Ask Marilyn – Star Question: Night sweats & insomnia?
Q: I am 50 and went onto a daily supplement programme for 3 months following the health detective report. The night sweats and insomnia disappeared, I felt more rational than I had done for a while and in generally better health. The programme came to an end in December 2007.
I’m now on the keeping healthy programme (for over 40 yrs of age) and the night sweats and insomnia have returned to some degree. While I know from experience that while even small amounts of caffeine and alcohol do not help, if I avoid them completely the night sweats in particular can still occur. Is there anything from the daily supplement programme that I should go back to help with this, please? I would appreciate your advice.
A: With the daily supplement programme that you took for three months you had a good multivitamin and mineral supplement (MenoPlus), vitamin C, linseed oil, B complex, zinc citrate, Garcinia cambogia, a black cohosh formula (Black Cohosh Plus) and a bone supplement. You are now taking the keeping healthy programme which is just the multivitamin and mineral, linseed oil and the vitamin C.
As the menopause transition can take a while and you have noticed that the night sweats and insomnia have come back since changing the programme I would suggest that you add back in the black cohosh formula (Black Cohosh Plus) first to the keeping healthy programme. This may be all you need to add in to see the difference that you first felt. Stay on this for another three months and then gradually, taking it a week at a time, reduce the capsules from three a day to two a day and then one a day. This weaning process will allow you to see whether you don’t need them anymore and also whether you need on stay on say two a day for another month and then reduce down to one.
As women we are all different and will experience the menopause in different ways so you will be able to judge the effects of the herbs and how much you need to take. If the black cohosh formula is not enough on its own, then add back in the B complex but if you add in the black cohosh first then you will know whether you need the B complex or not. You don’t want to take supplements you don’t need or to have extra expense. If you are not sure then you could always repeat the health detective.