Hi, Nancy,

I'm not a medical doctor, so I don't feel comfortable commenting on alternative medications. I'd suggest you talk to your doctor about that. However, I would also encourage you to really look at lifestyle choices which may help you deal with some of the physical symptoms you're describing. For instance, I've found that drinking beer just about guaratees that I'll have a hot flash, so I've dropped it from my diet. Other friends have had great success using black cohosh to ease their hot flashes while some studies suggest meditation can be helpful. I've written a sharepost about ways to get sleep during middle age.

Also, you need to talk to a doctor about what your symptoms could mean. For instance, I wrote about a study that suggests that hot flashes may be a warning sign of low bone density.

Take care and keep us posted!

Dorian