Could pearls you keep in the fridge help you beat the menopause?

HoT sweats, raging insomnia, mood swings and painfully dry skin — no wonder women are desperate to try anything to beat the symptoms of the menopause.

TV presenter Mariella Frostrup proved last month that money does not always provide the answer: her £400-a-month private medical insurance didn’t cover the cost of her menopause-related ailments such as anxiety and sleeplessness.

Mariella paid to see a specialist and now takes a combination of adrenal stimulants, sleep and anxiety medications and diet supplements — for a price.

So, can you buy your way out of the menopause? We’ve asked Jan Toledano, senior doctor at the Marion gluck Clinic in London, to give her expert opinion on each solution we have researched. read on to find out...

DESIGNER HRT

Otherwise known as Bio-Identical Hormone replacement Therapy (Bhrt), this is a cream-based treatment derived from yams and soy, which behaves in the same way as our natural hormones, according to anti-ageing specialist Dr Mark Holmes.

unlike Hrt prescribed by the Nhs, this is a tailor- made dose of hormones, formulated to suit an individual’s needs.

after an initial consultation and blood tests, the treatment is adjusted to the level required in each case, which is said to result in fewer adverse side-effects.

The cream is rubbed in daily, usually into the thighs. COST: The initial 15-minute consultation is free, before moving on to blood tests and a one- off in- depth consultation, which costs £538. Then a three-month supply of cream costs £120. JAN SAYS: ‘Because the human body is designed to understand the message of these hormones, they are extremely safe and offer highly protective benefits. It’s a bit like putting petrol in your engine.’

SMART SKIN CREAMS

Cougar Skin is a new (and expensive) range by cosmetics company rodial and is designed to help combat the impact of menopause on the skin.

The beauty brand — favoured by the likes of Hollywood star Jessica Biel and singer Lady gaga — has developed three products which the company claims respond to the effects that hormonal changes have on the skin, such as accelerated ageing, excess oil and sagging.

The secret ingredient in the trio of creams — one for face, one for body and one serum — is wild yam, which rodial says has been used as a natural alternative supplement to oestrogen therapy for years. COST: The Cougar Skin gift set — which comprises Zero gravity Body Cream, Zero gravity Booster and Zero gravity Serum — is yours for a costly £290. JAN SAYS: ‘Wild yam contains a chemical similar to oestrogen so using a face cream like this would have a gentle effect without any downsides. I think it’s probably an excellent solution for anti-ageing.’

CRYSTAL HEALING SET

THIS Menopause Survival Kit contains 12 so- called crystal healing stones, each with different properties which focus on different forms of ‘healing energy’.

It includes amethyst stones thought to combat stress, a lapis lazuli stone said to ease insomnia and an opalite stone thought to aid mood swings.

Carry your crystals around with you or toss them into your bath water, and, at night, place them under your pillow or on the bedside table to allow their ‘magical properties’ to surround you. Sceptics need not apply. COST: The kit comes packaged in a little velvet bag and, at £20, they have to be worth a shot? JAN SAYS: ‘I can’t honestly say if gem stone therapy works. all I know is that many women swear by it and it’s not a harmful remedy, so why not give it a go?’

KNICKER MAGNETS

popping a magnet in your underwear could relieve some of the symptoms of menopause, claim manufacturers of this darling little gadget, the Ladycare, which is barely bigger than a 50p piece.

Encased in a purple plastic shell, it’s said to clip ‘discreetly and comfortably’ onto the inside front of your underwear. It’s thought magnetic therapy works by having a soothing effect on the nervous system, while the magnetic field may also boost levels of oestrogen and progesterone, which f all during the menopause.

In a 2006 trial, women reported a 70 per cent r eduction in symptoms after using the magnet for three months. Eighties pop star Belinda Carlisle said the device ‘saved her life’. COST: Buy it for £27.49 (plus p&p) from ladycaremenopause.com. JAN SAYS: ‘I think this probably has a placebo effect more than anything. Women believe it works and so it does. In reality, a magnet i s unlikely to affect l evels of hormones in the body.’

BOOK A RETREAT

Get away from it all and learn how to manage your symptoms on a two-night menopause retreat at Champneys health spa in Tring. Talks by leading nutritionist Dr Marilyn glenville, will teach you how to boost your energy, improve health, eliminate night sweats, hot flushes, mood swings, headaches and aching j oints, and increase your sex drive. Phew!

You’ll also learn about a hormone-balancing eating plan all within the super-luxurious surroundings of Champneys. COST: Prices start from £399 per person. The retreat takes place from February 20 to 22, 2015. JAN SAYS: ‘It’s always a good idea to ensure that your nutrition and lifestyle are optimum because they are important factors in how the body responds to fluctuating hormone levels. But whether you need to go on a costly retreat is another matter. There are much cheaper ways of educating yourself.’

COOLING JEWELLERY

an American invention beloved by oprah — a bit of bling to fight those demon hot flushes. Disguised as oversized pearl bracelets or necklaces, Hot girls Pearls claim to be the first and only fashion accessory that provides natural relief for hot flushes.

The ‘pearls’ are filled with a nontoxic cooling gel which you keep in the freezer so they’re nice and cool when you put them on. COST: Prices start from about £30 for a bracelet. JAN SAYS: ‘If hot flushes are the only symptom you’re struggling with, then this might help alleviate them. But why put up with hot flushes at all? Better, surely, to get to the root of the problem than just to paper over the cracks. This remedy doesn’t address prevention and seems a shortterm solution only.’

TAILOR-MADE PYJAMAS

oK, So they’re not quite French silk, but when you’re steaming hot at night for all the wrong reasons, what you may need are these Coolsleepwear menopause - friendly pyjamas.

If you can forgive the mumsy designs and twee wildflower print, which can make you look a little like a roll of wallpaper, these pyjamas may well keep you cool beneath the sheets.

Made from natural and synthetic fibres, the patented yarn wicks moisture away from the skin and then forces it to the surface of the fabric where it evaporates. COST: at £49.95, the wildflower PJ set may seem pretty expensive. But i f you get the sleep you deserve, does it really matter? JAN SAYS: ‘again, this remedy doesn’t appear to address the underlying cause and seems a bit gimmicky. Hot flushes at night can be problematic and when women get very hot they tend to get cold again quite quickly.

‘These pyjamas don’t seem to solve that problem so I can’t see how they would help aid sleep.’

SIGN UP FOR A COURSE

IF You want to give your menopausal self a total overhaul — and you have a four-figure sum to spare — then the 12- week Happy Hormones For Life Total Body Balance course could be for you. run by nutritional therapist nicki Williams, the programme comprises one-to-one coaching at her London clinic or online via Skype.

Blood tests are carried out at the clinic or a designated hospital, while urine and saliva tests are done at home. COST: The 1 2 - week Happy Hormones for Life Total Body Balance programme costs £1,500 and nicki also offers a free 30minute phone consultation. JAN SAYS: ‘It is important to get your hormones tested by a doctor and many GPS will offer this service for free on the NHS. arming yourself with nutritional advice is beneficial, but there is so much information available online it doesn’t have to cost a penny.’

A BOOSTING DRIP

IT may sound like the friend everyone wants to avoid, but this is the name of an intravenous treatment which aims to help women on the countdown to the menopause, so that their symptoms become easier to manage.

Pioneered by geeta Sidhu robb, founder of the nosh Infusion Clinic in London, it claims to work by boosting cells with a mixture of magnesium, vitamin C and amino acids. The drip is administered in your arm at the clinic in London or at a partner clinic in newcastle. COST: For optimum effect, you need to have between three and four infusions — that’s £227 per drip. JAN SAYS: ‘This infusion might market itself at peri-menopausal women, but it is entirely generic and would help anyone with low energy levels. also, you can boost magnesium and vitamin C with much cheaper supplements.’

CHINESE MEDICINE

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the menopause is believed to be due to the decline or exhaustion of qi (energy or power) and tian kui (fertility) in the body. This apparently causes body imbalance, or so- called disruption of your yin and yang. TCM helps treat menopausal side-effects by concentrating on strengthening the kidney’s function (which is thought to be the root cause of menopausal issues). Dr Dapeng Zhang from The Dapeng Clinic uses acupuncture or acupressure to manipulate the disrupted flow of qi (body energy) and regulate hormones. COST: an initial 75-minute consultation at The Dapeng Clinic, which includes health analysis and treatment is a snip at £225. JAN SAYS: ‘Chinese medicine has been around a lot longer than we have and while it offers an entirely different approach to helping with menopause I know many women reap huge benefits. I would just say make sure you find a good, regulated person.’