The phyto-estrogen you can get at Amazon. It's no more expensive than some of the vitamins you've been taking. Also, soy is now your best friend. Edamame or fresh soy beans and soy milk. Remember those lovely triple shot skinny lattes? They are now soy lattes. Get a shot of vanilla and buy the flavored soy milk to start until you get used to the taste. Stock your fridge and for every recipe that uses milk, mashed potatoes included, use the unflavored soy milk as a substitute the change in flavor is very mild and you can us butter or margarine with your soy milk. Don't stop eating dairy; you need the calcium and vitamin D twice as much now. Another suggestion is a digestive enzyme tablet. They contain ingredients that we do not eat enough of every day. Onet tablet can improve your digestive tract and get more nutrients into you body.

GardenLass - Thank you for taking the time to respond. Is it only estrogen that I need to help the hot flashes? Also, I was told by a dietician NOT to eat soy. Unfortunately, I am very lactose intolerant and I try to avoid dairy to alleviate the distress in my tummy. I also - unfortunately - have a very rare esophageal disease and my motility is generally very slow. Additionally, because of surgery I underwent at Mayo Clinic, I have an extremely high rate of reflux, which requires me to take an extremely high dose of PPI's. I don't know how that factors in with the digestive enzyme or other probiotics. I have so many unique situations - makes me feel a little crazy at times : -(

I am sorry you are lactose intolerant. Soy is definitely a friend along with almond milk and any other substitute you use. Estroven is one of the leading menopausal supplements on the market and one of it's ingredients is soy, so I don't understand why your dietician would recommend staying away from soy. It is actually good for maintaining healthy estrogen levels. It is one of women's best friends the way yams and tomatoes are men's best friends. Each has naturally occurring elements that support hormones and female/male health.

The digestive enzymes come from very specific sources; papain from papayas; bromelain from pineapples; lipase from raw milk (not processed and it's very hard to get. You have to pretty much buy a cow share or your own cow), and probiotics found in yogurt cultures. What the digestive enzymes are supposed to do is help maintain a healthy balance of flora in your tummy and intestines.

What I would do is some research into organics and nutrition surround your conditions and menopause. Find out what works best and go for it. Sometimes doctors can be slow when it comes to meno. For your digestive tract, though, run what you learn by your dietician, Find out where she stands on organics and natural foods. Also find out where she stands on GMOs or genetically modified foods. The big food crops to watch out for are canola, corn, unfortunately soy, and more vegetable seeds are being altered to be "better than natural". Considering your digestive needs, organic foods may be best. At least you know what you're getting.

I took Hot Flash Formula for a whole year. It 's a combination of black cohash, licorice root, chasteberry and dong quai. It reduced my hot flashes about 50%, but the hot flashes were still killing me!!

I was afraid of HRT because of what I heard about cancer risk. But when I talked to my ob-gyn, she told me that that was "fake news"--it was based on an old study with a skewed population of women over 60 years of age. There is a newer study by the same organization (Women Health Initiative) that says that for women in their 50's who start HRT within 5 years of menopause, they have no higher risk of breast cancer. My doc takes it herself.

So I took bio-identical estrogen and progesterone about 3 months ago. Oh, it is wonderful! Hot flashes gone after 1 month. Slept well through the night immediately. More energy. Calm mood (due to the progesterone). (Oh, the doc said if you still have a uterus, then you should take progesterone along with estrogen.) Got my life back!

Hi to all, the greatest thing you can do for yourself is get bio identical hormones!!!!! I am 50 actually 51 in 5 days. I went through the same hell for 8 years. Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, weight gain, depressed and felt like crap all the time. No sex drive at all. And we cannot forget half nuts lol.I have testosterone, estrogen and progesterone replacement and WOWSA what a difference. I sleep like a baby, no more heat flashes, night sweats gone, lost 25 lbs, and I am my old happy self again. I cannot believe health insurance does not cover HRT!! Our hormones are such a large part in our mental, physical health and overall well being. So get those levels up and watch out world :):) I am so glad I was so aggressive in finding out how to get my life back. Find a doctor that specializes in HRT and get ready to feel 20 years younger!!!!!!

I have heard great things about the bio-identical HRT (pellets, I think) but what is the long term risk of breast cancer? My doctor was totally adamant about not giving me traditional HRT, but she wasn't specific about "bio-identical". While the side effects are terrible w/ menopause, I don't know if I'm actually strong enough to withstand the side effects of cancer treatment! Is anyone worried about that?

Thank you so much for responding! I greatly appreciate your perspective and experience.

The updated study by WHI was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (3/2016, if I'm not mistaken). My doctor showed me an excerpt.

Oh, I'm using the Vivelle-dot estrogen patch, and taking Prometrium (progesterone pill), both are bio-identical.

Hi Mia,
One of the best menopause reliefs and completely natural without any undesirable side effects, I would recommend STAYING COOL Hot Flashes & Menopause Relief by EU Natural. These vitamins are the best I have identified and will completely help to resolve the hot flashes you been having, regulate weight gains, mood swings, vaginal dryness and other effects of the menopause you might be suffering from. You should definitely give it a shot. Check out amazon or ebay for a bottle

Thank you, Alexhlth! I have tried black cohesh in the past with no improvement. I have an appointment with a reputable OBGYN where I live to just talk about the bioidentical pellets. One of my friends has been on them for a month and she - like other posters here - says they are life changing.

Best Of luck Mia)))

Hello - I am new too. I'm 50 I also had hot flashes like crazy, kept going to doctor over and over thinking there was something wrong with me. had all kinds off weird symptoms. My doctor also won't give me HRT as my sister passed away in Aug 2018 she had breast cancer. I thought I was loosing my mind with all these crazy symptoms and I started reading up about menopause and learned that loosing weight is a good thing. Then I though well maybe start eating healthy and lose some weight and got this product that has changed my life, no more hot flashes no more night sweets.
This product amazes me to the point where I lost weight, hair and nails growing faster than usual, then i am like one day hey do I ever feel good and just realized no more hot flashes and night sweets either.

Ladies; concerning soy, I have heard about the latest health releases. There are many popular foods that have gone through periods of popularity and unpopularity, including oat bran. Most of these are false alarms as more study often reinstates them as beneficial. The problem with most of the soy produced in the US and Canada can be summed up in one word; Montasano. This corporation is responsible for genetically altering and adding a portion of the poison Round Up in corn, soy, and canola. They are also agricultural terrorists. They sell thier patented products to unassuming farmers who are forbidden to grow anything other than their products. Then, when the pollen from their fields blow into another farmer's field, The Montasano police show up at the neighboring farm and accuse them of stealing thier product. They have a long blacklist of farmers who stand accused of pirating their formula. These folks don't even want thier products polluting their healthy fields.
So, if you are using soy and it is helping, make sure the product you buy is organically grown and NON GMO. Then you will have the right soy that will help you with your hormones. Who knows what franken-soy does and we all know herbicides and pesticides cause cancer.