Medicine Garden - Beauty In Bloom - Homeopathy for Menopause

CHAPTER 9
OUR SKIN AND HAIR: Getting Rid of Hot Flashes, Dealing With Itching, and Our Hair (too much in the wrong places or too little on our head!) And Why Do I Have Insomnia?

WHAT EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU HAD WITH HOT FLASHES?
When I turned 40, I thought of installing a fire alarm in my bedroom. In the middle of the night, I would bolt awake. Suddenly, I would feel as though a fire were coming up from my feet, sweeping upward and engulfing me. As these internal flames roared through me, I would break out into a heavy sweat that soaked the bedclothes. I never sweat very much, so to drench my nightclothes and sheets was unsettling-to put it mildly. Well, I was right on target. This was peri-menopause-a transitional time from about 40 to 48, when women begin to experience menopause symptoms. Hot flashes are one of the clearest indicators.

I experienced several minor changes-but they were small potatoes compared to my hot flashes! From time to time, I would get day sweats, too-which were just as sudden, drenching, and uncomfortable. At age 51, my night sweats would wake me up in the middle of the night. This was an interesting turn of events compared to my earlier years of moving through menopause. Now, for the last 8 months, when I am going to have a night hot flash, I wake up instantly, and a minute later my flush and sweat occur. I might be awake 5 or 10 minutes, and then I drop right back to sleep. This occurs three to five times a night for me.

At first I thought: "Uh oh, sleep deprivation!" And I was right. Speaking from first-hand experience, I can say that night sweats are the MOST debilitating of all the menopausal symptoms. Why? Because over time, the woman becomes extremely sleep deprived. This will affect her work, her ability to think, her energy level, and her emotions. It is not unusual to see depression or the "blahs" creep in after a month or two of this kind of cycle. It is highly interesting as a scientific observer to see this going on! I also noticed another trend to this new cycle. The only time I got night sweats that woke me up was after my last menses. From a homeopathic standpoint, my body, my vital force, saw the ending of my menses as a form of suppression. And that is literally when all hell broke loose for me and I nose-dived into a vicious cycle that nearly broke me emotionally and physically speaking.

What was really occurring was that my pituitary gland was sending out the hormonal signal to the estrogen to 'switch on.' Well, my ovaries did not want to switch on, so they ignored the signal from the master gland, the pituitary. As a result, the pituitary incessantly continued to send the signal. Added to this endocrine recipe from Hell was the fact that my adrenal glands (they sit perched atop our kidneys) were being stimulated and were part and parcel of this "dance," which helped create hot flashes.

I have noted that when I do have a period, I do not get hot flashes or night sweats and am not awakened during the night. This may be different for other women, but it is important to note it here as an experience so that we have a baseline to work from and compare our own unique responses to. I have a 48-year-old friend who wakes up in horrific night sweats and she sweats through her nightgown and dampens the sheets, too!

To say I was miserable was an understatement. Finally, the professional homeopath in me took over and said: "Enough is enough!" I went to a friend, a professional homeopath, who took my case and prescribed Lachesis 30C for me. Just one dose gave me relief from my own personal hell of 9 months worth of sleep deprivation. From that point on, I began to remain asleep at night, I had fewer night sweats, and in general I had a life once again because I could get 8 hours of relatively uninterrupted sleep.

Folliculinum, another popular homeopathic remedy for all menopause symptoms, is often used in these cases. It was originally derived from a synthetic substance by Dr. Donald Foubister of England. It was created to closely approximate estrogen, the hormone produced by a woman's ovary glands. I have seen women whose symptoms paralleled this particular remedy-one dose, and they have not experienced a night sweat or hot flash since. Just imagine, we can cure ourselves of bothersome menopausal symptoms-with no help from hormone replacement therapy (HRT), either!

SO THERE ARE HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES TO HELP ME WITH MY HOT FLASHES AND NIGHT SWEATS?
Yes, there are. In fact, homeopathy works by matching your specific symptoms to a remedy that produces similar symptoms. It is a case of like curing like. Low doses are often all that is needed. And how long you remain on a remedy simply depends on the persistence of your symptoms. Your homeopath will take your past medical history and review all of your current symptoms-mental, emotional, and physical. Then she will compile this information and select one remedy. And like me, hot flashes and night sweats will be a thing of the past for you too!

WHAT IS A HOT FLASH?
A hot flash is known as a "vasomotor instability," which means changing activity in the veins. In medical terminology, it is known as a "flush." In brief, your veins are constricting or dilating more than they used to. This is the "old" definition and explanation, which science is finding out is not true at all. Recent research and testing by the University Medical Center has determined that there is no constriction! Instead, what they found was that adrenal gland involvement is the seat--and the reason--for out hot flashes!

The level of norephinephrine, one of our "flight or fight" hormones, made and distributed by the adrenals, rises significantly in our bloodstream during the time of the hot flash occurrence. Core body temperature does rise-but it is due to the release of this particular hormone and is not driven by peripheral vasoconstriction. This is a natural sign of your transition into menopause. Women are all different and so is the pattern of our hot flashes. If you have ever blushed, then you will get a real quick read on what a hot flash feels like! During a hot flash, a woman may feel heat and may perspire, sometimes profusely. Her skin color can change from slightly pink to fire-engine red. For some women, redness will appear in streaks, spots, or blotches. For others, it will be an overall flush. This heat and high color may affect all, or only a part of the body. Some hot flashes may be followed by chills. My hot flashes made me perspire enough to wipe my upper lip off with my fingers or dab my forehead. In my forties, my face would turn a dull red when I was having one. In my fifties, there is no change of color in my skin. In my forties, mine tended to start mid-torso and move upward; my whole body was not involved. However, now, at age 53, my night sweats and hot flashes sweep from my toes up to my head in seconds. Not only that, I get a warning sign of a biting, almost nerve-like pain or crawling sensation about 30 seconds before the flash or night sweat actually occurs. This is known as an "aura" and some women get this and some do not.

Hot flashes may come and go with varying length and frequency. They can last a few seconds, more commonly for a few minutes, or even up to an hour. Women may experience only one, or up to 50 hot flashes a day. Two years is the length of time most of us experience hot flashes, but they can span just a few months to 5 years. I have been experiencing hot flashes on and off since my early forties. They tend to show up if I do not have a monthly period. Since my period has ceased for 8 months, I get 20 or so hot flashes a day, which is more than what I had in my late forties. Plus those nasty night sweats have increased my sleep deprivation. Because hot flashes are so varied, the only way to arrive at a successful homeopathic treatment is to use the remedy that responds to your specific experience.

WHAT CAUSES HOT FLASHES?
The medical jury is still out on the question of what causes hot flashes. Although there is no test currently available that can precisely pinpoint their onset, there are two prevailing theories. One implies a connection with estrogen levels, the other does not.

A good deal of evidence points to the hypothalamus gland as the instigator of the hot flash phenomenon. The hypothalamus is the temperature regulator inside the pituitary gland, deep in the center of the brain. Before menopause, the hypothalamus kicks off an amazing monthly cycle featuring a hormonal chain reaction.

The cycle begins when the hypothalamus secretes the hormone gonadotrophin (GNRH) into the bloodstream. The release of GNRH tells the ovaries to 'switch on' estrogen. Then, in the presence of estrogen, the pituitary gland releases FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone). And at this signal, the ovaries release an egg.

As each month's egg develops in the ovary, the pituitary gland secretes another hormone. This hormone stimulates the ovary to release the egg into the Fallopian tube for its downward journey into the uterus. If the egg is fertilized, a pregnancy results; if it is not fertilized, the egg washes out of the body with the menstrual blood.

Each woman has a certain number of eggs that may be fertilized during her lifetime. As menopause approaches, there are fewer eggs left to expel each month from the ovaries. Estrogen and progesterone levels begin to decline. But GNRH doesn't give up easily. Even if there are no eggs left for the GNRH to stimulate, the hormone still persists for a time-sending signal after signal to the ovaries. The resulting symptom is hot flashes and night sweats!

One theory is that these GNRH signals are partly responsible for triggering hot flashes. Eventually, with no response from the egg, the body stops sending the GNRH messages. Then, hot flashes cease. If GNRH is really responsible, then a direct correlation between decreasing estrogen levels and hot flashes exists.

Another, less popular theory is that during menopause the adrenal glands secrete sporadic bursts of adrenaline into the bloodstream. This causes hot flashes. And there is finally proof that this theory is correct. Adrenaline is our hormonal "fight or flight" response to perceived threats. When adrenaline pours in, we experience many of the effects of hot flashes-a pounding heart, sweating, and shakiness or trembling. If adrenaline is indeed the trigger, then hot flashes may NOT be correlated with decreasing estrogen levels. In my own experimentation with this last theory, I drink coffee (when not on a homeopathic remedy). Caffeine is well known to trigger the adrenal glands. One of the no-no's during menopause is drinking coffee because it stimulates hot flashes. I can drink a few sips of coffee and I can guarantee myself a hot flash right after that. Caffeine DOES stimulate the adrenal glands, so I'm of the opinion that the adrenals are locked into this "dance" on hot flashes and night sweats to some degree or another.

It was nice to see' that a recent study corroborates my own observations and findings. We can thank the adrenal glands for this-which is why some women get allergies during menopause. The adrenals, once again, are part and parcel of the immune system balance and strength. If they are being triggered constantly, then our immune system is going to be slightly weaker or lowered. Hence, we may get allergies to things we never had trouble with before (I certainly have!). The good news is that once the adrenal glands stop getting triggered, the allergies-and the hot flashes-subside and finally go away. Hooray!

WHO GETS HOT FLASHES?
There is no typical profile of a woman who gets hot flashes, but there are some factors that can influence them. For example, women who have had both their ovaries removed during a hysterectomy tend to suffer the longest-lasting and most severe hot flashes. This is because the ovaries are normally partners in a vital hormonal dance. If they are removed, an important component of a woman's constitution is gone, and this may create a permanent imbalance in her already sensitive system. She may thus experience severe menopausal symptoms, including very intense hot flashes. In natural, non-surgical menopause, however, there is a much more gradual decline in ovarian function.

Women who are thin also tend to experience more intense hot flashes than those with a little more fat cell padding. One reason may be that hormones are stored in body fat, so that heavier women may not deplete their supply as readily.

There are also racial and cultural factors-some known and some unknown-affecting the occurrence of hot flashes. Estimates are that 50-60 percent of Caucasian women will get hot flashes. Worldwide statistics, however, indicate that in some countries, only 25 percent of women have them; in others up to 85 percent experience this uncomfortable but natural phenomenon. And in another study, 69 percent of all Canadian women had hot flashes. In a U.S. study, only 40 percent of women got hot flashes.

Interestingly, only 20 percent of Japanese women experience hot flashes. Some studies suggest a connection with their consumption of foods, like tofu, that contain natural phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). And the Mayan Indian women of Mexico report no menopausal symptoms at all, including hot flashes! My theory as to why Mayan menopause goes so gently is that Mayan women are respected and honored throughout every stage of their lives. Their bodies' functions are considered sacred from puberty through motherhood and 'cronehood'-and at menopause, they are considered to be at the peak of their experience and wisdom. Therefore, I believe, they enter the transition with much less psychological stress, and experience only negligible symptoms.

A number of other cultures around the world-largely Africa and the Far East-also have a very low incidence of hot flashes. Very possibly, both diet and a culture's philosophy about women-and their stress levels-influence how women experience menopause. Although research hasn't proven why some cultures have such a low incidence, I suspect that matriarchal societies, and those with spiritual values characterized by gentleness and compassion, contribute to a less stressful menopause.

HOW CAN I RELIEVE MY HOT FLASHES?

Hot flashes are not life-threatening, just uncomfortable, at times embarrassing, and always poorly timed. Here are some common-sense tips that seem to help during this period of instability:

*Wear clothes in layers, so you can add or subtract as you need to. I suggest wearing cotton or silk versus your unnatural types of fabric because they "breathe" and believe me, you will want to rip these clothes off during an intense hot flash. Anything that breathes does give you some relief-you might be someplace where you cannot divest yourself of your clothes in a hurry!

*Drink a lot of liquids, especially water and natural fruit juices-without sugar, of course. Sugar is rich in oxalic acid, which can prevent absorption of the calcium you need to keep your bones strong and healthy.

*Stay away from alcohol, coffee, and tea. Coffee and alcohol are particularly intense stimulants for the adrenal glands. I have a glass of wine every night for medicinal purposes, and I can take one sip of it and voila! Within a minute, I have a hot flash. Same holds true for the coffee I drink. I've not noticed it with tea, however.

*Avoid spicy foods, which trigger hot flashes in some women. "Bland is in" for some of us, at east for awhile! If I eat some chili I will get a hot flash. I personally am not going to give up my spicy food just because of a hot flash. That is your decision, however.

CAN I PREDICT WHEN THEY'LL STRIKE?
Most hot flashes seem to occur between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., or between 6:00 p.m. and I 0:00 p.m. Some women report a hazy, confused, or somewhat 'spacey' feeling 5- 1 0 minutes before the actual hot flash. This is nothing to be concerned about, as these are natural sensations. This is the "aura" sensation that I spoke of earlier. Mine resembles an almost nerve-like pain or prickling sensation on the surface of my skin and it sweeps from my toes up to my head in a millisecond! And within 15-60 seconds after that, here comes the hot flash or the night sweat.

Melissa Assilem, a homeopath in London, England, has a unique way to help women track the cycle of their hot flashes. She uses a 28-day lunar calendar, which shows the phase of the moon for each day. Melissa has her patients write down when a hot flash occurs. After recording their hot flashes for 2 or 3 months, these women can predict when they'll strike. Then, forewarned is forearmed!

WHY SHOULDN'T I TAKE HORMONES FOR A HOT FLASH?
Although hormonal drugs may stop hot flashes, I do not advocate their use until other. complementary forms of medicine are tried without success. Besides, it is the adrenal glands that are knee-jerking, not the ovaries. Why would someone want to take estrogen when that is not what really needs to be addressed? It is our adrenal glands. I'm not an advocate of using an adrenal hormone pill to "fix" it, either. Homeopathy can certainly respond to it, instead. You may want to look at your diet, nutrition (vitamins and minerals), herbs, acupuncture, or homeopathy.

Personally, I wouldn't want ANY unnecessary drug in my body-particularly one that increases my risk of uterine or breast cancer markedly. See Chapter 3 for more on hormone replacement therapy.

WHAT HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES CAN I USE FOR MY HOT FLASHES?
Remedies are listed at the end of this section. Go back to the Materia Medica and look them up. These remedies are each keyed to a particular set of symptoms. Remember, homeopathy is based upon 'like cures like," and respects the fact that you are an individual, with individual symptoms that may not be exactly like anyone else's symptoms.

A homeopath will match your unique set of hot flash symptoms to one of 1,400 homeopathic remedies that are FDA approved here in the United States. Therefore, there is a very good chance that one of these is just right for you. The remedies mentioned at the end of this section are used most often. About 75 percent of women will find that one of them will be a fit. If you do not find your particular set of symptoms among these, an experienced homeopath can find the correct remedy for your hot flashes. Check in the appendix at the back of this book to locate the homeopath nearest you.

CAN I TAKE MORE THAN ONE HOMEOPATHIC REMEDY?
The classically trained homeopath, such as myself, believes in this saying: One remedy, one dose, one time, and then wait. The reason that classical homeopaths work with only one remedy at a time is to let your body reveal how, and in what order, your symptoms change after you take a remedy. If you take two or more remedies (also known as polypharmacy or combination remedies), we do not know which remedy helped you. Only one of those remedies is really working at curing you, and usually at very low potency. When you need a higher potency (to be evaluated by your homeopath), the homeopath will not know which remedy to increase! So, to best help yourself and your homeopath, take only one remedy, one time, and then wait.

CAN I CHOOSE MY OWN HOMEOPATHIC REMEDY FROM THIS LIST OR MUST I CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL HOMEOPATH?
Generally speaking, if you do not fit the symptom picture of the remedies below, or if you are unsure which is most appropriate, you should consult a professional homeopath. First, look at the remedies presented below. Read up on them in the Materia Medica at the back of this book. If you recognize yourself in the symptom picture of one of them, you should take the information from this book to your professional homeopath, discuss it, and receive the appropriate remedy. It is absolutely essential to work with a professional homeopath because you can ask a skilled practitioner questions about your homeopathic treatment.

CAN NUTRITION HELP EASE HOT FLASHES?
Absolutely! A good alternative approach to menopause symptoms is through high-quality nutrition. Vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements can help, too. Because there is adrenal gland involvement, two "foods" that support this gland are vitamin C and pantothenic acid. Ask your physician for specific amounts, or go to the back of this book to the section on vitamins and minerals and read up on them.

One option is orange juice fortified with calcium citrate. Just taking 4 to 8 ounces daily, along with 400 lU's (International Units) of vitamin D in fish liver oil, can stop hot flashes and night sweats in some women. However, avoid using calcium supplements made from bone meal (dolomite) because of a possible high lead content. Women with a history of kidney stones need to talk to their urologist about this, as they tend to form stones out of calcium intake and this is not what you want to do. Clear it with your physician first.

Why is calcium so important? This mineral makes up more than half of the total mineral component of our bodies, so it's vital to every function. It keeps our hearts beating, gives strength to our bones and teeth, and supports metabolism and the healthy function of our muscles and nerves. Without enough calcium, our blood would not clot, our gums would bleed, and our bones would weaken.

Interestingly, some calcium deficiency symptoms parallel the symptoms of menopause, such as heart palpitations, softening of the bones (osteoporosis, which is a disease), bleeding gums, slow blood clotting, insomnia, depression, forgetfulness, mood swings, headaches, tension, and weight gain. This is why adequate calcium is one of the nutritional pillars of menopause. But so is taking care of our adrenal glands with vitamin C and pantothenic acid.

Women also sing the praises of vitamins E and C to cool off hot flashes. When taking vitamin E, be sure to choose the superior D-alpha tocopherol form, not the less effective DI-alpha. A safe dose is 100 IU's daily. And add 2,000-3,000 mg of vitamin C to your daily regimen (from natural sources such as rose hips or acerola cherries). If your stomach cannot tolerate natural vitamin C, try the synthetic version-ascorbic acid. In a study by N. R. Kavinosky, MD, 10-25 IU's of vitamin E were given to 92 menopausal patients. Thirty-seven women stopped having hot flashes. When Dr. Kavinosky increased the dosage to 50-100 lU's daily, 75 percent of the women in the group stopped having hot flashes. Half also reported improved sleep patterns, less fatigue and nervous strain, fewer heart palpitations, and less shortness of breath. Vitamin E supplements often bring positive changes in as quickly as I or 2 weeks.

In addition to vitamins and minerals, hot flash symptoms may be helped by a particular herb. In my opinion, vitamins, minerals, and herbs are secondary (but sometimes, necessary) supports that prop up an out-of-balance body. But if, like many busy women, your diet skimps on important nutrients such as calcium, supplements can be an important safeguard. When you stop taking them, however, their protective benefits vanish.

Fortunately, that isn't true of homeopathy. Homeopathic remedies coax the body into bringing itself back into balance by stimulating its own organs and systems, to place itself back into harmony once again. So, if your regular diet is healthy and varied, you can certainly consider using homeopathy instead of supplements. And you do not have to take homeopathic remedies daily, as you do vitamins and most herbal formulas. Most women need only take a homeopathic remedy once or twice. The hot flashes disappear, the body rebalances itself naturally, and there is no need to spend a lot of money on supplements.

If your hot flashes do reoccur, it means that, in your case, they cannot be treated as an acute problem, and you need to see a homeopath for a constitutional remedy. This remedy will treat all your menopausal symptoms once and for all, together.

CAN I MIX HERBS AND HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES TO CURE MY HOT FLASHES?
This is not recommended. Vitamins, minerals, and herbs change the balance of your body chemistry, which makes it impossible to determine the appropriate remedy for your particular case. In other cases, the woman has to supplement with particular vitamins and minerals.

Generally speaking, there is a homeopathic remedy that will stop your hot flashes permanently. However, about 10 percent of the female population cannot benefit from homeopathy, because they are so sensitive to the remedies that they cannot take them without creating a "proving." A proving occurs when the symptoms that are supposed to be cured by a remedy are actually intensified by it. In these cases, your hot flash symptoms can probably be helped by herbs or 19 vitamins or by flower and gem essences (see Chapter 20). But for most of us, homeopathy alone is a powerful, effective form of complementary luxury of having a homeopathic practitioner nearby, then flower and gem essences are a wonderful do place to find help.

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO COPE WITH HOT FLASHES?
It is probably because we feel as if we are out of control, and that is very unsettling. Hot flashes come on suddenly, and usually at the most embarrassing times. We cannot predict or control how many times flashes will occur each day, either. But then, when we were going from childhood into puberty and our hormones started engaging, we could not control that either-we just felt intensely sexual for the first time in our lives. For that matter, during our menstrual years, we often felt out of control of the changes going in on in our bodies (swollen breasts, abdomen, etc.) and our emotions (hypersensitive, moodiness) either shortly before or during our menses. The signs then were just as obvious, sometimes, as hot flashes are now, as we enter menopause-the third cycle of our lives.

It would certainly be to our advantage if we could change our feelings about menopause. Why not a gracious surrendering to the signs of menopause, hot flashes included, instead of hitting the panic button and thinking something is wrong with us? That kind of thinking is old-fashioned and prevents us from keeping our self-image strong. Remember, all menopause changes are signs of maturing, not symptoms of illness. And they are ushering us into a brave new world of exciting changes and opportunities.

I'M GETTING A LOT OF UNWANTED HAIR ON MY FACE. WHAT'S GOING ON?
As we move through menopause we can have hair popping out in places we'd never seen it before, at least not in that quantity! I noticed at about age 42 that hair was growing out of the two moles on my face. At age 46, 1 began to have hair pop out on my chin--much to my amazement and consternation! Now, at age 53, it's settled into a routine of sorts. I do have more hair than "before" menopause.

Androgens, produced from the male hormones we have always had, made by our adrenal glands, are revealing themselves more and more as our estrogen begins to gradually decline (but never disappear). The androgens aren't suddenly becoming higher-nor are we becoming more masculine-they're at a fairly fixed level. Some women never experience this because they've got such high levels of estrogen to begin with. As their estrogen declines, they will not get any excessive hair growth like I did.

Estrogen is no longer as dominant as it was before menopause and the hair growth on our body will begin to imitate the male pattern of growth and distribution as a result of hormonal shifts. If you end up with a "beard'--and this is a very rare occurrence-then you need to see an endocrinologist first to verify it. Then go see your homeopath for constitutional treatment to rebalance your endocrine system naturally-and without drug interference-and the hair will go away. The remedies at the end of this section may not necessarily include the one you need, so go see the professional homeopath for help.

I'VE SUDDENLY GOT HAIR GROWING AROUND MY NIPPLES, HAIR GROWING FROM MY BELLY BUTTON TO MY PUBES. IS THIS NORMAL?
Some of us may experience more hair around our nipples as we go through menopause. Even some hair sprouting between our breasts. Others of us may see a hairy line of demarcation right down the center of our abdomen between our belly button and pubes. This is nothing to be alarmed about it-it's a natural part of our menopausal trek.

EVER SINCE I ENTERED MENOPAUSE THE HAIR ON MY HEAD IS FALLING OUT FASTER THAN IT SEEMS TO BE REPLACING ITSELF. HELP!
Yes, I have lost about half of my once thick, abundant head of hair, too. For some women, who have thin, fine hair, this can be worrisome--they do not have that MUCH to lose! Baldness is extremely RARE during menopause. We will all lose some of our head hair-and I'm sure it may seem like we are putting this misplaced hair everywhere else on our body! Our face, our belly, the insides of our thighs (where hair never really grew at all, before this).

Our hair will not grow as fast, will not be as long as before, and will dry out sooner, and split ends will be a nuisance for some of us. The shiny quality of our hair may dull to some degree. I would recommend a scalp massage at least two or three times a week. Place a little almond oil (your choice of what kind of oil is up to you, but I love almond oil!) on your fingertips and gently knead your scalp for 10 minutes. It stimulates circulation, and adds a little oil to replace what is lost by our aging scalp.

Ideally, washing your hair once a week is best than doing it every day or several times a week will take away the natural oils on your scalp. If you need a permanent, try to have it as infrequently as possible because this truly dries out your hair. Choose a pH balanced or natural shampoo (preferably not animal tested) that is specific for your type of hair and doesn't cause needless irritation or inflammation of your tender and sensitive scalp.

I have found in my own experience that I lost a significant amount in my early forties. Alarmed, I repertorized my symptoms and took a remedy, Calcarea Carbonica, which is my constitutional state, and my hair stopped falling out and started growing back-and I have gotten back about half of what lost. Although I suffered about a 25 percent loss even with homeopathic intervention, I'm happy that homeopathy is helping me retain most of my hair.

CAN HOMEOPATHY HELP ME WITH THESE PROBLEMS?
Yes, and the remedies are listed below. If your condition is severe, though-let's say you are truly going bald or truly growing a beard on your face--you need to seek constitutional homeopathic treatment. One of my patients, I'll call her Joyce, came to me because she was 50 years old and going through menopause. She had problems with depression and excessive hair growth on her face--to the point of having to shave every day. My heart went out to her as I saw the pain she carried over that secret admission. I had to treat her at a constitutional level with Sepia, and within 3 months, her hair problem disappeared. No more shaving!

Sepia was able to readjust Joyce's endocrine system so that it encouraged her body to create more estrogen-naturally via her ovaries and adrenal glands-to be more equal with the level of androgens or male hormones in her body. When this adjustment was made, excessive hair could be addressed positively. Joyce was cured of her depression, too.

MY SKIN IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE WRINKLED. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT IT?
Our skin is an incredible organ. There are three main layers and several sublayers that create a dynamic team that works for us. Skin cells are constantly being created, and roughly every 30 days, we literally are wearing a new, outer skin called the epidermis layer! Our skin plays many roles: it helps regulate our temperature, gets rid of deadly toxins and waste products via sweating or perspiring, and acts as a barrier to keep bacteria or environmental pollutants from entering our more vulnerable organs or systems. So, it's not a small player in our health--it is a major one.

Women who possess darker, thicker, and more oily skin will not have as many wrinkles. The outer layers are more heavily pigmented and as a result, these skin cells can protect the inner cells in the sublayers from the brutal effects of sunlight, which in overdose, can be harmful, and creates lots more wrinkles! On the other hand, women who are fair-skinned with light hair tend toward more wrinkles because there is a smaller layer of fat beneath their skin.

Collagen, which is a protein in our body, has a wonderful chemical relationship with estrogen. As our estrogen declines a smaller amount of collagen is produced, so our skin begins to wrinkle and sag accordingly. Collagen is a powerful support protein in our body that gives everything, from our skin to our connective tissue and our ligaments, the power to hold things in proper position. Wrinkles occur because our skin, which had a layer of fat beneath it, declines with age, and the result is more wrinkles. Our sweat glands do not "sweat" as much for us, which adds to the equation. Smoking, taking recreational drugs, or drinking too much alcohol just worsens the wrinkles-they appear more quickly, they are deeper, and there are more of them. So if you want to stop wrinkling to a degree, give up the culprits helping to create them. And you can take a look at your mother's face and know that you will inherit her tendency toward wrinkling-which may be a lot or very little. Some of it is genetics and there's no getting around that.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO STOP WRINKLING FROM HAPPENING?
There is NOTHING to stop it completely--if there was-someone would be a billionaire by now! There are all kinds of ways to deal with wrinkles, but frankly, I like my face-wrinkles and all. I figure I earned them by living Life and to me, they are an open testament to me, as an individual. Some women will opt for cosmetic surgery or Retin-A treatment to make them "disappear." Others will take care of their faces the best they can-and there are many ways to do that, too. I wash with soap and water every night and because I live in a desert, I put a homemade concoction I make myself on my face just before I go to bed at night-but that is all.

CAN HOMEOPATHY STOP WRINKLING?
No--or I would be a billionaire! What it CAN do is rebalance the estrogen in your body more in your favor so that the wrinkling is LESS instead of more. Of course, your eating habits have a lot to do with this, and other living habits, too. If you insist upon smoking cigarettes, a homeopathic remedy will not be of much use in stopping wrinkles from forming whether there is a more balanced estrogen environment in your body or not. The only way to soften the impact of wrinkles is to seek out homeopathic constitutional treatment. I've treated women for other menopausal symptoms and their skin also gets the advantage of it, too, and becomes softer, less dry, and less wrinkled.

Wrinkling is a fact of life and nothing will stop it entirely--so, let us approach our wrinkles with a more positive mindset. Let us view them as badges of courage we've earned by surviving thus far-and medals that are worm for all to see and admire. I do not see wrinkles as something bad or disastrous. I see them as a statement of selfhood.

THERE ARE TIMES, LATELY, THAT MY SKIN CRAWLS! IT FEELS LIKE HUNDREDS OF ANTS RUNNING AROUND ON ME. I NEVER HAD THIS BEFORE I WAS 49 AND NOW, I HAVE IT. HELP!
Some women, during menopause, report "formication" or a tingling sensation in their extremities-especially in their fingers and toes. It feels like little bugs crawling across your skin. Many women have reported this sensation in their legs and arms, as well. We really do not know how menopause and these sensations are connected-yet. But, they do occur. Luckily, homeopathic remedies can address these concerns directly, and usually quite easily. Those remedies are listed at the end of this section.

MY SKIN ITCHES UNTIL I WANT TO SCREAM. I NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE MENOPAUSE. CAN HOMEOPATHY HELP ME KEEP SANE?
Yes, there are remedies to deal directly with acute skin conditions such as this. However, if you have had a past history of skin ailments such as eczema, psoriasis, or other chronic conditions, you shouldn't use the remedies below. See a homeopath for constitutional treatment, instead. There IS help for any and all skin conditions.

I treated a young Navajo boy, age 6, who was, quite literally, covered with thick, red, oozing, cracking skin from head to toe. He'd been born with this dermatitis condition and it was getting worse with age. After taking his case, I gave him the homeopathic version of potentized Petroleum, one of our great skin remedies, and within 6 months, his skin had healed over and had stopped oozing and cracking. His skin was leathery (whose wouldn't be after 5 years of these types of symptoms) but was slowly continuing to heal and with new, healthy skin beneath it. His mother was more than grateful. Her boy would scratch himself until he cried and she was unable to do much of anything with him due to the deteriorating skin condition. (The medical doctors had him on all kinds of cortisone treatment, which was simply worsening his condition over the years.)

This gives you an idea of how deeply homeopathy can work on skin ailments-even something this severe-and still have the body's vital force respond valiantly to the stimulation of taking the remedy. So, do not despair if you have a menopausal skin condition-homeopathy CAN help!

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR HOT FLASH SYMPTOMS
WARNING: Any acute or persistent symptoms-such as pain in the chest or pelvic region-should be immediately evaluated by a physician. After serious problems are ruled out, you can safely proceed with your non-hormone, non-drug homeopathic treatment

1. Amyl Nitrate
2. Crotalus Horridus (Crotalus)
3. Folliculinum
4. Graphites
5. Kali Carbonicum (Kali Carb.)
6. Kreosotum
7. Lachesis Muta (Lachesis)
8. Pulsatilla
9. Sanguinaria
10. Sepia
11. Sulphur
12. Sulphuricum Acidum (Sulph. Ac.)
13. Xanthoxylum

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR ITCHING SKIN

1. Calcarea Carbonica (Calc. Carb.)
2. Lycopodium
3. Phosphoricum Acidum (Phos. Ac.)
4. Rhus Toxicodendron (Rhus Tox.)
5. Sepia
6. Sulphur

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR HAIR LOSS

1. Natrum Muriaticum (Nat. Mur.)
2. Oleum Jecoris Asselli (Oleum)
3. Sepia
4. Thuja Occidentalis (Thuja)

Click Here To See A Sample of the Materia Medica Chapter 21.

Click Here To See The Table Of Contents.

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BEAUTY IN BLOOM:

Homeopathy to Support Menopause