When a woman finds some way to relieve from menopause symptoms take a distressing turn when she experiences an unusual side effect.
After consuming an herbal remedy, she noticed her eyes and skin turning an abnormal shade of yellow.
This unexpected outcome left her concerned about her health when used unregulated alternative remedies for menopause.
Amber Heimbach, 39, sought help from a doctor after experiencing symptoms ranging from mood swings to heavy bleeding. She got a prescription from the doctor, but she used another herbal medicine instead.
Heimbach said she feels quite healthy, so she has chosen natural treatments such as taking some vitamins or supplements to relieve her menopausal symptoms.
According to Heimbach, black cohosh is marketed as a dietary supplement that cools the body and reduces other menopausal symptoms.
Because the medicine is made from natural plants, there is no need for a prescription to take it.
Heimbach initially felt that the cohosh herb worked well on her body as she was able to sleep well, feel relaxed, and minimize mood problems.
However, Heimbach began having severe stomach pains and discovered that his skin and eyes had become unusually yellow.
She even thought she had turned into the cartoon character Marge Simpson, whose entire body was yellow.
The mother quickly went to the hospital for a checkup and was diagnosed with an enlarged gallbladder and unexpectedly high liver enzymes.
Heimbach shared that she was extremely scared because she had always been healthy and had never had to go to the hospital. But this time she was completely unaware of what was happening to her skin and eyes.
After telling doctors about using black cohosh as a natural treatment for menopausal symptoms, one of the doctors treating Heimbach emphasized that cohosh has negative effects on the liver.
According to research by the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) in 2020, black cohosh causes countless cases of serious liver damage with varying degrees from increased liver enzymes to acute liver failure and the most severe is death.
After receiving treatment and stopping the drug cohosh, Heimbach's enzyme levels returned to normal and she was discharged from the hospital.
However, her eyes and skin are still quite clearly yellow, looking like the cartoon character Marge Simpson.
