By: Ruth Appleby

Homeopathy can be very effective in the treatment of symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Ruth Appleby is the author of Menopause, The Common Sense Approach. She is a registered homeopath of 24 years' experience with a busy practice in Blackrock, Co Dublin. This extract from her book outlines the most common homeopathic remedies and their use in treating symptoms of the menopause.

What is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a complete system of medicine, which aims to promote general health by reinforcing the body’s own natural healing capacity. It does not treat physical, emotional, mental or even spiritual illnesses separately, but regards them all as being interconnected. Homeopathic remedies are safe and non-addictive. This is because only very minute amounts of the active ingredients are used in their preparation. The remedies come from many different sources. Most are derived from plants, but metals, minerals and some poisons, which have been used medicinally for generations, are also used.

Homeopathy and Menopause

Homeopathy is a truly holistic medicine. If a woman consults a homeopath with menopausal problems – say hot flushes only – the homeopath will still look at the person as a whole, and not just prescribe a remedy for the hot flushes. This is called a constitutional remedy.

If we prescribe in this way, the overall imbalance will be treated, the woman’s hot flushes will go and her overall health will be improved. Sometimes, we come across women who have no other problems in their life, who just present with some specific menopausal symptoms; in these cases, prescribing on those symptoms alone will solve the problem.

It is preferable to be treated by an experienced homeopath, but there are some remedies that you could try yourself. I have given details below of some of the more common homeopathic remedies prescribed during menopause. You may have some, not necessarily all, the symptoms that I outline below. I have suggested the 30c potency as a good potency to use. If you follow the directions below for recommended dosages and repetitions, you will do yourself no harm.

Directions for taking homeopathic remedies

Do not eat or drink for fifteen minutes before and after taking the remedy. You should avoid coffee, menthol, peppermint, eucalyptus and other strong-smelling substances during the course of treatment, as these can interfere with your remedy. Dissolve the remedy on the tongue, one tablet daily for three days, then wait for an improvement, wait until there is a return of the symptoms, then repeat the dose.

It is important that the remedy, once it has worked, is allowed to complete its action. Do not repeat the remedy too soon. Wait for the return of symptoms. This is often the most difficult thing for people to do! If there is no improvement in your symptoms, consult your homeopath or your doctor.

Details of the remedies which are most often needed during the menopause:

Lachesis

Lachesis is an important remedy during the menopause, and is often called for in women who have never felt well since the onset of menopause. Other menopausal symptoms of this remedy are:

  • Haemorrhages
  • Fainting
  • Weakness
  • Melancholy
  • Periods every twenty-one days
  • Periods profuse
  • Generally worse before menses, and pains and mood better once the flow starts
  • Hot flushes, with headaches, palpitations and hot sweats
  • Headaches, especially in the vertex, with burning sensations
  • Some nausea, diarrhea or haemorrhoids

The left ovary can also be painful and swollen, and there may be prolapsed uterus. Women may be asthmatic since reaching the menopause. They generally feel worse in the mornings, can’t stand the heat and are hypersensitive to any tight clothing at the neck or waist.

The remedy is prepared from the venom of Lachesis muta, the surucuccu snake of South America.

Recommended dosage: one dose daily for three days of Lachesis 30c, to be taken as directed above.