What’s in the bottle? Prescriptions formulated by medical herbalists in a clinical trial of treatment during the menopause

Abstract

This paper reports on the complex prescriptions designed by practitioners of western herbal medicine in a pilot randomised, waiting-list controlled trial carried out in primary care in the UK. Herbal practitioners recorded their prescriptions and advice contemporaneously during the pragmatic trial investigating five months of treatment for symptoms associated with the menopause. Treatment was modified so that the 35 participants received 141 prescriptions between them during the course of their treatment. These complex prescriptions were shown to contain varying combinations of a total of 80 herbs. Between 4 and 9 herbs were used in each prescription. The three most commonly prescribed herbs were Leonurus cardiaca, Cimicifuga racemosa and Salvia officinalis. Care included not only herbal prescriptions but also support, dietary and lifestyle advice and discussion of self care in an evolving therapeutic relationship. The care was individually reviewed and adjusted at each consultation over the course of treatment.

Leonurus cardiaca L. as a Source of Bioactive Compounds: An Update of the European Medicines Agency Assessment Report (2010)

“…The clinical trial conducted by Denham et al [41] documented the herbal prescribing in usual practice, covering a total of 80 herbs on 141 prescriptions (the most encountered being L. cardiaca - 77%) for treatment of symptoms associated with the menopause on 35 subjects. L. cardiaca was mainly prescribed to control hot flushes, as a gynecological tonic and as a relaxant.…”

Effect of the Ethanolic Extract of Salvia officinalis on Ovarian Angiogenesis in Mice at Preimplantation: A Morphological and Molecular Analysis

“…It was reported that isoflavones reduced a risk of cancer and flavonoid component had the main effect on menopausal symptoms (10). The medicinal property of sage is valuable as a therapy in reducing menopausal symptoms (11) and for postmenopausal women who travailed from estrogen poorness (12). This plant is generally used among Palestinian women to ameliorate the clinical signs of pregnancy (13).…”