Last checked September 2026 against 22 sources · Editorial policy
Estroven side effects: what each formula can do
Estroven side effects depend on which product you take. Estroven Complete contains only 4 mg of rhubarb extract ERr 731, and trials found no adverse events linked to it. Most other Estroven formulas combine black cohosh and soy, which can cause bloating or nausea, with rare liver problems reported for black cohosh. Sleep Cool adds melatonin, Mood Boost adds ginkgo and the energy formula adds caffeine.
Estroven Complete has few reported side effects. Other Estroven formulas add black cohosh, soy, melatonin, ginkgo or caffeine. Side effects, liver warnings and interactions by product.
Estroven side effects: expectation vs reality
What people often expect
“Estroven is natural, so it has no side effects”
What the evidence shows
Estroven Complete has few reported side effects in trials, but most other Estroven formulas contain black cohosh and soy, and some add melatonin, ginkgo or caffeine. Each has its own side effects and drug interactions, and Estroven labels say not to take them if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant.
Estroven side effects by product and ingredient
Estroven Complete side effects (rhubarb extract ERr 731)
Each Estroven Complete caplet contains 4 mg of rhapontic rhubarb root extract and no soy. In a 12-week trial of 109 perimenopausal women, no adverse events were attributed to ERr 731, and follow-up to 96 weeks showed no clinically relevant changes in safety measures. A German database study of 5,686 women found no rise in breast cancer. Some authors of these studies work for Health Research Services.
Learn more →Black cohosh in Estroven and liver warnings
Estroven Weight Management, Sleep Cool and Mood Boost contain 40 mg of black cohosh root extract per dose, and the Stress Relief & Energy Boost formula contains 80 mg. NCCIH says black cohosh is generally well tolerated in studies lasting up to a year, but rare cases of liver damage, some very serious, have been reported with products labeled as black cohosh. It's uncertain whether black cohosh caused them.
Learn more →Soy isoflavones in Estroven
The same formulas contain 56 mg of soy isoflavones, or 60 mg in the energy formula, and their labels carry a soy allergy warning. Estroven Complete is soy-free. NCCIH lists bloating, constipation, diarrhea and nausea as possible side effects of soy, and says concentrated isoflavone extracts have been used safely in studies for up to 6 months. Soy in amounts above normal food levels may be unsafe in pregnancy.
Estroven Sleep Cool side effects (melatonin)
Sleep Cool adds 2 mg of melatonin to black cohosh and soy, and is taken before bedtime. Its label says not to drive or operate machinery while taking it. NCCIH says melatonin's reported side effects in adults are mild, such as headache, dizziness, nausea and sleepiness, but long-term effects are unclear. People with epilepsy or on blood thinners should use melatonin only under medical supervision.
Learn more →Estroven Mood Boost side effects (ginkgo and magnolia)
Mood Boost contains 120 mg of ginkgo biloba leaf extract and 15 mg of magnolia bark extract, plus black cohosh and soy. NCCIH says ginkgo leaf extract is generally well tolerated, with dizziness, stomach upset and headache as the most common side effects. Ginkgo may raise the risk of bleeding in people taking blood thinners such as warfarin, and may interact with other medicines.
Estroven energy formula: caffeine and green tea
Stress Relief & Energy Boost combines a double dose of black cohosh with green tea and yerba mate extracts and magnolia bark; its label lists about 52 mg of caffeine per caplet. NCCIH says green tea extract supplements can cause nausea, constipation, stomach discomfort and higher blood pressure, and that liver injury, though uncommon, has been reported. Green tea extract can also lower levels of nadolol and atorvastatin.
Estroven Weight Management side effects
Weight Management pairs 40 mg of black cohosh and 56 mg of soy isoflavones with 300 mg of CQR-300, an extract of Cissus quadrangularis. Estroven says it contains no caffeine or stimulants. A 2017 meta-analysis of 9 Cissus trials with 1,108 people reported no serious adverse effects, so its side-effect profile mostly comes down to the black cohosh and soy. It isn't for pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Learn more →Who shouldn't take Estroven
Every Estroven label says not to take it if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant, and to tell your healthcare professional before starting. NCCIH adds that black cohosh's safety is uncertain after breast or uterine cancer, and that herbs can interact with medicines. Supplements aren't approved by the FDA before they're sold, so the company, not the FDA, is responsible for their safety.
Estroven ingredients by the numbers
4 mg
40 mg
52 mg
109
Doses come from Estroven labels in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; formulas can change, so check your box.
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Estroven products compared by side effects
Estroven Complete
Learn more →Good for
One ingredient, 4 mg ERr 731; soy-free; no adverse events linked to it in trials.Watch
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Most trials come from one research group.Estroven Weight Management
Learn more →Good for
No caffeine or stimulants, according to Estroven.Watch
Check price on Amazon →
Black cohosh and soy; CQR-300 wasn't tested in menopause.Estroven Sleep Cool
Good for
Adds 2 mg of melatonin, taken at bedtime.Watch
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Don't drive or operate machinery after taking it.Estroven Mood Boost
Good for
Adds magnolia bark and ginkgo.Watch
Ginkgo may raise bleeding risk with blood thinners.Estroven Stress Relief & Energy Boost
Good for
Double-dose black cohosh with green tea and yerba mate.Watch
About 52 mg of caffeine per caplet.Prescription non-hormonal treatment
Learn more →Good for
Recommended by NAMS for hot flashes, unlike most supplements.Watch
Needs a prescription.
Before you take Estroven
- Check which Estroven you're buying: the ingredients, and so the side effects, differ by product.
- Don't take any Estroven product if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant.
- On blood thinners? Avoid the ginkgo in Mood Boost and ask before using melatonin in Sleep Cool.
- Sensitive to caffeine? Skip Stress Relief & Energy Boost, which has about 52 mg per caplet.
- After breast or uterine cancer, talk to your doctor before products with black cohosh.
When Estroven side effects need a doctor
Dark urine or unusual tiredness while taking black cohosh
Stop taking it and see your doctor: these can be signs of liver damage.
You take blood thinners, statins or other regular medicines
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before starting: ginkgo, green tea extract and melatonin can interact with them.
Hot flashes still disrupting sleep or work after 60 days
Ask about prescription treatment: hormone therapy is the most effective option.
More →
Estroven side effects: questions women ask
Does Estroven have side effects?
Estroven Complete has few: trials found no adverse events linked to its rhubarb extract. Other Estroven formulas contain black cohosh and soy, which can cause bloating, constipation or nausea, and some add melatonin, ginkgo or caffeine with their own side effects.
Is Estroven bad for your liver?
Estroven Complete's rhubarb extract hasn't been linked to liver problems in trials. Formulas with black cohosh are different: rare cases of liver damage have been reported with black cohosh products, though it's unclear whether black cohosh caused them. See a doctor if you get dark urine or unusual tiredness.
Does Estroven cause weight gain?
There's no sign it does. Estroven says trials of its Complete formula showed no weight gain, and the main trial found no weight difference from placebo. It also says Complete has no proven weight benefit, which is why it sells a separate Weight Management formula.
Related →What are the side effects of Estroven Sleep Cool?
Sleep Cool contains 2 mg of melatonin with black cohosh and soy. Melatonin can cause headache, dizziness, nausea and sleepiness, and the label says not to drive or operate machinery after taking it. Soy can cause bloating or nausea.
What are the side effects of Estroven Weight Management?
Its side effects mostly come from the black cohosh and soy: possible bloating, constipation or nausea, and rare liver problems reported with black cohosh. Its Cissus extract hasn't shown serious side effects in trials, and Estroven says it contains no caffeine or stimulants.
Related →Can Estroven cause headaches?
It's possible with some formulas. Headache is among the reported side effects of melatonin, in Sleep Cool, and of ginkgo, in Mood Boost, and the energy formula contains caffeine. Headaches are also a common menopause symptom in their own right.
Related →Is Estroven safe after breast cancer?
For Estroven Complete, a German database study of 5,686 women found no rise in breast cancer with ERr 731. For formulas with black cohosh, NCCIH says safety after breast or uterine cancer is uncertain. Check with your oncology team first.
Does Estroven interact with medications?
Some ingredients can. Ginkgo may raise bleeding risk with warfarin, green tea extract can lower levels of nadolol and atorvastatin, and melatonin needs medical supervision if you take blood thinners. Estroven advises talking to your healthcare professional before combining it with other medicines.
Can I take Estroven while pregnant or breastfeeding?
No. Estroven labels say not to take the products if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant. Black cohosh may not be safe in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and soy above food amounts may be unsafe in pregnancy.
Sources
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database: Estroven Complete Multi-Symptom Menopause Relief label.
- Heger M, Ventskovskiy BM, Borzenko I, et al. Efficacy and safety of a special extract of Rheum rhaponticum (ERr 731) in perimenopausal women with climacteric complaints: a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Menopause. 2006;13(5):744-59.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database: Estroven Weight Management label.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Soy: usefulness and safety.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Black cohosh: usefulness and safety.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database: Estroven Menopause Relief + Sleep label.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database: Estroven Mood Boost label.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database: Maximum Strength Estroven Menopause Relief + Stress label.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Ginkgo: usefulness and safety.
- Hasper I, Ventskovskiy BM, Rettenberger R, et al. Long-term efficacy and safety of the special extract ERr 731 of Rheum rhaponticum in perimenopausal women with menopausal symptoms. Menopause. 2009;16(1):117-31.
- Heger PW, Hotz D, Kalder M, et al. Association between Extract Rheum rhaponticum 731 (ERr 731) prescription and subsequent breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2025;212(1):139-148.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Melatonin: what you need to know.
- Estroven. Menopause Relief Stress Relief & Energy Boost product page (checked October 2026).
- NCCIH. Green tea: usefulness and safety.
- Estroven. Menopause Relief Weight Management product page (checked October 2026).
- Sawangjit R, Puttarak P, Saokaew S, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Cissus quadrangularis L. in Clinical Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Phytother Res. 2017;31(4):555-567.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Dietary supplements.
- The North American Menopause Society. The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2023;30(6):573-590.
- Oben JE, Enyegue DM, Fomekong GI, et al. The effect of Cissus quadrangularis (CQR-300) and a Cissus formulation (CORE) on obesity and obesity-induced oxidative stress. Lipids Health Dis. 2007;6:4.
- Estroven. Product range and pack sizes (checked October 2026).
- Estroven. Estroven Complete Multi-Symptom Menopause Relief product page (checked September 2026).
- British Dietetic Association. Eating well for the perimenopause and menopause (food fact sheet).
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