St. John's Wort for Hot Flashes in perimenopausal women?

  St. John's Wort for Hot Flashes in perimenopausal women?

Menopause or the 'climacteric' is often defined as the cessation of menstration which typically occurs in women between the ages of 45 and 55. Essentially, this means that when women 'hit' menopause, that this represents their loss of fertility.



Though menopause is a biological process and not a disease, there are symptoms that women typically experience during this change. Hot flashes themselves can be particularly disturbing to many women. The results of a recent Canadian study suggest that hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) may improve quality of life and reduce sleep symptoms associated with menopause (Al-Akoum et al, 2009). Additionally, St. John's wort reduced the frequency of hot flashes in perimenopausal women--but these results were not statistically significant.

What dosage of St. John's wort was used in this particular study? For this study, they used ethanolic St. John's wort extract (900 mg TID) which essentially means 900mg administered three times per day. ***This dose is in excess of more typical doses of 900 mg/day.

If you are a symptomatic perimenopausal women who is considering trying St. John's wort--keep in mind that there are potential side effects from this herbal remedy and that St. John's wort may interact with medication that you're currently taking.

The study authors conceded that the results of this particular study need to be confirmed in larger clinical trials.

Reference:
Al-Akoum M, Maunsell E, Verreault R, Provencher L, Otis H, Dodin S. Effects of Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) on hot flashes and quality of life in perimenopausal women: a randomized pilot trial. Menopause. 2009 Feb 3.