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[2102bunker]

I am about to order some Macafem from Amazon, this was recommended to me, has anyone tried this or are on this?

Please let me know how you find it, thank you.

[CLKD]

Where exactly are you ordering this from?  If you do a 'search' you will see if other ladies have used it. 

[sarahdreamer]

Hello! You can read some macafem reviews here http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php'topic=25702.0

I took Macafem for a long time and then found out other brands were selling their own maca so I switched to them just to save money but gained several pounds and some old menopausal symptoms came back, so I switched back to Macafem and the symptoms disappeared again! But I am still trying to lose weight. I read they care a lot about the quality of the product so I guess that's why Macafem works better 

[evey]

Hi
I used a Maca product when I was peri menopause until I was about 54, it was great at controlling any symptoms until then but gradually as I got further into menopause it stopped working; I think it is really good until then,
C

[Dorothy]

I would be interested to hear how you get on with it.  I borrowed a book which recommended it highly, but as the author was a bit extreme about other things (anyone taking HRT is filling their body with toxins and will die of cancer, sugar should be completely removed from your diet because it's poison and you wouldn't eat arsenic...!) it put me off. 

[Meg]

I have not tried Maca but was researching it on the internet, out of desperation I think.  The thing is that some of the alternatives, for me anyway, are way too expensive and that is one main reason why I have not been able to try some.

Meg

[dogdoc]

I'm going to give it rave reviews but with a caveat.

I've been on Maca for 4 months and have gone from a total mess to almost ( almost) a completely  normal human being. I'm perimenopausal, not in full menopause and I've been taking NOW bring Maca ( 1000mg once daily in the morning). The caveat is that peri is a roller coaster and there is a possibility that i'd be feeling better even without Maca, but it was definitely coincidental timing. And given that the three years!!! before going on the maca were absolute HELL I don't know if I believe the Maca isn't responsible.

I've gone from sleeping 3-4 hours a night to sleeping a solid 8 ( almost narcoleptic lol, but I'll take it). Hot flashes have diminished from continuous leading up to a period to an occasional full one, or several mild flutters almost only early in the morning. Ovulation is still pretty bad with the arrhythmia, but better.
But most importantly my energy level, and mood has changed completely for the better. I get a little PMS, but I haven't cried in 4 months and THAT is a small miracle. Anxiety and panic attacks about 95% better.

From the research I've done ( pubmed, journal articles) there seems to be a very low risk profile, no shown side effects HOWEVER the longest study I saw was for a year i think...maybe six months. So for all I know I'm killing my liver etc etc etc. I may regret taking it later, but for now ....totally worth it!!

[dogdoc]

Just keeping up with the research.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25097281

For those who are interested but not really science nerdy, this ( very short and very small) study showed that the rats getting Maca had the same estrogen levels as the rats that still had their ovaries. In this study at least, the Maca increased your OWN estrogen levels and suppressed your own FSH levels.
This acts on the brain itself, unlike many menopausal supplements that act on the estrogen receptors ( they act as 'pretend estrogens').

Small but interesting.
Tara

[evey]

The product I used was called Femmenessence, I agree with you Dogdoc, it really helped me too when I was peri menapausal.

[LoriH]

I took Macafem for 2 months, stopped for a month to determine if it really allowed me to feel better. Definitely yes.. I had more energy and my doctor was impressed with my improvement. I am 60.

[Chi chi]

I'm really interested in this, I'll try anything to help with the damn anxiety and low moods!
Which brands are recommended? Is Holland and barratt's ones an option?

[Dana]

I often read these good reports about Macafem, and I'm tempted by it even though I'm very sceptical about any of those alternate remedies for menopause, after having spent a lot of money on them some years ago with absolutely no success.

However, my meno symptoms especially insomnia, are so severe without HRT that I'm scared to attempt it. In the next few years I would like to try to decrease my estrogen dose (mainly because I don't always get on that well with progesterone/progestin), so I wonder if supplementing my HRT with the Macafem would help? What is the thinking on taking it in conjunction with HRT? Some alternate therapies aren't supposed to be used with HRT.

Food for thought.

[Sunnydays]

Like Dana I would be interested to hear thoughts. I read good reports about Macafem in the peri but I'd like to know how successful it is in meno. I hadn't thought about taking along hrt..........

[dogdoc]

Hey ladies.  You are going to find almost NO studies about taking maca in conjunction with hrt.  I believe I found one... I'll try to find it again. 

So far I have put my peri menopausal sister on it ( improvement as well particularly when it relates to stress coping) and my very very post menopausal mother ( 74) who has had insomnia since having hysterectomy at 43.  She's not on hrt and never has been ( hence her poor dissolving bones).

Some studies show maca increases your own ( endogenous) estrogen levels and some find no change to your own hormones.  They believe it regulates the hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis but does not act specifically as a 'fake estrogen' which is what most herbal menopausal remedies do ( like black cohosh or soy). 

I'll try to find the study.  I cannot find ANY adverse events in the profile of this medication other than mild gastrointestinal upset for some women. 
It us not supposed to be taken raw FYI.

[dogdoc]

Here's that paper that mentions estrogen and maca in the same breath.  Not exactly an endorsement for their use but they're at least thinking about it. 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25668332

Ps. Results still out for my post meno mom.  Insomnia is really her only main issue wrt no hrt so we shall see.  If she suddenly states sleeping I'll let you all know.  Lol.