Which Menopause Treatment is right for Me?

I absolutely loved focusing on menopause awareness for October 2025. I made a series of Facebook posts each day along with an in-person event at Anahata, Kemptown. The comments, private messages and meeting people in clinic led to heartening insights and connection. It is clear that there is a wealth of information out there and it’s very difficult to pick through to find what is right for you. So I made this step-by-step guide to evaluating health treatments:

1)    What is YOUR primary symptom?

If there’s one thing that came up in my research was the breadth of women’s experience during the perimenopause transition. This was confirmed in clinic and the feedback I’ve had on my posts. There is no one fix suitable for every woman. Even hot flushes have a wide variety; all day heat, head sweats, night sweats. What is YOUR pattern?

2)    Is there any evidence for the treatment?

Just because research is inconclusive or not yet carried out, doesn’t mean the treatment isn’t effective. It’s notoriously difficult to double blind physical treatments like osteopathy or acupuncture. Research into women’s issues outside big pharma is thin, but it’s worth looking all the same. Treatment may be effective, but is it effective for the symptom YOU are experiencing? Don’t accept blanket menopause treatments. You will have better results and save money if you get a bespoke prescription. A good therapist has clinical experience of effectiveness and will work with you to find the support you need.

Use Pubmed for research, such as this review of Black Cohosh https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22972105/

3)    What is the dose? What is the quality of the ingredients?

To be effective, there needs to be a therapeutic dose and the company selling to you needs to demonstrate evaluation of the quality of herbs, supplements, drugs or treatments that you are being sold. Ask for evidence.

4)    Is the therapist you are consulting part of a professional body?

This is an indicator that they are properly qualified, insured, compliant with local authority rules and continuing their professional training beyond graduation. You wouldn’t visit a GP who had been struck off, so be picky about with whom you share your story.

5)    How are YOU responding to the treatment?

Pharmaceutical treatments often have an improvement in symptoms in the short term. But what are the side effects 6 or 12 months on? Are you experiencing period pain, fibroids or other symptoms? Don’t be afraid to go back to your provider and tell them. Ask what the other options are. A good GP/therapist will go back through your file and rethink your case to find the best treatment for YOU. I am not an expert in HRT, but I am aware there are different types. It’s worth finding what is right for you.

6)    Are you being tied into an expensive monthly contract?

This is a big red flag. A treatment is not a one off, a doctor wouldn’t prescribe one single pill and expect it to cure months of chronic issues. Similarly, acupuncture is usually a series of 6 visits. But with any course of treatment there should be an honest evaluation stage, without penalty.

7)    Is there a cheaper alternative?

Expensive collagen supplements and bone broth are a good example. Put the bones from your Sunday roast or make the vegan alternative in your slow cooker. You are saving the best, most nourishing food from the bin as well as saving money.

There are affordable community clinics in most big towns. Making healthcare accessible is a widely held value by many practitioners, ask around to find the right help for you.

8)    YOU know YOUR own body!

YOUR intuition is amazing. Perimenopause is often a time when we shed layers of held ideas and feelings of obligation to reveal our natural intuitive wisdom more clearly. Your truth is more important than the ego of the practitioner, so express yourself. Tune in and ask your body. YOU know the right solution. If you want to delve deeper into your intuitive self, Eloise Ansell https://www.eloiseansell.com is a wonderful guide to that process.

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