Anybody (women) having hot flashes?

love2cycle
love2cycle Posts: 448 Member
edited December 18 in Motivation and Support
I'm 53 and just started having hot flashes.:explode: I have no plans to take medications, and was just wondering if anyone has any tips for any relief, other than fans and remote control air conditioning!

Replies

  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
    I just saw your post as I was looking for the same! I'm 39 and have had hot flashes for, well, let's just call it long enough. hehe Early onset runs in my family, so.

    Things that have helped me and my mother- soy. I drink a glass of soy milk each morning, but that's the extent of it. I think she does about the same, maybe less. I have found that too much soy is not helping me. This week I started having soy shakes for breakfast-1 glass soy milk with 1 scoop soy protein powder (the only kind I like). And now I feel like I've been having one long hot flash all week!

    I can't be certain that the shakes are the cause, but they are the main thing that changed this week. Sigh.

    I've heard black cohosh is supposed to help, but I haven't tried it. Don't try any of that without running it by my nurse practitioner first. And I'm being lazy. lol
  • Lauren8239
    Lauren8239 Posts: 1,039 Member
    I use promensil. One tablet a day, and it helps a lot. I'm 47, and I've tried stopping it for a few days to see if there was a difference, and there really was so I won't do that again, lol. You can get promensil in any drug/grocery store.
  • Mom2rh
    Mom2rh Posts: 612 Member
    I have heard that caffeine and alcohol can exacerbate flashes. As well as stress.
  • autumnk921
    autumnk921 Posts: 1,374 Member
    Thank goodness for this topic...I am 37 & I have hot flashes as well....At least I think that is what it is....My doctor says I am too young & my hormones all checked out normal...But I can just be sitting here & just start sweating for no reason....Not sure why & my doctor is not sure why either....My mom is just now starting to go through it so it would be weird for me to start at the same time I think but I did try black cohosh for a little while & it seemed to help but I started getting headaches - not sure if that was the cause b/c I took a few natural herbs at the time & just stopped all of them to get rid of the headaches.... :(
  • HannahMarieMcDougald
    HannahMarieMcDougald Posts: 544
    And cold chills
  • Kris1997
    Kris1997 Posts: 241
    I have heard of an OTC called I-cool, bought at pharmacy. From what i understand they work wonders!
  • SPBROOKS68
    SPBROOKS68 Posts: 561 Member
    I am 43 and perimenopausal due to medication (steriods) . Dr, put me on estrogen and progesterone which helped the hot flashes but were very expensive and made me miserable. So I weaned myself off and am just going to let nature run its course and deal with it. Mine are worse at night so I just change clothes and keep my house cooler ;)
  • cdnfl
    cdnfl Posts: 2
    If a hot flash can last 24/7, then yes, I've been having hot flashes for 2+ years. :(

    Haven't found the magic solution yet but will be reading this thread with interest.
  • SeasideOasis
    SeasideOasis Posts: 1,057 Member
    Due to medication, I have been medically induced into menopause. My mother used to laugh at me (5 years ago when I was 21) when I got such crazy hot flashes. Well, she realized how much they suck when she started getting them...

    I dont take medication for mine either. I have enough random crap in my system. I do recommend, however, cold herbal tea. I have NO idea why, but it helps me a lot. I typically make hot tea, but put it in large batches in the fridge.

    Dont drink too much, either, if you are having a hard time controlling them.
  • poundsgalore
    poundsgalore Posts: 99 Member
    I too have noticed the more caffeine I drink the worse they are. When I quit drinking caffeine I hardly even noticed them, but I am back on the dreadful stuff. I am 42 and had a full hysterectomy in my mid 30s and have had them since.
  • applebobbrush
    applebobbrush Posts: 235 Member
    I had a hysterectomy 12 years ago, I'm 36. I took estrogen for awhile, then got a blood clot and had to go off. I had hot flashes everyday and night. I toughed it out and gladly it started getting less and less. Now I don't remember the last time I had one. I know mine was easier to adjust to because all my hormones were BAM gone, then my body adjusted quick. Sorry no helpful advice, I feel your pain. Invest in a couple pair of nice thin light weight pj's to help when you get those night sweats.
  • Minoesh
    Minoesh Posts: 105 Member
    This post is so timely!! I have been having the worst hot flushes and night sweats ever, to the point where I wake up during the night literally dripping with sweat - it's driving me nuts, I wake up exhausted because I'm just not getting a decent night's sleep! I am turning 48 in July and while I understand that is pretty young, I had a hysterectomy at 35 (leaving one ovary) and I was told that could bring on an early menopause. I haven't been to my doctor yet, I really DO NOT want to go onto HRT and here in the UK doctors are not big into alternative medication. Any advice whatsoever will be most welcome :smile:
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    My hot flushes are just beginning to fade - and don't panic, I'm 60 but had a late menopause, so have had them about 8 years. I didn't do anything but "dress to undress" with layers to slip off and on again as the flushes/ flashes came and went. They were worst at night - and still are. My OH & I often use different bed coverings, so he'll be under a winter weight duvet and I'll be using a summer one, or in summer I'll just have a sheet. I found I got better at kicking off the covers and hauling them back without fully waking but the sleep disturbance was & remains the worst thing.
    Like some people above I didn't take anything, but there are OTC and prescribed meds to try if you want to. Consult a pharmacist / nurse / doctor to discuss what's available.

    Don't know where the OP lives - if it's in a cooler zone you're lucky, it helps to keep your environment cool. We had a holiday somewhere hot and I suffered! Temporarily..... sympathy if you're suffering with it now.
  • linder4866
    linder4866 Posts: 11,458 Member
    My doctor approved of black cohosh. I've been buying this product: Enzymatic Therapy Remifemin

    I believe it's helping.
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
    Thank goodness for this topic...I am 37 & I have hot flashes as well....At least I think that is what it is....My doctor says I am too young & my hormones all checked out normal...But I can just be sitting here & just start sweating for no reason....Not sure why & my doctor is not sure why either....My mom is just now starting to go through it so it would be weird for me to start at the same time I think but I did try black cohosh for a little while & it seemed to help but I started getting headaches - not sure if that was the cause b/c I took a few natural herbs at the time & just stopped all of them to get rid of the headaches.... :(

    Autumn, you are NOT too young. The first time I had ongoing hot flashes was at the age of 26! That was hormonal. Ask your doctor to disregard your age and consider all other symptoms. Ask-if your age was not included what would he say it is? Most of them say hot flashes. My old doc told me that too, which is why I now see my nurse practitioner for everything. She's much more thorough.

    My hot flashes progress like this-I get hot, my face flushes almost beet red, then I start to sweat. I take off my jacket/sweater/shrug or whatever I have on. I go ask if anyone else is hot and they look at me like I have three heads. Then I know it's a flippin' hot flash. Sometimes it's followed by chills 10 minutes later.
  • Fairlady1964
    Fairlady1964 Posts: 27 Member
    I tried a soy supplement but that didn't help much. After suffering for years, I tried acupunture, which really curtailed the intensity.
    (I did notice that when I drank alcohol the hot flashes were worse).
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
    Thanks for sharing your tips, ladies! I'm going to look into the promensil and the i-cool and see what I can find. I've heard of cooling pillows, too, that are supposed to be good for night sweats. I have had night sweats for years, so don't even think about them anymore much.

    For me, I have 1-2 cups of coffee per day, but that's it for caffeine. I try to keep it to 1 cup so as not to aggravate the hot flashes. I don't drink alcohol, so that's no issue there. Taking progesterone isn't an option for me-it gives me terrible side effects. Take estrogen isn't much better, so I tend to avoid it. I had a hysterectomy (kept the ovaries) a few years ago and never want to take hormones again if I can help it. They always mess me up in the end.
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
    OH, acupuncture. I never thought of that, but have heard from others that it works.

    I checked out the promensil and i-cool online. They both are supplements that use isoflavones to naturally encourage your body to raise estrogen levels naturally. Promensil uses red clover isoflavones. I-cool uses a synthetic isoflavon that is similar to soy isoflavones but is soy-free. Both have great testimonials, though i-cool testimonials boast quicker results. Price might decide it for me.
  • Kris1997
    Kris1997 Posts: 241
    OH, acupuncture. I never thought of that, but have heard from others that it works.

    I checked out the promensil and i-cool online. They both are supplements that use isoflavones to naturally encourage your body to raise estrogen levels naturally. Promensil uses red clover isoflavones. I-cool uses a synthetic isoflavon that is similar to soy isoflavones but is soy-free. Both have great testimonials, though i-cool testimonials boast quicker results. Price might decide it for me.


    I don't know where you are located but CVS carries i-cool, and its not too expensive. 30 pills (month supply i think) for $20. My mother currently takes these. She had hysterectomy when she was 40, took Rx hormones and at 51 trying to come off the Rx. She swears by them.
  • Canpages
    Canpages Posts: 1
    Personally, I started on natural hormone replacement therapy and after 3 months, I no longer have hot flashes. I use Estriol cream, Progesterone cream and Armour Thyroid (as I'm hypothyroid). Being hypothyroid, I cannot take soy as it is counteractive to the thyroid.
    I did my research on these websites: http://healthyimmunity.com/ by Lorna Vanderhaeghe
    http://www.suzannesomers.com/health-and-hormones/ by Suzanne Somers
    http://wrightnewsletter.com/2012/01/12/dhea-ease-menopause-symptoms/ by Dr. Jonathan V. Wright
  • MonkRocker
    MonkRocker Posts: 198
    Was expecting yet another Sidesteel appreciation thread.

    Did not deliver.

    ;)
  • _CowgirlUp_
    _CowgirlUp_ Posts: 585 Member
    I had a complete hysterectomy in 2001 & took natural hormone replacement (bio identical) but recently moved and had to change doctors. This one immediately told me to wean off the hormones that any form of Estrogen is like Miracle Grow for cancer cells and that's something we ALL should be aware of and consider before taking it long term. I'm now completely off my hormones and having hot flashes for about 2 weeks now. I recently switched my GNC vitamin packs from Women's Ultra Active to the Menopause pack so I can't say they're working just yet but I will say, I think they're definitely lessening in severity.

    Edited to say: I take enough medications that I need and vitamins/supplements that taking yet another expensive pill for something that should happen naturally and will lessen over time isn't something for me.
  • Sparrow549
    Sparrow549 Posts: 1
    Two weeks ago I started taking Saw Palmetto supplements and my hot flashes are nearly gone.
  • momlady6
    momlady6 Posts: 31 Member
    Feels like 24/7 sometimes ! It is sometimes that flush that goes from your chest to your face and then warm rush down your body- which I'm sure sometimes makes my face pink... And then sometimes I just feel endlessly hot for a day- when no one else seems to be too warm.

    I take the Genuine health Meno which is:
    Dong quai root (stnd. to 1% ligustilide) 250mg
    Chaste tree berry (0.5% agnuside) 250mg
    Dandelion root extract (4:1=500mg) 125mg
    Black Cohosh root extract (2.5% triterpene glycosides; 12:1 = 960mg) 80mg
     

    It helps - saw palmetto?? Hadn't heard that before - I think I will check it out.. And the I-cool... Thanks for new ideas!

    One thing I have found this year is getting into a cool pool for at least 20 minutes cools me down for a couple of hours- and on afew occasions during this hot summer I have gotten up and had a cool shower when I can't sleep- or I bring one of those chill packs with me to bed. ;)
  • love2cycle
    love2cycle Posts: 448 Member
    i was the original poster of this topic and no one responded then, but I just saw where people had been posting! Since my original post back in May, a few things have changed. I had read about salt and sugar being a factor in having hot flashes, but I didn't really do anything about it. About a month ago, after purchasing a new scale, :sad: I realized I had to get on the ball and lose this weight. Anyway, I haven't had any hot flashes for a while, and I just realized it may have had something to do with the fact that I have cut out salty snacks and sweet stuff. I am not sure if that had anything to do with the lack of hot flashes or not, but if it did, I am very happy!:drinker: Someone had wondered where I am from, and what the climate is like. I live in Kentucky, and the weather this summer was absolutely horrible! I know other states had horrible weather as well; we weren't the only ones. Anyway, thanks ladies, I read every post, and felt like it was very helpful!
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