Menopause Metamorphosis

Herbal Allies to Avoid Hysterectomy

 Dearest Susun:

I'm about to undergo an hysterectomy ( I have two tumors in my cervix and a large cyst on right ovary). So, what would you suggest at this point? I'm not comfortable with it, but I just am very concerned. I've also had 3 blood transfusions in the last year and I'm  anemic now. I'm wondering what you would suggest?

Hello,

Doctors are very quick to go for hysterectomies. Certainly there are times when it is necessary, but if at all possible, it is best to avoid. Have you tried anything to help with the bleeding? How are you bleeding? Have you been able to try anything to help with it? Shepherd's purse tincture, cotton root bark tincture, Lady's Mantle tincture are all herbal preparations that can help with flooding. Paying close attention to diet to help with iron levels, eating cooked nettles, cooked dandelion leaves, organic red meat, especially liver, eggs, drinking daily infusions especially nettles to help and red raspberry infusions .... Read more about infusions here:http://nourishingherbalinfusions.com/

From Susun in regards to bleeding: "The most effective blood-stopping herbs that I know of are: 
Shepherd's purse (tincture of the fresh plant): midwives swear it stops uterine hemorrhage in seconds. I used it to stop a thirty day bleed during my menopause. (Took about 12 hours to do it.) Many women have told me it has saved their lives (and their uterus). A dose is a dropperful, repeated every two hours

Witch hazel tincture of the bark (not the stuff you buy in the drugstore, though that is good for external uses). A dropperful is a dose. It is also taken every two hours. Witch hazel is a more effective hemostatic, but does not have a special action on the uterus like shepherd's purse. 

Lady's mantle tincture or tea of the fresh or dried leaves is the supreme uterine tonic, used throughout Europe to help women with profuse bleeding. It is much slower acting than shepherd's purse or witch hazel, but helps to insure that the bleeding does not return. It may be used on a daily basis for many months and combined with one of the above herbs. "

Chickweed tincture is good for ovarian cysts, effective but usually takes some time for it to work. Also castor oil packs would be beneficial as they are excellent in dissolving a number of growths.

What is your age? Oftentimes fibroids disappear after menopause. Vitex tincture has helped many women with fibroids. Here is an article of Susun's:

http://www.menopause-metamorphosis.com/An_Article-fibroids.htm

It's a lot to take in but perhaps if you can get the bleeding under control with one of the tinctures, you can postpone the surgery and have a chance to do a bit more research. You may be interested in speaking with Susun. She does offer private phone consultations- you would send in all of the necessary information and what you wish to go over so that the full amount of time can be spent solely on addressing your needs. These are scheduled thru our bookshop:

http://www.herbalmedicinehealing.com/store/item_view.asp?estore_itemid=1000597

http://www.herbalmedicinehealing.com/store/item_view.asp?estore_itemid=1000598

We also have a very active forum at www.healingwiseforum.com and a search there will bring up a number of threads in regards to hysterectomies and addressing your concerns. If you decide to wait, you may want to look into Susun's books, New Menopausal Allies and Down There, Sexual and Reproductive Health, the Wise Woman Way as they both contain a lot of information on this topic.

Also has the option of possibly just removing tumors been discussed at all? And if it seems that you must go ahead with the hysterectomy, do what you can to preserve your ovaries and cervix, if possible.  Do let us know if you need further assistance.

 

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

www.wisewomanweb.com

www.wisewomanbookshop.com

www.wisewomanuniversity.org

 

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NEW Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way

Hello,
 
I have a signed copy of Susun's first book on menopause. I see there is another one now. Is it very different?  I wouldn't like to buy a book that is mostly the same.
 
Please Advise,

Hello, there are some parts that are very much the same, but the new edition is nearly 100 pages longer. There is a lot more material added, from the decade more of thousands of women Susun worked with and heard from, and from her own personal experience with her transition.  Also Susun's stance on a few things changed, primarily on unfermented soy products and progesterone creams.  If you are unsure perhaps you could check out a copy through your local library and browse yourself.  

I very much understand the question.  I have often found reprints to have little more than a few page layout or simple word changes.  I more often opt for reading the new one and taking the few notes in the old, that for buying the new one.  In this case I find the new edition far more superior, much more information, and some important insights changed. 

Since your old one is signed perhaps you could keep it as a keepsake, or write a note with your request for a new explaining your desire for the signature and ask kindly if Susun would be willing to sign the new one for you.

Love and Blessings,
Karen Joy
http://www.wisewomanweb.com
[email protected]

Dear Karen Joy,
 
Thank you so much for your very honest answer.  With one hundred new pages of information and some information  and things changed I think that the book is worth buying.
 
Happy New Year to you,

Wonderful, enjoy!

Karen Joy
[email protected]

Menopause Brought on by Surgery

I have just had surgery 3 weeks ago,I had a partial hysterectomy 3 years prier, now I have had my only ovary removed due to a tumour that was benign.Does a woman experience sudden hot flashes and night sweats instantly. I have been doing that. At first I thought it was due to pain and infection,and heavy medication.I am now not taking medication, so do you go into menopause right away due to surgery????????? thanks..........

 

Hello, yes you can go into sudden menopause as a result of surgery.  And it can be intense.

How old are you?  Did you not have signs of menopause (other than the obvious one) after your uterus was removed 3 years ago? 

I strongly recommend you get/borrow/buy a book like Susun's New Menopausal Years or something like it, that can be a friend with you right now as you journey through menopause.  Not only will it provide an abundance of ideas to help you through any uncomfortable parts, but encourages any woman to embrace it and see the very comfortable aspects of this change. 

Please let us know if we can help further.

Blessings,
Karen Joy
[email protected]
www.wisewomanweb.com

"Natural" Hormone Replacement for Menopause?

Q: Hello,

I am new to your web site but so far have really enjoyed everything I have read. Last year I had a total hysterectomy due to many problems I was experiencing. I am now on a hormone replacement called enjuvia. What do you know about this and is there a way to do this naturally? I must say since I have been on this all of sweats, terrible mood swings, cramps, headaches and such have all gone away and I feel better than I have felt in ages. I am just concerned about any health risks which may occur using a synthetic hormone. The research I have done tells me this is a plant based hormone but I have learned little else. I would appreciate any input you may have. Thank You

 

A: Hello Karen, we are so glad you are enjoying the websites!!

I do not know of any hormone replacement that is natural, not just from its source, but simply because menopause is completely natural, including the change in the kind and amount of hormones we produce. Of course your menopause was brought on by the surgery, but eventually you would have gone through menopause. So the only thing in theory that could come close to making things more natural (ignoring the fact that no HRT can be exactly as you would produce yourself) would be mimicking the hormone production you had before surgery, slowly shifting these as you near menopause, eventually ceasing estradiol production. At this point then you would go through menopause, with some of the discomforts that come with many changes. There is no HRT I know of that respects the beauty and health of menopause and is designed to be used in this way. Besides, as you already mention, this would be ignoring the harm the hormones produced outside your own body, made in amounts that can never mimic the uniqueness of you, can do to your body. You can read about harm from the HRT and ways to help counter this. It is up to you to choose what is best for your health. If you wish to be off the replacement and face the menopause that is inevitible to us all, there are lots of allies you can work with to help smooth it out a bit. It is change though and this may be a bit uncomfortable. To give you credit too, going through menopause after a complete hysterectomy you do not have the benefit some others have to work into it slowly. I have not gone through this but hear it can be quite intense. So I support whatever your feel is the best for your health. I only ask you remember menopause is natural and healthy and inevitable. Do you have or have access to Susun Weed's New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way? This will offer lots of ideas to help you through some of your concerns whenever you feel them again. If not, or for any other reason, I am happy to talk with you further.

Blessings,
Karen Joy
[email protected]
www.wisewomanweb.com

ALL Women go through Menopause

Q: I am 39 years old and went through a surgical hysterectomy 9 years ago. I have struggled over the last nine years with hormone replacement. I am currently not on any replacement, but that is because of fibrocystic breasts and I needed a break. I would like to find out what natural products you may suggest for estrogen replacement that will help with sexual health as well. I have to be on inderal for headaches and I have lost my libido....completely....sadly!

I have a traditional doctor, who I do not feel would help me other than with medications and I want something natural to help me out. My ex husband and I had read a book of yours years ago and I loaned it to someone and never got it back....are you able to help me out?

I would appreciate any help I can get for these things. I feel I have suffered long enough and its time to take control again! Thanks for your time and considerations.

 

A: I hear your desire to take an active supportive role in your health! Perhaps it was Susun's Menopausal Years book you once read. She now has New Menopausal Years, a revised, expanded version. I highly recommend you get it. We have some nearly new books for half the price. Whether you purchase this or not though we are happy to help any way we are able.

While hysterectomy does force a woman into instant menopause instead of allowing the gradual shift others go through, menopause is still something ALL women go through. It is a natural part of who we are. It is not a symptom of some lack. Yes the hormones we produce change, but no better or worse than before menopause, just different. You are not lacking any hormones, so do not need hormone replacement, "natural" or not.

What you may need is some more deep nourishment. Change, welcome or not, takes energy. On top of that you went through major surgery, and have been using drugs that take their toll. I hear in your voice (email :)) that you nourish yourself, and care for your self. Perhaps there is some more nourishing you can do. This has many aspects.

There are many reasons women can feel a loss of libido, and I have to admit I have not yet gone through menopause so here can only speak from what I have learned from other wise women before me, not personal experience. I have however felt I suffered from loss of libido and have found ways that help me. I imagine while some of what I have learned can help even menopausal women, there is something specific about the changes through menopause that can affect this. The primary two things I have heard listening to others talk is that was used to be exciting is no more, and one's vaginal tissues no longer feel full and moist.

For the former the most successful women I have heard stepped back and said okay, this is different now, so what DOES excite me. They had to reevaluate, recreate their sexuality. Perhaps intercourse is not as pleasurable but other forms of intimacy are. Maybe even some that were not before.

For the dry vaginal tissues, we can not naturally get to how we once were, but we can help support and love our tissues with herbal oils.

For any woman at any stage of her life, I believe her long term deep sexual health and vitality lay in her comfort in and love of her body. I know personally having gone through something traumatic to these intimate parts, I had to step back and rebuild my relationship with myself. It was easy when young and with the body this culture loves to see, but harder when I was imperfect in my eyes, even damaged. It was a dark place to go and took years, but I have found a sexuality now that can easily rival those young years. Of course I will likely have to go through this again once through the changes of menopause.

I trully believe you can find your sexual, vital, creative, passionate self. Talking with others may help you find the answers, both what you can do personally inside yourself, and herbal friends you can ally with to help you along.

Blessings,
Karen Joy
[email protected]
www.wisewomanweb.com

Pain 10 years Later

Q: Hi Susun,

I had a hysterectomy around ten years ago, but I still have my ovaries.(I had fibroid cysts) Sometimes I get an uncomfortable dull pain on my left side right around where my ovaries are. A friend of mine at work told me his sister had the same operation done and after about five years was getting the same pain I was but she was vomiting bile and when she went to the doctor, she said she had scar tissue that was blocking the blood flow to her organs! They had to open her up again and have surgery. I don't like going to the doctor, I am an herbalist in training and would much rather treat myself with herbs and/or poultices. I am not vomiting or do I feel like I have to vomit. The pain is not all the time. Sometimes if I sit for a long period of time it starts to bug me, at times it feels like something is pressing against my ovaries. I notice if I stop drinking my infusion of nettles for a week or two is when the pain comes back, or if I eat too much bread?! If I gain five pounds all of a sudden I notice the pain comes back. Please help me to try to determine what kind of treatments I should be doing, infusions, etc.

I appreciate any input you can give me. Thank you.

Sincerely,
E.

 

A: Hello E., I hear and understand your concern. I am glad you would write to speak with others about the possible cause and the possible way to support yourself.

I know it is challenging when we feel things going on inside and can not look in there to help us get a better sense of what is going on. Some times it turns out to be quite a threat to our life and ongoing well being, and more often it turns out to be something that can be amended with simple life choices. You had major surgery in that area and I think it is wise then to question if there is a connection. I have not heard much on this complaint myself so have little to offer in suggestions. I know if it were me I would first nourish my connection with my own inner knowing. Not to rely on it solely but to continue to check in with it as a connecting point as I learn more from without and need to make choices. It is great to be in tune with our bodies and all the nuances of feeling we have from moment to moment.

I would also love to invite you to our Wise Woman Forum and Email groups accessed through www.wisewomanweb.com as further sources of ideas and support.  With the wide variety of women, especially, from all around the world there may be some with similar experiences to offer their thoughts you can choose from.

In the meantime, as you explore I might choose an area that feels safe to focus on, perhaps for a given length of time, something benign - drink nettle infusions, drink water, movement or stretching, or if you are thinking scar tissue drinking comfrey leaf infusions.

Please let us know if we can help further.

Blessings,
Karen Joy
[email protected]
www.wisewomanweb.com

Fibroids and Heavy Bleeding - Keeping One's Uterus

Q: Aloha Susun:

I met with a dear friend yesterday who suggested I check out your website for information on female related issues. Have you worked with women with fibroid tumors before? I am 50 years young & have some growing in my uterus & am experiencing way too heavy periods w/strong lower back pain. I’ve refused to have an operation & have tried Chinese herbs & a macrobiotic diet. Each month I’m craving beef now (never have in my life before) & even eating some of what’s organically raised here on Maui. Are those sublingual B-12 tabs from the health food store worth anything? Women I speak with here have had a hysterectomy to deal with their fibroids. I would not like to go there. I’ve read so much material on-line & in Borders about fibroids. Something went terribly wrong in my last marriage; I lost touch with parts of myself; I am divorced now, in a career change, & discovering an at times glorious & at others painful reunion with all of life.

Thank you for your work with women. I appreciate what you can offer.
Aloha Nui Loa, V.

 

A: Hello V., I hear and understand your desire to find a way through this with your body in tact!! There is a time and place for a hysterectomy, but it sounds in your case there is still much room to work diligently with other methods to nourish your deep health. I trust you as the judge of this.

Your cravings may indicate a need for iron due to all the blood loss. I am glad you are indulging them. There are many herbal and other food sources of iron as well. I do not know about B12 pills. I highly recommend Susun Weed's New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way. In it she writes:

"...Try to consume 2mg or more of iron from foods and herbs each day that you flood; 1- 1.5 mg daily on days you aren't bleeding...."

Note that while the heavy bleeding can cause loss of iron, the loss of iron itself can cause heavy bleeding!

"My three favorite sources of usable iron are cooked dandelion leaves (which contain more than 5 mg in 1 ounce/30 grams), molasses, and yellow dock root (which promotes iron uptake). I prepare dandelion or yellow dock roots as a vinegar (2 tablespoons.30 ml a day) or tincture(20-40 drops twice a day)...."

For other iron sources read here.

Also, if you haven't already, please read this excerpt, from the above mentioned book, on fibroids. Please note she says they disappear after menopause! And they can sometimes go through a growth spurt during the menopausal years because of the changing hormones. When you decide what to work with I encourage you to work with it diligently to give it a thorough chance.

It sounds like you are doing deep and loving soul work V. This too will do a great deal toward helping you through in deep health.

Please let me know if I can help further in any way!

Blessings,
Karen Joy
[email protected]
www.wisewomanweb.com

Hysterectomy, Nights Sweats and Trouble Sleeping

Q: I recently had a total hysterectomy (five weeks ago). I am having some difficulty in recovering, I think. The most difficult thing is the night sweats and insomnia. I would love to sleep for more than 2 hours at a time. What would you recommend?

 

A: Hello, thank you for writing. Menopause brought on, or hastened, by a total hysterectomy, can bring more intense symptoms than one would normally experience. Are you able to get a hold of Susun Weed's New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way - either by purchasing, borrowing from a friend, or borrowing from the library through interlibrary loan. It is rich with ideas to help those with night sweats and insomnia, among other concerns. Too many ideas for me to type. I would suggest you start with this excerpt from the book on nourishing yourself. It explains infusions, which may be of great help to you. As with nourishing foods it may take a couple weeks to notice a difference. The two particular infusions for you might be Nettle leaf and Oatstraw. The first nourishing the adrenals, lessening the wakening due to overreacting to tiny sounds. The Oatstraw nourishes the nerves, in time helping you to fall asleep easier and then sleep more soundly.

One of Susun's suggestions for the night sweats is 10-25 drops of Motherwort tincture taken in water just before bed and each time you awaken. You should notice a difference within two weeks. And if you are also drinking daily infusions of Oatstraw and Nettle, this may be as long as you would need to take the Motherwort tinctures. Since the infusions are like good foods, you are welcome to take them as long as you are enjoying them.

If more desperate, Susun mentions garden Sage infusions made by pouring one quart of boiling water over one ounce of dried sage leaves, cap and let steep for four hours. Strain and refrigerate; should stay good, if undiluted, for up to two weeks. To use put 1-4 tablespoons in a cup of hot or cold water to drink. This is very bitter I believe, but the results are usually seen right away or within days. Drink before bed and/or keep it by your bed for when you wake up. This is not like the nourishing infusions mentioned above though, and should not be drunk daily for long periods.

For trouble sleeping, in addition to the nourishing Nettle leaf and Oatstraw infusions, Susun recommends the smell of lavender near your bed. She also suggests, if needed, to try Skullcap tincture. A dose is taken in water ten minutes before bed, then just as lying down, then again 10 minutes later is still not asleep (keep it set up by your bed for this). A dose is 3-8 drops if made from the fresh flowering tops, and 30-60 drops if made from dried plant material.

If by total hysterectomy, you mean your ovaries were removed as well, Susun does warn " Women without ovaries are probably safe eating phytoestrogenic foods, but may want to use phytoestrogenic herbs -- especially ginseng, dong quai, licorice, red clover, and wild yam -- in small amounts and only for short periods." Keep this in mind when reading the above article on nourishing yourself with its suggestion of Red Clover blossom infusions, and while knowing that Motherwort is also a phytoestrogenic rich herb. Since Motherwort is not listed here, I would take it to mean it is safe, just not to use every day for months.

Please let me know if I can help further. I imagine this is a trying time for you and would like to see you get all the support you deserve! You have the intensity of menopause all at once, while also healing from major surgery - a physical and emotional grieving perhaps. An additional resource may be our online forum where people from around the world gather to share topics of like interest. I wish you the very best always!

Blessings,
Karen Joy
[email protected]
www.wisewomanweb.com

Q: Thank you for your response. I will read Susun Weed's New Menopausal Years for the Wise Woman Way, and try some of the suggestions. Yes, I did mean my ovaries were removed. Thank you for the warning, also. Herbal medicines and treatments are a new concept to me. It is not something I have tried before. However, there is so much controversy over Hormone treatments that I am skeptical about doing that. I did have a recommendation to take "black cohosh" for night sweats, and was thinking about trying it. Thank you again.

 

A: You are so welcome, please let us know if we can help further!

~Karen Joy

Preparing for Hysterectomy

Q: Though I see many references on several websites that reference Susun Weed's work to balancing hormones and menopause. I haven't seen anything about the healing the specific physical, energetic and psychic wounds of hysterectomy -- I am particularly interested in information about the period immediately after the surgery.

I have a friend in her early 40s going through this and I would like to offer some additional support in this manner. Any recommendations?

L.

 

A: Hello L., thank you for writing. These are great questions! Susun does have a few suggestions in her book New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way (p.19):

If you choose surgery ... use these remedies as well to protect your health and improve healing time from the operation:
~ Use 25 drops of echinacea root tincture 1-3 times a day, for three days before the operation and seven to ten days after.
~ Try acupuncture treatments, before and after surgery.
~ Avoid blood-borne diseases by donating some of your own blood to be used during the surgery.
~ One woman created a ritual for "giving my uterus away rather than giving up my uterus."
~ Rub calendula oil on your belly to help prevent adhesions.

I would also love to invite you to our Wise Woman Forum and Email groups accessed through www.wisewomanweb.com as further sources of ideas and support.

If either of you do wish to speak with Susun, you may phone her free herbal/health hot line at 845-246-8081 on Tuesday evenings, 7:30pm-9:30pm Eastern time, April 4 through October 24, 2006. She does prefer to talk with the person in question however, rather than relay information through a third party.

You and your friend may also enjoy reading through Susun's book mentioned above for support through all the experiences that can accompany menopause, especially one brought on as suddenly as surgery can do. Even if you don't wish to buy it, copies can often be found through interlibrary loan. I believe it could prove invaluable over years of use. Also, would you like me to add your address to our mailing list, if it isn't there already?

Please let us know if we can ever help further!

Blessings,
Karen Joy
[email protected]
www.wisewomanweb.com