Herbs?

Hello Systers:

I've gone from scheduled surgery, to cancelled surgery, to disgust. You see when I had health insurance and a surgery date, about a week before the date my husband says, "I don't know how we're going to pay rent while you're recovering". Well, that Honkerblonked me off to no end so I called and cancelled surgery so I could continue to work like a Hebrew slave. Then, to add insult to injury about a week after that I was fired, thus lost health insurance all together.

Now, here I am, a 45 year young woman, unafraid to have the surgery. Shoot, I've had four, healthy children. They are ALL grown, gone, and living their lives. I DO NOT NEED this muscle called a uterus. And, with the heavy bleeding, and the constant dosing of Aleve, pulleaze.

One woman in particular stood out (because she begged me not to "let them take my uterus", duh). Anyway, now that I have no health insurance, i.e., no money, I called to see what she had to say. Well, she referred me to this product by Dr. Zand <oops doc's phone # removed as per guidelines>. It is called Changes for Women Formula For menopause support. It is an herbal supplement. She swears this stuff regulated her body. I purchased a bottle and have been taking one a day for about a week. I'm going to try and read the tiny print on this bottle:

"Phew, okay, here it what her site states:
Changes for Women
An herbal supplement blended to support a positive hormonal transition for women in their 40's and 50's.* Features the renowned female tonic herbs Dong Quai and Vitex in a supportive base of herbs designed to support a woman's entire body. Available in a 2 oz. liquid and a 60 capsule bottle.

Label Information
Developed by Janet Zand, OMD, L.Ac., ZAND Formulas combine the optimum potency of key ingredients with a blend of supportive herbs to restore and maintain the body's natural state of balance. This bottle has been sealed for your protection. Purchase only if seal is intact. Contains no sugar, fillers, binders, artificial flavors, artificial color, yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, dairy or starch.

Ingredients
For Changes for Women® Formula 2 oz. Liquid ACTIVE INGREDIENTS PER SERVING: A 0.8 ml proprietary blend of an extract of Dong Quai root, Vitex angus-castus berry, White Peony root, Poria sclerotium, Bupleurum root, Astragalus root, Atractyodes root, Moutan root bark, Gardenia fruit, Ginger root, Oatstraw herb, Licorice root, Nettle leaf, Peppermint leaf and Scullcap herb. "

Have you all heard of this stuff, or of this combination of ingredients to help what ails us, i.e., uterine fibroids, excessive bleeding, attempting to forestall surgery either completely or until the calvary arrives, i.e., health insurance again.????

I'd surely like to hear what you all have to say.

TIA,

twistedrafiki

Hi, Well I don't know about those particular herbs. I also have fibroids and have been trying so hard to not have surgeries. I was given an emergency stop bleeding herb by an accupuncturist. It does work. It does not take away the fibroids or stop the problem for good but it is helpful to have it for those times when bleeding is awful. In fact it has helped me out more than once but like I say it does not cure the problem, maybe just buy you time and of course help when you are in trouble. Good luck to you and to all of us.

Dong quai and Vitex (or chasteberry) are familiar herbs to women who try herbal remedies. Vitex and shepherd's purse were main components of a tincture I tried to reduce my profuse bleeding--and they did work reasonably well. Vitex is a slow-working herb--takes a few months of it in your systems before noticable changes occur. Astralagus is an anti-viral herb, one of the few that seem effective. (I take it for my HPV). As for the others, I have heard of them in other applications, like peppermint for digestion. You might want to google them or try looking htem up in an herbal resource book. Try Susun Weed's books, or Jeannie Rose's Herbal. They are standards for women's herbalism needs. Good luck!

Thank you all for the 4-1-1. I've got to run out of town for a few days you just reminded me to pack the "stuff".

Thanks again.

rafiki