Make yours a marvellous menopause.

 

Homeopath Rebecca Dove talks to us about how you can use a more natural approach to a healthier and marvellous menopause

 

"Menopause is one of the words that makes most of us women tense up a little (or a lot) at the thought of a major transition that quite honestly, we’re quite often hugely unprepared for. We hear all the so-called horror stories, the night sweats, hot flushes, mood swings, menstrual problems, vaginal dryness and so much more. We rarely hear positive stories, other than maybe it marking the end of periods.

I’m a 46 year old woman so this is very much something on my mind. I actually had a false menopause in my early 20’s as part of conventional treatment for endometriosis. It didn’t really help the condition (I had to turn to homeopathy later for that), but it was 6 months of very fast and very uncomfortable transition, experiencing dizziness, weight gain, clicking joints and massive mood swings in the process. I was able to come back from that, but now looking at the real thing on the horizon as I start to step into perimenopause, as well as working with many women to support their menopause journey homeopathically, it feels like the right time to bring it back into focus call back our power on the subject.

There is lots going on in the media right now, particularly around the shortage of HRT. Also Davina McCall is about to launch her TV programme about 'Menopausing' and the benefits of getting onto HRT as early as possible. There is a sense of women demystifying and empowering themselves through what has been unspoken and frankly dreaded part of life as a woman. Davina's own feelings about becoming invisible, aged and suffering from a range of symptoms through this is raising awareness about the available support and help in the conventional sense.

HRT or hormone replacement treatments may seem like the magic solution, but they just aren’t for everyone. I had really strong reactions to hormonal treatments and now I prefer a more "harmonising with nature" approach to my journey. Empowering myself and supporting my energy and strength to feel at my best. I know through practising homeopathy that I’ve helped women to overcome the symptoms of menopause and make the transition into their inner power that comes with the reduction of oestrogen, and overall make it a smoother and more celebratory journey. It’s not about suddenly becoming less because those aspects of womanhood are leaving but becoming stronger, more flexible, even more energised and more empowered to positively step through this into life after menopause.

This is a whole area of work where lifestyle, diet and hydration play an important role too. Taking care of the inside becomes so much more vital during the transitions going on, but it’s also crucial to have the energy and motivation to make the shifts needed. Hormones can play havoc with our sense of balance and ability to deal with what is going on. Couple that with the stresses and responsibilities of life most 40 and 50 year old women have to deal with – just how do we muster the time and energy to make a change? I’ve a three year old son and I absolutely know how hard it is to put yourself first to be able to make a change. For younger women experiencing perimenopause and menopausal symptoms in their 30’s or even younger, the challenge to be understood and supported can be even harder.

I’ve personally found that’s where homeopathy can help, as it softens symptoms and gives you back control of your life & your energy – it’s certainly given me back the space in my life to put my needs first again. It’s also absolutely fine to be using conventional treatments or some of the natural-based HRT like yam extract, alongside homeopathy, and we can work together on strengthening your well-being overall as you get older.

I’d like to introduce some of the more common remedies we use in supporting women through the menopause, and might just help to make yours more marvellous than murky. It’s always important to consult a homeopathic practitioner to commence treatment but seeing the kinds of remedies we work with may just spark some recognition in you. Homeopathy is a dynamic energy therapy, where remedies are non-toxic, highly diluted and act as a catalyst to support the body’s natural ability to heal itself.:

Pulsatilla:

One of the great hormone balancers of our materia medica. Pulsatilla can have a wide range of symptoms such as very heavy periods, mood swings, hot flushes especially where you’re feeling intensely tearful and unable to cope with what is going on for you. Not feeling like you have the strength to deal with things alone. Pullsatilla can bring bac your ability to cope and make decisions, feeling more balanced overall.

 

Sepia:

Sepia is an enormous remedy for use during menopause. This is especially useful when you’re feeling exhausted, and de-motivated, your mood can be very low and feel depressed and not yourself at all. They prefer to be alone. Sepia has hot flushes, dark heavy periods and disturbed sleeping patterns. Uterine and vaginal prolapse, with a dragging down feeling can be a feature. Sepia can bring you back into the light again, more energised and social again, whilst supporting balancing out of physical issues.

 

Lachesis:

Lachesis has more of the mood swings and you may find yourself getting angrier and more irritable than usual. It’s a very useful remedy in both hot flushes, especially with palpitations and extremely heavy periods, in which they tend to feel much worse before the actual period starts. The time between periods also can be a lot shorter around 21 days. Fainting and dizziness also feature. Lachesis brings you back to yourself and again helps tone and balance the body's symptoms.

 

Sulphuric acid:

Exhaustion, trembling and weeping at the slightest things are a real feature of sulphuric acid as a remedy. They feel hurried and have nightmares before and after their periods. They get angry and irritable with everything and everyone and no one can please them. There may also be uterine prolapse issues.

 

Calc Carb:

Another remedy for hot flushes, night sweats particularly around the neck and head. Known for its help with uterine fibroids and heavy periods. Calc carb tends to have a lot of anxiety and may find this is exacerbated during the menopause.

 

When we work together, we spend time to find the remedy closest to what you’re experiencing and it maybe very different to the experiences described here. I very much treat everyone as an individual and try to find that thing in nature that matches the state they are experiencing.

If you’d like to find out more about how I practice, please request a free 30 minute curiosity call with me. I’m always happy to chat about what I do and how we can work together."

 

You can contact Rebecca through her profile on the website here: https://centreforintegralhealth.com/about-us/our-practitioners/rebecca-dove-/