When menopause starts, you may experience hot flashes, mood swings, headaches, vaginal dryness or painful intercourse. Homeopathy may be helpful for finding relief. Used for hundreds of years, homeopathy uses minute doses of substances found in nature. It initiates the body's automatic response to an irritation or stimulus, allowing the body to heal itself. Check with your health practitioner before using homeopathic remedies to make sure they are the right modality for your condition.
Lachesis
The remedy Lachesis is often used to help women in menopause, according to "Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines." Women who may benefit from Lachesis often have intense hot flashes with a great deal of perspiration. The hot flashes are usually worse at night in bed. Lachesis is indicated for a woman who feels warm all the time, who may have headaches across the back of her neck, and whose symptoms tend to be worse on the left side of her body. The woman may be extremely moody and emotional, needing to vent her feelings verbally; she can be quite talkative and nasty. Feelings of constriction throughout the body are common, according to the University of Michigan Health System, and the women needing Lachesis may be unable to tolerate tight clothing around the waist or at the neckline. Lachesis is available over-the-counter at health food stores. Contact your homeopath for dosing guidelines.
Sepia
In contrast to Lachesis, the woman who benefits most from the homeopathic remedy Sepia is usually cold, her skin often feels clammy and damp, and she is often weak and in a state of collapse, according to homeopath Dr. William Boericke in his book, "Materia Medica and Repertory." The Sepia patient may also suffer from severe hot flashes, depression and moodiness. A guiding symptom for this remedy is a bearing down feeling or the feeling that her vagina, uterus or bladder is falling out. She may feel the need to cross her legs to overcome this sensation. Sepia may also be helpful for the woman suffering from vaginal dryness or who is irritable, sad and disinterested in sex, her work or her children. Speak to your homeopathic practitioner for dosing protocol if you think Sepia may help relieve your symptoms.
Pulsatilla
The University of California San Diego complimentary medicine website explains that the homeopathic remedy Pulsatilla may be helpful for women who are soft, sensitive and who weep easily. The woman who needs Pulsatilla is often warm and prefers being in fresh, cool air. She may have headaches or other body pains that are fleeting and appear in one place and then change place often. Pulsatilla may be especially helpful for a woman who is about to become an empty-nester and who has a difficult time letting go of her children. The remedy is indicated for a woman who prefers company during her menopausal years and is overly concerned about getting older. Boericke mentions that Pulsatilla may be needed when the woman has a lack of thirst and changeable moods, vaginal dryness, itching or pain during intercourse. Speak to your health practitioner or a homeopath to find out more about using Pulsatilla if you think this remedy may help you.
References
- "Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines"; Stephen Cummings, F.N.P. and Dana Ullman; M.P.H. 2004
- University of California San Diego: Menopause Symptoms -- Homeopathic Remedies
- "Materia Medica and Repertory"; William Boericke; 1998
- "Synoptic Materia Medica"; Frans Vermeulen; 1992
- University of Michigan Health System: Menopause Symptoms -- Homeopathic Remedies
