“I didn’t know much about homeopathy but during the menopause I decided to give it a try. I was experiencing hot flushes, night sweats, sleepless nights and worrying mood swings. I had been using conventional medication for a while but I didn’t want to continue taking them long term. Very shortly after starting homeopathy treatment my mood lifted, my sleep improved and the hot flushes and night sweats eased and eventually stopped. I found the treatment to be gentle with no side effects. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a long term solution to problems during the menopause.”
Anne, Dublin 8
Do you suffer from hot flushes that make you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed?
Do you get night sweats, waking up drenched in perspiration and are forever changing your pyjamas and bedsheets? Or are you always trying to find a way to cool down.
According to the NHS, 3 out of 4 women in the UK experience hot flushes during the menopause. While menopausal symptoms can include a range of symptoms such as mood swings, concentration problems, forgetfulness, bladder infections, weight gain and reduced sex drive, hot flushes can be the most distressing and disturbing of all.
While lifestyle changes can often help improve hot flushes, sometimes it may not be enough to deal with hormonal fluctuations. Fortunately Homeopathy offers a safe, gentle and effective alternative to balancing hormones and relieving hot flushes without the use of chemical drugs.
If you would like help balancing your hormones naturally, you can book an appointment here or call me for a chat to see if I can help you.
Although the exact cause of hot flushes is unclear the primary culprit is thought to be hormonal imbalance as the levels of estrogen change in the body.
During menopause levels of the hormone estrogen begin a steady and permanent decline. The changing estrogen levels affect the hypothalamus in the brain, the body’s thermostat which is thrown off course. The body thinks it is overheating and the body’s natural cooling response kicks in, that is the skin reddens (hot flush) and the sweat glands begin to work (sweating).
Night sweats are similar to hot flushes that women experience during waking hours. These night sweats can be so intense that the disruption to sleep has an ongoing detrimental effect on women’s daily lives. Symptoms can range from feeling sticky and clammy to waking up drenched in sweat.
A sweep of heat is felt through the body and sometimes the face too. The skin becomes red and blotchy and there may be slight or copious perspiration. Women describe is as feeling they are “burning up”, “like someone has poured boiling water over me” or they “suddenly feel intensely warm”, or “as if on fire”.
A hot flush can last from a few seconds to 5-15 minutes or much longer. They can occur once or twice a day or for some they can experience up to 20 hot flushes a day.
It differs for every woman but some of the women I have seen say that it can feel really embarrassing as it is so visible and they have no control over it.
For others they feel the hot flushes has reduced the quality of their lives as they “don’t feel normal”. As a result they have felt compelled to make changes in their life to cope with the unexpected nature of hot flush occurrences.
For those experiencing night sweats the tossing and turning disrupts their sleep. They wake up soaking wet and drenched in sweat. As well as having to change their pyjamas and sheets in the middle of the night, further strain is added with waking their partner too.
Homeopathy is a holistic form of medicine that treats the person as a whole rather than just the symptoms that manifest. A consultation will look in detail at the hot flushes experienced but will also consider any other aspects of the menopause too. The conversation will also include your general physical health, history of periods, moods, sleep, energy as well as family history to gain a broader overview of your health.
A homeopathic remedy specific to individualised needs is then prescribed to help with the hot flushes, hormonal fluctuations and improve overall health.
If you are experiencing hot flushes or night sweats and would like to see if Homeopathy can offer you a natural solution, why not book a Free 15 Minute Clarity Call to see if I can help you.
There are many possible homeopathic remedies that could be used for hot flushes and night sweats and the choice depends on many factors. Your homeopath will help decide which is most suitable for you. To illustrate how prescriptions vary from person to person, here are a few examples of homeopathic remedies that are often used during the menopause for hot flushes. *
Lachesis: This remedy is indicated with flushes of heat starting lower in the body and rushing upwards. Women will often describe the hot flush like a rush of blood to the head. The hot flushes tend be worse just before sleep and immediately upon wakening and are accompanied by sweating, and headaches.
Sepia: This remedy is indicated when the hot flushes tend to make a woman feel very weak. They may also cause trembling and palpitations, nausea and exhaustion. She feels depressed, snappy and all her symptoms temporarily improve after physical exertion such as a long fast walk or a session at the gym.
Pulsatilla: This remedy is indicated when symptoms are ever changing. One flush might be mild and felt in the whole body, whereas the next one might be intense and start in the chest rising up to the head. They will feel better outdoors in the fresh air and they may feel particularly emotional and teary during the menopause.
Belladonna: This remedy is indicated if the hot flushes tends to centre on the face. The face is bright red and burning and the woman feels agitated, restless, anxious and may have palpitations.
A research study at the Tunbridge Wells Homeopathic Hospital in the UK reported that 79% of the women enrolled reported a reduction in both the severity and frequency of hot flushes as a result of the treatment. (1.)
Homeopathy remedies are non addictive with no harmful side-effects. They can also be used in conjunction with conventional medicine.
The menopause is not an illness and experiencing uncomfortable symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats should not have to be the norm.
After a detailed consultation, we work to find the best remedy specific to your needs.
Using Homeopathy to rebalance hormone levels naturally, along with positive diet and lifestyle changes, women can say goodbye to hot flushes and and get on with enjoying life.
If you would like to find out if Homeopathy can help relieve your hot flushes or other menopausal symptoms, or learn more about how I work, you can book a Free 15 Minute Clarity Call, call me on +353 86 089 1037 or email me at [email protected]
Reference
Related articles
Don’t let the menopause hijack your life
Research on Homeopathy during the Menopause
Natural relief of menopause symptoms with Homeopathy
How to calm menopause mayhem and beat hot flushes
Using Homeopathy for Hormonal Imbalances
* Remedy selection for hormonal imbalances respond best to individualised homeopathic prescriptions and the remedies shown are for the purpose of highlighting differences in symptoms and prescriptions. Please feel free to contact me to to find out how we find a remedy specific to your needs.
Consultations available: Dublin, Ireland & Worldwide Via Video Call
Eileen Scullion of Homeopathy-Healing is a Registered Homeopath LicISH ISHom with the Irish Society of Homeopaths (The Regulatory Body for the Homeopathic Profession which is recognized by the Department of Health and Children and works on the National Working Group towards an integrated Health System).