Hi Sadie - I haven't been on here for a while so this is a late post in terms of an answer for you but I hope it helps.
I was taking Holland and Barratt's Menopause Mood tablets which are St John's Wort and Black Cohosh (I am perimenopausal). I was on them for about 8 months, and my instances of flushes and other symptoms were lessening. I noticed my emotional hormones were all over the place so I reviewed my diet and supplemented with Magnesium which made things much calmer for me. However, I also decided to give myself a break from the H&B pills to see if I could reset my hormones. This is where I have to tell you that I did a medical herbalism course in the meantime to support how I treat myself... Herbs can be taken long term but sometimes it is a good idea to give your body a break and see if it settles naturally.
Unfortunately while my emotional state is better, my flushes have come back with vengeance and I am having real gastric issues. So I investigated further and learnt that estrogen supports good stomach acid (mine is low and causing issues), and also calms down cortisol the stress hormone.
So for me, the magnesium is helping my emotional brain chemicals, but the lack of estrogen from the black cohosh is causing me other issues. I am now back on the H&B tablets and doubt I will come off until I reach menopause.
To treat yourself naturally you can opt for herbs (Black Cohosh or Red Clover - which I also drink as tea), and also eat foods that stimulate or mimic estrogen, such as soya (tofu or just soya milk) and oats.
You don't have to spend a fortune and you do have to be really careful if you take any prescribed medication so absolutely take advice, although if you are interested in going herbal and funds aren't an issue you may want to get a consultation with a qualified herbalist first.
Good luck.