Best Herbs for Perimenopause [2024]
April 25, 2024
Essential Takeaways
- Perimenopause is the phase of transition that ends with menopause.
- Many different symptoms can accompany perimenopause, from fatigue to hot flashes.
- In some cases, a customized blend of Chinese herbs can help alleviate the symptoms of perimenopause.
Perimenopause can be a confusing, frustrating, and emotional time in a person’s life. This ending of the reproductive chapter makes itself felt through a variety of symptoms that can range from simply annoying to truly severe.
Since perimenopause can last for multiple years, it’s essential to find sustainable ways to treat and manage ongoing perimenopause symptoms. For many people, taking customized medicinal herbs for perimenopause can make this phase much more comfortable and peaceful.
What is Perimenopause?
Perimenopause, or menopausal transition, encompasses the entire transitional phase leading up to menopause. During this time, a woman's body undergoes hormonal fluctuations that result in changes such as irregular menstrual cycles, hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and mood swings.
Perimenopause typically begins in a woman's 40s, but can start earlier, and continues until menopause, when the ovaries stop releasing eggs and menstruation ceases completely. It lasts for several years.
Menopause vs perimenopause
While perimenopause describes the entire time period leading up to menopause, menopause refers to a specific moment in time. Once a person has not menstruated in 12 consecutive months, they have reached menopause and their reproductive years have come to an end. In many cases, herbs can help ease menopause symptoms.
Can herbs help with perimenopause?
Every individual experiences perimenopause differently and may deal with any combination of the symptoms below. In some cases, taking a high-quality blend of customized herbal medicine can help alleviate symptoms. It’s important to purchase herbs through a trusted source such as the Qi Health pharmacy, since herbs are not generally regulated by the FDA.
You want to be sure that you are investing and ingesting pure herbs! The best way to determine whether herbs will help with your specific experience of perimenopause is to talk with a qualified TCM practitioner through Qi Health.
Perimenopause Symptoms
Many individuals going through perimenopause notice irregular periods, hot flashes, and several other symptoms as hormones fluctuate. The most common symptoms are the following:
Brain Fog
Cognitive problems and frustrations regarding memory and focus are common during perimenopause. This brain fog may be due to the added stress that many feel during this time, or with the common sleep problems that occur. Though it’s temporary, many women feel understandably concerned about the impact of brain fog on their personal and professional life.
Fatigue
Feeling constantly tired is another common symptom of perimenopause. Hormonal changes, trouble sleeping, and increased stress can all compound the issue, making it difficult to overcome feelings of fatigue during perimenopause.
Weight Changes
Because hormones fluctuate unevenly during perimenopause, many people experience sudden weight gain or loss. Hormones influence how much fat the body holds onto and how it’s stored, plus they send hunger signals that can reasonably impact weight.
Mood Swings
As these hormone systems in the body adapt, it’s also common to experience extreme changes in mood. Feelings of anger, frustration, depression, and anxiety are all reported often during perimenopause.
Hot Flashes
As estrogen levels decrease, hot flashes may occur. Hot flashes happen because your body’s hormones cause the hypothalamus to become oversensitive, which in turn triggers a “cool down” response – sometimes at inopportune or annoying moments! Changes in overall hormonal balance can contribute to these temperature signals.
Night Sweats
Night sweats are very similar to hot flashes, but they may have a more damaging effect on overall health because they disrupt sleep. Just like hot flashes, these occur because of changes in hormone balance that send confusing signals to the body’s temperature gauge, the hypothalamus.
Best Chinese Herbs for Perimenopause
The best combination of Chinese herbs for perimenopause varies from person to person. Discussing your symptoms with a certified Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor is the best way to find the right blend of herbs for your body and your particular symptoms.
- Dang Gui (Radix Angelica Sinensis)
What it is: Dang gui is one of the most commonly used herbs in women’s health. Often used as a remedy for menstrual cramps, this member of the celery family is believed to reduce pain and relax the muscles. Before taking dang gui, talk with your doctor about possible interactions with other medications.
How it can help:
- Reduces pain
- Relaxes the muscles of the uterus
- Improves libido
- Boosts mood
- Korean ginseng (Radix Ginseng)
What it is: Korean ginseng is rich in antioxidants and beneficial nutrients. As a very close relative of dong quai, Korean ginseng is also a root. Studies reveal promising effects on fatigue, mood, inflammation and more, making it a go-to treatment for a few of the tougher perimenopause symptoms.
How it can help:
- Reduces inflammation
- Fights brain fog
- Boosts mood
- Eases fatigue
- Yin Yang Huo (Herba Epimedii)
What it is: Yin yang huo, commonly called horny goat weed, has a wide range of uses for women’s health. A compound within this plant, called icariin, may mimic the female hormone estrogen. As a result, icariin can help offset the symptoms that come with the rapidly fluctuating levels of estrogen throughout perimenopause. Often used to promote bone health and healthy cholesterol, this herb can have a positive impact on overall health.
How it can help:
- Supports bone health
- Improves cholesterol
- Mimics estrogen
- Eases symptoms related to estrogen fluctuation, like hot flashes
- Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri)
What it is: Chai hu is a root and is one of the most commonly used herbs for menstruation because of its benefits to circulation. It helps move Qi through the body efficiently and even aids digestion. One of its most impactful benefits for those experiencing perimenopause is the mood-boosting effect that consuming chai hu can provide. The mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and even depression caused by perimenopause mean that this is a very important addition to many perimenopause herbal blends.
How it can help:
- Eases stress
- Boosts mood
- Decreases anxiety levels
- Circulates Qi
- Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis)
What it is: Huang qin has cooling properties as well as inflammation-tackling effects, making it an excellent weapon against hot flashes. Also known as Chinese skullcap, this root is often used to treat insomnia. Since sleep issues sit at the core of many other perimenopause symptoms, addressing this issue can go a long way in creating a more comfortable and healthy perimenopause experience. It can also help with irritability and headaches.
How it can help:
- Counteracts hot flashes
- Soothes irritability
- Helps with sleep
- Shan Zhu Yu (Fructus Corni)
What it is: For many people, the mood challenges that come with perimenopause are the most disheartening and concerning health complications of all. Shan zhu yu helps with this exact concern. Also called Japanese dogwood fruit, this berry can help with heavy periods, urination concerns, and heart palpitations while also boosting mood and combating depression.
How it can help:
- Eases depression
- Addresses frequent urination
- Fewer heart palpitations
Other Herbs for Perimenopause Symptoms
On top of the traditional Chinese herbs listed above, there are also additional herbs commonly used to alleviate the symptoms of perimenopause.
- Black Cohosh - Sheng Ma (Rhizoma Cimicifugae)
What it is: Black cohosh is an herb related to buttercup. While it is believed to have promising benefits for those going through perimenopause and is also among the top herbs for menstrual cramps, black cohosh has also been associated with various side effects, so check with your doctor before you begin taking it, especially if you have liver disease. Many people use black cohosh to combat hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness, and sweating.
How it can help:
- Eases hot flashes
- Reduces mood swings
- Helps with vaginal dryness
- Addresses sweating
- Decreases fatigue
- Ashwaganda - Nan Fei Zui Jia (Withania Somnifera) also known as Winter Cherry
What it is: Ashwagandha is a shrub most commonly used for its stress-relieving effects and mood-boosting properties. It acts on hormones like cortisol to help lower anxiety. It’s especially promising for those experiencing perimenopause, because studies have found that it helps increase estrogen levels and promote hormone balance for a more comfortable perimenopause phase with fewer symptoms.
How it can help:
- Balances hormones
- Improves sexual function
- Boosts mood
- Increases estrogen
- Red Clover - San Xiao Cao (Flos Trifolii)
What it is: From skin conditions like eczema to health concerns like cancer, red clover has been used to treat a wide array of issues. This wild plant is known to help improve circulation and reduce inflammation. Since it contains isoflavones, which create an effect similar to estrogen in the body, red clover may work wonders for alleviating the symptoms of perimenopause. It’s important to talk to a doctor before consuming red clover because it may come with side effects like headache and nausea.
How it can help:
- Reduces hot flashes
- Strengthens bones
- Addresses night sweats
- Evening Primrose Oil - Yue Jian Cao (Oenothera Biennis)
What it is: Evening Primrose oil is derived from a beautiful yellow flower native to Europe and North America. It has many uses, from treating wounds to supporting balanced hormones. It contains gamma-linolenic acid, and some studies suggest that gamma-linolenic acid can mimic estrogen in the body. This means that the acid can help with various symptoms such as hot flashes.
How it can help:
- Fights inflammation
- Mimics estrogen
- Alleviates hormone-related symptoms
Get Customized Herbs for Perimenopause
Perimenopause can last several years, and you shouldn’t have to suffer through uncomfortable or painful symptoms. Get a customized blend of high-quality herbs for perimenopause by meeting with a certified TCM practitioner.
Through Qi Health, an appointment with a highly-rated TCM doctor is only a few clicks away. Start with a free tongue diagnosis and choose your holistic healing program, then hop on a call with a TCM practitioner who will listen to your symptoms, concerns, and goals. From there, they will create a customized herbal medicine plan that’s specific to you.
Get your free tongue diagnosis today!
Sources
- The Change Before the Change: 9 Questions About Perimenopause
- Perimenopause – Mayo clinic
- Perimenopause – Cleveland clinic
- FDA
- Sleep, stress, or hormones? Brain fog during perimenopause — Harvard Health
- Feeling Tired? What Is Perimenopause Fatigue and How to Treat It
- Hot Flashes – Mayo Clinic
- Anti-fatigue effect from Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma: a suggestive and promising treatment for long COVID
- Effect of an ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) root extract on climacteric symptoms in women during perimenopause: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
- Use and perceived efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines after discontinuation of hormone therapy: a nested United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening cohort study