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[Elliebee]

Hi can anyone recommend a good all round supplement for peri menopause? I am especially keen to hear about powdered magnesium supplements to
Improve sleep and reduce morning anxiety.
Thank you

[Dandelion]

Hi can anyone recommend a good all round supplement for peri menopause? I am especially keen to hear about powdered magnesium supplements to
Improve sleep and reduce morning anxiety.
Thank you

Ashwagandha helps those morning gut feelings for me.
It can take a few weeks to kick in and you need breaks, but it's worth it.
I get the KSM-66 type.

[Elliebee]

Where do you buy it from?

[Dandelion]

Where do you buy it from?

I normally get nutravita.

[Dandelion]

Hi can anyone recommend a good all round supplement for peri menopause? I am especially keen to hear about powdered magnesium supplements to
Improve sleep and reduce morning anxiety.
Thank you

Ashwagandha helps those morning gut feelings for me.
It can take a few weeks to kick in and you need breaks, but it's worth it.
I get the KSM-66 type.

Me too.
I got IBS and those "Not-so-nice-greetings-to-a-new-day" gut feelings of anxiety, and I thought I was coming through the end of meno.
I used to need 100mcg, and the clinicians gradually reduced it to 25mcg only leaving night sweats which I could cope with.
I had no idea "return of menopause" was the reason for my IBS and those unpleasant morning greeting feelings.
I must admit that from April 2021 to about July 2022 I took the KSM-66, I had a break, and am back on it.
I don't know if I need two capsules now, because I really don't like the boring feelings.
They want to do a colonoscopy on me, they did when I was first on "not-enough-hrt" but the IBS went as soon as I went up to 100mcg.
Naughty me has been upping my dose, buying it privately, as I don't want a colonscopy when I just need more oestrogen.
I am up to 100mcg again, this time it feels like "not enough" and I raised a thread on women who need more than the max.
Sorry for tangent, when I cycle off KSM-66 I will use rhodiola, that's a great pick-me-up, but only to be taken in the morning.

[sashaWalker87x]

I came across an interesting mumsnet thread yesterday and the conclusion was a lot of supplements need more research in to them before it can be said whether they are effective for menopause symptoms but people where recommending melatonin or 5htp. I did my own research a couple days ago for 5htp  googling '5htp for menopause', It shows some promise so could be worth trying but id do your own research.

[Dandelion]

You can only use 5htp with breaks.
As it depletes dopamine you need a dopamine precursor, according to many on reddit.
I found this out on r/stackadvice or r/nootropics.

[marshallcat]

Hello! What I found on this question: Women going through perimenopause may experience a variety of symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, mood swings, and irregular periods. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to managing these symptoms, some women find relief by taking certain supplements. For example, black cohosh is a herbal remedy that has been traditionally used to treat hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. Another popular supplement is evening primrose oil, which is high in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid that helps to balance hormones. GLA is also found in borage oil and hemp oil. Finally, many women find vitamin E helpful for managing hot flashes and other perimenopausal symptoms. Vitamin E is found in both food and supplement form, and it can be taken orally or applied topically. Talk to your doctor about which supplements may be right for you.

[CLKD]

However: a recent article by an NHS Consultant stated that no one requires supplements if they have a good diet and exercise regime.  The body flushes out anything not required in the urine.

Of course, menobrain here can't remember the speciality of the consultant  .  There hasn't been a blind study on many 'natural' supplements and black cohosh shouldn't be used for more than 3 months continually.  Also, some can interact badly with prescribed medication.

Elliebee - which symptom would you like to ease first? 

[Harmony]

Nature's Best make a good magnesium citrate powder, and they'll send you a sample if you contact their nutrition advisors. I take two of their Magasorb Ultra tablets (300mg a day), and find it helps a lot with anxiety. As long as you choose a good quality brand such as Nature's Best, Solgar, Biocare, Higher Nature or Viridian, check they don't interact with any prescription medications you might be taking, and don't take more than the dose recommended by nutritionists, supplements are safe and often effective. The body uses what's contained in supplements and then excretes them, in the same way as it does drugs. The soil is so depleted that even with an excellent, varied, organic diet (which hardly anyone eats), it's very hard to get all the nutrients we need. Lots of people find a few good quality, well researched supplements taken at a sensible dose in the right combination, as I do with vitamin d, k2 (Mk7) and magnesium, very helpful. This combination thankfully keeps me from feeling severely depressed in winter, I sleep better, and feel generally better all year round. It's also very good for bone health.

[CLKD]

Black cohash: 'traditionally used' by whom  .  If supplements were safe they would be recommended by the NHS.  Most soils in the UK are well 'fed' and organic doesn't mean that the soil is any better than others.  However, the use of heavy machinery since the EU insisted on all year round crop growing, so that soils didn't get a rest so that it could regenerative, has meant ponds in the Fens where water should never 'stand'  .  That's what the dykes are for, to drain excess water ........ add to that chicken farm run off which will take top soil into rivers which then destroys the water environment; instead of farming the 'older' way.  Even going back to horse-drawn use which impacts the soil a lot less.

Anyway - fresh fruits and veg. is a good starting point, there is so much more year-round choice too.  As well as investigating ethnic veg., I look at some of it on the market stalls and wonder  what to do with it 

[sheila99]

Perhaps it's better to test your levels before you use supplements. Sometimes your body just isn't good at absorbing something even it seems you have enough in your diet. I was short of vit D in summer even though I spend a lot of time outside, I only found out because it came as part of a medichecks package for thyroid function. Some things (I think iron is one?) can be harmful if you have too much.
 Some soils have always been short of things, in our area it's magnesium. It depends on the type of soil and underlying rock. Not organic but it does get manure whereas most arable land doesn't.

[Harmony]

Synthetic fertilisers aren't balanced to provide optimum nutrition in crops, unfortunately. They make crops grow well, but leave it depleted in many nutrients. Land is intensively farmed in conventional farming to produce high yields, less intensive organic farming generally creates soil with higher levels of nutrients. It's obviously not perfect, but it's better. I imagine manure contains more nutrients than synthetic fertiliser.

NHS doctors aren't trained in nutrition (or only have literally a few hours training) that's why they only recommend a few supplements like iron, vitamin d and b12  to address chronic deficiencies, not for optimal levels. Their speciality is drugs and surgery, whereas nutritionists have in-depth training in diet, and helping people get their nutrients up to optimum levels for good health, not the minimum needed to prevent diseases caused by severe deficiencies.

It probably is a good idea to get supplement levels checked for things like vitamin d and iron taken long term, if you can access a GP to request blood tests, or pay privately. Unfortunately in my area it's almost impossible now to even speak to a receptionist, never mind have a phone consultation with a GP.  I wouldn't take more than 2000iu vitamin d (which is what I take in winter) without having an occasional blood test. That's much lower than the maximum of 4000iu advised by the NHS. I do my research from different sources before taking anything, take moderate rather than high doses and am especially careful with things like vitamin d that can be harmful in excess. Magnesium taken at 300mg daily is a safe dose, that's just below the RDA for women. Iron is best not supplemented if you're not deficient imo, but it's in most multivitamin/mineral supplements, which is probably shouldn't be. I feel much better for taking the supplements I take, so that's good enough for me. The NHS have nothing to offer people like me with M.E. I was fobbed off by GP's for years and had to go private to get an official diagnosis, I'd self diagnosed way before then. I've done loads of research, spent a fortune, and tried many things in an effort to find something that makes me feel somewhat better.

[Marchlove]

Thank you Harmony for your post, I totally agree with everything you have said.

Unfortunately yes, high yields are the reason we are in this situation that has depleted  our soil of vital nutrients.

For what? Mass produced unhealthy processed food.

But surely what we should be aiming for, is what not that many decades ago, we already had.

Ideally organic, homegrown, sustainable and seasonal veg, meat, fish and fruit which of course should be affordable for all.

Like you Harmony, the nhs had nothing to offer for my Lyme disease. I was dismissed, but I fight on with you. x