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[Lynn71]

Hi Everyone,
I just joined today because after years of horrible pms symptoms which have gotten gradually worse as I approach menopause (pretty sure I'm perimenopause now age 45)  I started taking a herbal supplement 4 weeks ago called "Sage Complex" by a company called Food Science of Vermont and am totally amazed at the effect they have had.
I've tried everything in the past, evening primrose, diet changes, exercise and nothing made a bit of difference.  I had resigned myself to only having roughly 1 week in the month where I felt okay. I had pain when ovulating, then breast tenderness which became excruciating the closer I got to my period, brain fog, anxiety, terrible cramps, sore thighs, night sweats, insomnia.....the list goes on and I'm sure I don't need to type it all cos the majority of you will know what I'm talking about.
Anyway, to cut a long story short I was researching the internet trying to find that miracle which I was sure didn't exist but I was desperate and came across an article about this supplement that nearly all women from the age of 35 should be taking it said.  The ingredients are sage leaf, chaste berry, wild yam, dong quai, red clover, Siberian ginseng, hops and kudzu. I decided to give it a try, I ordered it and it arrived the following day.
I don't know what happened but next thing I realized was that 2 weeks had passed in which time I had  ovulated and didn't even notice, usually I would be in agony and the excruciating boobs hadn't appeared either, yet my period was due in less than a week.  At this point I woke every morning expecting all the horrible symptoms to have reared their ugly heads but absolutely nothing happened except my period started yesterday with no warning apart from a couple of very bearable cramps at onset and apart from that it has been completely uneventful.
The only thing I have done differently is to take this supplement and I'm so excited about it that I deliberately joined this forum to share this information. After years of suffering I seem to have found something that actually works for me.  What I can't understand is there doesn't seem to be any reviews on this particular product, even on the website I ordered it from there are no reviews just articles relating to it.  I am always very dubious of reviews anyway and think that manufacturers pay people to write positive reviews on their products (I'm not usually that negative just very wary).
I searched for Sage Complex on this site and it came up with nothing but I'd be really interested to hear your comments, whether anyone else has tried it with or without success, whether anyone else is going to try it and the outcome.
I haven't joined a forum since my daughter was born 12 years ago but I'm just so excited I had to share.

[Megamind]

Hi Lynn and welcome to the forum.

I haven't tried Sage myself but I have seen things before on here about Sage.  I did a search and other posts do come up. Make sure you are on the main page when you search. Here is a mention..

http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,27099.msg478538.html#msg478538

[Lynn71]

Hi Megamind,
Thanks for that, just had a quick read but I will be going back to it to read more.  I wasn't aware that there is a breast cancer risk with phytoestrogens, that's a bit scary!!!

[Megamind]

At the top of the page, if you click on 'treatments' and then 'alternative therapies' there is something about phytoestrogens.

[Lynn71]

Thank you, I think I need to do some more research....excitement got the better of me I think! Should have known that nothing could be quite that simple!

[CLKD]

As I mentioned in another thread some ladies find that 'alternatives' help symptoms but when hormones over-whelm them any benefit is over-ruled  .  Do browse round and make notes of what is available …… so if your symptoms alter or become bothersome, you have fore-warned!

[Hurdity]

Hi Lynn51

 

Sorry to hear you have been suffering with peri-menopausal symptoms.

When you say you're pretty sure you are peri-menopausal - this is not just an age thing but characterised by stages. I just posted on another new member's thread about this so will just repeat some of it here.

it all depends on your cycle length combined with your age and symptoms - if your cycles have got shorter then this is the classic late reproductive stage just before peri-menopause proper starts. What happens is that your ovaries are still working fine but your cycle gets shorter as some of the hormones start to go awry. At this time many women start to get worse pms and extreme mood swings - but because oestrogen levels have not started to drop most do not experience flushes and sweats yet. This is the most difficult stage because HRT may well not be appropriate. Some gynaes prescribe the contraceptive pill at this point because it regulates the cycle and controls the mood swings. There are two that contain the same oestrogen in as HRT - ie estradiol ( rather than the stronger synthetic oestrogens) and these are called QLAIRA  and ZOELY. There is some information about contraception and menopause here: http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/contra2.php (scroll down).

What happens next is your cycle will lengthen - sometimes going back to regular for a while, and then become irregular with longer gaps between periods as you enter the peri-menopausal transition and at this point many women start to get flushes and sweats. There is a great article about peri-menopause here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/article-perils-of-the-perimenopause.php

If your periods are still regular and have never changed in length then you are not yet peri-menopausal although your symptoms do sound as if your hormones are fluctuating somewhat! Once you do enter this stage as hormone levels rise and fall symptoms come and go so although women try lots of different supplements and many swear they work - in many cases it is just their own hormones as CLKD points out - and of course you would not be able to tell whether this is why your symptoms have stopped! That's what happened to me - I took Black Cohosh and ate a phyto-oestrogen diet - and swore by it - but when my hormones actually fell consistently and I was in late - peri-menopause they stopped "working" so I took HRT and have been on it ever since.

Glad you are feeling enthusiastic - and do keep up with the exercise and good diet as you will reap health benefits from these measures anyway

By the way - I did notice that these capsules contain Wild Yam and on the list it says that this contains Diosgenin - a precursor for female hormones. This is totally misleading so makes me suspicious of this product's claims - because we cannot make our own hormones from eating substances containing Diosgenin!!! This can only be done in a lab!!!

I am not sure that I would worry about a breast cancer risk too much although some phyto-oestrogens are not recommended for women with breast cancer or who have had it. There is information about phyto-oestrogens here on this website so do have a read:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/phytoestrogens.php

In terms of breast cancer risk - being overweight, and drinking alcohol will be far more risky. There is information on this website about this too! :
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/pdf/Understanding%20Risk%20of%20Breast%20Cancer.pdf

... and a blog by Heather Currie - this site's founder - about HRT and breast cancer here:
http://wwwmenopausematters.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/hrt-and-breast-cancer.html

I do hope you continue to feel well - but do consider other options if your symptoms recur ...

Hurdity x

[Lynn71]

Hi Hurdity,
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply at such length, all of which is interesting and helpful.
My cycle has never been regular, my periods didn't start till I was 16 and although I didn't have problems with pain my cycle has always been erratic. The problems started after I had my daughter aged 33, that's when the pms symptoms came and have gotten worse and worse into my 40's. My cycle is anything from 25 to 30 days and changes every month.
I can't take synthetic hormones, they just don't agree with me and I end up feeling ill, my Mum was the same and she tried hrt but had to stop. I had a mirena coil after I had my daughter but the longer it was in the worse I felt, thought I was pregnant every month because of nausea. My GP told me I was one of the unlucky ones whose body didn't cope with the hormones, instead of the small amount of hormone dispersing it was concentrating and that's why I felt pregnant. I don't know if this was true but I opted to be sterilised as I already had 3 children and my daughter has special needs so I knew another baby wasn't a sensible option. Now I worry that being sterilised has affected me as I have read some scary articles..sometimes I think I read too much but there's surely no such thing 😆
I try to eat well, walk plenty and I do free weights 5 times a week and I'm talking decent weights and work a different muscle group every time. I wish it was better promoted how good weights are to increase bone density. A personal trainer got me into it years ago and at first I was frightened I would get bulky but he assured me that wouldn't happen and it's true...I could go on but that's a whole different thread 😊
Thanks again Hurdity and everyone whose replied really appreciate it!
L x

[kiltgirl]

Hi Lynn,

do you practice your weights at home or the gym? I'm almost inspired to get my (tiny) kettlebell out and start swinging it...

[Lynn71]

Hi Kiltgirl,
Hahaha love it 😉that made me lol when I read it.
I practise at home, I have a multi gym, couple of sets of dumbells, a bar and weights bench with lots of separate weights ranging from 0.5 kg to 10kg so I can mix and match and increase the weight gradually.
I couldn't commit the time to going  to the gym but can easily fit in 30-40 mins in the day to do my weights. If you're interested I'd be happy to share my routine 😊
L x

[CLKD]

I was sterilised as I never wanted to be a Mum and I read years after surgery that having had the operation would make PMT worse ……. but I have never bothered to read any articles to verify that info.. 

[kiltgirl]

Hi Kiltgirl,
Hahaha love it 😉that made me lol when I read it.
I practise at home, I have a multi gym, couple of sets of dumbells, a bar and weights bench with lots of separate weights ranging from 0.5 kg to 10kg so I can mix and match and increase the weight gradually.
I couldn't commit the time to going  to the gym but can easily fit in 30-40 mins in the day to do my weights. If you're interested I'd be happy to share my routine 😊
L x

Hi Lynn, sounds like you actually enjoy it, not something I've ever been able to say about exercise for the sake of it 

I do need to get fit though, don't have any space for a dedicated workout area, my weights are covered in dust under my bed, oh the shame of it.
I wouldn't mind a rundown of your routine if you wouldn't mind? I need some inspiration! 

[Lynn71]

Hi Kiltgirl,
5 workouts per week
5 exercises per muscle group
4 sets of 12
Keep weights low to start with gradually increase every week till you can't lift any more then just maintain.

I can type out all the individual exercises I do or you can choose ones that suit the weights you have just let me know.

The muscle groups are 1. Triceps 2. Chest 3. Back 4. Biceps & Shoulders 5. Legs

Hope that helps but please ask if you need more.

Lx

[Hurdity]

Wow that is a lot of exercise!!!

I go to 3 classes per week but don't do weights although the legs bums and tums class is a muscle strengthening one as is Fitness Pilates- but not quite as punishing! However I am in my 60's so hope I can be excused!

I do know that strengthening muscles is especially good once you reach menopause and helps you lose/maintain body weight and best to replace fat with muscle as it burns more calories at rest. Our metabolism does slow as we age...

Good for you!! Yes perhaps you should start a new thread in the General health section!

Hurdity x

[Lynn71]

Jeezo Hurdity, 3 classes a week in your 60's is brilliant! Funny you should mention starting a new thread cos I was just thinking the same thing. I do love doing weights especially since I know it's so good for bone density x