Supplement updates
I have officially taken the Semaine Peri/menopause essentials supplement for 30 days. I can't say that I immediately noticed a difference but reflecting, there may have been a difference pretty quickly. Semaine claims clinical studies have shown that it reduces hot flashes, supports mood and sleep and Improves hair quality. This supplement is hormone free, vegan, gluten free, soy free, and non-gmo. The directions say to take one daily with food.
Ok, so I don't take it with food, I take it in the morning when I wake up, with the rest of my meds, and I don't eat breakfast. I usually don't eat until after noon or 1 pm. I am also taking other supplements, including Now adrenal Stress Support and Nature's Way Vitex Fruit. The Adrenal Stress Support, I have been taking off and on (more on but depending on the other supplements I'm taking) for the last 2-3 years and the Vitex Fruit, I have been taking for probably 2 months.
I transitioned from Stonehenge menopause supplements 30 days ago. I took that for 30 days without noticing any changes. So I tried a new supplement, the Semaine. I realized today as I opened bottle number two the claim about mood. This is interesting because this month's cycle has been different from others in that my mood has been better. I am not sure if it is the supplement or the changes that have happened at work.
Two weeks ago, I was moved from a lab job to a different position. I work at a retail compounding pharmacy and have been absolutely miserable in the lab but when I was moved upstairs there was a noticeable difference in me. My coworkers and boss saw it, my husband and friends saw it and it was damn near immediate. The work change happened the week before my period. The time in my cycle where I typically get super crabby, depressed, and in my head. For whatever reason, that didn't happen this month. The week before my period I was actually happier, with more energy, and more positivity than I have had in a long time. That would have been week two of taking the Semaine, so I am unsure if the change in mood is supplement related or work environment related.
A couple other things I have noticed in the last month, I have been sleeping better! Not waking up in the middle of the night as much. I do still feel like there are some night sweats, but it's also summer and I live in an old house, so it's hot as hell upstairs. I have been able to sleep longer though. Instead of my normal 6-7 hours of sleep I have been able to get a solid 7-8 hours most nights, if not a little more and my sleep quality has seemed to Improve. At least to the point where I am less drowsy in the morning. My motivation seems good throughout the day, but that is what I expect with my Vyvanse, and as usual, as soon as I quit moving after work, I am pretty done for the day.
Overall, I have been happier most of the time. I am still a little quick to get irritated with people when they do things that are not up to my standards or when they just don’t do things (this is mostly at work, or at home…kids). I have noticed I am a bit calmer while driving and when dealing with people in public, like in stores, I still have outbursts, but I have been consciously working on those as well.
My period this month wasn’t terrible. I had a few cramps which were mild, but it was lonnnng. I spotted for two days, followed by three days of heavy flow, two days of light flow then two more days of spotting. 10 days! Ugh. I am unsure if the Semaine is supposed to affect this aspect but based on my reading, I am guessing not.
My anxiety has subsided a little, I have been more willing to get together with friends after work. Usually, I am too tired to deal with anyone, or I feel like everything I will say will be negative and I don’t wish that on anyone. This feeling has been noticeably decreasing recently. Again, I am not sure if it is the change in my work environment or the supplements.
As mentioned earlier, I have also tried another supplement, StoneHenge For Women Menopause Support | Menopause Supplement. I tried that one first after doing some research and finding they had good reviews and came highly recommended. Here is one site that I read Top Menopause Supplements - Review Scout. The price was also pretty decent at $121 for a three-month supply. I did only take this supplement for two months; I didn't notice any changes in my mood or sleep or cycle within those two months. I know that sometimes with medication and supplements it can take three plus months to see results but I was desperate so I thought I would try something else.
I am not sure how I ended up on the Semaine website, honestly it was probably a Facebook click bait ad, but after my research and talking to a pharmacist at work, I kind of had an idea of what herbs I should be looking for in a perimenopause supplement. I do like that the Semaine does not have Ashwagandha in it. My adrenal support supplement has ashwagandha and while taking the StoneHenge, I had to stop taking the adrenal support as to not overload myself on ashwagandha since I don't know what is considered “too much”. I also frequently drink Ashwagandha tea. The Semaine Supplement has Red clover, Bergamot phytosome and olive fruit extract. Not a huge list but sometimes that’s a good thing. They are also vegan capsules, which I very much appreciate. The cost for this supplement is just under $26 a month when you do a three-month supply on auto ship, so very affordable in my opinion. Here is the link for the site to order and read about their studies Peri/Meno Essentials – Semaine Health.
As I mentioned earlier, I do take other supplements. I have been taking the NOW adrenal stress support for a couple years, one cap in the morning and another at lunch (or dinner, depending on when I take my multivitamin). I like that it helps with my appetite and does help control the fat build up around my gut. I typically intermittently fast and I think the NOW Adrenal support helps with my morning hunger. I started taking it for stress rather than perimenopause because a few years ago, perimenopause wasn’t even on my radar.
The third supplement I take is Nature’s Way Vitex Fruit, also known as Chasteberry. This one was recommended by a pharmacist, as well as a psychiatrist and from a menopause webinar that I attended a couple months ago hosted by a naturopathic doctor. Vitex fruit is used for many symptoms of menstruation and menopause. It was recommended to me as a way to help regulate hormones. The dosing on the vitex is one cap twice a day for 8-12 weeks, then one cap daily. I did not check interactions with other medications, but I would suggest doing so if you are on any prescription drugs. I take Vyvanse and Low dose Naltrexone, there are no interactions with those two medications. I have not noticed anything specific from the supplement. I Have been taking it about as long as I have been taking the Semaine. The combination seems to be good for me, so far. Here are a couple sites that can provide you with more information about the Vitex. This brand is also vegan. I purchased it from my work (Vitex Fruit | HoeyRx), here is a link to order.
Vitex Agnus-Castus (Chasteberry): Benefits and Side Effects
Vitex Agnus-Castus (Chasteberry): Benefits, Side Effects, and Myths
Overall, I think I will continue with my current supplement regime for a few more months and see if there are any other noticeable changes. For now, I would recommend trying the Semaine brand as they seem to be working for me, so far.
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