Perimenopause - Herbs for a Smoother Transition From Maiden to Sage
Perimenopause can begin in some women in their 30s, but most often it starts in women ages 40 to 44.
I am 51 now and happily on the other side of the menopause journey. My Perimenopause years began in my early 40s, not long after having my 2nd child, and even though I had worked with 1000s of women as a Medical Herbalist for 20+ years already and successfully treated their hormonal imbalances and symptoms, it was still a shock to me how severe these symptoms were as a daily experience.
These new physical, mental and emotional manifestations felt punishing. They annoyed me intensely because they got in the way of my desire to enjoy life with my young family and just be relatively comfortable in my body. As if going through puberty and having babies wasn't enough to change for one lifetime, perimenopause arrived to challenge me deeper than ever!
I have had quite a few medical challenges in my life, and I have, to some extent, learnt to surrender to them and use them as a learning opportunity. To research and learn what herbs and natural methods can restore health and harmony each time.
It has been my life’s mission to understand how plants can heal us, and I want to share this wisdom with you, with 30 years of training and experience as a professional Medical Herbalist plus 10 years of my own perimenopausal challenges!
The most common symptoms we experience during perimenopause are;
Mood changes: such as irritability, mood swings, or mild depression.
Hot flashes (flushes) and night sweats: also known as vasomotor symptoms (VMS).
Irregular periods: such as skipped periods, or periods that are heavier or lighter than usual.
Vaginal dryness: causing discomfort, especially during sex.
Urinary issues: such as needing to urinate more frequently, or leaking urine when you cough or sneeze.
Trouble sleeping: also known as insomnia.
Changes in sexual desire: such as a lower or heightened sex drive
Other common symptoms include breast tenderness, headaches, fatigue, short-term memory problems, trouble concentrating, heart palpitations, feeling dizzy or faint, dry mouth and eyes, sore gums, and muscle and joint pains.
Even this list is not exhaustive - this is a personal journey for every woman and surprising symptoms can arise!
Perimenopause Herbal Allies
There are 100s of herbs which can be helpful allies to help soothe and rebalance our hormones and the related symptoms. It is really hard to self-prescribe, as the endocrine system is very complex and there are many factors involved including an individual’s past medical history, stress levels and lifestyle.
To give you a fighting chance at choosing the right herbal ally, below is a list of my favourite effective herbs that I work with in treating the symptoms I commonly see (and have experienced).
Mood Changes
Anxiety - Motherwort is one of my favourite herbs for anxiety and palpitations. Soothing but not too sedating, like a hug in a bottle. As it is not the best-tasting tea, the tincture or capsules work best for me.
Depression - Rose, an uplifting herb that can offer us her soothing touch throughout all stages of life. Rose helps us to soften and allow more of the love and light in. Rose is also a delicious tea!
Rage - Lemon balm, it can be a shock how much our hormones have encouraged tolerance during our maidenhood - until we hit perimenopause, and intolerance kicks in. The rage is fired up and we start to feel very different about what is OK and not OK for us. Lemon balm can help soothe the rage, soften the physical tension and feel a little more forgiving. Lemon balm is best fresh from the garden but tastes great dried too as a tea, and capsules are also easy to source.
Hot Flashes - Night Sweats
Hot flashes or flushes come in 2 forms, the severity and frequency vary too. And there are 2 amazing herbs to ease the intensity of heat rising, and restore balance. If you remain hot after a flash, work with Sage. If you feel cold after a hot flash, Schisandra berry is the best herb of choice. For both herbs, tea works well, but tinctures and capsules are also good.
Irregular periods
It is natural that we should start missing periods as we transition to menopause. To help with regularity my herb of choice is Monks pepper, aka Vitex agnus-castus. Just 10-20 drops of tincture in the morning can help to realign the endocrine system, this is not foolproof as the periods do naturally have to stop at some point and often 1 ovary will stop first so periods come in alternate months. But it can potentially help with irregularity.
If the periods are heavier than usual, we need to work with herbs to stem the excess bleeding. Shepherds Purse is a classic herb for this and often works wonders. I tend to use this herb as a tincture so I can give strong doses as required. However, a word of caution, as severe heavy menstrual bleeding can be very draining, even dangerous, if this herb is not strong enough to give you the results you need, it may be best to seek help from your GP so you do not also become anaemic.
If your flow is lighter than usual and you are craving a good womb clear out, Raspberry leaf is a safe and reliable womb tonic that can help to encourage the health of the gynaecological system overall. As it is quite a flavourless tea, I often blend it with Lemon balm, Passionflower and Lime flower. This herb is also great for treating vaginal dryness - our next topic…
Vaginal dryness
Vaginal dryness can cause discomfort during sex, or simply make the vagina more prone to imbalances like candida. Schisandra berry is the best herb for moistening the tissues - drink 3 cups of tea a day and the results will be obvious, and the libido will improve too. And even if you are not sexually active, it’s still a good idea to occasionally moisturise the vagina.
Urinary issues
If you are experiencing urgency and/or need to urinate more frequently, again Schisandra berry is our best ally. Schisandra is said to tonify the bladder, helping to strengthen it, so it can hold more for longer and be less irritable. Avoid alcohol as much as possible during this phase of life as it can really irritate the urinary system bring excess heat into the body and cause more hot flashes as well. If you are leaking urine when you cough or sneeze, try Horse Tail as a tea or tincture. This herb is said to strengthen the sphincters - the rings of muscles that control the flow through the tubes.
Trouble sleeping
If you have trouble getting off to sleep try Passionflower. This herb tastes great as a tea, I like to blend it with Lime flower which is also very soothing and delicious. It can be drunk in the evening to help the brain naturally go into a sleepy-hypnotic state and soften into its sleep state with more ease.
Or perhaps you find yourself awakening in the night and not able to return to sleep. For this type of insomnia try Orange flower, I love to use this herb as an aromatic water. Add 1 teaspoon to a small glass of water and sip in the night if you awaken, to help you drift off again quickly.
Changes in sexual desire
If you struggle with a lower sex drive try Damiana, a powerful aphrodisiac. It helps us to see the beauty in others and raises our confidence and passions. A wonderful feel-good herb and a delicious herbal tea!
It’s also common to see an excessive sex drive at perimenopause, which can be frustrating and distracting! Monks pepper aka Vitex agnus-castus can help to rebalance our intense hormonal urges. It was used by monks in the Middle Ages to suppress libido hence its name. You might also give it to your partner if they are the one with an excess of libido!
In Summary
Whatever symptoms arise there is a herbal ally to support, soothe and help ease the path through the sacred transition all women must experience as we age naturally.
It is not my place to say anything negative about alternatives to the natural path such as HRT, it is a choice we make, because we all want to live our best life, and I support your choices. If HRT is not quite hitting the spot, then herbs can still be helpful as adjuncts to these powerful drugs.
So please dear ones, do not suffer, listen to your body, what it needs, how can you nurture it as it moves from Maiden/Mother phase to Wise Woman. And if I can be of assistance as a professional Medical Herbalist, please get in touch. I am here as a Wise Woman, a Sage, for the plants and people to support your path to wellness whatever you are going through.
With love, Sorrell
