Menopause Support Group

More women are turning to bio-identical hormones to control menopause symptoms after synthetic hormone replacement therapy found it increased the risk of breast cancer. Katie Couric reports.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2143735n Link to Video

CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric reports.

(CBS) Fifty-two-year old Glennis runs her house with brisk efficiency, but there was a time when her days were spent in a mind-numbing fog.

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/blackcohosh/

National institute of health

Office of Dietary Supplement

Black cohosh is an herb sold as a dietary supplement in the United States.

Black cohosh is used for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.

Although preliminary evidence is encouraging, the currently available data are not sufficient to support a recommendation on the use of black cohosh for menopausal symptoms. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health is funding a rigorous scientific study to determine whether treatment with black cohosh reduces the frequency and intensity of hot flashes, and other menopausal symptoms.

In 2001, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stated, primarily on the basis of consensus and expert opinion, that black cohosh may be helpful in the short term (6 months or less) for women with vasomotor symptoms of menopause [1].

Although few adverse events have been reported, long-term safety data are not available.

Black cohosh (known as both Actaea racemosa and Cimicifuga racemosa), a member

In the years around menopause, you may experience changes in your sexual life. Some women say they enjoy sex more after they don't have to worry about getting pregnant. Other women find that they think about sex less often or don't enjoy it as much.

Changes in sexuality at this time of life have several possible causes, including:

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota found that 188 women who were randomly assigned to eat a daily flaxseed bar saw no more improvement in their hot flashes than women given flax-free "placebo" bars.

As you get older, you may notice that maintaining your usual weight becomes more difficult. In fact, the most profound weight gain in a woman's life tends to happen during the years leading up to menopause (perimenopause). Weight gain after menopause isn't inevitable, however. You can reverse course by paying attention to healthy-eating habits and leading an active lifestyle.