No-Nonsense Guide to Menopause

I thought this book seemed very true, but then every other book on hormones and menopause seemed true as well. I felt like this book shot down every hope of relief from hormonal symptoms-HRT to herbs and alternative treatments. Put on your cotton shirt and get out the fan. I guess it's not what I wanted to hear. If all these woman say is true, a lot of women have been skrewed(sorry-best word I could think of...) It seems like no one really knows the best answer for problems of womens health. As hard as someone is screaming that they have the answer, someone else is screaming that the opposite is true.

My search for straight-forward information about menopause ended when I found this book. Thirty years ago, Barbara Seaman's "Free & Female" was a revelation for me. It provided the straight-forward information I needed during that time of my life. Now Seaman had done it again, this time for menopause and not a moment too soon! I had been flailing around the internet seeking answers to many if not all of the questions posed in this book. Happily, she and co-author Laura Eldridge have found the answers and deliver them in clear, concise language understandable to anyone without a medical degree, i.e most of us. Highly recommended for everyone--the women who are going through this transition, those around them who are wondering what the heck is going on with their wives, sisters, daughters, friends and the medical professionals we turn to for help during this time of change.

Do not waste your money and time with other books about menopause. I did and not only most books are negative and give you a terrible picture of this change of life, but they are often too oriented "pro" or totally "con" HRT and other approaches. This one is open and nicely wrote. With a good sense of humor, it approaches each point with a positive and realistic attitude. It is easy to read, informative and never boring. To keep on your bedside table....... Agmari

I read five other books on menopause and pre-, peri-, and post menopause, prior to picking this one up at the library. This one helped me the most. It explains in some detail the studies done on hormones (natural, bioidenticals, and traditional) and what they have and haven't proven. The authors try to present the information in a straight-forward way, without too much bias, so you have the information to make a healthy decision for yourself along with your doctor. The menopausal years can make you feel a little crazy and not like yourself. This book helps identify what is attributable to horomones and what is normal, healthy aging. It also provides information about what symptoms hormone therapy can help, and how to cope with other symptoms or feelings that HT can't help. And it backs everything up with scientific studies - not just the opinion of one doctor, pharmaceutical company, celebrity, or health guru. Plus the information is very up to date, which is important as the information about hormone therapy changes and improves. If you're questioning whether or not to take hormones, or what kind of hormones to try, I suggest reading this book.