Menopause is not a disease, but a natural part of a woman's life cycle when she reaches her fifth or sixth decade of life, marked as the end of menstruation and loss of fertility. Various treatment options, including black cohosh, are used to purportedly manage menopausal symptoms. However, there is insufficient scientific evidence to support the use of black cohosh for menopause. Consult with your doctor before using black cohosh to treat symptoms of menopause.
Treatment
Menopause causes unpleasant symptoms such as vaginal dryness, depression, and hot flashes. Healthy lifestyle changes, such as exercise and smoking cessation, holistic options, including acupuncture, herbal supplements and hormonal replacement therapy medicines are used to treat the symptoms of menopause. Some women use black cohosh supplements to relieve the hot flashes. If you are experiencing hot flashes, talk to your doctor before using black cohosh.
About Black Cohosh
Black cohosh has been used by Native Americans for centuries to manage a variety of ailments, including hot flashes from menopause. It continues to be used today, and is even approved in Germany for treating premenstrual problems and menopausal symptoms. The dried root is used to make medicine. Black cohosh is generally well-tolerated and causes few side effects. In cases of overdose, it may cause nausea, dizziness, visual problems, low pulse rate, and perspiration.
Dosing
The typical dosing of black cohosh for hot flashes is 20 mg of the concentrated extract, taken twice daily. Black cohosh tincture is also used in doses of 2 to 4 ml, taken three times per day. Short-term use of less than six months for the relief of hot flashes is advised until more scientific information is available.
Effectiveness
According to the PaloAltoMedicalFoundation.org, most preliminary human studies reviewed support the possible use of black cohosh for treating hot flashes from menopause. One small study comparing black cohosh to estrogen showed that it was as effective as estrogen for managing hot flashes in postmenopausal women. Another study comparing black cohosh to the antidepressant fluoxetine demonstrated that black cohosh was more effective in alleviating hot flashes and night sweats.
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