Alternatives for women through menopause

Today, 42% of Americans use alternative nonprescription therapies to treat medical conditions; 46% of nonprescription alternative use for principal me dical conditions is done without consulting either a medical doctor or a no nphysician practitioner of alternative therapy. Many nontraditional alterna tives are used to treat the hot flashes and somatic complaints of menopause , for which options such as hormone replacement therapy and other prescript ion and over-the-counter drugs are also available. To date, no one agent tr eats all menopausal symptoms as effectively as estrogen. Selective estrogen -receptor modulators can help prevent osteoporosis but do not relieve menop ausal symptoms. However, some women are unwilling or unable to take hormone replacement therapy, and some decide to discontinue therapy. Evidence supp orting the use of some nonprescription alternatives for conditions related to menopause is limited. Patients need to be aware of the potential for dru g interactions when these alternative therapies are used concomitantly with prescription drugs. The current evidence to support use of hormone replace ment therapy, selective estrogen-receptor modulators, and nontraditional al ternatives is reviewed here.