Mindset

Her blood-pressure soared.

She suffered breakthrough bleeding.

Her breasts became swollen and painful and she stacked on weight.

Debbie quit HRT in disgust and began researching natural solutions on the internet.

A 2002 study which found HRT could raise the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and also strokes and other serious conditions spurred millions of women around the world to follow in Debbie’s footsteps and quit this drug.

It even hit the shares in makers of synthetic hormone therapies.

A new analysis released this month (June 2008) has shown that when use of the menopause treatment dropped by 40 per cent between 2001 and 2003, the rates of breast cancer among women over 50 also fell, by 6.7 per cent.

That is the equivalent of 600 fewer cases of this disease.

The researchers from Cancer Council NSW and Australian National University say the findings mimicked patterns seen in the US and New Zealand.

And while they could not prove the link was causal, the drop could not be explained by other factors, like increased breast screening and better use of chemotherapy drugs, said lead researcher Dr Karen Canfell. So if HRT is dangerous to women’s health where do you turn when menopause symptoms are making your life a misery?

Well, the good news is that there are natural ways to combat your menopause symptoms quickly and without side-effects, as Debbie Ruffell discovered.

Within two weeks of starting a range of herbs administered via tablets to fit her unique symptoms Debbie’s health and wellbeing had dramatically improved.

Within three months she was feeling better emotionally and physically than she had in years.  

What is menopause anyway?

Menopause symptoms are triggered by the body’s changing hormone levels.

You are classified as menopausal if you have not had a period in 1 year.

The menopausal years include two years or more of pre menopausal or perimenopausal years, one or more menopausal years and five years following menopause or the last menstrual flow.

Pre-menopausal symptoms can start as early as in your late thirties or as late as your sixties.

Hot flushes are one of the most frequent side-effects of menopause.  

One of the common myths surrounding hot flushes is that they are caused by estrogen deficiency.

But women suffering from hot flushes have been found to have the same amount of estrogen as those who don’t experience this symptom.

The culprit is actually an elevated level of pituitary hormones called luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).

These pituitary hormones increase by 1300 per cent during the menopausal years throughout your entire cycle.

LH is a strong vaso-dilator which means it opens the blood vessels and allows body heat to come to the surface. Doesn’t that sound like a hot flush?

Other common symptoms of menopause include:

But menopause does not need to be traumatic or painful.

In many cultures, women do not experience the uncomfortable side-effects of the change of life we have come to expect in the western world.

Menopause can and should be an exciting transition to a wonderful new phase of your life.
The 6 steps to sailing through menopause are: