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Report from a Hot Flush Queen
by author Leslie Grant Timmins

If you’re a Hot Flush Queen like me, stress reduction and bio-identical hormone therapy may bring relief from menopausal symptoms, as I reported in the September issue of alive.

But certain conditions may bring your hot flushes, insomnia, and night sweats back, and your doctor may not be able to tell you why or what to do about it. Alternative or complementary therapies that offer an individualized approach to treatment can provide answers and relief.

A Unique Pattern of Imbalance

“There is no protocol for treating menopause in Chinese medicine,” says Lorne Brown, a registered traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and acupuncturist. “I assess each woman as a unique individual. If three women come to me with hot flushes, insomnia, and anxiety, but have 20 other symptoms entirely different from each other, why would I treat them the same?”

“But if there’s no protocol,” I ask him, “how do you decide on treatment?”

“We gather information from the patient about her diet, digestive system, menstrual history, emotional life, the timing of hot flushes, internal and external stress, sleep patterns, and whether she has unfulfilled desires. We’re looking for a pattern of imbalance. Within this pattern is a collection of signs and symptoms that go together, according to Chinese medicine, but may seem totally unrelated in western medicine. We don’t treat symptoms; we treat the underlying cause. Treatment addresses many things simultaneously. It’s a restorative approach.”

I’ve noticed three things that consistently make my hot flushes return or worsen: sweet foods, a virus, or a difficult emotional event. I ask Lorne if he can explain why.

“From a Chinese medicine perspective,” he says, “sweets, viruses, and stress all create heat, especially the stress. Stress is a perceived threat, so how you internalize it is part of the emotional component I’d look at. And different foods have different energetic principles. Alcohol, for example, forms a ‘fire’ in the body. Night sweats are also a form of fire.”

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs

I’ve known women who’ve found acupuncture alone effective for hot flushes; I ask Lorne about this. His response surprises me. “I prefer not to use acupuncture without Chinese herbs to treat menopausal symptoms,” he says. “I always use acupuncture to de-stress, smooth the flow of qi or life force, and provide short-term relief, but it’s not as cost effective in the long term as using herbs. I may combine acupuncture with the herbs for the first month to provide short-term relief while the herbs take effect.”

While western medicine focuses on the body’s anatomical structure and physiology, Chinese medicine focuses on energetic levels in the body. Every organ has a meridian, and this meridian is not restricted to the site of the organ but runs from the toes to the top of the head. “For menopause symptoms,” Lorne explains, “we always look at the kidney, liver, and spleen meridians and organ systems. There are specific, empirical acupuncture points for hot flushes and night sweats, but I also choose others based on the individual’s pattern of imbalance.”

Is there one specific herb for hot flushes? “No, that would be using Chinese herb without Chinese medical principles,” he says. “Usually we give herbs in a balanced combination based on the individual’s pattern, usually 4 to 12 herbs in a formula.

The dosages and duration are different for each individual. This herbal formula is always changing as your pattern changes through treatment.”

The aim of the treatment is to smooth the transition and relieve the symptoms, not to stop menopause. Some women’s hot flushes may not be eliminated but may drop from eight a day to two. “Some patterns of imbalance are complicated and take time to correct,” says Lorne.

The Body/Mind Connection

Dr. Luis Flores trained as a classical homeopathic doctor in Mexico prior to obtaining a medical degree there, and he now practices in Canada as a homeopath. In one regard, however, he and Lorne Brown sound remarkably alike. “The basis of homeopathy is individualization,” says Dr. Flores. “It tailors treatment to the patient.”

Leslie Grant Timmins is a freelance writer based in Vancouver.

Source: alive #276, October 2005