Hot Flashes

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Aileen68 -> Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 5:15:04 AM)
I think I had hot flashes these past few days. Ugh. How does one tell if it's a hot flash as opposed to just being hot. I'll be turning 40 in February and I do have other symptoms of menopause...mainly very irregular periods and insomnia. I'm starting to research HT, but my family history of heart disease has me concerned and I hesitate using it as an option. Anyone try alternative methods such as herbal and soy increase instead of HT? And what works in helping with the hot flashes?

ElizabethAnne -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 5:23:07 AM)
Aileen, I would think you are in perimenopause, which is the beginning of a natural life body change. I suffered through the hot flashes, the irregular periods, moods swings till I found an herb supplement, two of them actually. Black Cohosh and soy. Wow, they work miracles and are natural. It takes about three weeks of taking them on a regular basis. You can find them at any drug store or discount store. They are near the vitamin section. I recommend you try this before going to a synthetic hormone replacement that has tons of side effects. I look at it like this, it takes a woman's body about 12 years to start having monthly cycles, why wouldn't it take about the same for it to cease? Take care, and keep the ice handy! Sleep in a cool bedroom with lots of covers, that way they are easy to throw off...THEN...snuggle back into when you get chilly! Hey...been there done that!!!!! Elizabeth

KatyLied -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 5:42:59 AM)
Yep perimenopause, and it can last for years. Do a search here, I remember us talking about it recently. It is a huge pain, I've noticed that I have weird pms, some months it's horrible, some months it's barely bothers me.

KatyLied -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 5:44:00 AM)
http://www.collarchat.com/m_1071576/mpage_1/key_perimenopause/tm.htm#1071852 (the Mayo Clinic link I posted in that thread is a good resource)

BBBTBW -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 5:44:16 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Aileen68 I think I had hot flashes these past few days. Ugh. How does one tell if it's a hot flash as opposed to just being hot. I'll be turning 40 in February and I do have other symptoms of menopause...mainly very irregular periods and insomnia. I'm starting to research HT, but my family history of heart disease has me concerned and I hesitate using it as an option. Anyone try alternative methods such as herbal and soy increase instead of HT? And what works in helping with the hot flashes? Aileen, I can relate. I have been taking an herbal supplement called Phyto Estrogen, it can be found at GNC and costs about 25.00 for a bottle of 100 capsules. You take 2 a day. It takes about 2 to 3 weeks to get in your system good but once it does, you are good to go. I also take their Women's Mega Vitamins to supplement the iron and calcium as well as all the other nutrients we miss out of when we eat franken food. Soy is not good for all Women, so be careful with that. For the mood swings, I take another supplement from GNC, it is called 5bht, it is a seratonin booster and it has truely helped be continue to be the happy go lucky person I have always been. Hope this helps.

mnottertail -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 5:46:46 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: KatyLied Yep perimenopause, and it can last for years. Do a search here, I remember us talking about it recently. It is a huge pain, I've noticed that I have weird pms, some months it's horrible, some months it's barely bothers me. Does this mean she cums when she sees periwinkle?

imthatacheyouhav -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 6:04:14 AM)
OMG!!!... a question i actually know something about!... i am 43..and have noticed changes..i too am just starting to get hot flashes ...but for me night sweats came 1st (they sucks balls btw).... i worked at a pharmacy that does compounding(any compounding pharmacy should be able to do this)...they have bioidentical hormone replacement therapy now...its MUCH safer and WORKS...ask your Dr. know this though...some Drs still aren't on board with this kind of hormone replacement for some odd reason..although i cant for the life of me figure out why...

krista -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 6:04:54 AM)
Greetings.. This thread caught my eye...and it reminded me ...of one of the reasons i enjoy being my age..NO MORE MENOPAUSE!!!!!..All i can say to you is..This too shall pass..Good luck ladies... an empathetic krista joy through service

SeeksOnlyOne -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 7:15:02 AM)
i went through the irregular periods thing at about 42ish.....thought i was beginning perimenopause, and had my hormone levels checked by my dr. she said they were normal and i thought she was nuts. i had about 2 years where i never knew when i would get a visit from dear old aunt flo.....it might be 2 weeks or 2 months. then a little more than a year ago, i started back to my old every 28 days, come hell or high water. i do sometimes start sweating from my head, of all places, for no apparent reason too, even though my periods are normal again, even heavier than before. i just realized non of this will help you-lol-cept maybe to know if happens to us all in one way or another. i would suggest getting you hormone levels tested and going from there. at least i gave some advice[:)]

LadyHeart -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 7:20:12 AM)
This has been my life for the past 10 years. I now know why twin sets were invented. The most useful thing I ever did was to go to a Menopause seminar run by the Family Planning Association which outlined all my options in an unbiased way. I've tried most things at one time or another and all I can say is, if you have an extended time of it like I've had, you sometimes have to vary your approaches. Good luck - it's quite OK here over on the other side :)) LH

slaveish -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 7:49:09 AM)
Whew. Perimenopause. Lord god save us all. Hot flashes, insomnia, weird appetite, irregular periods (I keep pregnancy tests in the linen closet), night sweats, mood swings. ARRRRRRRRRGH. Like ElizabethAnne said, soy and black cohosh help some but I think each body will respond differently to the different forms of supplements that are available and you will just have to keep trying stuff until you find one that works. Be well, Aileen. And welcome to the sisterhood. ~big smile~ (I truly love being a 40+ woman.)

ElizabethAnne -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 7:49:48 AM)
Lady Heart, I don't know about you, but for me I am quite enjoying THIS side of menopause, no more periods, the hot flashes are over, the night sweats, ect. Though it's a struggle to get here, the benefits are really quite nice. Good things do happen after 50! Elizabeth

KatyLied -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 9:35:55 AM)
Just a heads up on the soy and HRT, some doctors find both of those controversial for women who have had estrogen-receptive breast cancer. My mother has been told not to indulge in either of them. You will find conflicting reports on the harm/benefits.

LadyHeart -> RE: Hot Flashes (6/29/2007 5:35:59 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: ElizabethAnne Lady Heart, I don't know about you, but for me I am quite enjoying THIS side of menopause, no more periods, the hot flashes are over, the night sweats, ect. Though it's a struggle to get here, the benefits are really quite nice. Good things do happen after 50! Elizabeth Yes, Elizabeth, I am also enjoying being over 50! No more messy periods! Yay! The sex is better than ever. I have fewer hot flushes and night sweats - I am one of those for whom after 10 years it's still continuing - but it's still better than what went before! We need to spread the word - menopause is something to look forward to, not dread. :)) LH

DeviantlyD -> RE: Hot Flashes (7/4/2007 2:52:33 AM)
Aileen, I strongly urge you get a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test. The symptoms you have listed may be indicative of menopause, but they are also found in thyroid disorders.

nearnyccouple -> RE: Hot Flashes (7/4/2007 6:18:48 AM)
Aileen, For me the flashes feel like they start deep inside my body andwork their way up and out....very different than just being hot...:), and i get them usually the nite before my period. They have been happening for the past couple of years, but my cycle has become more regular, every 28 days on the dot. Having had fibroid cystic disease in my boobs, Ive been advised by my doctor not to take any hormones at all, and so far have found the symptoms to be not so debilitating. Welcome to the club...lol and just think eventually, no more migraines, hot flashes and periods at all. cassie

Vendaval -> RE: Hot Flashes (7/4/2007 9:56:58 AM)
Hi Aileen, You have some great suggestions here and I will offer a few more. Keep reading and researching perimenopause both on the Net and with actual books that you can keep in your lap and read at leisure. Another good idea is to keep a calendar/journal of how you feel and note the changes in your body temperature, food cravings, menstral cycles, etc. Over a few months you should get a more accurate visual representation of your symptoms and what precoursers and triggers come into play.

Elegant -> RE: Hot Flashes (7/5/2007 11:46:20 AM)
Get proper, trained medical advise before you make any decision. A doctor can check your hormone levels and tell you if you are in perimenopause or if you have another malady. As someone stated above, these are also symptoms of thyroid disorders (I take my Synthroid daily) I have been in perimenopause for 6ish years and every year when the doctor does my blood tests she offers me sympathy along with the bill...grin

fadedlace -> RE: Hot Flashes (7/5/2007 12:16:07 PM)
To the OP: seeing the doc is a good idea to make sure it's fluctuating hormones and nothing else. I've been in peri-menopause for a bit over 2 years now - I've found that black kohosh did nothing for me; however, soy does help quite a bit. It seems to be more effective as a food than as a pill, but both do work, given a bit of time. The hot flashes have been much more manageable, although I refuse to take medication to help with the insomnia (I'm averaging 2 hours' sleep a night now, markedly down from 7 a night just 3 years ago.) Layering your clothes will help; that way you can "strip down" without flashing the public or neighbors. I carry a little battery-operated fan in my purse. As for night sweats, I keep the room cool and only use light covers. As a side note, I also noticed my knees were popping like firecrackers about the same time the hot flashes and night sweats started; glucosamine has worked miracles, but you have to stick with it - it takes 6 months for it to really start working (my doctor was correct about that) but the difference for me was almost miraculous. As has been said, there's a light at the end of the tunnel; this phase of life won't last forever! edited to add I won't talk about the mood swings...growl...weep...laugh.

PAsextoy4u -> RE: Hot Flashes (7/10/2007 9:29:51 AM)
I agree with those who suggested getting your thyroid checked. I take "armour thyroid" which is a more natural form of thyoid. I wanted to avoid synthetic drugs. I started in perimenopause when I was 38. After a few years of struggling with hot flashes, I found a good holistic physician. I have been taking "prometrium" which is more natural form of progesterone. Getting a full hormone panel done will help. Estrogen isnt the only hormone that goes out of balance as we age. Soy can help, if you dont have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). If you have PCOS, the body doesnt recognize soy properly and it can cause alot of other problems. I found out the hard way, because it shot up my glucose levels and trycleride levels. You asked what a hot flash is like. I dont remember reading a description. Maybe someone did and I missed it. But for ME, they started hitting me around 2 am every night. I felt like I had a blow torch suddenly set on high inside me. Nothing cooled me down when they were at their worst. AC on high didnt help. I had night sweats and alot of agitation too for about 2 hours every night. Mercifully, thanks to the prometrium, the armour thyroid, limiting my intake of caffeine, sugar, and white flour products, and other supplements and herbs, I have few symptoms of continuing perimenopause. I have regular periods and few PMS problems too. I am slowly strolling towards menopause LOL with few problems now.

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