Menopause

Diagnosis

+/- 49 years young, menses stop.  Around this time symptoms & signs start to appear.  Cycle becomes irregular, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, hot flashes, red complexion coming & going in waves, very emotional (anger, irritated, sadness, anxiety, etc.), edema, low back & knee weakness / pain, digestive problems, cold limbs, & urinary disorders.  These do not come all at once, some women only get a few & some women encounter many.  This may last for weeks to years in some cases.  In Canada the average age when women make the wise woman transition statistically is 52.

Must Read: Treatment Of Excessive Emotions

TCM diagnosis can be divided into 3:

1. menstrualcycle gets very irregular, bleed a lot, may be serious hemorrhage.  Then may experience very occasional menses until they cease completely.  May lose hair from blood ↓.
2. ↓Yang symptoms → Yang rises due to Yin ↓ (relative Yang ↑).  WM says this is due to blood vessels contraction.  Sudden heat → break sweat (hot flashes), dizziness, palpitations & rapid pulse.
3. emotionalimbalances → easy to anger, sadness etc..  Manic behavior, depressed, abnormal, violence, & insomnia are all common.  A blood test may show high FSH meaning ovary function has ceased.

Etiology

1. KI Yin ↓ – pregnancy, menses, breastfeeding & abortions consume Essence & Tian Gui (hormones), Chong & Ren can’t be nourished.  This creates hyper Yang rising.
2. KI Yang ↓ – use of a lot of KI Qi for pregnancy, menses, breastfeeding & abortion consume the Ming Men Fire → KI Yang is ↓ & you see cold signs.

Pathogenesis Differentiation & Treatment

1. KI Yin ↓ – occasional menses → scanty → cease completely.  Vaginal dryness & itchiness (ph is not regulated properly anymore). Plus – Yin ↓ sym.  dizzy, tinnitus, insomnia, night sweats, afternoon heat feelings, back/knee pain/weakness, hot flashes w/ sweating, whole body itchiness. T- red w/ scanty coat  P- thin rapid P/T – nourish KI Yin Rx – Zou Gui Wan (essence)   or Liu Wei Di Huang Wan + Huang Bai, Zhi Mu = Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan + E Jiao, Gui Ban, Bie Jia, He Shou Wu, Nu Zhen Zi
2. KI Yang ↓ HEAVY periods, irregular uterine bleeding, then gradually finish menses completely, T- pale  P- deep thin Plus – Yang ↓ sym.  cold, soft stools, ↑ frequency of urine, incontinence, low back/knee weakness/pain, Edema of lower limbs &/or face. P/T – warm KI Yang – strengthen SP Rx – You Gui Wan + Li Zhong Wan

***Usually KI Yin & Yang deficiencies are complicated P/T – nourish KI Yin & Yang Rx – Er Xian Tang  (this may be taken long term)

***EMERGENCY HEMORRHAGE Rx  Shen Fu Tang + stop bleeding herbs (Xian He Cao, Ai Ye Cao, Bai Ji, Han Lian Cao) → MOXA Du 20