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Pycnogenol Helps With Hot Flashes

Newspaper Columns, Herb & Home Remedy Q&A February 5, 2008

Pycnogenol Helps With Hot Flashes Q. I have tried everything ever suggested for hot flashes but until now have gotten relief only from hormones (HRT). I recently started taking Pycnogenol and have noticed a marked improvement.

I stopped HRT about eight months ago and have suffered an average of two or three hot flashes per hour since then. After taking Pycnogenol for a week, I have only four or five hot flashes per day. I can live with this. What a relief!

A. A placebo-controlled study showed that Pycnogenol (extracted from French maritime pine bark) eases symptoms of menopause (Acta Obstetrica et Gynecologica Scandinavica, Aug. 2007). We are pleased it has helped you.

Tags: French Maritime Pine Bark, Hot Flashes, Menopause, Pycnogenol

Reader Comments

The comments below are provided by the users of this site and not by The Peoples Pharmacy or the Graedons. Please also remember that nothing contained in this site is intended as a substitute for medical advice.

I took Vitamin E for hot flashes and it worked! I started with 200 IU and gradually worked up to 800 IU – never start Vitamin E at a high dosage.

After a few months I dropped back to 400 IU and they came back. Went back up to 800 IU and they disappeared.

Posted by: bev | February 13, 2008 12:00 PM

If other suggested remedies don't work, you may want to try Women's Menocaps (www.wisewomanherbals.com). The caps were recommended by my naturopath--within the 1st week hotflashes and mood swings had improved & after 3 weeks, ALL symptoms 100% eliminated.

Posted by: SC | February 15, 2008 12:30 PM

I've been taking 100 mg. of Pycnogenol daily for several weeks, and unfortunately, it has not helped the hot flashes at all. In fact, I think it has actually made them worse. The frequency has been about the same, usually 2 to 4 an hour, but they are much more severe since I've started taking this product. As of today, I've stopped taking it.

I'm 64 years old and am desperately searching for some relief and an end to these melt-downs.

Posted by: ec | July 1, 2008 2:12 PM

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Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Their syndicated radio show can be heard on public radio. In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

© 2008 King Features Syndicate, Inc.