Menopause - it's not exactly the sexiest of topics (right up there with, say, hemorrhoids and gout). And if you're a husband whose wife hasn't reached her mid 40s then even if you've given it a passing thought (and let's be honest -- you probably haven't) you likely still haven't had to deal with it on a practical level. "Um," you're thinking, "why would I, a male, have to deal with it? It's not something that's going to happen to my body." Yep, that's true -- technically -- and is probably another reason why it's just not on your radar screen.
I was one of those husbands too.
Keira and I have been married for just about 20 years and in all that time I thought about her eventual menopause exactly zero times. Never, nada. That was until my sweet soul mate started having night sweats and insomnia and I found myself on the couch in the living room trying to get a decent night's sleep. So, yeah, while technically it's not happening to you, in a sense, it is. It's happening to both of you. Or it will. So I thought it might be helpful to share our experience.
If my ouster to the couch was inconvenient for me, what Keira started going through was, for her, a lot more than just annoying. Maybe more than anything else the thing I've always loved most about Keira is her energetic, positive, optimistic nature. She is totally a "silver lining" person, always seeing the good. But as her menopause hit full stride she started becoming moody and then, mystifying as it was, occasionally even depressed. Where setbacks were once "challenges" to be tackled and overcome, now even minor problems became insurmountable.
Keira really is my life's partner. We're each other's best friends. One night I said "Let's talk" and we opened up about how each of us was feeling. Both of us were floundering due to the changes that were happening and we weren't sure how to move forward. I suggested we (what else) look online; clearly we couldn't be the only ones facing this situation.
I learned a lot (that's what happens when you're starting from zero). For example:
- Of the 1.3 million women who reach menopause each year in the United States, some 20% experience depression at some point during menopause1.
- A Harvard study found that women who entered perimenopause (transition to menopause) were twice as likely to have clinically significant depressive symptoms as women who had not started the transition2.
- We also came across a surprising, and concerning, study indicating that menopause can actually speed up aging (possibly due to the ongoing insomnia many women experience during this time)3.
It definitely helped knowing that what we were experiencing was not so unusual, even if the day to day (and night to night) reality was not simple.
Some of the sites we accessed had links to various medications aimed at relieving menopausal symptoms. We started our own little research project comparing some of these products (it turned out to be not so little, there are hundreds). We looked at which symptoms they are supposed to relieve, their ingredients, whether they are produced in an FDA-approved facility, user reviews and whether they offer a money-back guarantee. While it was not exactly our dream date-night (then again we hadn't many of those anyway in the preceding months) and it took us a bunch more sessions at the computer, we were motivated to find something that might help.
What we came up with, ultimately, was one product that seemed to stand out, on all of the above criteria and some additional yardsticks as well: MenoClear. Here's why.
MenoClear Review - Why We Chose MenoClear For Menopause Symptom Relief
1. MenoClear Relieves The Key Symptoms Associated With Menopause
MenoClear has been formulated to relieve a range of symptoms associated with menopause including mood swings and hot flashes, concentration issues, slowing down of cognitive processes, night sweats and insomnia. MenoClear addresses all of the symptoms associated with menopause, providing the body with minerals and vitamins as well as nourishing it in a way that makes it stronger and more adept at overcoming the challenges of menopause.
The Take Away: It works for all symptoms.
2. Dual Action Formula (Day and Night)
As Keira and I had become painfully aware, menopause can have very different effects on a woman during the day versus at night. It was pretty crucial for us that MenoClear works on both of Keira's major night symptoms, night sweats and insomnia, so that both of us could sleep better and be at full-capacity during the day. And it was also important that it help her emotional state during the day, relieving the moodiness and listlessness, allowing her to focus again on what she needed to get done.
MenoClear's two distinct formulas target both day and night symptoms, providing full-on relief, 24-hours a day.
The Take Away: Relieves, day and night.
3. Clinically Proven Ingredients
We did a decent deep-dive into products that made our short-list and we found that MenoClear has all-natural and clinically proven ingredients that work on the tough symptoms. Here are some of the key ingredients:
Protykin: This is a phytoestrogen also known Hu Zhang used to alleviate hot flashes. There have been studies that found it also provides anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects
Ammonium Succinate: Helps relieve hot flashes, irritability and has also been shown to help treat arthritis and joint pain5 associated with menopause.
Passionflower Extract: Works to reduce insomnia and agitation.
Melatonin: Shown to be effectual in regulating sleep/wake cycles and female reproductive hormones in menopausal women.
Black Cohosh: Supports reduction of hot flash frequency and shown to contain sedative, and analgesic properties.
The Take Away: All-natural, tested ingredients.
4. Based On Extensive Research
Each component of MenoClear was selected by a team of medical doctors & researchers based on clinical data. Their goal was to produce the best formula for providing optimal relief from menopausal symptoms. MenoClear Day contains 13 all-natural ingredients while MenoClear Night is made from 10 ingredients. Together, they provide a strong 24-hr total care solution for the challenges of menopause.
The Take Away: It's why they call themselves "MenoClear".
5. Controlled Dosage
Obviously you need to take not only the right ingredients but also in effective, and safe, amounts. MenoClear's dosages are based on those clinical studies and scientific research. The product also provides clear dosage instructions.
The Take Away: Effective, safe dosage.
6. No Additives, No Side Effects
This one is pretty straightforward: MenoClear contains no preservatives, no additives and no artificial ingredients. And that means no side effects.
The Take Away: Only the good stuff.
7. FDA Registered & cGMP Certified
We liked the fact that MenoClear is manufactured in the US in an FDA-approved facility using cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations)9 and the fact that it complies with US Pharmacopeia's standards for quality and purity.
The Take Away: FDA-approved, period.
8. All Ingredients Are Third-Party Tested
It gave us an additional level of confidence that MenoClear was submitted for third-party testing and is rated A+ by QualityTrusted.org, which reviews & researches the ingredients, verifies the FDA-approved status of the facility and researches the scientific data & clinical studies related to each ingredient10.
The Take Away: An extra level of confidence in the product.
9. 90 Day 100% Money Back Guarantee
A money back guarantee was a must-have for any product to make our short list. MenoClear's online guarantee stands out from the rest as they give you a 60 days to try it, which eliminated any risk for us. We could give it a full try without worrying about return deadlines.
The Take Away: Risk free.
10. Great Customer Service
Before we ordered we had some questions we wanted to ask. We also just wanted to get a sense of what their customer service was like and how knowledgeable they really were. They answered our questions quickly and we were impressed with the level of professionalism.
The Take Away: Professional and knowledgeable.
Consumer Health MenoClear Review - The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that Keira and I are grateful we found MenoClear. There are so many products out there that claim to relieve menopausal symptoms but we felt that none provided the combination of full-spectrum relief both day and night, thoroughly researched and clinically tested ingredients, FDA and third-party approval, a reliable manufacturer and the strong money back guarantee that MenoClear provided. While no single product is guaranteed to work for everyone, MenoClear has been a great choice for both of us.
References
1. Soares CN. Perimenopause-related mood disturbance: an update on risk factors and novel treatment strategies available. Meeting Program and Abstracts. Psychopharmacology and Reproductive Transitions Symposium. American Psychiatric Association 157th Annual Meeting; May 1-6, 2004; New York, NY. Arlington, Va: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2004. 51-61.
2. Cohen LS, Soares CN, Vitonis AF, Otto MW, Harlow BL. Risk for new onset of depression during the menopausal transition: the Harvard study of moods and cycles. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2006 Apr. 63(4):385-90.
3. Menopause Hastens Aging
4. Zhang H, Li C, Kwok S, et al. (2013). A Review of the Pharmacological Effects of the Dried Root of Polygonum cuspidatum (Hu Zhang) and Its Constituents. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2013
5. Maevsky EI; Peskov AB; Uchitel ML; Pogorelov AG; Saharova NY; Vihlyantseva EF; Bogdanova LA; Kondrashova MN A succinate-based composition reverses menopausal symptoms without sex hormone replacement therapy. - Adv Gerontol - 01-JAN-2008; 21(2): 298-30.
6. Bourin M, Bougerol T, Guitton B, Broutin E. A combination of plant extracts in the treatment of outpatients with adjustment disorder with anxious mood: controlled study vs placebo. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 1997;11:127-32.
7. Bellipanni G, Bianchi P, Pierpaoli W, et al. Effects of melatonin in perimenopausal and menopausal women: a randomized and placebo controlled study. Exp Gerontol 2001;36:297-310.
8. Shahnazi, M, Nahaee J, Sakineh Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi, Somaye Bayatipayan. (2013). Effect of Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga Racemosa) on Vasomotor Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Caring Sci. 2013 June; 2(2): 105-113.
9. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/Manufacturing/ucm169105.htm
10. http://qualitytrusted.org