·	First and foremost, drink at least two quarts of water and/or herbal tea every day.

·	Secondly, exercise the PC muscle (pubococcygeus) or Do Kegel Exercises

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One of the fringe benefits of using soy isoflavones with genistein and daidzein, aka phytoestrogens / natural plant estrogens, is that they can eliminate vaginal dryness in many women because isoflavones have estrogenic effects without the risk of estrogen therapy. The most concentrated form is Revival Soy Protein.

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Add some oil to your diet. Doing something as simplistic as swallowing one tablespoon of oil (Canola, olive, sunflower, soybean) daily will add lubrication to your body. Dryness, not only vaginal, is one of menopausal women's biggest offenders Doctors may not suggest these simple and very workable methods. They don't require prescriptions.

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Another thing you may want to try is applying 1/2 teaspoon of natural progesterone cream intravaginally once a day. You can get more info about where to get it from the Web site's Recommendations page, plus there's a wealth of information about NP on the Web site in the Reading Room and in the hundreds of Guest Transcript Library. NP should provide lubrication without causing yeast infections. It's often dryness itself that causes painful intercourse.

·	Naturally compounded estrogen can be helpful in restoring moisture when vaginal dryness occurs during peri and postmenopause.

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Testosterone Supplementation: Creams, Gels, Pellets, Capsules. Some women prefer to use testosterone supplementation. Remember, a woman needs only a very small dose of prescription testosterone. HRT, such as Estratest, contains too high a dose of testosterone (Dr. Susan Rako, author of The Hormone of Desire). You can E.mail Pete Hueseman , Power Surge's pharmaceutical consultant for more information on testosterone supplementation for vaginal dryness or to enhance libido often diminished during the menopause process and for any information regarding "naturally compounded" or "bio-identical" hormones.

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Take 600-800 I.U. of vitamin E daily - in doses of 200 IU at a time -- not the megadoses you see on the health food store shelves. A menopausal woman shouldn't be using 1,000 IU's of vitamin E at a time and doesn't even need that much over the course of a day. In this case, more isn't better. Before taking supplemental vitamin E, consult your physician if you're being treated for hypertension, diabetes or a rheumatic heart. Under these circumstances, doses should be limited to small amounts, such as 50-150 IU, depending on your health condition.

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You can insert a vitamin E capsule intravaginally for lubrication and to ease the pain of dryness. No need to break open the capsule; the pH of your body will do the job. This is one of the least expensive, most natural and effective ways of treating vaginal dryness. Just check the outer coating of the capsule first to make sure there are no sharp areas, so that you don't scratch the vaginal area when inserting. You can also cut open the capsule and place the vitamin E oil in the palm of your hand, then put some on your finger and insert it into your vagina. Again, make sure you have no nails that are sharp which might cause scratching or irritation.

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Over the counter natural progesterone creams help some somen, or low doses of prescription natural, micronized progesterone cream. Many of the archived Newsletters in the Reading Room have much information about natural progesterone, plus there are articles on progesterone in the Educate Your Body area of the site.

·	Always lubricate yourself before having intercourse. You can try Climatique, which is made specifically for that purpose. There's also cocoa butter, coconut oil, and other fruit or vegetable oils such as almond oil and apricot oil also make nice natural lubricants.

·	Taking vitamin A orally is very helpful for dryness in general.

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Sexual desire and response are frequently diminished during perimenopause due to the fluctuation and decline of hormones, but one's intimate relationships can be enhanced with various remedies. According to JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than 40% of American women experience some sort of sexual dissatisfaction and sexual issues frequently become more apparent when perimenopause sets in.

·	There are numerous lubricating gels available on the market. Always lubricate yourself before having intercourse. You can try Climatique, which is made specifically for that purpose.

·	Aloe vera/slippery elm paste is often used to soothe and lubricate an inflamed, dry vagina. Mix enough slippery elm powder into some aloe vera gel to form a thick paste. Apply inside the lips and up into the vagina. It will feel very cool and soothing.

·	Black cohosh can be helpful in relieving not only hot flashes, headaches, but vaginal dryness and more.

·	Chasteberry (Vitex), ginseng, dong quai and evening primrose oil can be helpful as well. Licorice root should be approached cautiously. Be careful using licorice root if you have high blood pressure. Licorice can cause your blood pressure to rise.

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Another natural lubricant is saliva. Yours or his. A midlife or older woman's times ability to lubricate is not gone, it simply takes longer and requires more stimulation. Manual works fine. The woman or her partner can do it. Oral works better and faster. It can take 45 minutes to an hour. It is not a quick solution, but if a woman needs longer to become lubricated, she needs about the same amount of time to become aroused and her clitoris erect for orgasm. To shorten the time needed by using one of the replacements might be synonymous with having sex for a partner's pleasure primarily.