Homeopathy For PMS And Menopause

Over 150 symptoms have been attributed to PMS, Perimenopause & Menopause including feeling "out of control," anxious, depressed, and irritable with uncontrollable crying spells.  Physical symptoms may include food cravings (especially for chocolate), bloating, fluid retention and weight gain, headaches/migraines and fatigue, backache, constipation, painful joints and/or heart palpitations.

Menopause/Perimenopause

Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping.

Perimenopause can occur up to ten years before cessation of menses.

Some women's menstrual flow comes to a sudden halt, but most women can have more or less frequent periods over time before they come to a final halt.

Symptoms of menopause include pounding heart, hot flashes, night sweats, skin flushing, insomnia, low libido, forgetfulness, irregular periods, mood swings, vaginal dryness, joint aches, fatigue and feeling overwhelmed.

The average age of menopause is 51 (mostly between age 45 and 55), but menopause can occur in the 30s or as late as the 60s.

Homeopathy for PMS and Menopause

Homeopathy addresses the whole person, not merely the illness.

With over 3,000 remedies to choose from, the homeopath must determine the indicated remedy (constitutional remedy) according to each woman's individual pattern of symptoms.

I will discuss a couple of cases and the indicated remedy for each case.  Keep in mind that these are but a few examples from the bounty of remedies available for women with PMS and menopause.

This is to be used for educational purposes only.

Do not treat yourself. A professional homeopath has knowledge of and access to your correct constitutional remedy.


Pulsatilla (Wind Flower):  This is a plant remedy known to be useful for sensitive, emotional people who are gentle, nurturing and need support and affection.  Known as "the weather-cock of remedies," Pulsatilla women are mild, gentle and yielding.  "Mentally, an April day," women with changeable, contradictory moods and symptoms may benefit from this remedy. Weeping and depressed women during PMS with irregular, varying periods.

Usually has a healthy sex drive and enjoys intimacy. This woman can have unstable circulation (warm head, cold feet, varicose veins) and feels better in the fresh open air and worse in a warm, stuffy room. Worse when alone, better with company and consolation.  Thirstless, peevish and chilly or warm-natured.

Crying spells and fear of the dark, being alone and ghosts.

Highly emotional and easily discouraged, this woman benefits from affection, gentle motion or walking in fresh air.  Useful for PMS or menopause with hot flashes worse in warm, stuffy rooms and better from walking in fresh air, and irregular periods in a weepy, changeable and gentle person.


Pulsatilla Case Study:  A thirty year-old gentle, mild, yielding woman complains of being "bipolar" along with diarrhea and sinus infections worse from drinking milk.  She has fatigue and sleep disturbances, not being able to sleep until 2 a.m.  Even after sleeping 14-16 hours, she feels like she hasn't slept.  Wakes unrefreshed.  Wakes every two hours alert with an active mind.  Gets flu-like symptoms of nausea, vomiting and headaches with sore neck and sore shoulders every three months.  She has had no periods since stopping oral contraceptives.  Complains of facial hair and polycystic ovarian syndrome, in which follicles don't produce eggs.  She has short, heavy periodswhen they do come, and becomes more emotional and weepy with fatigue and a tired back.  She just lies around.  Food cravings for chocolate, salt, ketchup and french fries, avocadoes, cheese, tomatoes, potatoes with sour cream, cheese and chives, pickles and fat on meat.  Whipped cream gives her an upset stomach. Complains of a lot of fears from growing up in an unstable home with abandonment, insecurity and personal safety issues. Dislikes being alone in the dark and feels better with company.  Temperature is chilly, then hot and sweaty. Burns easily in the sun and feelsworse in a hot, stuffy room or sauna.  Claustrophobia in a steam room.  Feels better with cold air on her face. General dread/anxiety with desire to cry for no reason.Moody/tearful/angry feelings center around feeling disappointed by her husband'sperceived lack of attention to her.  Affectionate and feels better from consolation and hugs. Rosacea began with acne, and a few moles and freckles/birthmarks. Her goal is to become more emotionally stable without medications and to start her period and get pregnant.

 Three months after starting Pulsatilla 200C, her crying has stopped and her energy has improved. Sleep is good and she is able to clean house and be productive. Not as needy for husband's attention. Moods are stable and she can do anything she needs to.  Fear of robbers and abandonment is much better. Anxiety/dread is a thing of the past.  She is hot natured now. She has been having her periods with cramping. New symptoms are anger, starting a diet with Weight Watchers and seeking out interactions with people and events (when she used to stay home and lie around).  Healthy without infections and no headaches or sinus congestion.  

Sepia (Inky Juice of Cuttlefish):  This is an animal remedy made from the ink of the cuttle fish.  The Sepia woman may be worn out from emotional traumas and abuse, multiple pregnancies, nursing twins, hormonal assaults (not well since birth control pill) or overlifting.  She is depressed with zero energy and zero sex drive, sweats under her arms and doesn't want to get up in the morning. Feels worse in damp, rainy weather and before a storm. Doesn't care; indifferent to her family, snaps at husband and children, can be sarcastic with cutting remarks when tired. May experience hot flashes at menopause. Food cravings: vinegar, acids (sour), pickles, sweets, chocolate, salt. Aversion to fat and worse from milk.  Rosacea, ringworm or lupus skin symptoms may be present. May have restless legs and cold feet. Irritable, snappy and worn out during PMS; periods may be painful and irregular with sharp, clutching pains and prolapse of uterus and vagina with bearing down of contents of pelvis (crosses legs to prevent protrusion). Wants to be left alone and lie down in a dark room with hormonal migraines. May have sinus congestion worse before a storm. Painful intercourse may prevent her from enjoying intimacy with her partner. Ambitious, hard working career women who can become ill from overwork. Feel relief with vigorous exercise or may be too exhausted to exercise. Enjoys dancing and thunderstorms.Hot flashes during menopause in women with this mental/emotional/physical picture.

Sepia Case Study:  39 year-old female presents with exhaustion and gastric reflux with gurgling/growling of the stomach.  She is so tired that she has to drink coffee to stay awake at work. She prefers a daily nap between 2 and 3 p.m. and feels better afterward.  Her sleep is disturbed from waking every two hours and she is constipated alternating with diarrhea/irritable bowel every three days.  Reflux is caused by chocolate, coffee, and even water.  It's difficult to get up in the morning and she feelsirritable on waking. She grinds her teeth at night in bed and sleeps on her right side under the covers.  She has "crazy dreams" about someone chasing her and she is running in place, and somebody trying to hurt or kill her.  She is divorced from a physically abusive husband who is in prison. She lost a child to a freak accident. She is afraid of losing her sons and has a fear of not being good enough for God (her father was a Baptist preacher).  She is afraid of failing to be a good person. She has body image issues and had a gastric bypass to lose 100 pounds. She has to work on body image and her self esteem. Her father abused her when she was young and she couldn't tell her mother, who remained in the marriage. Her mother was either loving or screaming "hell on us."  Client tries to get away from anger. Then she puts up a fuss and fights back. She is bubbly, funny, and can be "hell on wheels."  She gets things done and hates procrastination. She likes company and alone time to meditate and read scriptures. She is chilly and hates winter.  Has been moody all of her life, and has had suicidal thoughts when severely depressed in the past.  She likes to stay in bed and be left alone when depressed. She gets grumpy during PMS (two days before her period), which is relieved by the flow. Hormones are terrible for a few days, and she is more depressed with fluid retention and weight gain.  It feels like pressure, like heruterus is falling out.  Sinuses worse before a thunderstorm with pain in her head and above and behind her eyes.  She feels worse in damp, rainy weather and better in sunshine. Uses SAD light in the winter. Can be bossy and irritable, then sarcastic with those she loves. 

 The first remedy given was Lycopodium 200C for reflux and self-esteem issues.  Two months later, reflux and irritable bowel improved, but PMS and periods continued. Exhaustion continued with aversion to sex.  Sepia 200C was then given, followed by improvement in energy, attitude, not as cynical, more accepting of herself and others, improved mood during PMS and less fearful.  She has continued to do well on Sepia 200C, then 1M over the past few months. She is considering going to graduate school to further her career.

Pulsatilla, Lycopodium and Sepia are only three of the many homeopathic remedies which can be useful in women with PMS or menopausal symptoms which match the correct remedy picture (description of the symptoms a remedy can cause in a healthy person and heal in an ill person; each remedy picture is published in homeopathicmateria medicas for use by homeopathic practitioners).