Posts made in May, 2009

Wednesday Bubble: Black cohosh strikes again…

Posted by Liz on May 6, 2009 in herbal medicine, hot flash, nightsweats | 5 comments

I’m beginning to see a pattern in my Wednesday Bubble posts. It certainly is not deliberate. But there’s more good news about black cohosh and I’d like to share it.

A Yale School of Medicine researcher and physician has presented findings of a web-based survey examining the use of Remifemin black cohosh standardized extract among 692 women, ages 35 to 45. The study results, which were displayed this week at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology annual meeting, demonstrate that women are using black cohosh to avoid HRT. Okay, no big news there; I’ve posted about the utility of standardized black cohosh in lieu of HRT for almost a year now.

However, not only did almost 90% of women report being satisfied or highly satisfied with black cohosh, but approximately 88% noted that they felt it was effective or very effective for treating their symptoms.

More importantly, however, the study revealed that women are discussing the use of this standardized form of black cohosh with their health practitioners (mostly ob/gyns or family doctors). And, over half — an estimated 53.7% — said that their physicians were supportive of their decision to use black cohosh.

Personally, I find these results very encouraging; not only do they support a long-standing contention that black cohosh, namely Remifemin, is effective for hot flashes, night sweats, and other perimenopausal symptoms, but they also provide evidence that the communication channels between menopausal women and their practitioners are starting to open.

Notably, black cohosh is one of the few herbs that has been consistently shown to alleviate vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. Although there has been some questions about its safety, particularly with regards to liver toxicity, there are accumulating data disputing some of these claims. Indeed, at this year’s ACOG meeting, another researcher examined and compared liver function in 142 patients taking standardized black cohosh extract and 138 taking placebo and found no statistically sigificant changes in liver function.  Moreover, analysis of a smaller group of with abnormal liver function values found only one case where there was a significant difference between the groups. This led the researchers to conclude that standardized black cohosh, namely Remifemin, can be used safely.

Personally, I’ve been using Remifemin for over a year now. Recommended by a health practitioner and endorsed by my Ob/Gyn, along with a variety of other Chinese and Western herbs, I’ve been fortunate and have  found significant relief from night sweats.

Like any herbal preparation, be sure to speak with a health practitioner who is certfied in practicing herbal medicine and can monitor your progress to insure that your regimen is safe and effective. But it is wonderful to know that traditional Western practitioners may be finally opening their eyes to HRT alternatives. Bravo!

‘Sad and saggy’

Posted by Liz on May 4, 2009 in appearance | 9 comments

I’ve been thinking a lot about body image lately, and what it means, both to women and to society at large. In fact, in recent weeks, I’ve been confronted with my own demons; “do I look attractive,” “do I have too many lines,” “is my butt fat/thin/jiggly/firm/too big/too small,” etc etc etc.

These insecurities stem from many places but unfortunately, are often perpetuated in the media, whose images of teenage girls dressed and made up to look like women only serve to send the wrong messages — not only to ourselves, but to our daughters, our partners, our friends and the like.

Hence, I was struck by the title of this article that I stumbled across: “Sad and Saggy.” Written by a UK-based gynecologist, it proports to inform women why their breasts sags and what’s more, what they can do about it.

Mind you, the article is informative and attempts to take an empathetic approach. But the following phrases gave me pause:

“At the end of the day, you’ll just have to accept your breasts, saggy as they are! Don’t obsess about how unattractive they look….”

“We can’t all be young, attractive teenagers…”

So, I’d like to take a moment to say a few things to some of the  individuals in the world who have missed the memo.

Women are beautiful whether or not they have a few bumps, straight hair, curly hair, a few lines, or saggy breasts. While we can’t all be young attractive teenagers (frankly, I have no interest in being a teenager, attractive or not), we  all possess a beauty within and it is that beauty truly defines our appearance, how we carry ourselves, how we are seen by the outside world, how we feel about ourselves relative to others.

I grow tired of trying to live up to impossible, unattainable standards set by air brushed, young nubile teens who are anything but women. I am weary of being told that because I am aging, I am no longer as pretty “as…” And I am insulted by the lack of empathy by the multitudes of physicians who want women to believe that midlife (and menopause for that matter) and its effects can be solved by “x.”

Let’s get the core of the problems and see if we can work from the inside out, shall we?

Saggy breasts or not, we’re all human, we are all imperfect. But if you ask me, we’re all pretty damn special.

Sleep matters

Posted by Liz on May 1, 2009 in sleep disturbance | 0 comments

There’s no question that sleep during the menopausal transition can be difficult. Indeed, two studies published last year in the July 1 issue of the Sleep journal confirm that sleep complaints (e.g., difficulty falling and staying asleep) are related to declining and fluctuating hormone levels and symptoms such as hot flashes. What’s more, they tend to increase through the menopause transition.

I written previous posts outlining certain positive steps you can take to combat sleep disruption, including herbs, yoga, acupuncture and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Much to my chagrin, however, I’ve realized that I’ve ignored one of the most obvious – your pillow. Mind you, your pillow is not going to address estrogen decline, hot flashes or night sweats. But if you have a lousy pillow, well, you’re already facing a losing battle.

So, where am I going with this, you ask?

I was recently asked to review* two Tempur-Pedic® pillows:

• The Neck Pillow by Tempur-Pedic®
• The Comfort Pillow by Tempur-Pedic®

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Tempur® is a material that was originally used by NASA scientists to relieve the G-force of space travel.  The Swedes then stepped in and perfected the material for sleep purposes, utilizing what they characterize as a “variable balance of pressure relieving and therapeutic support” layers. The material has also been engineered to respond to small changes in body temperature so that it conforms to the body.

Personally, I’ve never been attracted to the Tempur-Pedic® mattresses but I know many friends who swear by them. The pillows? That’s another story.

As someone who has experienced back issues her entire life, and neck and shoulder issues as a result of spending hours a day in front of the computer, well, a good pillow makes a huge difference in my life. In fact, I’ve never hesitated to invest in a good mattress, decent sheets and a nice pillow.

So what do I think about the Tempur-Pedic® pillows?

The Neck Pillow is a great pillow. It does everything that the Tempur® material claims it will do, from contouring to your neck and shoulders, to relieving pressure and allowing your spine to stay in proper alignment.

I tried the company’s  standard size but I also own a small travel size that I bring with me whenever I’m away from home. Frankly, I never leave home without it.

What’s more, compared to other memory foam pillows that I’ve used (and I’ve used plenty), it maintains its integrity and continues to outlast the competition. While it certainly did not prevent me from awakening during my 4 am witching hour,  I truly believe that since I’ve been using the pillow, I’ve had less trouble falling back asleep, mainly because I’ve been comfortable. In so far as temperature goes, I remain unconvinced that the pillow is cooler than other pillows for purposes of night sweats, per se. The material is not wicking so it’s not been constructed to repel moisture. Yet, the few nights that I had the sweats, I did not notice that the pillow retained any odor or remained damp. I love this pillow. Period.

I don’t feel as positive about the Comfort Pillow. I don’t know whether or not it’s just me but I find the Comfort Pillow to be anything but comfortable. In fact, despite several attempts to sleep on it, I tossed and turned and finally moved onto the neck pillow. So, what problems did I have?

I did not find that the Comfort Pillow molds to the head as easily as the Neck Pillow does. In fact, it barely contours as all (wouldn’t this seem to be impossible since it is constructed of the same Tempur® material as the other pillow)? It’s too heavy and cumbersome. And while it looks great and is obviously well-constructed, it is not for me. Ironically, I asked my partner, who is a tall and well-built, to try the pillow out and he felt the same. So, it’s not a size thing. Yet, he knows people who love the Comfort Pillow as much as I love the Neck Pillow. Go figure!

My main take-away is that good sleep hygiene matters. If you don’t like the pillow (or sheets for that matter)  that you’re sleeping on, your sleep is going to be lousy regardless of the degree of havoc that hormones are wreaking on your body.  Along with the other positive steps you can take, I believe that a good pillow is worth the investment.

What do you think? When it comes to sleep, what matters?

*Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this review. However, I agreed to try out the pillows because I feel that the topic is relevant. I’d love to hear your thoughts.