FAQs

I have studied extensively the groups patterns of perimenopause and menopause symptoms over more than 5 years and I’ve helped hundreds of women. I use my knowledge of Chinese medicine to link these to the root cause(s) and imbalances in your energy. Please contact me for a no-obligation clarity call to ask these questions and to see if I'm the right fit for helping you.

I can prepare you for what to expect, I can help you resolve the symptoms you would experience before they start. I can also help you alleviate pain post laparoscopy either in person or via zoom. See my hysterectomy help page. Get peppermint essential oil before you have your operation!

No I don’t, I am not qualified to prescribe. However the supplements that I suggest are nutritional ones and these are considered safe as they are the chemical building blocks of your body like vitamins and minerals. Understanding nutritional supplements is vital as many of the symptoms you’re experiencing is caused by a lack of these nutrients.

This is anything that you can do, take, change that will help alleviate your symptoms. For example dietary changes, nutritional supplements, herbal supplements, essential oils, lifestyle changes, exercise, knowledge , coaching and emotional support.

No I don’t, I’m not qualified in this. I have an interest in the overlap of Chinese herbs (like liquorice and ashwaganda; absolutely no animal products) with ayurvedic medicine and british herbal medicine. I do not prescribe herbal medicine, I will however suggest some very main stream herbals that are good for menopause if it is suitable.

Yes I can. I don’t discriminate I can help you whether you’re taking HRT and whether you choose to come off HRT. I have a lot of options in my vast tool kit to help you restore your health.

I’m based on the outskirts of Cheltenham and I’m available to see you face to face for ‘Shiatsu for Menopause’, or if you’d rather have a consultation then this is carried out via zoom. The beauty of a home clinic is a relaxed environment and time slots as well as available parking right outside and easy access. I do have a dog so please let me know in advance if you have an issue with dogs. For more about shiatsu, what it is like and how it can help please go to my sister website shiatsucheltenham.co.uk

This is more indepth than my book ‘Understanding Your Menopause’. This is a 5 part video series that steps you through deeper understanding of you changing body plus explaining what you can do for nutrition ,exercise, sleep, anxiety, liver detoxing, emotional support and tools, plus what’s to come in ‘life after oestrogen’. This is a great companion to my book and you’ll receive all my videos and guides as additional bonuses. Read more here.

I can help you understand and alleviate even your worst symptoms. Using my theory of Chinese medicine and my years of experience and observations along with the results I’ve seen with women’s health issues and hormonal change I can help you make the changes you need.

The average age of a white western female is around 51, but can be as early as 45 or later in your 50s. If your periods are very limited or have stopped at a younger age this is considered an early menopause and you should discuss your health requirements with a doctor or a menopause specialist like me. You can book a no obligation clarity call with me.

Yes your changing hormonal health and stress can affect your moods by flatlining your emotions or causing low moods. The best thing you can do is up your nutrition and strengthen your gut health (90% of your brain chemicals are made in your gut). Mood swings are associated more with how well your liver is working and so if you find you’re quite irritable or flare up easily then check out my Liver detox guide.

Yes it can. There are different aspects to what triggers heart palpitations depending on the time of day, they can be associated with anxiety and also with night sweats and hot flushes. It would really benefit you to book a clarity call with me.

Taking high doses of vitamins like C and E, plus collagen will all help bring back lubrication to the effected area. You can also look at taking phytoestrogen supplements too and including them in your daily diet. More on supplements here.

Yes it can be, as you transition through the menopause the strain it puts on your body is between 10 and 100 times more so than when you were pregnant. It is important to resolve your sleep issues and ensure you’re not tired. I can help you do this, I break down your sleep pattern as there are normally 2 or 3 causes of sleep disruption during the menopause. Once you have a good quality of sleep you should feel less tired. The other issue to address is the ‘3pm slump’, and this can be resolved by looking at your lifestyle overall and making tweaks to help your energy and moods throughout the day. Start with my blog on insomnia.

It can be both but the most important thing is that you make best efforts to remain in good brain health. Too many foods that turn to sugar can cause brain fog and not having enough nutrients and weak gut health can affect your memory and mental health. My guide Eating for the Perimenpause and beyond plus supplements starter guide will help both your memory and many of your perimenopausal symptoms

It’s entirely different for everyone, but let’s say on average 10 years. However if you’re suffering with symptoms, the best question to ask is ‘how can I resolve my symptoms now?’. Don’t put up with symptoms they are your body telling you that something is wrong and asking for help. Sometimes just adding some supplements in can help alleviate symptoms like achy joints and fatigue. If you have more complex health issues then you may require a private consultation where you’ll receive a plan designed especially for your situation, please contact me to discuss.

No periods for a year. However more importantly it is whether you have symptoms or not. You can have periods and no symptoms or no periods and a lot of symptoms. Resolving your symptoms at any time during your menopause is the healthy and the right decision to make for your health. Read more here.

As flushes are caused by a combination of health imbalances in the body , they can be resolved and prevented from even happening if you make some health changes. My book Understanding Your Menopause steps you through alleviating the main symptoms you may be experiencing and in doing so sets you up for not getting hot flushes or them reducing. Taking vitamin C with bioflavonoids is very beneficial, and if your periods are scant or finished you can take phytoestrogens too, my supplement starter guide can help you.

Yes for some, however normally after a time of heavier periods they can become scant and erratic, or you may go months without one then have extra long periods. There is no ‘normal’ way for periods to stop, women can be different. If your periods stop and you’re under 45 you maybe having an early menopause. If your periods stop later on and you experience no symptoms this is a very successful menopause. Read more here.

The menopause is where a woman stops menstruating and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally, however you should be cautious for at least a year after your last period if you’re having sex and don’t want to fall pregnant In the years leading up to women go through perimenopause, which is the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, and this can cause it’s own particular set of symptoms. I very much suffered with perimenopause symptoms until I learnt what was going on and made the health adjustments required. Nearly all your symptoms can be resolved with topping up on nutrition, firstly with a good diet and then adding the right supplements as required. Read more on supplements here.

If headaches are new to you then yes, it’s well documented that with lowering oestrogen that women can get more headaches, however this doesn’t mean you have to put up with them. As oestrogen lowers the best thing you can do for your health is to up your nutrition, with diet and supplements. Headaches can be caused by tension and so magnesium is a mineral that can help this, I would also recommend a good multivitamin too. My supplementstarterguide will help you get the right supplements

Yes it can on two levels, one your sleep can be badly affected, caused by a host of symptoms affecting different sleep cycles through the night – from night sweats to adrenal distress. The stress you’re under plus the hormonal transition affects your cortisol levels and this can lead to nutritional depletion which can be exhausting and a difficult cycle to break until you understand what you can do. I would suggest starting with my blog on sleep here, and looking at heat relief and supplements.

You never quite know when you’re having your last period, and whilst you can still have one you’re potentially fertile. The NHS recommend you use birth control for at least 2 years after having your ‘last period’.

The duration and severity of symptoms differs from woman to woman and some may be harder to deal with than others. Everyone thinks of hot flushes, but quite often the more disruptive symptoms are low moods, a lack of sex drive, anxiety, brain fog, poor sleep, fatigue and achy joints. This is just a few of the symptoms, please read more here about symptoms and stages.

The key is controlling belly fat, and this alters as your hormones change. There are a few factors involved including the quality of your gut health, your liver health and the type of foods you eat. Eating for the perimenopause and beyond is an incredibly useful guide to all of these points and will get you understanding and eating the right types of foods.

Yes it can. This is to do with the stress you're currently under along with the hormonal change causing an addition stress. If you look at my Live Life Anxiety Free Guide , that will help with insomnia as well

Yes, east v west. Chinese medicine looks at the subtle imbalances in your energy and health and works to bring them back into balance gently, helping you feel better quickly and with no side effects. Western medicine is for when acute ailments have caused a real physical change in the body that is causing a serious condition. Western medicine also tends to have a lot of side effects.

No sadly it isn’t. However if you’ve received results from tests that have no conclusive answers this can be good news. It can mean what you’re feeling/ experiencing is in the ‘energetic’ realm, this means you feel it before it becomes a physical issue that can be picked up on scans. Your symptoms will give me an indication of what your issues are and how to resolve them, if you have health concerns menopause or otherwise contact me for no-obligation phone call.

Chinese medicine is a theory model and I use this to suggest lifestyle and diet changes, supplements, and elements of therapy to alleviate your symptoms. This doesn’t interfere with any medicine you may take.

Chinese medicine is a theory model to understand how to group your symptoms to point to the root causes. To resolve these issues with natural remedies is to advise you on changes to your diet, supplements, exercise, essential oils, shiatsu physical therapy. What ever is appropriate for you. The supplements are nutritional and sometimes herbal (I do not supply these). Traditional Chinese medicine is not the same as Chinese herbal medicine.

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Migraines are complex but with asking questions use the theory model of Chinese medicine I may ascertain what the cause is and give you advice on how to resolve. This can be in person with a shiatsu or via video consult or self-shiatsu session. I may also suggest supplements too. Contact me for a chat to find out which is the best solution to help you.

Yes, and the main reason being that a lot of symptoms group to just a couple of root causes. In understanding this and working to resolve the root cause a lot of symptoms go altogether.

I trained for 3 years for a diploma in shiatsu and oriental medicine with The Shiatsu College. I had over 500 hours of hands on practical skills as well as the theory of Chinese medicine, five element theory (a bit like psychology), western anatomy, physiology and pathology. Numerous case studies in areas such as migraines and periods, high blood pressure, pelvic imbalance and back ache. I have continued in further development in my 15 years since qualifying with cupping, pelvic correction, further Chinese medicine, essential oils (as medicines), pharmacognosy (the use of the scent of e.oils) and a foundation course in herbs.

Yes you can, it's about the amount of nutrients in each supplement. For example the NVR (nutrient reference value) of zinc is 10mg a day, so do you require an additional zinc supplement if you’re taking a good multi vitamin? Many are worried about overdosing on vitamins, as long as you’re sensible you can’t, vitamin A being the main one you should not take more than the daily NRV. However for supplements like the vitamin B complex the NRV is woefully out of date. As a practitioner with continued professional development in nutritional supplements I can advise you. If you book a clarity call with me you’ll receive my free ‘Supplement starter guide’ to ensure you know what you’re doing with nutritional supplements.

Yes you can, it is advantageous to do so. You most likely have a real lack of nutrients that can be adding to the way you feel. Once you restore your levels, and improve your gut health symptoms may subside, especially if you didn’t have ‘depression’ before menopause. My supplements guide would really benefit you, read more here.

It all depends on the quality of the supplements, a lot have ‘filler’ ingredients and very little active component. I’ve spent years testing and researching supplements and now only recommend plant based ones that are readily absorbed into your blood/gut and get work, and you’ll see the results. Read my supplement starter guide to learn more.

Nutritonal ones to feed the excess cortisol (stress hormone) plus a good herbal one called Ashwaganda to calm your adrenal response (lowers cortisol -but this isn't suitable for everyone so there are alternatives). I have a Live Life Anxiety Free Guide that can help you further.

Yes you can take nutritional supplements like vitamins and minerals, occasionally there is a contra indication for example vitamin K2 and blood thinners. My supplement starter guide can help you with this. Herbal supplements are more complex as they may interact/ interfere with your medication and this has to be checked by a practitioner or doctor.

Yes absolutely, this is recommended. HRT is topping up your hormone levels but symptoms are mainly caused by missing nutrients, so nutritional supplements are incredibly good for you. Read more here.

Yes you can, nutritional supplements are for your health and don’t interfere with contraceptives.

Absolutely, supplements are a major resource for strengthening your immunity, especially a probiotic to strengthen your gut health. I use microbz for me, my family and all my clients; it’s a real game changer for your health!

Sleep is complex, it has to be broken down into the individual issues that you will be experiencing, there isn’t a quick tip. Start with my blog on insomnia and then contact me for a clarity call or book a consultation. You can start with adding in Magnesium though!

Nutritional supplements (vitamins and minerals) are safe when taken according to guide lines or as recommended by a practitioner. Herbal supplements are more complex, they have an effect on how your organs work and should only be taken after discussing your symptoms with a qualified practitioner.