OK ... this question might be a little out of the ordinary ...

Machka9
Machka9 Posts: 25,699 Member
edited November 30 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm in the midst of perimenopause. Yay. And of course one of the multitude of annoying symptoms is hot flashes ... sweat everywhere, nausea, irritable, really horrible-feeling hot flashes.

One of the things that seems to trigger a hot flash is exertion.

For example, I climb stairs as part of my exercise. Yesterday I was aiming for 40 flights, but along about 27 flights I started to go into a hot flash and decided to call it a day at 30 flights.

I'm also a cyclist, and live in a very hilly area. These things seem to hit me right in the middle of a long climb. I'll be going along feeling relatively comfortable (as comfortable as you can be pedalling up a 6% or 8% or 10% grade) ... and then all of a sudden it's like someone turned the temperature up about 20 or 30 degrees.


Have any of the ladies here experienced this?
Have you discovered anything that helps the situation?

Replies

  • smit7633
    smit7633 Posts: 182 Member
    Good luck :(
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    I think it is created by stress. I get it while exercising too. I will be following.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,699 Member
    One of the things I have started doing is to shed layers at the bottom of a climb. It might be a cool day, but I'm going up the mountain in just a jersey while my husband is going up in a jersey or two + windbreaker.
  • kuranda10
    kuranda10 Posts: 593 Member
    Exercise has had those effects on me my entire life because of asthma.

    Does this mean i may never notice menopause?
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I'm primarily a swimmer--and exercising in cool wate got me through many a hot flash!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,699 Member
    I might have to take up swimming! :grin:


    But the comment about stress + the comment about swimming reminded me ... several years ago, back at the beginning of all this, I would get stress-induced hot flashes most often right in the middle of final exams. I found that if I could get to a toilet and run my hands under cold water, that seemed to help a lot.

    Maybe I need to pour water from my waterbottle on my hands??
  • sourcandies
    sourcandies Posts: 42 Member
    If you find the cold water helps, do it.
    My perimenopause hot flashes were extreme so my gyno put me on alysena 28 (oral birth control). It helps alieviate a few different symptoms so I feel a little more normal for my age, but it's probably not for everyone.

    Hope this helps, and goodluck!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,699 Member
    edited April 2016
    sourcandies wrote: »
    If you find the cold water helps, do it.
    My perimenopause hot flashes were extreme so my gyno put me on alysena 28 (oral birth control). It helps alieviate a few different symptoms so I feel a little more normal for my age, but it's probably not for everyone.

    Hope this helps, and goodluck!

    I can't take anything like birth control or HRT at all ... blood clots.

    So it's a process of discovery to find out what will work. I've never been a "herbal remedies" sort of person, but I'm actually venturing into that world too now ... ginkgo balboa, magnesium, B12, etc. etc.
  • sourcandies
    sourcandies Posts: 42 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    sourcandies wrote: »
    If you find the cold water helps, do it.
    My perimenopause hot flashes were extreme so my gyno put me on alysena 28 (oral birth control). It helps alieviate a few different symptoms so I feel a little more normal for my age, but it's probably not for everyone.

    Hope this helps, and goodluck!

    I can't take anything like birth control or HRT at all ... blood clots.

    So it's a process of discovery to find out what will work. I've never been a "herbal remedies" sort of person, but I'm actually venturing into that world too now ... ginkgo balboa, magnesium, B12, etc. etc.

    I have a Doctor that has recomended seeing a naturopath to help with symptoms. I don't know if you have to pay to see one, but they usually have someone that specializes in menopause/perimenopause.

    Sometimes it takes some trial and error to figure these things out.
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
    I take Brisdelle for hot flashes. It seems to work very well for me, and I haven't noticed any side effects other than perhaps being a bit calmer since it is a very low dose SSRI.
  • Cindy01Louisiana
    Cindy01Louisiana Posts: 302 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    I might have to take up swimming! :grin:


    But the comment about stress + the comment about swimming reminded me ... several years ago, back at the beginning of all this, I would get stress-induced hot flashes most often right in the middle of final exams. I found that if I could get to a toilet and run my hands under cold water, that seemed to help a lot.

    Maybe I need to pour water from my waterbottle on my hands??

    I, too, am in PM so I can relate to that part, but not the running or biking. This post made me think of two things: 1. Do hand "coolers" exist -- like the packet thing hand warmers? 2. The neck coolers I wear when riding my motorcycle in the middle of summer in the deep south are incredibly helpful!! Get it wet before the ride or before the hill and it should keep you cool for a at least 15-20 minutes -- you might have to move it around once or twice to get the cool part back on your skin.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,699 Member
    Cycling an event in California a number of years ago, they handed out long socks (clean ones, of course) filled with ice for us to wrap around our necks. Similar idea, I think.
  • YinxFed
    YinxFed Posts: 1,094 Member
    I am in exactly the same situation and was getting increasingly frustrated with my hot flushes. Then my son made an amazingly simple suggestion: rehydrate! So now I make sure that I have a large glass of water nearby. I have a glass of water on my desk - having an office to myself keeps my embarrassment to a minimum - and I go to bed with a jug of water. I do strength or cardio workouts each morning and one Zumba class a week and so long as I have some water nearby, this situation can be made more manageable. Hope this helps!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,699 Member
    Interesting article about this topic ...

    http://www.bicycling.com/training/health-injuries/ride-strong-through-menopause
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