What’s It Like to Take Ashwagandha for Perimenopause? 3 Women Share Their Stories
Key takeaways:
Perimenopause is the stage before menopause. It can cause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings.
Ashwagandha is a supplement known for its stress-reducing properties.
Three women share how ashwagandha helps them manage perimenopause symptoms.
These days, it feels like every time you turn around, there’s a new supplement that promises to cure what ails you — especially when it comes to perimenopause.
This stage of life often comes with symptoms such as hot flashes, weight gain, sleep issues, mood swings, and irregular periods. These changes leave many women searching for ways to feel like themselves again.
Quiz: Are you in perimenopause?
One supplement gaining attention is ashwagandha, a plant from Asia and Africa. Its roots contain compounds thought to reduce inflammation and stress. One recent study suggests it might help with perimenopausal symptoms like hot flashes. But scientists don’t fully understand how it works or how effective it is.
Three women who use ashwagandha regularly shared their experiences with GoodRx. They noted some downsides, such as stomach upset and vivid dreams. But they say the benefits outweigh the negatives. For them, ashwagandha has led to:
Better sleep
Less stress
Improved well-being
Here’s how they describe taking ashwagandha for perimenopause relief.
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What does menopause feel like? These women say arming themselves with knowledge and humor helps them get through it.
What are some simple tips for dealing with hot flashes? One woman's strategies for relief include medication and mindfulness.
Managing mood swings and stress naturally with ashwagandha
When Taylor Moore turned 30, she noticed her mood and stress levels were all over the place.
“After some research and conversations with my doctor, it became clear these emotional ups and downs were tied to hormonal changes,” says Taylor, an influencer and co-founder of Teasy Agency in Los Angeles.
She tried yoga and cut back on caffeine, but it wasn’t enough. Then she read about ashwagandha on a wellness blog and decided to try it after talking to a naturopath.
Taylor started taking one 600 mg capsule a day. After about 2 to 3 weeks, she noticed an improvement in her mood.
“I found that it made me feel noticeably calmer during stressful moments,” she says. “Over time, I also noticed my sleep improved, which had a ripple effect on how I felt during the day. That said, I didn’t find it as helpful for some physical symptoms like hot flashes.”
Taylor recommends ashwagandha for stress and mood swings, though she says it’s not a cure-all.
“The consistent support it provides for my mood and sleep makes it a staple in my wellness routine,” she says.
A natural solution for sleep and anxiety
When she was in her early 40s, Katie McKiever noticed that alcohol started affecting her differently.
“Even one or two drinks would result in a headache,” she says. “I would routinely wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning with an anxious feeling.”
Later, she began having hot flashes and realized she was in perimenopause. After finding an OB/GYN who recommended ashwagandha, Katie decided to try it.
“I was skeptical at first,” says Katie, a 45-year-old social media and personal brand specialist from Charlotte, North Carolina. “I had never heard of it and didn’t have much faith that something I wasn’t familiar with would actually help me.”
But she was pleasantly surprised. “I experienced a complete 180 after taking ashwagandha. I couldn’t believe it,” she says. “My anxiety, my hot flashes, and my moments of waking up in the middle of the night were gone. It was incredible.”
At first, she had vivid dreams but read online that they would fade — and they did.
Katie says ashwagandha, along with regular exercise, has helped her feel in control of her symptoms. She says she’s glad more people are talking about perimenopause now.
“Women going through perimenopause and menopause are in our prime, and we have so much expertise to share with our communities,” she says. “Anything we can do to lessen some of these things that hold us back is a gift to the world — allowing us to continue to do the important work we’re here to do.”
Why ashwagandha became part of her daily routine
Violette de Ayala, a 52-year-old speaker and coach in Miami, Florida, first heard about perimenopause and menopause in her 40s.
“I honestly thought it only meant the stop of menstruation,” she says. “I had no idea that beyond hot flashes, there were more symptoms.”
Her symptoms were mild — mostly trouble sleeping and managing her diabetes. But she wanted relief. She read about ashwagandha in an article and decided to try it.
At first, it upset her stomach, so she stopped. Later, she gave it another chance and noticed she was sleeping better and feeling less stressed.
“It became part of my routine,” Violette says. She takes it along with a magnesium supplement and says she wants to keep doing it because it seems to be working. “I feel so good, I don’t want to mess anything up,” she says.
If there’s a chance ashwagandha could help lower her stress and anxiety, Violette sees no harm in taking it.
“It’s an inexpensive solution that may really be beneficial,” she says. “I feel like our bodies are going through so much in transition. If we can have something that makes us feel better, it makes sense to give it a try.”
What does the doctor say?
Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH
Senior Medical Editor
Perimenopause can be an uncomfortable time — physically, emotionally, and mentally. No two people will experience the same symptoms or timeline. Many people experience uncomfortable physical symptoms, like hot flashes. But perimenopause can also affect your mood and sleep. This, combined with the uncertainty of how long your symptoms might last, can lead to anxiety and strain.
There are treatments that can help, from prescription hormone medications to home remedies. They can help ease symptoms while your body adjusts to its new normal.
But people’s responses to treatment can vary. What works for one person might not work as well for someone else. This can be especially true for natural remedies like ashwagandha because of limited research. It’s not clear how much ashwagandha people should take for best results. It’s also not clear how long people should take it. But early research is promising, and ashwagandha is considered to be generally safe for most people to take.
It’s important to listen to your body and see what works best for you. Keep in touch with your healthcare team, too. They can help you decide on next best steps and how long to continue treatment that works well for you.
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