Search results for black cohosh

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!

Erring on the side of black cohosh

Posted by Liz on Apr 27, 2009 in herbal medicine | 0 comments

I’ve written quite a few posts about black cohosh over the past year. Black cohosh (better know in the plant circles as Actaea racemosa and cimicifuga racemosa) is an herb shown to treat vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings. Yet, concerns have been raised about its possible link to liver disease and toxicity.

Thus far, the evidence against black cohosh has been pretty lean. I’m happy to add a few more coals to that particular fire.

In a case report published in the Ahead of Print section of Menopause, researchers present evidence on nine cases of suspected liver toxicity in women who had used black cohosh.

The result: they excluded an potential link between the women’s symptoms and ingestion of black cohosh in eight of nine cases. In one case, they reported a possible association to liver disease for an unknown brand of black cohosh taken for two months but also state that the woman had factors that might have skewed the results.

They concluded that significant circumstantial evidence linking black cohosh to liver toxicity is missing.

Although this is a very small study, this is not the first time that upon examination, a lack of causality was found between black cohosh and liver disease. Of course, standardized formulations are a must, as is guidance from a healthcare professional who is well-versed in the use of herbs for menopause. Nevertheless, I am hopeful that eventually, black cohosh will become a respectable player in the field.

Hope springs eternal: black cohosh

Posted by Liz on Oct 18, 2008 in breast cancer, estrogen | 0 comments

There may be good news on the horizon for perimenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.  Researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia are conducting an animal study to see how black cohosh and the tamoxifen interact.

Unfortunately, breast cancer patients who take tamoxifen to prevent their cancer from recurring, are unable to take hormones for menopausal symptoms that often occur as the drug starts working to shut down estrogen production. Consequently, one of the only options available to them are antidepressants, which are not always effective and depending on the agent, may cause side effects such as weight gain, fatigue or reduced sexual desire.

It’s a hopeful path that may help alleviate undesired side effects in women with breast cancer. If you’re interesting in reading more about black cohosh, you can click on the word in the tags category on the sidebar.

Wednesday Bubble: what’s black and red and so not over?

Posted by Liz on Jan 6, 2010 in Uncategorized | 2 comments

How about black cohosh and red clover?

Naysayers keep bashing both of these herbs for relief of menopausal symptoms. And yet, anecdotal evidence show otherwise; I know quite a number of women who have successfully shut down their flashes and night sweats with standardized black cohosh in particular. For red clover, the results have not been quite as favourable. Still, I say this bubble ain’t over yet.

In the latest study, published in Menopause journal, researchers examined the safety and effectiveness of standardized black cohosh or red clover compared to hormone replacement or placebo in 89 menopausal women with severe hot flashes or night sweats (52 to 71 per week). Participants took one of these compounds for a year.

The results showed that while all women reported improvements, reductions in the frequency of symptoms varied by compound:

Black cohosh 34%
Red clover 57%
Placebo 63%
HRT 94%

However, contrary to previous reports, both black cohosh and red clover were found to be safe.

So, what should you do when it comes to black cohosh or red clover? As always, speak to a health practitioner about your symptoms so that you and she can make an educated decision about therapeutic strategies. Be sure that any herb you try is standardized and manufactured in a reputable facility. Finally, be aware that herbs take much longer than pharmaceuticals to start working so don’t get discouraged. The good news is that both of these products can be safe when used responsibly and under supervision. Nevertheless, like any medication, they can interact with other drugs and other conditions so you need to do your homework wisely.

That Old Black Magic

Posted by Liz on Aug 17, 2008 in herbal medicine, hot flash, nightsweats | 0 comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_KNmHYYARI]

Remember black cohosh? That wonderful herb in the buttercup family of plants that is commonly used  to address hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats and other vasomotor symptoms? Black cohosh has been used in traditional folk medicine for centuries and was introduced to the settlers by Native American Indians, who incorporated the herb into their traditional medicines for women’s ailments.

I’ve discussed the utility of black cohosh for sleep and other disturbances in a previous post.

Personally, I’ve been using a standardized black cohosh formulation in combination with some Chinese herbs, (as recommended by acupuncturist and Chinese medicine specialist Elaine Stern)  with great success for many months now. Hence, I am a huge fan. And in my book it is that ‘old black magic.” Still, I believe that it’s important to address warnings that link black cohosh to liver damage. Here’s what you need to know:

Based on recent statements that have been recently issued in Australia and the United Kingdom, The U.S. Pharmacopeia’s Council of Experts extensively analyzed data from 30 case reports, side effects reports and other sources to evaluate the association between black cohosh and liver damage.  They concluded that there was enough evidence from case reports to suggest a possible link and proposed that a cautionary statement be included on manufacturer labeling.

So, what’s the bottom line? Overall, there are been few reports of liver damage but they have provoked enough concern to raise a red flag amongst several regulatory agencies worldwide. Here, the U.S, the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements says that millions of people have safely used black cohosh without any apparent negative health effects.

As always, if you choose to go the herbal route, speak to an health professional who is well-versed in herbal medicine first. Try to select standardized formulation (it usually says it right on the label), which can help to insure that optimal and safe manufacturing processes have been followed and that you’re getting a pure form of the herb. Finally, be aware of potential side effects. In addition to liver damage, black cohosh has been linked with headache, dizziness, visual disturbance, constipation and intestinal discomfort, mostly at higher than recommended doses. Finally, remember that herbal medicine is medicine, and like Western preparations, requires vigilence, common sense, and can result in adverse effects if not used correctly.