Herbal Remedies as a Treatment of Some Frequent Symptoms During Menopause

Abstract

Many menopausal women try herbal remedies hoping to find an effective and safe form of treatment. The lay literature abounds with recommendations most of which are unsubstantiated. Systematic reviews exist for black cohosh, a promising remedy for neurovegetative menopausal symptoms. Data generated on non-menopausal patient populations also suggest that feverfew has some potential for preventing migraine, St John's Wort is an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression, valerian may alleviate insomnia and kava is an effective anxiolytic. The safety profiles of these remedies are encouraging. Before strong recommendations for the use of these or other herbal remedies can be issued, more conclusive research, in particular trials conducted on menopausal women, need to become available.