Herbal Remedies for Menopause:
Feverfew

The feverfew plant, also known as Tanacetum parthenium, is one of the herbal remedies for menopause migraines.

This plant belongs to the daisy family and grows in Europe, North America and Australia. Remedies made from the feverfew plant use the plant's leaves and its flower.

What Does It Treat?

This list isn't very long. In fact, the feverfew plant provides an herbal remedy to only one symptom of menopause and pre menopause - migraines.

Many women experience terrible headaches and migraines either before menstruation or during ovulation. They may get worse as hormones continue to drop.

The name feverfew is derived from the Latin words febris which means "fever," and fugare which means "to drive away."

Beware of taking this herb if you are on any blood thinning medication, as it acts as a blood thinner.

• Headaches and Migraines: The active ingredient in feverfew is parthenolide. This helps to treat headaches and migraines because it helps bood to circulate, preventing the constriction of blood vessels in the brain.

Feverfew Tea, Drops, Capsules or Leaves

You can find feverfew supplements available in many forms: dried leaves, fresh leaves, liquid extract, or capsules.

To prevent migraines, eat the equivalent of 2-3 fresh leaves a day. If you are going to eat the fresh leaves, you may want to eat them in a sandwich as many people dislike their taste. Otherwise, drinking a few drops of the liquid extract mixed into a glass of water works well.

If you're in the middle of a migraine, drinking a freshly brewed cup of feverfew tea will relieve your nausea and help your symptoms to go away faster.

The trick is finding someone willing to brew you a cup! It's hard to do much of anything when you have a migraine- even making yourself a cup of tea can be a bit ambitious.

For more information on treating headaches with herbal supplements, see this page.

Return to the Natural Herbs for Menopause page.

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