7 best over-the-counter drugs for menopause

*Overview of the best according to the editors of Healthy Food Near Me. About selection criteria. This material is subjective, is not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

We are all accustomed to the fact that the systems of the human body begin to function at birth, and sometimes even before birth, and finish their work with the death of a person. This is true when it comes to the respiratory, cardiovascular, or digestive system. Of course, this includes the central nervous system. But when it comes to procreation, the birth of a new organism, then nature significantly limits the scope of the life of the system, which is called reproductive.

Indeed, from the point of view of biology, the purpose of the life of any creature is the continuation of the family, and it is necessary to fulfill the purpose destined by nature only on the best conditions. And therefore, the reproductive system of a woman begins to function somewhere around the age of 11, if we are talking about the first menstruation, or menarche, and stops its function also during the life of a woman, on average, at the age of 60 years.

The extinction of the function of a developed, hormonally saturated, and working “like a clock” reproductive system does not go unnoticed. The state of individual reactions, “hormonal storms”, uneven cessation of hormonal secretion of the ovaries and manifested in the so-called climacteric syndrome. Of course, it flows in different ways, and not all women require treatment. But, probably, there is not a single woman who would not feel a change in well-being while approaching menopause. How often does menopausal syndrome occur, and what is it?

What is a climax, and how does it happen?

In medicine, any syndrome is a collection of individual symptoms, complaints, or signs that together fit into a certain picture that has a specific cause, and at the same time there is a logical relationship between seemingly distant symptoms. Therefore, menopausal syndrome is a diverse set of complaints and symptoms, the cause of which is a decrease in the concentration of female sex hormones, primarily ovarian hormones: estrogens and progesterone. Secondly, it is a change in the production of pituitary hormones and hypothalamic releasing factors, that is, the involution of the endocrine system associated with reproductive function at all levels.

The duration of the extinction of the reproductive function can be quite long: up to 10 years, but it can be within one and a half to two years. The average urban woman feels the signs of menopause and the associated change in health, usually within 3-5 years. The onset of menopausal syndrome is noted at 45-46 years. Starting from this age, the size of the ovaries and the size of the uterus gradually decrease, and menstruation gradually disappears.

With the onset of the disappearance of menstruation, the menopause begins, and it is at this time, in the first year, that the greatest number of complaints arise: from 40% to 85% of all women. Before menopause, climacteric syndrome manifests itself in 40% of women, and 3-5 years after the onset of menopause, the “climacteric storm” gradually calms down, and only 3-4% of women continue to notice unpleasant symptoms 5 years after the onset of menopause.

The severity of menopause can be different: from mild symptoms that do not interfere with life at all, and to a rather severe course, which is associated with a change in the functioning of the cardiovascular, endocrine and nervous systems. The severity and severity of the symptoms of menopause is associated with chronic diseases, with heredity, with the individual reactivity of the body and the ability to endure stress, with neuroses, anxiety, and diseases of the female genital organs: endometriosis, uterine fibroids and other pathologies. How does the climacteric syndrome proceed, and what is its beginning?

The debut of menopause, its symptoms and signs

The climacteric syndrome does not start “just like that”, without pushing from the outside. Usually, a trigger is needed, a release mechanism: an adrenaline rush, an increase in blood pressure, so that the “misregulated” hormonal system finally reaches a truly felt level. At the beginning of menopause, chronic stress, anxiety, worries and psychosocial problems play an important role. The debut of menopause occurs much more often in autumn and spring than in winter and summer. What are the symptoms of menopause? There are three large groups of signs that relate to neurovegetative, somatic and neurotic manifestations. These are the signs:

1. almost 95% of all women experience the classic hot flashes and hot flashes. Hot flashes are always felt in the upper half of the body: most often it is the face, head, neck, chest, and they are never felt on the legs;

2. the flush lasts from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, and is often accompanied by sweating, which is noted by 80% of all women;

3. the tide does not occur spontaneously, but is provoked by stress, weather, mood;

4. during a rush, blood literally rushes to the skin, it becomes hotter, its temperature rises by several degrees, while the general body temperature of a woman hardly changes;

5. the number of heartbeats becomes more frequent, reflex tachycardia occurs up to 130 beats per minute and more often;

6. there is a phenomenon of expansion of small arterioles and capillaries of the skin. Very often there are red spots on the neck, chest, which can be multiple and resemble a necklace or “beads” in shape;

7. blood pressure becomes labile, which begins to “jump” with or without reason;

8. there are headache attacks that were not there before, or they were not so stubborn and intrusive;

9. somewhat less often there is numbness and discomfort in the limbs, goosebumps, dry skin;

10. panic attacks, imaginary attacks of suffocation, inability to swallow or take a deep breath are not uncommon. There is a change in mood, there is either increased excitability, or drowsiness.

Along with fluctuations in sex hormones, other endocrine functions also undergo some temporary changes: for example, the thyroid gland changes the production of thyroid hormones. She must also adapt to the fact that her “colleagues” – the ovaries began to change the well-established rhythm of secretion over the years. Everything in the body is interconnected, and the extinction of the reproductive function cannot leave other glands of the endocrine system aside.

During a detailed clinical picture, increased fatigue, emotional instability, and irritability quite often occur. In a woman, memory and attention are reduced, performance is deteriorating. These are manifestations of the so-called psychoneurotic syndrome. A woman becomes whiny, she feels fear or anxiety for no reason. And if there is a reason, then this feeling becomes excessive and inadequate.

There is intolerance to sounds and smells that were previously tolerated calmly. There are outbursts of irritability.

An additional burden for a woman is brought by an excessive, exaggerated state of tragedy associated with the “soon end of life”, “the advent of old age”, uselessness. These thoughts additionally paint not so severe somatic symptoms in a “black color”, and make them unbearable, tragic. As a result, about 10% of all women with the classic course of menopause become depressed, and this significantly aggravates both the course and the treatment of menopausal disorders.

In addition, there is a group of somatic symptoms that are really objective. Due to estrogen deficiency, vaginitis, dystrophic processes in the walls of the vagina, periodic bleeding that is not associated with menstruation, but flowing like metrorrhagia, may occur, involuntary urination occurs.

Gradually, the tone of the pelvic floor muscles decreases, which can lead to prolapse of the uterus, and in the case of heavy physical labor, even to prolapse of the uterus and vagina. In a woman, not only the function of the genital organs depends on the concentration of estrogens, but also the turgor of the skin, its appendages: hair and nails. When there is a deficiency of hormones, then there is a gradual dystrophy of these structures. The skin becomes dry, there is a tendency to wrinkles, brittle nails may occur. Hair begins to split, become dull and begin to fall out.

In some cases, estrogen deficiency is accompanied by a “brute force in the other direction”: namely, a high concentration of androgens in the blood plasma appears. In this case, during menopause there will be a decrease in the timbre of the voice, facial hair, virilization, and other signs of high androgens appear. Such women definitely need hormone replacement therapy with the inclusion of antiandrogenic drugs.

Almost every second woman has an increase in body weight during menopause. Estrogens protect a woman from early strokes, from osteoporosis. And when they gradually decrease in the blood, the leaching of calcium salts from the bone tissue increases. At the same time, vitamin D synthesis decreases, and this can lead to osteoporosis. Therefore, during menopause, it is necessary to carefully monitor the exchange of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D3, undergo densitometry in a timely manner and prevent osteoporosis, which has a bad habit of immediately, without warning, manifesting itself in fractures.

About the severity of menopause

It would seem that it is not very correct to give degrees of severity to an absolutely inevitable and natural process, menopause, because this is not a disease. But it turns out that in some cases the symptoms are so severe that they can actually land a woman in a hospital bed. So, 15% of women suffer from menopausal syndrome in a mild form, it does not affect the quality of life, working capacity, or sleep. And if you measure the severity of menopause in the number of hot flashes per day, which is very convenient, then this is somewhere from 7 to 10 episodes.

With an average form of menopause, characteristic of 33% of all women, the number of unpleasant episodes, or hot flashes, increases and fits into the figure from 10 to 20 times a day. At the same time, all hot flashes are colored with additional symptoms: periodic headaches occur, memory is disturbed, dizziness occurs, which is reflected in the deterioration of the general condition. There is a decrease in working capacity and social adaptation. Finally, in a severe form, which is typical for almost half of all women, there is a persistent loss of working capacity and a pronounced poor general health appears.

Gynecologists have noticed that the earlier menopause appears, the more severe the climacteric syndrome is. Therefore, if the first signs of the fading of menstruation arose already at the age of 38 years and even earlier, then it is necessary to seriously prepare and meet in menopause fully armed so as not to become a victim of psychosocial and physical maladaptation.

Finally, for convenience, experts divided the climacteric syndrome into three forms of the course:

1. the first form usually manifests only with hot flashes and excessive sweating, it is called classic, and does not last long, the general condition does not suffer. A woman, as a rule, does not have chronic and serious diseases, changes in the body are fully consistent with age. In other words, this is menopause in a healthy woman;

2. the second form is considered complicated, and usually it occurs against the background of various diseases: arterial hypertension, hyperthyroidism or myxedema, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. This form is manifested by frequent hot flashes and additional symptoms, including cardiac ones. This is a feeling of cardiac arrest and interruptions, tachycardia, lability of the pulse and pressure. Sleep and memory disorders appear. In general, all these are the symptoms and signs that we have listed above;

3. finally, the atypical form of menopause is also infrequent. Severe somatic pathology, traumas and operations, cachexia, oncological diseases that were associated with the practical stop of the ovarian-menstrual cycle, for example, drug castration with Zoladex for several years, are pushing for an atypical course.

In this case, there may be various violations of the menstrual cycle at first, then a persistent absence of menstruation, and only then the typical symptoms of menopause appear in “waves”. Such patients have somatic complaints, dry skin, weight gain, edema, and occasional urinary incontinence. Efficiency quickly deteriorates, symptoms of calcium metabolism disorders appear early, panic attacks are not uncommon.

Therefore, it is necessary to predict the menopause, to know what to expect from your own reproductive system, and how to cope with the unpleasant symptoms of menopause with the help of drugs prescribed by a doctor.

Seven over-the-counter drugs for menopause

Treatment of climacteric syndrome

Naturally, the treatment of menopausal syndrome must begin with non-drug methods. Recall that in order to reduce “bad cholesterol”, and to prevent heart attacks and strokes, a hypocholesterolemic diet, lifestyle changes, weight loss, increased physical activity are also prescribed, and only then drug therapy is added. The same can be attributed to the treatment of menopause, especially in the case of mild severity.

Prepare for hot flashes by wearing appropriate clothing, drinking plenty of fluids, and sleeping in a cool room. It is necessary to prevent hot flashes and not to drink alcohol, coffee, hot and spicy food. Walks in the fresh air are desirable, you should try to avoid stressful situations, you need to do physical exercises, swim. It is desirable to fight insomnia with the help of fragrant pads of valerian, hops and lavender. A glass of warm milk with honey before going to bed will help.

During menopause, it would be nice to do yoga, master the technique of breathing exercises, as well as use medications prescribed by a gynecologist to avoid vaginal dryness, do exercises to improve the function of the pelvic floor muscles, and treat comorbidities, whether it is diabetes mellitus or hypertension.

However, there are drugs directly for the treatment of menopause, and the first experience of their use was at the end of the XNUMXth century, when women were prescribed an extract of bovine ovaries. Currently, the goal of treating menopausal syndrome is naturally not at all an increase in life expectancy, which underlies the treatment of diseases, but an improvement in the quality of life.

Below will be listed the 7 most effective and popular drugs for stopping the symptoms of menopause, which can be bought in pharmacies of the Russian Federation. First comes the name of the drug according to the INN, or international non-proprietary name. Next, generics are listed, their commercial or trade names, a price range is given, which is relevant for the beginning of May 2020 for pharmacies in Russia. The inclusion of drugs in the list is dictated by national recommendations for gynecology. And let’s start with drugs that are used for mild menopausal disorders, and end with “heavy artillery” – hormonal drugs for cyclic and continuous use. At the end of the list, we will talk about a new drug that is positioned as a replacement therapy that compensates for the deficiency of endogenous melatonin. Unfortunately, this is again an intramuscular injection of “cow brains”, and nothing more.

Klimadinon (extract of cimicifuga)

Rating: 4.9

Let’s start with a drug that gynecologists often like to prescribe: this is Klimadinon. It is known that some plants, such as red clover or cimicifuge, contain substances that are very similar in structure to estrogens. They are called phytoestrogens. But still, these are not human, but plant compounds belonging to the class of isoflavones. However, they have some affinity for estrogen receptors, and slightly mimic the action of their own ovarian hormone, the deficiency of which causes menopause symptoms.

However, it did not go without a pronounced self-hypnosis. There have been many experiments that have shown that these plant compounds, which are similar in structure to estrogens, may well bind to the same receptors as real female hormones. Only now the effect will be much weaker, since only molecules of real estradiol fit the receptor “like a key to a lock”, 100%. These same plant compounds – phytoestrogens – interact with receptors only slightly, and according to modern estimates, cause an effect no more than 0,2% of the effect of estradiol.

Naturally, a 0,2% reduction in symptoms may not be noticeable at all, but it is there, and together with the patient’s firm commitment to improving the condition, this placebo effect can work wonders. Therefore, the use of Klimadinon and related drugs can reduce the painful symptoms of menopause, and, first of all, hot flashes.

Klimadinon contains an extract of rhizomes of cimicifuga, and can be produced in two versions: these are tablets and drops for oral administration. In the case of drops, we are dealing with a clear liquid that smells like wood and has a light brown color. In addition to the estrogen-like effect, Klimadinon has a slight sedative effect on the central nervous system, and helps to reduce or even eliminate the symptoms of menopause. The effect of the drug accumulates gradually, and the maximum should be expected about 2 weeks after the start of treatment.

It is desirable to use it one tablet twice a day at the same time, or 30 drops. Klimadinon is produced by the well-known German company Bionorica, and 60 tablets, which are enough for a month of treatment at 20 mg, will cost from 430 to 520 rubles. If you buy Klimadinon in drops, then a bottle containing 50 ml will cost from 400 to 800 rubles.

In order not to return to the topic of phytoestrogens, let’s say that Cyclodinone has a similar effect. The drug contains a dry extract of the fruits of the rod, and is available in drops. It is indicated not only for menopause, but also for various forms of hyperprolactinemia, as well as for a lack of progesterone. It has not so much an estrogenic effect as a central dopaminergic one. There is also Qi-Klim, which also contains cimicifuga extract, but is available in tablets. Those who believe in homeopathy can be offered homeopathic medicines in drops and granules – Klimaktoplan, Mastodinon, Klimaksan, Remens and others.

Advantages and disadvantages

Klimadinon is very well tolerated, it has no contraindications, except for estrogen-dependent tumors, but it should be borne in mind that phytoestrogens still have a very weak affinity for receptors, and, reducing the symptoms of menopause, they are unlikely to stimulate malignant growth.

This drug is not prescribed during pregnancy and lactation, but you yourself understand that a pregnant or lactating woman cannot be in a state of menopause, so it is not entirely clear why this restriction was introduced, apparently just in case, in order to exclude possible dishonest lawsuits. The drug can cause minor allergic reactions, and very rarely – the appearance of a feeling of tension in the mammary glands, that is, the effect of estrogen in its “pure form”. The medicine should not be taken for more than 3 months without consulting a doctor, and the drops contain alcohol, which must be taken into account if you drive a car.

Tofisopam (Grandaxin)

Rating: 4.8

Grandaxin is a light, daytime tranquilizer that can be prescribed by a therapist, a gynecologist, and a neurologist. Above, we said that a significant role in the deterioration of well-being and a decrease in the quality of life in women in the menopause is played by the negative emotional coloring of symptoms associated with the opinion of “the onset of old age”, “the end of life”. Anxiety joins, and the transition of menopause into a rather severe depression is possible.

Grandaxin is designed to eliminate the emotional coloring of symptoms and improve their tolerance. The medicine is prescribed both independently and in combination with other drugs for the treatment of severe and moderate menopausal syndrome, for the treatment of neurosis, apathy, anxiety and obsessive thoughts. It is advisable to use Grandaxin one or two tablets one to three times a day, but not more than 300 mg per day. The dosage of one tablet is 50 mg, which means that you can not take more than 6 tablets per day.

The Hungarian pharmaceutical company Egis produces grandaxin, and a package of 60 tablets can be purchased in the spring of 2020 at a price of 770 to 890 rubles, the medicine is not too cheap.

Advantages and disadvantages

The drug belongs to atypical benzodiazepines, which means that it does not affect the development of a sedative effect, does not relax muscles, and does not affect the onset of a convulsive state. But it is a little psychostimulating, which means that it is better not to prescribe it at night, but to take it in the morning and at lunchtime. The range of its application is quite wide, but still there are contraindications. If a woman in the climacteric has agitation, agitation or severe irritability, then it is better not to prescribe the medicine, since the activating effect may increase these symptoms. Also, it is not prescribed in case of respiratory failure, together with cyclosporine, but with caution in glaucoma, epilepsy. Side effects may include loss of appetite, insomnia, or itchy skin. The appointment of Grandaxin in small doses together with phytoestrogens allows you to achieve a synergistic, sustainable effect, and stop the symptoms of menopause, improving the patient’s quality of life.

Novo-Passit

Rating: 4.7

Novopassit is another drug that is successfully used not only for menopause, but also for anxiety, neurasthenia, migraine and headache, skin itching, irritability and fatigue. It refers to mild sedatives of plant origin. Without directly affecting the exchange of estrogens, without making up for their deficiency, the drug can reduce the severity of menopause symptoms, or rather, facilitate their perception and tolerance. The oral solution works faster. It consists of a liquid extract of rhizomes with roots of valerian, lemon balm, St. John’s wort, which has a proven antidepressant effect. The composition of the extract includes leaves and flowers of hawthorn, passionflower, hops and elderberry flowers. Additionally, guaifenesin was introduced into it. The result is a reddish-brown syrup with a characteristic odor, which has an anti-anxiety and calming effect. The climacteric condition is an official indication for taking the drug, and it should be prescribed three times a day before meals. Adults need 5 ml 3 times a day, or one tablet 3 times a day.

Novo-Passit is produced by a division of the Israeli company Teva in the Czech Republic, and one 200 ml bottle will cost from 280 to 330 rubles. At a flow rate of 15 ml per day, one vial is enough for 13 days, or approximately two weeks of treatment.

Advantages and disadvantages

Novopassit produces a sedative effect, in contrast to the tonic Grandaxin. Therefore, in case of an overdose, the patient may develop drowsiness and muscle weakness. But this symptom is dose-dependent, and with a decrease in dosage, these signs disappear. It is important to remember that Novo-Passit contains St. John’s wort, and therefore fair-skinned patients should not visit the solarium while taking Novo-Passit, and avoid exposure to open sunlight. During treatment, it is forbidden to take alcoholic beverages, it is not recommended to take Novopassit for more than one week without a doctor’s prescription. The extract contains ethyl alcohol, in each single dose of about 500 mg, so it is undesirable to use the drug in the process of driving a car or performing critical work that requires an increased reaction rate. There are also contraindications: hypersensitivity to guaifenesin. But in general it is especially good in patients with climacteric symptoms who have insomnia and an increase in evening symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Feminine

Rating: 4.6

Another of the drugs that is based on the effect of phytoestrogens is Feminal. It is produced by the Croatian company Jadran, 30 capsules of 160 mg each will cost around 700 rubles. for packing. Based on a standardized 40% yield of red clover isoflavones, each capsule contains 40mg of pure isoflavone. We already wrote above that phytoestrogens have an estrogen-like effect, although very weak. Additionally, the source of phytohormones is found in soy and red clover, in this case we are talking about four variants of isoflavones. This drug has been successfully used to relieve hot flashes, reduce the symptoms of sweating and tachycardia. Feminal normalizes sleep, relieves headaches and nervousness. The drug is taken one capsule a day with meals, and this package is enough for a whole month.

Advantages and disadvantages

Feminal has exactly the same advantages and disadvantages as all phytoestrogens. In fact, these are nutritional supplements, they are well tolerated, there are very few contraindications to them, with the exception of individual intolerance. But on the other hand, they are able to reduce menopausal symptoms alone only if they are mild. If there is a serious condition, there are somatic signs, then it is necessary to introduce real hormones, and we will talk about hormone replacement therapy. These drugs will be discussed further.

Hormone replacement therapy: what to choose?

If the patient’s climacteric syndrome is severe, then she does not have enough phytoestrogens, anxiolytics or sedatives. It is necessary to give the body exactly what the body is deprived of and why it misses you so much: hormones. In this case, a positive response to replacement therapy is up to 90%, but it is necessary to give not pure estrogen, but a combination drug, that is, both estrogen and progestogen. After all, the inhibition of the hormonal function of the ovaries is not only a deficiency of estradiol. In the second phase of the ovarian-menstrual cycle, the corpus luteum is formed, which begins to produce progesterone. Therefore, if the hormonal function of the ovaries is already being prosthetized, then it is fully prosthetized, preserving two phases.

Therefore, combined estrogen-progestin drugs are most often used orally, which significantly reduce hot flashes, reduce the risk of osteoporosis after menopause and, accordingly, fractures. If hormone replacement therapy is started according to indications before the age of 60, and continued for 10 years after the onset of menopause, then such evidence-based therapy also reduces the number of cardiovascular accidents.

However, hormones should not be taken uncontrollably for too long. This may result in an increased risk of malignant neoplasms of the breast, the risk of vascular thrombosis. Not all women can be treated with replacement therapy. It is prohibited for patients with oncological pathology, and with a high risk of venous thromboembolism. Therefore, such treatment should always be carried out according to the doctor’s prescription, and with appropriate control. Consider two drugs that are intended for hormone replacement therapy. The first of them can be used continuously, and contains drospirenone and estradiol, this is Angeliq. The second medicine contains levonorgestrel and estradiol and is called Klimonorm.

Drospirenone + estradiol (Angelik)

Rating: 4.9

Angelique is produced by the German company Schering, and a package for 1 month of admission will cost an average of 1300 rubles. The drug contains drospirenone as a progestogen and estradiol as an estrogen. The drug has a similar effect to normal hormones. It is indicated for use in patients with menopausal disorders and estrogen deficiency. At the same time, at least 12 months must have passed since the last menstruation. The second indication for long-term treatment is the prevention of osteoporosis when a woman is at high risk of fractures but cannot tolerate other drugs.

It is necessary to take Angeliq once a day, after the end of taking 28 tablets, a new package is started. The first tablet from the new package must be taken on the same day of the week as the first tablet from the previous one. There must be a certain time of reception, a certain hour of the day. If a tablet is missed, then it is necessary to take it as soon as possible, but if more than a day has passed, then this should not be done. If several tablets are missed, vaginal bleeding may develop.

Advantages and disadvantages

The drug significantly improves the quality of life and removes the symptoms of menopause, but there are a large number of contraindications: vaginal bleeding, breast neoplasms, liver tumors, vascular thrombosis, endometrial hyperplasia and a large number of various contraindications. Therefore, only a doctor should treat with a permanent hormone replacement therapy. There are also side effects: soreness of the mammary glands, bleeding from the genital tract and thromboembolic complications, in which case the drug has to be canceled.

Levonorgestrel + estradiol (Climonorm)

Rating: 4.8

Klimonorm is also a popular drug for hormone replacement therapy, produced by the German company Bayer, and you can pay an average of 21 rubles for a pack of 820 pills. Dragees have a different color. The yellow dragee contains 2 mg of estradiol, and the brown dragee contains estradiol and levonorgestrel, which is 13 times less. There are 9 yellow dragees and 12 brown dragees. The drug is necessary to compensate for the deficiency of estrogen and progesterone, to reduce the symptoms of menopause, to prevent osteoporosis. In addition, the drug reduces the level of total cholesterol, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is indicated for severe menopausal disorders, as well as a means of replacement therapy after surgical removal of the ovaries, and for the treatment of urinary incontinence in the postmenopausal period.

It is necessary to take yellow dragees for the first 9 days, then brown ones for 12 days. After that, you need to take a break for one week, in which menstrual-like bleeding is formed, usually on the third day after taking the last pill. Then the new packaging begins. Now it is clear why this drug is called a cyclic replacement therapy, and why there are only 21 tablets in the package, which is equal to the normal cycle duration. If Angelique only relieved the symptoms, then artificial menstruation is formed here, since, depending on the color of the capsules, the concentration of hormones changes, imitating a rough, but still natural rhythm of ovarian secretion.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any hormonal drug, Klimonorm has many contraindications. These are severe liver dysfunction, congenital lipid disorders and thromboembolism, hormone-dependent uterine tumors, endometriosis and severe diabetes mellitus. There are also side effects. But in the event that the drug is used with all precautions, then it very well reduces the symptoms of menopause, including severe ones, and even forms artificial menstruation. Of course, external hormones that impose an external rhythm of their fluctuations in the blood plasma will not lead to ovulation, and it will be impossible to get pregnant, but the quality of life will be significantly better.

Pineamine

Rating: 4.7

Finally, we bring to your attention the most expensive remedy for the relief of menopause symptoms, which has no analogues in the Western market, created by the domestic company Geropharm. Let’s say right away that Pineamin continues the long-standing tradition of “medicines” from various animal raw materials, discontinued in the civilized world. We already had both Cortexin from the brain of pigs, and Cerebrolysin, Actovegin, and other medicines were imported and continue to be imported to us.

For various reasons, countries with developed medicine have abandoned all kinds of extracts from animal raw materials, ranging from ethical reasons to elementary inefficiency. But for domestic producers, international experience is not a pointer, and therefore, in calves no older than 12 months of age, they began to cut out the epiphysis, that is, the pineal glands, at meat processing plants. After that, they were preserved, purified, and as a result it was stated that the drug contained a “complex of low molecular weight water-soluble polypeptides.” It was considered that they normalize the function of the anterior pituitary gland, and the balance of gonadotropic hormones.

The prerequisite for the creation of this super unique drug was the actual discovery of antagonism between kisspeptin and gonadotropin-inhibiting hormone. These are neuropeptides of the hypothalamus, and the first of them stimulates the reproductive function, and the second suppresses it. So, it turned out that the role of endogenous melatonin, which is secreted by the pineal gland, or the pineal gland, is great. Melatonin affects these neuropeptides, and melatonin deficiency in menopause leads to a decrease in the synthesis of gonadotropin-inhibiting hormone. As a result, the control of kisspeptin, which stimulates reproductive function, is weakened, and as a result, hot flashes and other symptoms occur. Therefore, the producers decided that the epiphyses of calves would help.

The instructions say that there were studies not only on animals, but also on the “population of women”, and established a significant decrease in the severity of the climacteric syndrome. However, no reference is made to Pubmed, the number of women, or the design of the study. However, this drug is positioned exclusively as an anti-climacteric, and it should be used intramuscularly, diluting the contents of one vial in a local anesthetic solution. It should be administered daily for 10 days at a dose of 10 mg per day. For animal raw materials, its price is prohibitive: one package of 10 bottles will cost in pharmacies from 17000 rubles. up to 20000 rubles, which brings the drug from animal raw materials closer to the cost of recombinant monoclonal antibodies.

Advantages and disadvantages

The disadvantage is the complete absence of foreign analogues. It is highly doubtful that the declared polypeptides will eventually be contained in animal raw materials, due to the lack of reliable methods for their detection in industrial concentrations. The disadvantage is the exorbitant price, as well as the assertion, very characteristic of nutritional supplements, that there are no cases of overdose and drug interactions.

In a word, if you really want to treat the unpleasant symptoms of menopause, then start with Klimadinon. If that doesn’t help, then you’re on hormone replacement therapy. But if you really want to spend money, then you can buy a solution of certain parts of the brain of cattle for a lot of money, and then the placebo effect will certainly work.

Attention! This material is subjective, is not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.