seeing an endocrinologist for hypothyroidism. He prescribed the lowest possible dose of Vivelle dot, a patch that I wore on my stomach. Along with that, because I still have my uterus, I took a progesterone cream. Menopause was not even the slightest issue for me. I realize not everyone will take bio-identical hormones without pausing to research them and to weigh the pros/cons. For me, it was a reasonable choice, given that I had no family history to contraindicate the hormones. That was over 10 years ago. Now at age 62 it is behind me. I have no regrets and feel that by taking the hormones I was able to function at a high capacity for my job requirements and for my sanity. Everyone is different, but read all you can about the issue. Read Dr. Vliets' book "Screaming to be Heard". Talk to your healthcare provider, your friends and family, etc., then make an educated choice on how to handle your menopause. It is a normal, natural phase of being a woman.

Having had 3 childbirths without any anesthesia or medical intervention I am all about being "natural" and using natural medicinal measures. However, for me, at that point in my life, I chose to take the hormones. YMMV!

Never tried it. When menopause started for me I opted not to go the hormone route. In hindsight, it might have been nice for a while, but it was very controversial back then. The day time flashes lasted less than 2 years, but the overnight ones continue. I wake up needing to toss the covers 5-6 times a night. That's been ongoing for almost 16 years now.

I tried it from two different makers and both times (months apart), it gave me wicked panic attacks. I searched online, but found only one other report of this. I'm interested to read how other people handle the symptoms as I've just started with hot flashes, WILD mood swings and crazy bad migraines. Not sure if I can keep working if it continues this bad long term.

I have been taking a very low dose of estrogen daily since about 2000, a couple of years after a hysterectomy that left my ovaries in place. No side effects. I am perpetually surprised at how many women choose to "tough it out," but then I never understood the virtue of natural childbirth when an epidural is available!

The only real hot flashes I get are the night sweats/hots. Otherwise, during the day it doesn't bother me. I also like the BR cooler and DH does not. I am tossing the covers while he is covered up to his neck. I am menopausal since the GYN measured my FSH this summer.

I have not tried black cohash, but the GYN gave me a sample of this stuff Fosteum which I did not try. She said some patients had some success with a folk remedy called "oil pulling" but that just seems too wacky for me.

On the brighter side, my menstrual-related headaches are gone. Same thing happened to my mother.

There's nothing worse than not sleeping well.. and I am right there with you. Sue! I am not having the kind of "hot flashes" that I have seen others describe, but I get very warm and uncomfortable at night. On top of that, I now have "frozen shoulder" or "50s shoulder" in my left arm (I had it in the right 2 yr ago). I am miserable!

I haven't tried black cohosh and I am not very inclined to give it a try based on others' experiences. Hormone treatment is out (I have a clotting disease). I can deal with it as is.. it's not pleasant but I can deal with it. I just hope this is as bad as it will get.

Hope you find some relief!

My mom took it for hot flashes and it helped her.

Both my mother and her mother had hot flashes for the rest of their lives. Mom had a complete hysterectomy and took the lowest dose possible of premarin for a couple of decades, thinking she was safe. She ended up getting non-smoke related lung cancer which took her life far sooner than either of us had expected. Doing research, I have found that there is a lung cancer which has estrogen receptors on it similar to certain breast cancers. I have no proof...anecdote isn't proof by far...but I suspect the hormones were a factor in her cancer. But that has to be weighed against quality of life, which, without sleep, she would've had little. To whatever extent the hormones helped, she was in great shape and very spry up until the end, often mistaken for someone at least 10 yrs younger than her age. However, in recognition of that risk and my family history, I'll take the hot flashes. I suspect, like mom and grandma, I'll have them the rest of my life.

I take CVS menopause support and black cohosh is in it. I swear by it. Took about two weeks to kick in and then my hot flashes completely stopped. I mean completely. Day and night. Helps level off mood swings too. The only obvious side effect that I see is that it turns your urine bright yellow. I can live with that

I just kept a variety of types of coverings and blankets on the bed. I did get up quite often and it was hot, then cold, then hot again. Then cold, then hot. But I usually managed to get back to sleep because the flashes would pass sooner or later and my metabolism would settle down. I was waking up but almost always falling back asleep. Now I don't have the flashes anymore but wake up and can't get back to sleep. Melatonin helps with staying asleep at night, at least for me. I take a low dose and only take it for a few days at a time. Usually if I can break a sleepless cycle then I will be OK for a while and not need to take it. Like I said, alcohol brings on flashes for me. I wouldn't say herbs are magic bullets, best used in conjunction with healthy eating and for me, yoga stretches and walking helped. Being a botanist I would say there is no real way of knowing whether the herbal supplements you have are fresh enough or have been prepared with enough care to have the actual working constituents in them. A lot of over the counter stuff could be dried grass for all I know. But you might try them from a reputable herb store, one with good brands and enough turnover. I know the stuff must do something because it can bring on headaches for me too, sometimes, which I why I took the lower dose more frequently. Depends on your individual body chemistry.

I think I would have gone the hormone route but couldn't really find a good doctor to work with and since I could fall back asleep I managed with the hot flashes. Actually my poor SO suffered more than me since I kept waking him up with all the tossing and turning. I used to wake up with the hot flash spells and go sleep in the guest bedroom and he thought I was mad at him, lol! I was just trying to keep him from sleep deprivation since he couldn't fall back asleep as easily as me. Plus if I managed to toss and turn enough and pull the blankets on and off enough, I cooled off enough to fall back asleep.

Thanks, catspa, I was going to make the same point myself about the poor quality control on supplements which may be why an herb may or may not be effective for someone.

Also wanted to mention that, for many women, the hot flashes dissipate over time anyway, so if you've been taking a supplement and now no longer have the hot flashes, you may want to stop the supplement...you may not need it any longer.

If this lasts until I'm 70, I will be admitting myself to an asylum.

Ok, I think I'll skip the black cohosh but I may try that CVS menopause product...or at least go have a look at it.

I've always been a good sleeper and this interrupted sleep is making me feel like a zombie!

The answer is black cohosh helps some and not others. You might look into red clover tablets. Those can be helpful.

Well said, catspa.

Annie, I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment and made a conscious decision years ago that I wouldn't trade another decade at the end of life for better quality of living in middle age. IMO of that happens it's a fair trade of quality over quantity.

I may also give the CVS product a try since I shop there anyways. But like our botantist poster said, I am not a fan of supplements for that very reason.

I fall asleep great, but if I get up hot and go to the bathroom, it is sometimes harder for me to fall back to sleep though I eventually do unless it's something like 5:30 and then I probably won't. I do my meditation breathing, and that usually helps.

catspa, what are your feelings about USP verified products?

That's the one thing about hot flashes that wake you up...at least you're warm and happy to be out of bed on the way to the bathroom....beats freezing your butt off without one. And why is it, when it's cold outside and you really could use a hot flash, you never get one?

I should have added that I did start taking a very low dose hormone and took it for about 2 years. I was lucky that I did not have very many 'personal summers' and few night sweats. The hormone helped greatly. When I went off it (by choice) I had a few episodes that were mild but lived through it. I still have periods where I don't sleep well through the night and I'm now 67. An OTC sleep aid (half a tablet) helps.

Yes, at this point watching certain things in your diet should and will help. You'll have to be more aware of triggers if you decide to go the natural route (spicy foods, alcohol, sugars, caffeine). I don't recall if there were specific triggers for me but I don't eat many sugars and limit alcohol to a little wine or beer now and then. I cut out colas a long time ago.

Certain meds will also cause night sweats. When you visit your doc, discuss meds you may be on to find out if that's the real culprit, and not menopause. Possibly could be a combination of the two.

Deee, USP-verified products are trustworthy, as far as purity goes (effectiveness is another story). However, a mere handful of suppliers participate in the program (see lists of participants here), few of which supply much in the way of herbals (and no black cohosh), from what I can see with a quick look. So, a limited array of products, most of which seem to be vitamins and enzymes. Plus, not all products from a participating supplier are necessarily certified. Another problem is that shady suppliers put "USP" on their labels without any verification whatsoever, so careful scrutiny and some research is required in any case.

I have been very lucky with menopausal symptoms/side effects . . . so far! My recent D & C/hysterscopy show that I have more than likely exited peri and am in meno. I can't say I've had a hot flash. I've had warm feelings but never really a hot flash and no sweats. I would prefer NOT to use hormones, tho if things were bad enough, not sure what I would do. I do not want to increase cancer risks. My mom and my MIL both had hysterectomies in their 40's (they had them the same summer!) and went on hormone therapy. My MIL took them for years. Not sure how long my mom did. Related or not, both had cancer. Not cancers that have definitely been proven for risk to be increased by HRT, but still, it makes you wonder. There are other options I think. I remember a friend who went into menopause quite early (40ish). She was shocked. She had such bad symptoms. She was a soloist and said she could be standing in the choir singing and in minutes be completely wet - even her hair. Her doctor chose to put her on a mild anti-depressant (if I remember correctly, this was in part due to her age), and that did help with some of her symptoms. I don't remember if she had problems sleeping. What about melatonin or sleep aids (safe ones)? Has anyone tried that? I do believe diet and exercise can help - to some extent.

ugh! 16 yrs cindymac!? i began getting really hot at night 2-3 yrs ago during peri-m and it continues! going to a gyn this month and will see what she says, but i am not inclined to take meds, so if she recs something, i will give it a lot of thought before i fill a prescription! (then again, i did opt for natural child birth too for each of my kids!! :) the waking up hot and tossing the covers doesn't bother me too much, but the not being able to go back to sleep is what drives me crazy!!!

i haven't taken anything as of yet except Benadryl, which doesn't help me sleep at all :( i recently read somewhere that melatonin will most likely be ineffective in people who don't get sleepy with Benadryl... something about they use the same receptors and metabolize the same way...

i have a friend who swears by melatonin for sleep. It didn't work for Mom though...she was very sensitive to drugs and anything that helped her sleep turned her into a dipster the next day...her head would just not operate sharply.

I think it depends on what kind of sleep issues you have...I can typically fall asleep, but if I wake up, I'm usually up for 2 hrs before I can get back to sleep.

I have to say though that I do sleep better when I cut the carbs.

When I'm feeling desperate for a good night's sleep, I take one Advil PM. I try not to do that too often, though.

I don't want to take hormones. My mother and paternal grandmother both died of ovarian cancer. My mother had a hysterectomy 10 years before her diagnosis and I don't have a clue whether she took hormones, but I'm assuming she probably did because that was typical? I don't know and I have no one to ask.

I am already trying to cut back on the sugar...again...so hope that has some effect. I don't drink much but I noticed last night I was at a friend's house and I literally had 3 sips of wine and started sweating! Maybe coincidental but it made me think. OTOH, I actually slept pretty well last night! (Not because I passed out...LOL...I had 1/2 glass of wine!)

Sue, red wine was a huge trigger for me. Moreso than beer, white wine or mixed drinks (in the name of science, I've tested each one. :-). The cvs product was recommended by a woman I work with. I was dubious, but also desperate. I couldn't remember the name and asked the pharmacist… I said "it sounds like a Judy Blume novel. "She knew just what I meant.

This was white wine. I can't even drink red wine -- instant headache! But as you say, in the name of science I will try white wine again and see if it happens again. Then I'll see what happens when I drink a beer. Then a cocktail... no, not all in the same night! :)

I just wanted to make sure my recommendation for DIM didn't get lost in the shuffle. It's derived from cruciferous vegetables and is supposed to be anti-cancer as well as help metabolize estrogens.

Is it a pill? Never heard of DIM. Where do you find it?

Melatonin can help you stay asleep if you take it correctly and if it meshes with your body chemistry. I don't even have hot flashes anymore but I still from time to time have the problem with waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep. Other times it is not falling asleep even though I am tired. I think it is the combination of hot flashes and sleep disturbances that is the kicker. It's a combo of problems. I developed chronic urinary tract issues so I was getting up two to five times a night (my record was seven) to pee, and then inevitably, when I got back into bed, I would get a hot flash. Then covers off, cold, cover on, hot, etc. toss turn toss turn and finally comfortable and then back to sleep. Rinse, repeat. But if you threw in not being able to get to sleep, then add more of all of the above. So I added some sleep hygiene into that mix--no fluid after 8 PM, going to bed the same time every night, taking a calcium magnesium vit. C combo to help with restless legs, and then 2 or 3 mg. of Melatonin to help fall asleep. If I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep, another 1-2 mg. of Melatonin. Melatonin is not harmless so take the lowest dose that works for you, and not every day or night, just enough to break the cycle of not staying awake for long times during the night. Also, for me doing yoga stretches really helped me fall asleep for some reason. Also reading and listening to relaxation tapes.

As for black cohosh, its other name is snakeroot (which is probably not used for PR reasons) and you have to be careful, because there is another plant called BLUE cohosh which was/is also used for female trouble treatments, but was not the plant that had the clinical trials with. And the active components in plants vary so much and are volatile, so it is a very difficult task to find and get good quality herbal products. They have been so little studied that no one knows for sure how they work because they often have synergistic effects, meaning they work in concert with other factors, a complex web. That is why they are best taken in conjunction with other herbs and also a whole lifestyle program. Herbs may facilitate health, but they are rarely a magic bullet that you can take and see dramatic results from just a pill or three. That's why we have so much trouble studying them in clinical trials, their best effects may be in concert with many, many other variables. I take an herbal tincture that includes black cohosh, angelica, dong quai, red clover, chasteberry, siberian ginseng, wild yam root, licorice . . . like I said, maybe raspberry. But no amount of any of that stuff will help if your diet is crap and you don't get exercise and stress relief and your sleep environment is difficult.

All kinds of plants have beneficial phytoestrogens at varying levels, so diet strongly plant based, (garden fresh and organic when reasonable too) is very helpful for all kinds of health problems. Constipation or lack thereof plays no small role in hormonal health, since the gut processes a lot of hormonal constituents.

The herbal/vitamin stores carry it...my GFs doc recommended she try it for her hot flashes and told me about it.

No it did not help. Mine were helped by no chocolate, no alcohol, exercise,...

Sue I thought of you today when someone posted a link to this blog on my facebook page, about yoga before bed. I don't know if I could so ALL the poses, but yoga really helps me fall asleep. Richard Hittleman's 28 Day Yoga Plan (oldie but goodie) is my Yoga bible. Lots of other yoga references out there though. 8 Yoga Poses before going to bed