Among the women I talk to, there’s a buzz of excitement and lots of networking as we look for ways to make our perimenopausal transition very different from our mothers. Never mind that relieving perimenopausal symptoms with herbs still isn’t standard practice, we’ve taken the initiative, done lots of research on our own, experimented with what works, and shared the information with friends, sisters, co-workers, and neighbors.

Evaluating complementary remedies requires the same kind of vigilance we use when we evaluate any prescription hormone option for perimenopause. As I have done my own investigation about herbal remedies, talked with professionals and women who use them, and tried them myself, these principles have been helpful in choosing among the many, many, complementary products available to us now:

- Decide which symptoms you most want to manage. That will help you prioritize among certain products.

- Educate yourself about including herbal or complementary remedies in your self-care plan. Start by doing some reading on your own. (The Healing Power of Herbs by Michael T. Murray, N.D., Herbs of Choice by Varro E. Tyler, and The Lawrence Review of Natural Products, a newsletter, are excellent resources.)

- Enlist the help of a knowledgeable professional who can guide you as you select, combine, and monitor the effects of the herbs you choose. You may have to do some searching to find an individual who has a thorough background in herbal or plant-based remedies.

- Keep in mind that herbal is not a synonym for benign, and that in fact some plants are highly toxic, even deadly. Never assume that a herbal or natural preparation is harmless; thoroughly investigate everything you are going to put in your body.

- Bring your health care provider into the loop. While more and more people are exploring complementary or alternative approaches to a host of health issues, research shows that two-thirds of them do not inform their primary health care provider about their explorations. I strongly recommend that you include your provider in your search, for two important reasons. First, he or she can help you determine if any medication you are taking would interact adversely with an herbal preparation. (Herbs can interact with each other and other medicines, specifically antidepressants, anti-anxiety agents, and some medications to control high blood pressure, to name a few.) Second, your experiences may help your provider learn about and become more receptive to no drug approaches.

-If you are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant, be very cautious about taking natural preparations, just as you would be with any medication. Unless you and your health care provider can be 100 percent certain that a medication or herb will have absolutely no effect on your fetus, my suggestion is not to take it while you are trying to conceive or during your pregnancy.

-Read labels carefully. The quality of some herbal preparations varies widely. If the label makes it hard to understand how much of a particular herb or other ingredient is in a product, look for another brand.

-Remember that some herbs or plant-based medicines exert very potent influences on the body. (The heart medication digitalis, for example, is derived from plants in the nightshade family.) Be sure you understand how much of the herb you need to take, and never assume that “more is better.”

-Be a wise consumer. Just as no prescription hormone will be a cure-all or silver bullet for all perimenopausal symptoms, the same is true for herbs and other complementary medicines. If a claim seems exaggerated, it probably is. Also, you need to look at any herbal remedy as part of a larger picture that includes your lifestyle.

- Quality control isn’t always easy with herbal products. In my experience, I have found that PhytoPharmica in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Celestial Seasonings in Boulder, Colorado, are both reliable sources that rigorously test their products to ensure quality. I also recommend comparing costs. Good health can never be too expensive, of course, but before you buy any product or preparation that has a high cost, be sure you have solid evidence that it is going to do what you expect.

Finally, when you decide to try a new approach, think about timing. I generally advise against trying something brand new when the stakes are very high, like trying a remedy for insomnia the night before a big presentation or other important event when you’re very concerned about getting rest. If you don’t get the desired result right away, your disappointment stands to be much greater.

Related posts:

1. The Basics of Perimenopause – Working with Your Health Care Provider

2. The basics of some homeopathic remedies for perimenopause

3. The Basics of Hormones For Perimenopause – Natural versus Synthetic

4. The Basics of Mood Swings During Perimenopause – Depression

5. The Basics of the Changes in Sex Drive During Perimenopause

6. The Basics of Treating Sleep Disturbances During Perimenopause

7. The Basics of the Effects of Antidepressants In Perimenopause

8. The Basics of Signs of Perimenopause – Depression and Loss of Libido

9. The Basics of Perimenopause – The Arc Bends toward Maturity

10. The Basics of Perimenopause – The Health Changes When The Mood Is Right