J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2003 Mar-Apr; 32(2): 181-9.

Herbal therapy use by perimenopausal women.

Gingrich PM, Fogel CI.

Department of Nursing, North Carolina Central University, Durham 27707, USA. bpging@intrex.net

OBJECTIVE: Perimenopausal women may be following a trend toward using herbal remedies for their symptoms. Herbal use can affect medical decision making because herbal side effects can mimic medical conditions and herbs can interact with pharmacotherapeutics. Yet, health care providers may not be asking patients about their use of herbals. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of herbal use in a sample of perimenopausal women and to explore disclosure of use to their clinicians. DESIGN: Descriptive survey of herbal use utilizing responses from a questionnaire. SETTING: Health food grocery, located in the southeastern United States. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 40 women, ages 40 to 65 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Menopause symptoms, perceived efficacy of hormone or herbal therapy, herbs used, sources of information about herbs, and discussion with health care providers about herbal use. RESULTS: Two thirds of the women had used herbs for perimenopausal symptoms. Herb users had experienced more menopausal symptoms than nonusers and had more side effects from hormone therapy. Herb users relied on information about herbs from alternative health care providers, whereas nonusers relied on popular media and peers. Overall, less than half were asked by their health care providers about herbal use. Furthermore, nearly half expressed dissatisfaction with the information given by providers about herbs. Although black cohosh was the most frequently used herb, ginseng and gingko were perceived to be the most effective. CONCLUSION: Providers need to become informed about herbal therapy for perimenopausal symptoms to tailor care to the needs, preferences, and philosophies of their patients.