Hot Flashes

havingitall
havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
OK.. This may not be one for the guys. I had a hysterectomy just over a year ago and of course experienced all the pleasures of menopause immediately.

The hot flashes have not been too bad until I started losing weight. Now I find that I am getting them every morning. Can losing weight trigger these?

Replies

  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    OK.. This may not be one for the guys. I had a hysterectomy just over a year ago and of course experienced all the pleasures of menopause immediately.

    The hot flashes have not been too bad until I started losing weight. Now I find that I am getting them every morning. Can losing weight trigger these?
  • mandersen16
    mandersen16 Posts: 261
    I have been on a shot (Lupron) that has the same effects.

    Sometimes it makes it hard to workout because I feel like I could literally catch on fire!!

    I noticed that the more water I drink, the less the hot flashes come. And I mean A LOT of water! ICE COLD :drinker:
  • tennetubbie
    tennetubbie Posts: 312 Member
    estrogen is also made in fat cells, which is why overweight women are more at risk for endometrial cancer and breast cancer. So as you lose fat you lose estrogen and get to experience the whole hot flash thing all over again!!:ohwell:
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    Wel thanks for explaining that. I thought I was losing my mind!
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    estrogen is also made in fat cells, which is why overweight women are more at risk for endometrial cancer and breast cancer. So as you lose fat you lose estrogen and get to experience the whole hot flash thing all over again!!:ohwell:

    That does make sense. DO you think that could have any bearing on why my menstrual cramps have gone from moderate to unbearable since losing weight? And I'm not the only one.
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
    I have the same problem. I had mine about 6 years ago, and don't take estrogen bc my mom has breast cancer and taking estrogen for a prolonged period increases your risks. Any, they will lessen. I don't have them nearly as much as I use to.
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    I had my hysterectomy because I carry the BRCA2 gene which carries a 25% chance of ovarian cancer and up to 80% chance of Breast cancer. By removing the ovaries and assorted innards, it reduces the risk of breast cancer by 50% and takes away any issue with the ovaries.

    I don't take any hormones or anything because of the risk
  • keiko
    keiko Posts: 2,919 Member
    Can I ask if you drink coffee or other caffeine beverages? I was having terrible hot flashes and night sweats. For a few months I was not sleeping because of it. I went off coffee and switched to green tea. Within a few weeks my hf/ns became almost none existent. I sometimes will get warm at night but nothing like what I had been having.
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    I gave up coffee at the beginning of January. I only drink herbal teas and water
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    That's interesting. I haven't noticed any increase in my hot flashes since losing weight. But then mine have never been that bad anyway.
  • skittlesoup
    skittlesoup Posts: 35 Member
    I had SEVERE hot flashes in the beginning (my TAH was 15 months ago). They slowly tapered off and then I had to go on Lupron and they started up again. To the point where I was drenched in the middle of the night. I am off Lupron now and they aren't as bad but I do still have them. I find that when I exercise I get MUCH hotter than I used to. As soon as I get stressed out or excited I start to have them now too. I still have one ovary though.
  • hopeitworks
    hopeitworks Posts: 284 Member
    I don't get hot flashes but I noticed that I sweat a lot more. When I was heavier I sweat somewhat. It seems like the more weight I lose, the more I sweat. I don't get it.
  • Lizjkp
    Lizjkp Posts: 278
    I had a hysterectomy in 1991:drinker: and never really hit menopause :noway: . I am on Progynova HRT :happy: but also still have one ovary.
    I do not find any difference since losing weight :smile: but then never had hot flushes either :bigsmile: :blushing:
    Have you tried Soya isoflavones, Black Cohosh and or Starflower to relieve menopausal symptoms.?


    Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
    Can I ask if you drink coffee or other caffeine beverages? I was having terrible hot flashes and night sweats. For a few months I was not sleeping because of it. I went off coffee and switched to green tea. Within a few weeks my hf/ns became almost none existent. I sometimes will get warm at night but nothing like what I had been having.

    Do you drink regular or Decaf green tea?
  • rlw911
    rlw911 Posts: 475 Member
    Thank you for asking this question! I've been taking a herbal supplement that helps with my hot flashes. The last few weeks, I've started having them again and I couldn't figure out why! Now I know!! I'm glad to hear they lessen over time.
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    Can I ask if you drink coffee or other caffeine beverages? I was having terrible hot flashes and night sweats. For a few months I was not sleeping because of it. I went off coffee and switched to green tea. Within a few weeks my hf/ns became almost none existent. I sometimes will get warm at night but nothing like what I had been having.

    Do you drink regular or Decaf green tea?

    No green tea... I drink ginger tea or peppermint tea..both have no actual tea in them
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
    I had a hysterectomy in 1991:drinker: and never really hit menopause :noway: . I am on Progynova HRT :happy: but also still have one ovary.
    I do not find any difference since losing weight :smile: but then never had hot flushes either :bigsmile: :blushing:
    Have you tried Soya isoflavones, Black Cohosh and or Starflower to relieve menopausal symptoms.?


    Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

    It they left an ovary you would still have all your hormones. Then if they stick you on HRT you shouldn't experience the symptoms or if you do they wouldn't be as bad. When they do a complete hysterectomy and take both ovaries, you pretty much wake up in surgical menopause and never get the chance to ease into it naturally. Surgical menopause is much harder than natural because one day you have everything the next day nothing. when they leave you an ovary, you still ovulate and cycle as normal, you just don't get a period. Eventually you will go through menopause naturally, but it will be harder to tell since you won't have a period that tells you you're not regular.
  • spiritmi
    spiritmi Posts: 61 Member
    i went through menopause naturally and i found taking a 400 i.u. natural vitamin e supplement in the morning and again at night really got rid of hot flashes...but it has to be the natural e not the synthetic kind...on the ingredients you want it to say d-alpha tocopherol not dl-alpha...the natural kind costs more than the other...but it really worked for me...i didnt try any of the other herbal remedies because the e worked for me...good luck...
  • tennetubbie
    tennetubbie Posts: 312 Member
    I had SEVERE hot flashes in the beginning (my TAH was 15 months ago). They slowly tapered off and then I had to go on Lupron and they started up again. To the point where I was drenched in the middle of the night. I am off Lupron now and they aren't as bad but I do still have them. I find that when I exercise I get MUCH hotter than I used to. As soon as I get stressed out or excited I start to have them now too. I still have one ovary though.

    do you mean you had your ovaries out with your uterus---removal of your uterus alone would not affect hormones. This would mean you got Lupron AFTER removal of your ovaries---I don't understand that rationale---since Lupron is supposed to shut down your ovaries==and if they were already gone....?????
  • keiko
    keiko Posts: 2,919 Member
    Can I ask if you drink coffee or other caffeine beverages? I was having terrible hot flashes and night sweats. For a few months I was not sleeping because of it. I went off coffee and switched to green tea. Within a few weeks my hf/ns became almost none existent. I sometimes will get warm at night but nothing like what I had been having.

    Do you drink regular or Decaf green tea?

    I drink regular green tea. It has such a small amount of caffeine it does not bother me.
  • skittlesoup
    skittlesoup Posts: 35 Member
    I still have one ovary left. Not a very good one it seems. It is causing me so much grief, I am ready to take it out myself. I was put on Lupron to mimic not having any ovaries at all to see if my pain/symptoms would lessen. This was the step before going in and taking it out. Because the Lupron didn't change anything AND made me REALLY sick, they think that it's not my ovary. I was told I didn't give it a long enough chance though. It made me barf for weeks at a time. How can I give that a chance. I was missing work for days sometimes 5 days at a time because I was in the bathroom the whole time. I am now waiting for an MRI to see if they can see anything that way.
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