Menopause Top 10 explained: part 4

Itchy skin

This is a really annoying one! It is called formication (please read this slowly!) and is likened to ants crawling up the inside of your skin. There is very rarely any rash to be seen but it can be very uncomfortable, and creams and lotions don’t often help. This can be caused by lowered oestrogen levels; so fermented soya supplements, which help to gently raise and balance oestrogen, can be useful here. Believe it or not stress, (remember how important relaxation is!), dehydration and constipation can all be contributory factors, so if you suffer from any of these they will need to be addressed as well.

The liver is very often stressed by the menopause, and poor liver function and skin problems are linked; so taking liver supporting herbs can be a good idea. Some women find that they start getting spots or even acne. Again this is often due to falling oestrogen, but poor elimination and diet can play a part as well so make sure that your bowels are working well! If you are a bit sluggish or bloaty then Molkosan Vitality may be of benefit. This also helps to encourage your friendly bacteria, which are very important during the menopause – but that is a story for another day!

Joint Pains and Muscle Aches

Ouch, more sore symptoms – poor old oestrogen, it’s getting the blame again!

Falling levels of oestrogen can cause dehydration of the joints, resulting in pain and inflammation. Drinking plenty of water is very important and you may also find Devil’s Claw helpful for the inflammation and pain. This situation can affect any joint and some people find that the pain flits from one joint to the other or can result in whole body pain.

Muscle aches are very common too, although this can be due to low iron and/or magnesium so an iron tonic and a magnesium supplement would be worth trying. However, arthritis often appears around the same age as the menopause, so it is wise to get any joint/muscle pains checked by your doctor.

For both, Arnica gel can be really helpful as it can be rubbed on the affected area to cool and soothe.

My next blog post

That concludes our top 10 menopause symptoms but there are a number hovering around that seem to be getting asked about more, so I have decided to do a piece on them as well. Look out for pregnancy, dizziness, nausea, bloating and headaches in my next blog!