I tried Amberen. Amazing stuff! Took my hot flashes completley away and also my mood swings !!!

Everyone reacts differently to the different solutions on offer. I'm pescatarian and eat quite a lot of soya products

Pescatarian? I don't know that one. What is it?

Hot flashed were killing me! I couldn't sleep or concentrate. I had at least 15 or 20 in 24 hrs and was miserable. I won't do HRT so I looked for a natural alternative. I began taking a product called Remifemin, 20mg of Black Cohash twice a day, a multivitamin daily and a B vitamin every other day. I also began exercising more regularly, a least 4 times a week of bike riding or walking or mild strength training for 30 minutes. I've also done my best to read all labels and cut out as much MSG(or any of its aliases) from my diet. At two weeks, the hot flashes were barely noticeable and I could sleep through the night without sweating!!! What a relief. Now about a month later I will occasionally feel a slight warmth but NO SWEATING!. I'm convinced that an all out attack on diet, exercise and supplements is the only way to do it. One approach alone would not have made an impact and I would have believed there was nothing to be done. I know some folks say supplements have not worked for them but, they make have relied on them as the only treatment. Best of luck.

I must be super strange. I've had hot flashes off and on for a couple of years. I only ever see people complain about them. Oddly, I don't mind them at all-the warm flushed feeling. I even kinda like it. Is that weird or what? Oh well, what else is new. lol :blushing:

I woud be fine with just a warm feeling, but what I have is a full out steam coming out of my ears feeling, along with sweating from my face to my belly button. I really do mind that feeling! LOL!!

I always thought how bad can hotflashes be- I love hot humid weather so I was thinking "Bring it"- but when they started it wasn't just the hotness- at night it would wake me up and nothing ever woke me up! I would be completely drenched and sort of panicky- like why was I awake, did I hear an intruder? (my husband used to be on midnights) I finally realized it was night sweats and can fall back to sleep now. But the daytime ones were awful- I would feel like someone dumped a hot pot of water on me- my face would turn beet red, sweat would pour off and I would usually feel nauseous. I can't take anything because of family health history and lots of herbal supplements recommended can't be taken with the medication I am on. But I have had success with soy. The book I read said 60 grams of soy powder a day (I have protein shake for breakfast and lunch because I would skip meals otherwise), add soy beans and tofu to your diet, soy protein of 40 to 80 milligrams a day spread out throughout the day should help. It also recommended Black cohosh 40 milligrams twice a day and vitamin E but if you are diabetic or have heart problems check with dr. (I can't take them). I have seen a decrease - sometimes no hot flashes for weeks, but when I do have them the frequency has decreased so I can live with it!

I've been having hot flashes off and on for a year or two now, but only recently have they become uncomfortable enough that I am exploring ways to cool them off, mostly because they are now keeping me from getting a good night's sleep. Night after night of that is taking its toll. I've recently added B complex and flaxseed daily, so I am hoping those bring some relief.

I'm convinced that an all out attack on diet, exercise and supplements is the only way to do it. One approach alone would not have made an impact and I would have believed there was nothing to be done. I know some folks say supplements have not worked for them but, they make have relied on them as the only treatment. Best of luck.

I have been on HRT since October when my last ovary was removed. My doctor knows my moral preferences, so we came up with the Estradiol patch. I was on oral forms of estrogen, but they did NOTHING to improve my hot flashes/night sweats. I, too, would get 15-20/day. One day I had 5 within 15 minutes and had to just leave work and rest at home.

I tried the all-out attack on diet. I tried the menopausal multivitamins. I tried replacing my milk with soy. I excersize regularly (4X a week for at least 60 minutes at a time). I have tried just about everything possible, but the only thing that worked for me was going on the Estradiol patch.

Everybody's system is different and is going to react differently. I don't think it can be an "all or nothing" across the board. Having said that, I am glad that people have been able to find something that works for them - because hot flashes and night sweats REALLY suck!

Best of luck to ALL of us going through this.

I've been having hot flashes off and on for a year or two now, but only recently have they become uncomfortable enough that I am exploring ways to cool them off, mostly because they are now keeping me from getting a good night's sleep. Night after night of that is taking its toll. I've recently added B complex and flaxseed daily, so I am hoping those bring some relief.

I don't know if it's the B complex, the ground flax, or purely coincidence, but my hot flashes are all but gone. I plan to keep taking those two supplements. If it ain't broke…

The hard part is that there are so many options to reduce hot flashes! It would be so much easier if we were all the same in this area. At least then we'd know what to do. The challenge for me is finding one that works. I tried Black Cohosh a couple years ago and my hot flashes increased a lot!!! I've tried different natural supplements but have to stay away from soy-based products. So far, the only thing that takes them away is when I might get my period - which is so unpredictable now as it's anywhere from 4 weeks to 4 months. :ohwell: I sweat from head to toe but don't get flushed. At least when I'm exercising it really looks like I'm putting out a hard effort with how much I sweat. :laugh:

Hi - I haven't tried soy products ...but here's what's been working for me to reduce hot flushes:

- Remifemin - two tablets in both morning and night
- A good sweaty* work-out 3-4 times per week...for a burn of 350-450 cals per workout
- Cutting out coffee - I still drink black tea and green tea which have caffeine but not as high as coffee.
- This forum! - makes me realise I am not going nuts...well maybe I am? :huh: but at least I feel I am not alone!

*I've recently started doing 30 Day Shred and similar Circuit Training DVDs by Jillian Michaels after reading lots of good reports on MFP - I 've built up being able to do 2 or 3 sessions, back to back (50-75 mins) - They get me absolutely dripping (sorry, that's a bit gross!) I think this goes a long way to decreasing the impact of the hormone storm brewing in me.

I've also begun to see some long-lost definition in my arms and stomach!

I've been a runner for about 5 years. It really bugged me that I never seemed to be able get out of the 5-7 lb gain/lose cycle than earlier posters mentioned....I think that running (or walking) alone won't cut it (for me)...these circuits seem to really get my furnace burning...Clothes are fitting better....Although decreases aren't showing up fast on the scale, I dfefinitely feel better!

I aim for around 1200-1350 nett cals per day. Some days...heck, some weeks, I am way off...but long term persistence/consistency is the game...and I'm winning on that front.
:happy:

I have been eating one serving of soy products daily since I was 40. I am 57 now. I have not experienced any "real" hot flashes. I also exercise regularly and I truly believe between the exercise and soy I have kept the "flashing" at bay. I also find that if I don't indulge in too many processed carbs, I stay "cooler".

My main source of soy is tofu, which I mix in yogurt or cottage cheese. It can be mixed into a lot of different foods as it really doesn't have much of a flavor of its own. Sometimes I'll have a serving of soy nuts, which are dried soybeans that look and taste a bit like little peanuts. They have fewer calories and less fat than peanuts too.

I was telling a friend about feeling queasy, lightheaded and putting it down to the start of menopause. She has brought me some YMEA. It contains Soya extract, Hops extract and bitter melon extract. Comes highly recommended although I have not tried it yet.

Can any one give more advise?

Same for me.A cup of soy milk made the hotflashes bearable, however it also brought about chest congestion....and digestive issues.... I had to give it up and well.....the hotlfashes are right back.....


Dee

Drinking Soymilk helped me along with Black Cohosh. It takes a while to kick in, for me soymilk was about one month and black cohosh after 2 bottles. I stopped and they restarted, so Im starting all over again. lol