cover image Without Estrogen: Natural Remedies for Menopause and Beyond

Without Estrogen: Natural Remedies for Menopause and Beyond

Amy Gross, Dee Ito. Clarkson N Potter Publishers, $20 (246pp) ISBN 978-0-517-58825-3

Judging from the spate of recent books on the subject, menopause is well out of the closet. Once considered an affliction suffered by women as they entered their ``declining'' years, it is now more commonly viewed as one of many natural processes. Currently, estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is the only treatment approved by traditional medicine to manage such symptoms as hot flashes, memory loss, sleep disturbance and mood swings that may accompany menopause--but no studies yet exist on the effects of long-term ERT. (A study was begun in 1993, but results won't be available for at least a dozen years.) Ito, a writer with a special interest in alternative medicine, decided that she didn't want to use estrogen replacement therapy. While still in her forties, she spent three years exploring nontraditional treatments for the symptoms of menopause. This book is a report of her findings, and includes interviews with 12 alternative practitioners--a homeopath, a naturopath, a herbalist, among them--for their recommendations The author also interviews a dozen women about their own experiences with menopause and alternative medicine. Their strategies? Each made lifestyle changes, from diet and stress reduction to massage and exercise. Women who do not want to use ERT will find that this slender guide supplies encouraging examples of women who have succeeded in managing menopause naturally. (June)