Author Emma Macias Cortes, in her recent research published in the journal Homeopathy, provides insights into the use of homeopathic remedies for menopausal symptoms and explores their potential effects on the neuroendocrine system in women. Below, I’ve summarized and commented on the key points from her article.

Vasomotor changes, commonly known as (un)popular hot flashes, as well as mood changes such as sadness, crying, anxiety, loss of pleasure, irritability, poor concentration, and fatigue, are among the most significant and quite unpleasant symptoms of peri/post-menopause. Homeopathy has traditionally been used successfully for over two centuries to address numerous physical and emotional symptoms related to menopause. "Classical homeopathy" is considered the "gold standard" in homeopathic prescribing, meaning that one homeopathic remedy is prescribed at a time using only minimal doses and the least number of repetitions necessary in each individual case to stimulate the self-regulatory processes of self-healing.

Homeopathic remedies such as Gelsemium sempervirens, Ignatia amara, and Chamomilla matricaria have been shown to have anxiolytic effects in rodent models. Several randomized controlled trials, clinical observational studies, and case reports have indicated the most important homeopathic remedies for menopausal symptoms. The homeopathic Materia Medica fully describes their most characteristic symptoms. Some of these homeopathic remedies, known as "polychrests," are used to treat a wide range of ailments; they can alleviate both emotional and physical discomfort. This applies to remedies like Sepia officinalis and Lachesis mutus, both of which can be used for depression, anxiety, as well as vasomotor symptoms, headaches, insomnia, or fatigue in menopausal women. However, there are also other "organotropic" homeopathic remedies with specific actions in the body, such as Sabina, Erigeron, Trillium pendulum, or Millefolium for menorrhagia in menopausal women.

Lachesis mutus and Sepia officinalis are frequently prescribed for significant neuropsychiatric and vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that affects mood, is one of the components of the ink from the common cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis

For example, the homeopathic remedy Sepia officinalis uses infinitesimal (infinitely small) doses of cuttlefish ink, while Lachesis mutus uses infinitely small doses of venom from the same-named snake. These small doses of homeopathic remedies, when properly administered to the menopausal woman whose homeostasis is significantly disrupted due to the natural hormonal changes at the end of the reproductive period, lead to an improvement in her symptoms. Each woman experiences a unique combination of specific menopausal symptoms, and the experienced homeopathic doctor will recognize this pattern as indicative of one of the many well-known homeopathic polychrests or organotropic remedies, the proper application of which will subsequently lead to an improvement in her health; to the immense joy of both our patients and us.

Through her work, the author hypothesizes and investigates how certain homeopathic remedies achieve a direct or indirect neuroendocrine effect on the body, possibly triggered by yet unidentified biological mechanisms, and calls for further scientific research to address numerous unanswered questions in this area.

Ref.

Macias Cortes, Emma. “Understanding Whny Homeopathic Medicines are Used for Menopause: Searching for Insights into Neuroendocrine Features”. Homeopathy 2024; 113(02): 054-066, DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1769734. https://www.thieme-connect.com/.../10.1055/s-0043-1769734 (accessed on October 22, 2024.)