Have you heard the radio ads for Amberen? Amberen, is a supplement that’s supposed to be a natural remedy for menopause. Most of the ads I’ve heard included a testimonial from a registered nurse. That got me curious as I usually don’t hear nurses touting supplements. Another thing that made me want to write an Amberen review was that I discovered that most of the info on Amberen online seemed to be written for the sole purpose of selling Amberen to women. Some websites even say Amberen is the fountain of youth! I know that’s not true, but can Amberen provide menopause relief? I wanted to write a review on Amberen, based on the clinical research I could find, and along the way, help women answer some questions that they may be wondering about.
Amberen research
The Amberen website says that “Amberen has been clinically tested and extensively studied for over 30 years“. There are studies listed on the Amberen website. Let’s look at each study briefly and see what we can find out about them.
2008 Amberen study. A Succinate-Based Composition Reverses Menopausal Symptoms Without Sex Hormone Therapy. This is a lab rat study. Amberen was given to older laboratory mice for 4 weeks. Amberen treatment was noted to improve several menopausal symptoms in the mice. The study was supported by Lunada Biomedical, makers of Amberen and published in Advanced in Gerontology, 21,2 298-305 (2008).
2007 Amberen study. A Succinate-Based Composition ”Rejuvenates” Aging Mice and Alleviates Menopausal Symptoms in Women Without Sex Hormone Replacement Therapy. This study was a little hard to find. The citation on the Amberen website lists “Medline” as the source of the study but it is actually the “Russian” version of medline – Medline.Ru where the study is found. This study appears to be the very same study as the 2008 study mentioned above.
I think the studies are the same because the authors for this 2007 study are the same as the 2008 study. It just seems to be published in a different journal. This 2007 study was published in Gerontology Endocrinology, vol. 8, Art. 46, pp. 497-517.
2005 Amberen study. Succinate-Based Preparation Alleviates Manifestations of the Climacteric Syndrome in Women.
Here is the first page of the 2005 Amberen study. I was unable to find a full text version of the study online. Basically, 70 women were given either an Amberen like preparation or placebo for 3 weeks. Those receiving Amberen appeared to improve more than those who got the placebo. Study was published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (September 2005), 140 (3), pg. 312-314.
Several of the authors of this study were the same as those in the 2007 and 2008 studies.
The 5 year study. The Amberen website also lists a “5 year study”. But no details of this study are given. As such it is hard to say how good it is or how the study was performed. This may not be a published peer reviewed study since I cannot find any citation for where the study was published.
The 4 week animal study. The Amberen website lists a 4 week study of older laboratory mice. No details are given about this study, but it sounds similar to the 2007 and 2008 Amberen mice studies mentioned above. I could not tell for sure since no details about this study were listed. This may not be a published peer reviewed study.
The 6 week animal study. Again, the Amberen website gives no details about this study other than that Amberen was given to older female mice for 6 weeks and it helped them.
The studies of Amberen’s ingredients are also listed on the Amberen website. ALL of these studies appear to be investigating one specific ingredient in Amberen called , succinic acid (also called succinate) - and not Amberen itself.
The studies of the Amberen ingredients (specifically succinate acid) date back to 1972 while the studies on Amberen itself dont seem to begin until 2005. This is how they are able to say that” Amberen has been clinically tested and extensively studied for over 30 years.” It’s over 30 years if you include in the studies on the ingredients (specifically succinic acid).
Succinic acid is compound formed during the Krebs cycle. This is the aerobic energy system that we all use when we break down fats and carbs (sugars) aerobically. That’s not really important but I thought I’d mention it in case anyone wondered.
Amberen Trivia: Amberen gets its name from succinic acid. An older name for succinic acid is “Amber Acid”.
Amberen ingredients
According to the Amberen website (AmberenOnline.com) I find that Amberen is composed of the following active ingredients:
- Ammonium succinate
- Calcium disuccinate
- Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
- Glycine
- Magnesium disuccinate
- Zinc disuccinate hydrate
- Tocopherol acetate
Since this is a proprietary blend, the label only says that each of these ingredients adds up to 400 mg (in 2 capsules). We are not told how much of each ingredient is in Amberen.
Let’s now look at each ingredient separately.
Ammonium succinate
This is likely the succinate that has received most of the research since the 1970s. When I Googled ammonium succinate, practically everything I saw had to do with Amberen.
The “ingredient studies” on the Amberen website are ALL on succinate. Therefore, I believe succinate is the main active ingredient in Amberen.
When I the searched the national library of medicine for “ ammonium succinate and menapause” I discovered the 2008 study summarized above.
This study does indicate that it was supported and initiated by the makers of Amberen, Lunada Biomedical. That’s not really a bad thing. I appreciate it when a company supports research on their supplements -most companies do not do this.
Calcium disuccinate
This is just another name for the mineral, calcium. The addition of calcium to Amberen does make some sense given that low calcium levels seem to increase PMS symptoms. But studies on this issue tend to use more calcium than is found in Amberen (about 1ooo mg/day). Less calcium may also work but I could not find any research on this.
Monosodium glutamate
This is MSG, a popular food additive. This is something to think about if you are sensitive to MSG. Monosodium glutamate is related to the non essential amino acid, glutamine. Bodybuilders often like glutamine supplements because they think it will help them recover faster following hard core exercise sessions. For more on glutamine, read my review of glutamine supplements. Exercise not withstanding, the question is, would glutamine help women recover faster from PMS or menopausal symptoms? I’m not sure because I can’t find any research one way or another.
Glycine
Glycine is an amino acid (non essential amino acid, meaning we make this in our body). There is some evidence that glycine may help memory in both young and middle age adults. Since some women report memory problems with menopause, this may be why glycine was added to Amberen. People with schizophrenia should avoid glycine. Glycine may make schizophrenia worse when combined with schizophrenia medications.
Magnesium disuccinate
This is another name for the mineral, magnesium. There are a few studies that magnesium might help with PMS symptoms like fluid weight gain and mood changes. Studies are far from complete and tend to use more magnesium than is in Amberen, but the research does exist.
Zinc disuccinate hydrate
This is the mineral, zinc. Zinc might help muscle cramping. I could not find any specific research on zinc helping PMS or menopausal symptoms. In those who eat well, being deficient in zinc is rare in the USA. Some may have heard that zinc is needed in women who take birth control pills. But, according to one study, there is no good proof that that oral contraceptives cause zinc deficiency. Keep in mind that zinc supplements might reduce HDL levels (“good cholesterol”). Amberen likely has very little zinc but the RDA for zinc is 8 mg/day in women. As such, its pretty easy to get more than the recommended daily allowance.
Tocopherol acetate
Most know by its usual name – vitamin E. There is not much evidence one way or another when it comes to vitamin E and menopause symptoms. A t least one study noted that vitamin E did not help hot flashes. I feel the jury is out on this issue until better studies can be done.
Because vitamin E is an antioxidant, its sometimes added to a supplement to help the product from spoiling. I’m obviously guessing but this may be why Amberen has vitamin E.
Can Amberen Reduce Belly Fat?
Amberen radio commercials state that Amberen targets “stubborn belly fat.” From the research that I have seen there appears to be no proof of this statement. If Amberen really did promote fat loss from the belly, it would mean Amberen was capable of spot reduction. There is no credible proof for spot reduction. I don’t know why the makers of Amberen are trying to promote Amberen as a weight loss supplement. None of the research I have seen shows reduces weight in the belly or anywhere else.
Amberen Side Effects
So far no studies have reported bad side effects from taking Amberen. If you have had Amberen side effects please comment so other women can benefit from you.
Amberen & Carol Nicholson
Carol Nicholson (Carol Nicholson-Kriegel), a registered nurse, is often heard in the Amberen radio commercials. She is also featured in a video clip on the Amberen website. Carol is identified on the Amberen website as “our menopause expert”. In the video, Carol indicates that in addition to being a registered nurse, she also owns an advertising agency and indicates that she “is in the natural products industry“. Carol also has a blog on the Amberen site.
I noticed as I watched the video clip of Carol, that her voice doesn’t sound like the voice I’ve heard many times on the Amberen radio commercials. Just something that occurred to me.
Does Amberen Work?
Based on what I could find, it seems that there are currently 3 published peer reviewed studies on Amberen itself. The first study was done in 2005. All of the studies I found were conducted by basically the same group of people. All studies appear to have been performed in Russia. If Amberen works, it seems to me that the ingredient called succinic acid is the active ingredient. I have no proof either way that the other Amberen ingredients offer any advantage over just taking succinic acid. Succinic acid supplements are available and cost less than Amberen. If Amberen really works it would be interesting to see how it compares to women who only take succinic acid.
Its hard to tell whether Amberen will help all women with menopause or not. In theory there may be something to Amberen but how much it help might vary. While I have some reservations about the Amberen research, the studies (while fewer in number) do exist and that does set Amberen apart from many of its counterparts.
What do you think?
{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for doing the footwork on Amberen. I had to laugh though about the study on menopausal symptoms in mice, I was never aware they suffered from such symptoms and I was wondering how the researchers knew their symptoms were alleviated by the drug? Was it their mood changes? or maybe it was the raiding of the Godiva chocolates in the middle of the night? I guess I will have to read the study to find out.
Glad to help April. I’ve heard the Amberen commercials like everyone else and was always interested. Amberen was unique in that it didn’t have the usual cast of characters when it comes to menopause (soy. black cohosh etc). I’d be interested in knowing if Amberen helped menopause symptoms.
You have a great web site and I was very surprised to see that MSG which most people do not want in Chinese food is in this preparation (Amberen). There is no magic bullet for menopausal symptoms, at Lunada
Maxine, thanks for your compliments. Yes, I was surprised that Amberen had MSG also.
Thanks for the informative article. I have been wondering about Amberen too. Menopause really stinks. After looking at their website I’ve decided to save a bunch of money by taking a succinic acid supplement. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Linda, thanks and yes do let me know how it goes. Ever since writing my Amberin review Ive been curious about succinic acid. I’ll be looking forward to reading about your experiences
I stumbled across your website while looking for information on Amberin. You are easy to read and user friendly. Consider yourself saved to favorites. I tried using Black cohosh for the night sweats and after a month found absolutely no difference. When I went back to the store, I struck up a conversation with another menopause sufferer and she suggested Co Q 10. Within two weeks, my night sweats were reduced from every night to 1-2 a week. After reading your review, I have decided to try the succinic acid. I will let you know the outcome.
Jude, thanks I apprecaite the feedback
thats interesting about the CoQ10 and yes do let me know if the succinic acid helps you. Im curious.
I have been using Amberen for almost three months, and it has helped me a lot. I am in no way affiliated with their product expect as a user. The msg is apparently of a different quality than that used in foods. Are you big into essential oils? If so, you will be aware that some “normal” things are available in different forms and can be powerful in healing. Maybe msg is one of those things.
To me, Amberen is interesting not only because it has helped me, but because of the controversy surrounding it. Reviews by individuals like me tend to be pretty good, but reviews by external reviewers are laden with distrust, to the point of distrusting good reviews by individuals, suggesting the good reviews are fakes.
Skepticism is fine, and when people have had bad experiences, it is out there. It is hard to find “bad” experiences with Amberen, the worst is typically that it didn’t help. An example is tonic water. It has quinine which helps with muscle cramps.
Recommended to me by a doctor, I looked up reviews as usual and found horrible consequences from overuse. Tonic water is fantastic, if used only periodically, but for people who get hooked and drink it every day wake up a year later with no kidney function or no liver or heart problems, terrible things. Amberen appears to be relatively benign, with a worst scenario being that it may not work for someone. I can live with that. Plus, it has helped me immensely.
Gayla,
I’m glad Amberen has helped you. I’m not against the product in fact I have mentioned it to people who were suffering from menopause. I do roll my eyes at some of the claims they make however – targeting “stubborn belly fat”, “92% success rate” etc – because those claims dont appear to be based in scientific facts.
Id also be curious in seeing a clinical trial of Amberen vs. succinic acid.
I’ve noticed that recently Amberen has changed their marketing, saying its only been around for 5 years as opposed to 30 years which they used to say. I think that’s a good thing because its inline with the Amberen research.
Regardless, its helped you and I’m glad. I’m happy you took the time to tell me about your experience with Amberen.
Whew,
Thank you all for your comments. I have to take a lot of meds anyway and didn’t want to “experiment” w/another. I’ve been taking Black Kohosh w/marginal results but not near the expense of Amberen. The weight gain is what I’m worried about the most. The hot flashes,mood swings are all a concern but I’m glad I did the research and found your research. I’ll look into the succinic acid. All that $$ for fillers and no evidence of study is ridiculous.Thank you.Thank you.
Ann thanks I am happy I was able to help you some. Amberen has always been one of those products I’ve been somewhat on the fence about. I do see the research and I’m intrigued but since the research is mostly on Succinic acid and not Amberen itself, I thought Id mention that to people.
If you do try Amberen or succinic acid, do let me know if it helped you. That way you can help me
Did you find any of thee studies:
Five-year Study
Amberen alleviated symptoms of menopause when administered as monotherapy. No adverse side effects registered.
Animal Study
In a four-week study on the estral cycle, bone mass and calcium content of aging mice. No adverse side effects registered.
Animal Study
In a six-week laboratory study on the biochemical effects of Amberen in old female rats, Amberen corrected ovulation cycle in the rats.
I’ve purchased this study: 2005 Amberen study. Succinate-Based Preparation Alleviates Manifestations of the Climacteric Syndrome in Women.
I’m especially interested in the 2005 5 Year Test study. I’m curious why the source is not cited. Was this study peer reviewed? Does anyone know more about this study.
David, no I was never able to find where the Amberen studies were published which makes me think they are not. If you ever find out if they are published by all means do let me know.
Thank you so much for all the research you have done. I’ve been hearing the commercials on the radio and was just about to purchase it. I decided to try and find out some info first. My biggest problem is the weight gain and my ears perked up when it said it helped with that. Darn!!! There still isn’t a magic bullet out there for ladies over 40 who are dealing with the added weight gain.
Valerie, glad to help! I think the makers of Amberen have lost their minds advertising it as a weight loss product. If they have clinical proof Amberen helps women weight loss I want to see it. If you try Amberen and it helps you, do let me know because I’m just going by the research that Ive seen.
I’ve tried the Amberen for about a month now (free trial period) and I’ve had no bad side affects at this point. I don’t have night sweats anymore, and I now have the will and the energy to exercise regularly again. I also have more interest/energy to do other routine things that I had been avoiding, like yard work, laundry, home repairs, etc. – all of which would help to account for the small weight loss – maybe 5 lbs in the past month.
I’m going to continue with the next 2 months.
Lori sounds good glad you are feeling better. Keep me posted on how things go with Amberen.
This is a related and kind of delicate question. I don’t know if you will be able to help but perhaps you can refer me somewhere else. I have heard of women losing their periods due to excessive weight loss. But have you ever heard of women having excessive (twice a month or more) periods due to “over-exercising?”Is it possible to speed the metabolism so much that this happens? I haven’t ever heard or read about this but don’t know if it is possible.
Christallin, that is something that I have not heard of before. There is the femaie athletic triad – but that results in less frequent / no periods. Have you asked your doctor about it? if you find an answer let me know. Im curious.
Hi, I posted a comment here about five months ago saying I was planning on taking a succinic acid supplement (the active ingredient in Amberen) and I would post when I had evaluated. Well, here it is.
I began looking for help with perimenopause when I began having trouble sleeping. I would be dead tired, but unable to fall asleep. When I did sleep, it seemed like I never got into the deeper stages, and I would still get up the next day exhausted. This was by far the worst perimenopausal symptom I had.
I started taking (3) 125mg capsules of succinic acid per day. I had to guess the amount, as Amberen simply gives the total weight of its “proprietary blend”. After about two weeks I noticed I was sleeping much better. I continued taking the succinic acid for three months, which the Amberen website recommends. At the end of this time, I had decreased my night sweats to about two per month, and I had also spontaneously (no change in habits) dropped about 8 pounds.
Finally, the Amberen website says that after taking their product for three months, you can stop taking it and your symptoms won’t come back for another three. Well, I stopped taking succinic acid at the end of September. Just a few days ago started having trouble sleeping again. That’s more like two months and a week instead of three months; but that suggests to me that it’s not just the power of suggestion working on me. I am convinced enough (and sleepless enough) to order more succinic acid.
I don’t know if I’m allowed to post this, (please edit out if needed, and my apologies) but I am paying about $6.11 per 90 capsule bottle (a month’s worth) at iherb.com. Here is the link:
http://www.iherb.com/Nutricology-Succinic-Acid-90-Veggie-Caps/22742?at=0
If you’ve never ordered from iherb before, you can also put this code in PUL058 and get $5 off your order. (I will also get a miniscule commission, about .25 cents)
Linda, thanks much! You just confirmed that Succinic acid is the active ingredient in Amberen! Paying $6.11 is a LOT better than $50 – $100 for Amberen. Glad it worked for you and THANKS for taking the time to let everybody know
Hi. I’m 48 and started Amberen 33 days ago. I have always been a health and fitness nut, and thanks to menopause, I have gained about 20 pounds in the last 4 years. My Doctor tells me that I’m just getting older. It is so frustrating. Anyway, I thought I would give Amberen a try. I really didn’t expect it to work since I have tried just about everything (including black cohosh, which almost did my liver in).
So far, I have yet to loose any weight, but I read it may take 60 to 90 days for that. On a positive note, I no longer have night sweats, hot flashes, depression, or moodiness. I am also delighted to report that My dying libido has also slowly started to come back!
No negative side effects so far, just upset that I haven’t lost any weight yet.
I wish I had known about the succinic acid before I bought a 3 month supply of Amberen for $99. Thanks for mentioning it here, I will give that a try for the next round of 3 months. I will let you know what I find out.
Lise, yes do keep me posted. I think most Amberen users don’t know about succinic acid. Either way, as long as something works, I call that a win – and if you can save some money doing it, a bigger win
I am 46 yrs old and have been having a hard time with menopause. I finally went to my doc and she prescribed Wellbutrin to help with the depression and it really did a number on me. By day four I was having major anxiety and panic attacks so I stopped. I am now looking for something natural and am going to try the Succinic Acid caps that Linda recommended. I am very hopeful that I will get some relieve. I was also looking into Menoquil. Has anyone tried this? It’s not as pricey as the Amberen.
Thanks for all this great info. I was just about to order Amberen. After reading all these great post I will try the Succinic Acid first. I will let you know how I do.
Lisa, thanks and yes do keep me posted!
Hi Joe, what a great review. Very informative, yet concise and to the point. My nanny just told me that I have to start taking this supplement right away and it is a cure for all the problems in the world:) It seems to be very popular in Russia. I checked out your linked in profile and just put an order for one of your supplement books on Amazon. Can’t wait to read it. Thanks
Hi Anna, thanks for the nice words! I’m glad you found my Amberen review helpful and I do hope you like my book. Its the book I always wish I had when I was searching for the facts on supplements.
Hi Joe,
I am a nurse, Masters level, with a focus in holistic and psychiatric nursing. I am 50. Many of my co-workers suffered from menopause symptoms before me. As I developed my own, I had the advice of those around me, “nothing really works”. I suffered from significant mental fogging, craving carbs, gaining weight (I have never been over weight), hot flashes etc. My sister, two years my junior is coming up on the same symptoms, with less tolerance for medications of any kind.
As a nurse I was skeptical, so I did some research like yourself, couldn’t find much on the research , like yourself, couldn’t find much on the components of the suppliment; but with the difference that I was living the problem. I bought the 90 day supply with the intention of trying it out for myself, and for the safety of my sister.
I was and still am impressed. Not only did my hot flashes go away, my mood swings lightened, and my craving s for carbs went away. I lost 5 pounds just by eating right . and simply didn’t crave the carbs. Most important, my menstral symptoms (no details) really cleared up. I am sold.
I took a 3 month course, went off for 2 months, my symptoms returned, went back on it, they went away, went off, they came back. two weeks off Emberen, I am misserable: my acne has returned, my hot flashes are returning, my mood is tanking. Clearly, at least for me, there is no cumulative or additive effect, once I stop taking it, my symptoms return.
I am not employed by, or receiving any gain from this post. I just feel obligated to share with others that this ?? what ever it is, has honestly helped me. It might not help everyone,….but I have had NO side effects. I am MSG sensitive with headaches and palpitations so was very worried about this – I have had no symptoms at all. No palpitations, no headaches, nothing.
I sound like a commercial, but I have no obligation to anyone to post this. Menopause is rotten and I am not going to suffer through anything I don’t have to. I say, try it all, and take what works for you. I am ordering more Emberen tonight – I don’t even want to risk the ammonium succinate, because I know the Emberen works for me. call me chicken…..I don’t care. Hope this is helpful.
Nora, I would never call you chicken and Im glad that Amberen is working for you. It does appear that Succinic acid is the active ingredient and the research presented on the Ambern website – all of it on succinic acid – seems to confirm that but I totally understand your not wanting to take a chance. Yes your words were helpful
Wow,
so nice to find a clear review simply stated and to the point.
Decided to get “free” 30 day trial with 99 purchase for my wife. Appreciate everyones posts, and will add results in 30 days or so. After reading site, may switch to A-Succinate after 30 days. Nice to know there are options out there.
Joe,
Thank you for your very informative review. I would like to state that my biggest obstacles with regard to Menopause have been “mental fog” and “Irritability”…I have been very fortunate with symptoms in Peri-menopause and officially covet the title of Menopause. I have always been tall and thin and noticed that when my physician put me on Zoloft 2 years ago I started gaining weight, which I was still considered at my ideal body weight for 5’9, but I wasn’t use to being 140.
After further research and finding a correlation of Anti Depressants and weight gain, I opted to stop taking them last year. Amazing that weight has come off and I’m back down to 130. I have always been active with hiking, biking and running etc…. I would like to recommend for “ANYONE” that is having issues with the sleep patterns, I was told about 5 HTP and it has been the most amazing product ever. I take it before I go to bed and within 15 minutes, I’m asleep (it’s deep sleep and all night). I recommended it to a couple of friends and they will never take anything else.
I just need to figure out what is good for the “FOG” and “Irritability” that is natural. I don’t like taking any prescription medications, which is the other reason I went off the Zoloft.
Shanda In Kansas City, MO
I had a partial hysterectomy leaving me with one ovary four years ago. Within a year, I began experiencing some menopausal symptoms to a small degree. Little flashes, no night sweats tho, minor to moderate decrease in libido, vaginal dryness sometimes, hair thinned a little (thank God I started with very thick hair), needless to say, compared to others, I was not suffering, I was just not what I was used to being. So, I tried Amberen. It worked for me, maybe because my symptoms were so minimal but even after being off for the three months, it still worked.
I haven’t taken it for 2 years now and within those 2 years, I may have experienced 10 small flashes but I have gained some belly weight and the other symptoms have returned, still minimally so I have ordered Amberen again and I hope it still works as it did years ago for me. I say give it a try. Everything doesn’t work for everybody but for $100, it’s worth a try.
Chynna in Connecticut
Chynna, I do hope Amberen works for you. I really do! I listen to the ads on the radio like everybody else does and when it comes to belly fat I see no proof that it helps weight loss. It might, but the makers of Amberen have not shown me any proof. I do think it might help menopause symptoms in some women – because of succinic acid which I claim is Amberen’s active ingredient.
Hi there. Wish I had found your awesome review and helpful comments earlier. I am 35, a personal trainer and had a complete hysterectomy (=no ovaries) 5 years ago. Menopaus symptoms occurred immediately, however recently they have increased exponentially. No libido, skin/vag dryness, 10-15 of weight gain (even as a trainer) I am not able to lose, foggy, sleep issues, memory issues, etc.
I realized I needed to start doing something …. Had decided against traditional HRT early on… I read on the Amberen website before buying that no studies had been done on women with complete hyst, however decided to try it anyway.
After almost one month, the only improvement I see, slightly, is change in mood.
I went back to Amberen website and after reading further, realized the main way/reason Amberen works is to kickstart your ovaries and get them producing again… Since I have only my adrenal glands for hormone production….my results are very different, and I believe Amberen wouldn’t work well for women like me, with no ovaries.
I’ve sent an email to Amberen/Lunida asking pointedly if complete hysto women will really see any effects. Will repost when/if I hear back.
Love this site….
Romi
Joe,
Great website and very informative. I am 54 years old, am post-menopausal with all the same symptoms that others have listed here. My husband heard the Amberen commercial and suggested that I look into it and see what the side effects were and if I thought if might work for me.
I checked out the Amberen website and was not impressed by any of the reviews, (seems more negative than positive results). I do have a non functional thyroid gland which I have accepted to be my cause for weight gain. I wasn’t aware that menopause was such a culprit to this issue until I did my research.
I can’t tell you the last time I have had a good REM full night’s sleep or felt energetic. I have a couple hot flashes a day and I want to thank them for not letting me get a good night’s sleep. I am highly sensitive to MSG which is in Amberen (glad I found that out early) so that right there was a red flag, haven’t had a period since I was 42 years old and definitely don’t want one now (which could happen on Amberen). With those 2 red flags, the cost, and reading your research study results, I have decided not to purchase the Amberen. HOWEVER, after reading your comments about Succini Acid and reading Linda’s post (Thank you Linda) I have decided to give the Succini Acid a try.
All the comments on your site were very helpful and I am glad I read everyone’s opinion before I made my decision.
I am thinking in the positive way here, am planning to follow the same dosage and regiment that Linda did and we’ll see what happens. Will post my results in about 3 months, until then, I plan to revisit your site often to see what others have tried and what they are saying.
Thank you Joe
Diane
Diane, thank YOU for writing and yes do let me know what happens with the succinic acid. I think you should know if it works within 3 months.
Thank you for all of your research. I was thinking of going on my 3rd round of Amberen, waiting nearly 90 days in between the previous 2 rounds I had taken. I am 46 and it did help me considerably. I slept better, night sweats disappeared, moodiness was better, libido improved. Because of cost I am strongly considering trying the succinic acid alone.
I do have a question as to the increased risk it may have on breast cancer. My mother had breast cancer and am trying to be wise in what might increase my risks. Any thoughts on that would be appreciated.
Thank you again for all the info.
Kris
Hi Kris, Ive never seen any research that Amberen or its ingredients have any effect on breast cancer. Why dont you show the ingredients list to a pharmacist and see what they think. If you find out anything on this please do let me know.
Thank you for this research. I need to research menopausal symptoms in mice because it does sound ridiculous to me. I appreciate you finding the studies because I couldn’t find any. The plethora of websites that seem to be devoted to promoting this product and it’s cost makes me very wary. I think I may try succinate instead and see what happens.
Maria, thanks and do let me know if you try Succinic acid and it works for you or not.
Joe, I have orderd the amberen, today is my first day. But I have had everything out over 13 years ago. And an under active thyroid. so does this just work on the overies? which I do not have. Would the Succinic work? or does that work on the overies. I am on hormone replacement and thyroid meds. The weight is the biggeast problem. Up and down like a yo yo. I was hoping it would stableize everything.
Melissa, Its a tough call and Im not sure. As far as I can tell the research is on succinic acid not amberen and all of it has to do with menopausal symptoms. I cant find any proof that amberen or succinic acid help weight loss. I hope it works for you. if it does – or doesn’t – please do let me know.
I just turned 40 and have realized for awhile, I have had menopause symptoms. I have quite a few of them including night sweats, headaches, tiredness, libido loss and my heart is acting up too.
I am now trying to find the succinic acid at a store to order but every place I have looked online is out. Is something wrong? I sure hope not. If so, I guess I will be buying the pricey stuff. Thanks so much for this info you provided. Maybe my life isn’t over quite yet!
Hi Dana, I did a quick amazon search and found this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002D9IUV2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mscscs-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002D9IUV2
I also found two brands on Ebay http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=succinic+acid&_sacat=0
check local health food stores also.
Believe me when I say your life is not over (I’m 8 years older than you) but I can understand being frustrated. Do talk your feelings/symptoms with your doctor/gynecologist to get their impute also. If you try succinc acid and it helps – or doesn’t-, please let me know.
Joe, Thank you. I found them as well but for the Amazon one, may as well buy the Amberen for the price. As for ebay, most of them seem for film developing or something. I did find some but wonder why so many places are out right now. Hopefully it won’t be for long. I bought 6 bottles just in case. The last thing I would want is for this to work and never find it again.
I will most definitely let you know. Trust me, I just have been through a week of night sweats and heart skipping (the heart doctor says it isn’t actually skipping, just firing so fast after one beat that it pauses for a moment, and he thinks it isn’t from menopause. I think he hasn’t even checked my hormones and hasn’t considered my partial hysterectomy around 15 years ago.)
After reading many menopause websites, I am convinced that it is menopause. Thank you for making this thread. I may have never of tried the succinic acid.
Hi Dana, ask your doctor if he has checked your hormone levels. So few of us ask questions of doctors. I think they actually like it when we do because it helps them get to the bottom of things easier. I think if succinic acid works as well as Amberen, stores wont be able to keep it on the shelves so I would not worry about not being able to get it
40 days ago, prior to ordering Amberen, I researched everything about menopause and the drugs that may help. I found your site and saved the link to my favourites. I thought about just buying succinic acid, but was going to give Amberen a trial first. 35 days ago, I began taking Amberen. My hot flashes have reduced significantly and night sweats only a few nights a week. I have lost 8 lbs but I am not sure if it’s Amberen or because I have also lowered my carb intake. I do feel more energetic but not yet to the level I would like. The only problem I have with Amberen is dry mouth – possibly from the MSG. After my 90 days and 60 days rest, I would like to try succinic acid but worried that if I don’t continue the Amberen my body will change again. What do you recommend?
Candace, obviously its up to you and what you feel comfortable with. Id say if Amberen is helping you and you can deal with the dry mouth, Id say stick with it. Id hate for you to leave something that is working for you now as an experiment. If there comes a time when you feel Amberen is too expensive, then try succinic acid for a bit and see if it does the same thing. I just want you to feel better either way and anything that does that for you is most important for me.
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