There is a neat saying in Chinese medicine. "One needle cures a hundred diseases."

What that means is that although the patient may have a variety of symptoms, one needle that addresses the underlying and common cause to them all can treat them all.

http://www.acupunctureworks.co.uk/Acu&Hormones.html

One trial in a French hospital compared three groups of menopausal women:- those treated by acupuncture; those by HRT; and those who received no treatment. A range of blood and urine tests were carried out to assess a whole range of chemical effects. Both acupuncture and HRT produced comparable changes in oestrogen levels.

However, only acupuncture produced an increased level of thyroid stimulating hormone, which increases metabolism, and an increase in testosterone levels (the male hormone which is produced by the ovaries in small amounts) and which may help safeguard against breast cancer and bone loss.

I had never considered using acupuncture. A friend of my mother is a doctor/acupuncturist. Thanks for that information. I think I might just try it.

I was recently diagnosed with low thyroid and am now on my 8th treatment they say it will take 3 - 6 months, 2X a week to normalize hormone function, I am also using Chinese herbal medicine, some black vile liquid taken 3X a day. I am two weeks into my regime and have noticed so far that the puffiness / water retention I had in my face is gone.

Here is a thought: , that menopause/hormones/low thyroid are all inter-connected. It would not surprise in that so many of the symtoms are the same. If they are then there is a definite epdemic out there with the baby-boomers

http://www.rense.com/general66/thy.htm

Focusing on women for a moment, if going through menopause, the BTT may read normal even if you have low thyroid... because temps run a little high and fluctuate with regard to women so effected. Also many low thyroid & menopausal symptoms are the same! Consequently, one might try treating the menopause first with natural progesterone or a combo progesterone/estrogen ...if after a while you still have the symptoms, most likely you do have low thyroid, which you can then have a Doctor treat. If you then get your thyroid hormones in balance it will give you the *zip* you need to breeze through the menopause...one effects and/or exacerbates the other.