Generally, at the age of 50, a woman reaches menopause years and will experience varieties of physiological changes and symptoms that greatly impact their lives. Menopause refers to the end of menstruation on the woman as the result of the natural decline in the production of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and others produced in the ovaries.

The ovaries eventually reach a point where they end their monthly routine after years of preparing and releasing eggs. A number of symptoms of menopause may emerge, because of decline in the hormones. The symptoms and severity vary from woman to woman, some even doesn’t experience any, but the most common menopause symptoms are hot flashes, depression, insomnia, vaginal dryness, irritability, mood swings and headaches.

The most common symptom of menopause and perimenopause is hot flashes. Hot flashes are experienced by more than two-thirds of North American women who are heading into menopause. Hot flashes is a sudden feeling of heat and sometimes a red, flushed face and sweating. Some researchers suggest hot flashes are caused by the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that has a function to regulates body temperature and sex hormones, reacting to decrease in estrogen, though the physician is not entirely sure about this.

When blood vessels near the skin’s surface widen to cool off, making you break out in a sweat, this is where hot flashes start. It can also cause a rapid heart rate or chills and this can happen at any time of the day or night they happen while you sleep and be quite annoying as it wakes you up at night. These symptoms affect woman differently, about 2 in 10 women never get hot flashes while others can experience up to 11 years or more. On average, women get hot flashes or night sweats for about 7 years.

To determine whether a woman is already in menopause, a physician typically suggests one of the two tests. The first one is to test the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level, the significant increment of this hormone shows woman enter the menopause phase, and the second one is to check any thinning and drying out vaginal charge using Pap-like smear from the vaginal walls.

When you’re approaching menopause or have already entered menopause, it might cause you some concern about some of the symptoms mentioned above. Although symptoms vary greatly among women, the symptoms alone can possibly interfere with quality of life. Oil prepared from the Oenothera biennis, or widely known as evening primrose is a traditional remedy for some of these symptoms and claimed to have benefits during menopause.

About Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose is a native North American flower that can also be found in Europe and other parts of the Southern hemisphere. It has yellow flower petals that bloom in the evening and named after its unusual habit of opening new flowers after sunset or on a cloudy, sunless day. Evening primrose is used for healing purposes for many centuries.

Evening primrose capsules contain oil extracted from seeds of the plant Oenothera biennis. The plant’s seeds produce an oil when crushed and made up by fatty acids up to 25%. One of these fatty acids is called gamma-linolenic acid or GLA, GLA is an essential omega-6 fatty acid because you need to obtain it from food.
Your body does need a balance of nutrients and fatty acids to function properly.

Omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids are essential for brain function and bone health and as EPO contains high levels of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and linolenic acid, which are both omega-6 fatty acids that can reduce inflammation, the claim where EPO can help hot flashes is founded.

Even though EPO evidently has a positive benefit for osteoporosis and nerve damage caused by diabetes, it has not any enough evidence for its benefit for menopausal symptoms as the research about the usefulness of this oil had mixed results.

There are several studies published, for example, a study in 2006 list EPO as a nonhormonal treatment for menopausal hot flashes but unfortunately confirmed there’s not enough data to show its effectiveness, a 2009 study reviewed a number of trials involving EPO use and reported inconclusive results, and one study published in the November 2013 which included 56 menopausal women who took either evening primrose oil or a placebo for six weeks. Lessened severity reported by women who consumed EPO compared to the placebo group. On the other hand, an article published in 2016 state that herbal products, including EPO, are not reliable solutions.
Some women have had some success using EPO to treat menopause symptoms, but some are none.

Thus, this concludes there is no conclusive evidence supports claims for this positive benefits. While evening primrose oil is mostly safe to take and rarely show a side effect, you should always consult a qualified healthcare practitioner before taking any herbal supplements.

Side Effects and Precautions

Short-term use of EPO has been shown to be safe for most people. However, it is not recommended to take this supplement for long periods of time as it may cause mild nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, allergic reaction, bleeding, headache and even seizure in some people. In addition, pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid it, and it shouldn’t be taken by anyone with epilepsy or another seizure disorder.

When combined with other medications such as blood thinning medication, EPO may raise the risk of bleeding. EPO also have interaction with high blood pressure, depression and seizure medication. Always opt for high-quality oil which certified as organic and is standardized to at least 8 percent GLA to minimize differences between batches. Although there are established effective dose of the oil, clinical studies shown doses between 2 to 8 grams daily will not give any negative effects.

Outlook For Evening Primrose Oil as Treatment for Menopausal Symptoms

There is certainly always have been some success stories using herbal medications as a treatment going on the internet, but until today EPO hasn’t had any enough evidence to prove to be effective. The woman in the menopausal phase can try EPO as one of their alternative treatment but should always consult with their healthcare provider before making any lifestyle changes.