The decline of estrogen during menopause and postmenopause can produce uncomfortable bouts of perspiration, also known as night sweats and hot flashes. Many women use hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, to relieve these symptoms, but HRT may have unpleasant side effects. Herbs may be natural and effective remedies for postmenopausal perspiration. Consult your health care provider before starting herbal treatment.
Herbal Actions
Herbal remedies for postmenopausal perspiration work in different ways. Hormone normalizing herbs affect your endocrine system to regulate the production and balance of estrogen and progesterone. Some herbs are phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens, meaning they mimic estrogen in your body but with milder effects. Check with a qualified practitioner for advice about usage, dosage and preparation of herbs for postmenopausal perspiration.
Chaste Tree
Chaste tree, or Vitex agnus-castus, is a Mediterranean shrub with a long history of medicinal use. Herbalists use the berries to treat gynecological problems, including menstrual disorders, menopausal and postmenopausal problems and hormone deficiencies. In his 2003 book "Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine," clinical herbalist David Hoffmann, FNIMH, AHG, calls chaste tree a hormone normalizer. He notes that it acts on the pituitary-hypothalamus axis to balance endocrine function and check postmenopausal changes, such as night sweats and hot flashes, that result from hormone deficiency. Do not combine this herb with other HRT medicines. Consult a qualified practitioner for advice about using chaste tree.
Black Cohosh
Black cohosh, or Cimicifuga racemosa, is a North American perennial. Traditional healers use the rhizomes and roots to treat premenstrual and menopausal disorders, rheumatism and tinnitus. The plant is rich in triterpene glycosides and salicylic acid, and it has a relaxing and normalizing effect on the female reproductive system, according to herbalist David Hoffmann. In their 2000 book "The Herbal Drugstore," Dr. Linda B. White and medicinal plant expert Steven Foster also note that black cohosh mimics estrogen, making it useful for hot flashes. Do not use this herb if you are pregnant or nursing. Check with a qualified practitioner for advice about using black cohosh.
Dong Quai
Dong quai, or Angelica sinensis, is a native Chinese herb and known in traditional Chinese medicine as the female ginseng. Practitioners use the roots as a uterine tonic and hormone regulator. White and Foster explain that dong quai acts as a phytoestrogen, or plant form of estrogen. Plant estrogen replaces the missing estrogen in postmenopausal women that leads to hot flashes and night sweats. Do not use if you are pregnant or nursing or have the flu. Consult a qualified practitioner for advice about using dong quai.
References
- "Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine"; David Hoffmann; 2003
- "The Herbal Drugstore"; Linda B. White, M.D., Steven Foster; 2000
Member Comments