i found evening primrose didn't do a thing for me. i took an all-in-one supplement made for menopausal women which contained all the stuff recommended - calcium, magnesium, flax seed oil, etc. nothing to rid of the hot flushes, i just learned to live with them and adjust the way i dressed to cope - no socks or tights, t-shirts and jumpers with a lowish neck, looser clothing generally. you could try the soya isoflavins which are natural things, and some ladies swear by them. i never did the hrt thing either, took me about 3-4 years to get rid of all the symptoms, but now life is great again!!! good luck.