I was wondering if you had any information about any herbal medications I can take to ease symptoms of menopause. Are there any herbal supplements I can take for menopause?

Well, I don’t know if this research has been replicated anywhere yet, but researchers in Germany studied the effects of certain herbal supplements and their effects on menopause symptoms.

German researchers found a combination of St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) and Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) was able to help alleviate psychological and physical complaints associated with menopause.

In the double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study, 301 women with menopausal complaints and psychological symptoms were treated with St. John’s Wort extract and Black Cohosh extract, or placebo, for 16 weeks.

After the treatment period, the mean Menopause Rating Scale score decreased 50 percent in the treatment group and only 19.6 percent in the placebo group. Similarly, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale total score decreased 41.8 percent in the treatment group and only 12.7 percent in the placebo group. There were no major differences between groups regarding adverse events, laboratory values or tolerance.

The researchers concluded the combination of St. John’s Wort and Black Cohosh was superior to placebo in alleviating both the emotional and physical complaints associated with menopause. Their results were published in Obstetrics & Gynecology (107:247- 55,2006).