I am suffering from night-sweats and heart palipitations, but the worst is the tearfulness. I feel so depressed every day but I don't want to put on weight by taking HRT. Can you help me?

For some women the hormonal changes in the menopause can be so severe that it leads to low mood or depression, and in such cases it is really important that you check with your doctor.

Over the counter herbal remedies are unlikely to be strong enough to help, sorry. You could check out acupuncture, as it can be very effective for rebalancing the hormones in the menopause and that might be a starting point for you.

Medical Herbalists can prescribe stronger herbs that you can't buy in healthshops so they might be able to formulate a safe and effective treatment plan for you if you don't want to take HRT.

You can find a local practitioner through www.NIMH.org.uk

In the meantime, you may find sage helpful for the flushes and a magnesium supplement, 200mg twice a day with food, helpful for the palpitations.

Eileen Durward