I can testify to NOT TAKING THE HERBAL ROUTE. There is no herbal route. Its a big waste of money. A scam to attract small busted women and transsexuals.
The real hormone route is much cheaper and actually works. Its much easier than you may think too. My endo was willing to treat me without my psychiatrist's letter. And you know, even if your endo needs a letter from a therapist, its really not that big of deal. The actual cost of maintained HRT is only like $50 a month at most if you take the cheap generic pill route. And this is without insurance. With insurance, I only pay $20 a month. And just incase you didn't know, you can sign up for Walgreens Prescription Savings Plan. For just $20 a year you can get a three month supply of estradiol and spironolactone for just $60.
I'll admit the startup cost for HRT can be high, especially if you don't have insurance, but it is worth it. Without insurance, it will likely cost about $1000-1,500 to get started with HRT. But in the end its safer, actually works, and is actually cheaper.
If I were you, I'd stop taking the herbs now. I remember I had only been taking them for a month or two. One night I started to feel horrible chest palpitations. Whether it was the herbs or not, I don't care. I needed a real doctor to help me.