Black Cohosh...........any good?

Im heading to the docs next week to discuss the possibility of going on HRT. Thanks to all of you who replied to my last discussion on being scared, I do feel more at ease with it...........but have any of you tried using Black Cohosh tablets?

Did you get any reduction in hot flushes, night sweats  etc?

How long does it take to kick in?

Your thoughts, greatly appreciated!

No I haven't tried black clash I once tried a herbal tea which they made up for me but it was no good I'm having bad hot flushes as only had hysterectomy in Nov so hope the doctor will help next week my ditches pull no and again too

There's been some information regarding black cohosh and it not being recommended anymore. It is thought it can alter the chemicals in the brain and can affect the body's defences against diseases. Some people have developed liver problems after taking it.

Oh dear, thats not good! Not read that!

Glad I never took that then

Does anybody know if it is OK to have a drink on hrt say once a week

Recently there have been quite a few concerns about it.

Drink as much as you like caroline 

That's good to know as I find red wine makes flushes worse than white

I've read some bad things on black cohosh and definitely don't take them at same time as hrt is a theme on other posts. I've also heard green tea tablets on hrt but don't see the logic on that one unless anyone can say different. Good luck with GP and hrt discussions

Hi, I was on black cohosh for 15 months and used Boots own make. Personally I found it worked very well. With a combination of exercise, about 30 minutes a day my hot flushes ceased and I felt like myself again. I did check with my GP after I had taken it for 6 months and was told that if it did the trick keep using it. After 15 months, I started getting night sweats and hot flushes during the day. On returning to the GP, I asked and was given HRT Premique low dose which worked almost within the week of it being taken by me. However for those on Premique low dose the nightmare of no stocks is an ongoing saga. Hope this helps.

Thats good then i cant wait to go to docs next week i get flushes just doing housework

I've also read some bad reports on black cohosh - I'd have considered anything when I first started with menopause but decided against this.  There's a tendency to think of these sorts of  products as being more "natural" but I think some of the problems with them is that they are not regulated in the same way as prescribed drugs.  While they might work for some people, there could be potential side-effects or long term safety problems.  

There is certainly no problem having a drink or two when on HRT.  I still enjoy my red wine - in moderation of course ;-)

Hi Maria, yes you are right, you have to be careful what you take and a lot of so called remedies for HRT are available online. However, I used black cohosh manufactured by Boots the Chemist (uk) which they are still producing and selling. However, like with all medicines, one size will not fit all.

I hope there's not much side effects ascwhen I was on it two years ago I got a lot of bleeding and headaches hopefully I won't on a different sort