How to Reduce or Eliminate Menopause Symptoms

Hot flashes, mood changes and other menopausal symptoms are agitating, to say the least. Sometimes, finding natural treatments that actually resolve these symptoms can be more frustrating than the symptoms themselves. In fact, it's all too easy to doubt if effective treatment options exist. If you're facing these doubts, we have good news: there are natural menopause treatments that really work.

Ahead, we provide insight from Parsley’s Dr. Svetlana Stivi, MD , on seven natural menopause treatments that really work and what a holistic approach to menopause can look like.

Menopause is something that every woman will go through, usually beginning with perimenopause in her forties—so why is it so difficult to find support for symptoms?

“In this country’s healthcare system, we often want to label menopause as a disease, but it’s not—it’s a natural state of endocrine reorganization. It’s a transitional experience as a woman goes through life," explains Dr. Stivi.

She continues, "There’s a lot of misinformation about how unpleasant it is for everyone, but in my experience and based on statistics, the majority of women over 60 report feeling pretty great. The symptoms associated with this period and menopause itself can have many different sources, and they’re individual to each woman. That’s why menopause symptoms need to be addressed individually.”

How is a holistic approach to menopause care different?

“When you go to your first medical visit, your Parsley physician will start with an in-depth health history that would include not just your symptoms but also the factors that can affect the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause," says Dr. Stivi.

She adds that a doctor taking a holistic approach to treat menopause symptoms will assess:

• your nutrition
• your stress levels
• your environmental toxicity levels
• your genetics
• your beliefs about menopause

From there, a physician can create a customized treatment plan that suits your lifestyle and symptoms.

Can you give us an example of what this looks like in action?

“Let’s take an imaginary member, Jane Doe. She’s 51, the average age at which women reach menopause. She’s a professional woman with a full-time job and a family with children, living in New York City. She’s having an array of symptoms, like mood swings, weight gain, bloating, brain fog, breast tenderness, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, irritability, anger, fatigue, headaches, decreased libido, vaginal dryness and pain in intercourse. All of these interfere with her daily functioning as a person and as a woman.

"In our first meeting, I will spend an hour doing an in-depth personal health and life history, which will include an assessment of the severity and frequency of her menopause symptoms, how they interfere with her daily life and in what way and to what extent, what has been done before to alleviate symptoms, and what she is doing currently. Normally there isn’t enough time for this, right, since most clinicians spend about 15 minutes with their patients—if that. I’ll also ask her about her past use of medications, herbs, supplements, hormones, and surgeries.

"Then I find out more about what Jane’s average day looks like, starting with what time she gets up, to where she works, what her hours are, if she takes breaks to eat meals and healthy snacks. Does she enjoy her work? Does she hate it? Next, her nutrition. What is that like? Is it homemade or processed? Does she have any allergies or sensitivities? I’ll also ask if there’s any substance use, recreational drug use, and if she uses tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine.

"Then we look at how much time Jane spends relaxing. Does she have time at the end of day for self-care, like an activity she enjoys, quiet time, meditation, walking in nature, or playing with her kids and grandchildren? This feeds into her mental wellbeing. Our feelings about ourselves, our jobs, our families, and our health also affect our stress levels, which in turn can affect our hormonal health. How is Jane’s social life and community? Does she belong to any clubs, or have a religious affiliation? Does she have enough time for friends? Does she have pets?

"We also look at her genetic and medical history, collecting the results of any physical exams, recent gynecological exams, including breast exam, pap smear, mammogram, bone density test. What about her family health history? We factor that in, too.

"There are so many things to find out about just to begin to understand how Jane’s health and lifestyle impact her menopause symptoms. Most of it has to do with how she manages stress, which causes spikes in adrenaline and cortisol, hormones that will interfere with natural fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone, thereby increasing the intensity of her menopause symptoms. With advanced diagnostic testing, we may also discover that she has an underlying condition, like SIBO, that exacerbates her menopause symptoms.It’s all connected! While we call what we do at Parsley holistic medicine, I would simply say that it’s a commonsense medicine.”

You don’t have to just deal with your menopause symptoms.

One in three American women report moderate to severe menopausal symptoms. Even more report that they're suffering silence without treatment. The good news is that doesn't have to be the case moving forward.

“When we look at the body as an integrated system—rather than isolated parts—we’re able to implement the right solution at the right time, which halts the cycle of frustration women experience when they’re stuck in the revolving door of specialist referrals and prescription drugs,” explains Robin Berzin, MD , Parsley's Founder and CEO.

While medications like hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will be prescribed when appropriate, Parsley’s menopause protocol emphasizes advanced testing and personalized lifestyle changes implemented with the guidance of a doctor and personal health coach. With our holistic approach, we take a closer look at every aspect of health impacted by menopause—from metabolic, to mental health, to inflammation—to offer a holistic path to healing that actually works.