Hot Flashes!

[Alohamora]

d@##!  I HATE THIS!

I've been busy with work and 2 sick cats so I haven't been posting, but I just dropped by to whine.

For maybe 3 weeks I've been getting hot flashes, They're merely seriously annoyiing during the day, but at they wake me up at night and are turning into a real problem when I can't sleep.

I tiried evening primrose oil, vitamin E and now Black Cohosh. What else can I try!?!  (Pharmacuetical  hormones are out. - I'm desperate, but not that desparate. Yet.)

[bunnie]

Hi Alhamora do you mean hot flushes? ie Menopause symptom? If so you just have to grin and bear it!
I was only 39 , and they reckon the symptoms are worse if you are younger, but for me it was the best thing that ever happened to me! 12 months of no periods at all and you are through the menopause.

[Alohamora]

Hi Alhamora do you mean hot flushes?

Yes, it's what we call them over this side of the pond.

If so you just have to grin and bear it!

12 months of no periods at all and you are through the menopause.

I can't take 9 ro 10 more months of not getting a full night's sleep!

[totalfolly]

*pat,pat,pat*

Aloha, I haven't had a full night's sleep in about five years, thanks to hot flashes and night sweats.     They'll wake me up and I throw the covers off, even in the dead of winter.  Then ten minutes later I'll get cold, wake up and pull 'em back on.  This will occur a couple times a night anyway.

During the day, I've learned to dress in layers so I can take off/put on as needed.  You sorta get used to it.

Since I had a hysterectomy in 1999, it's hard to know if this is close to ending.  I'm told that hot flashes do go away.  I'll let you know if it's true.

totalfolly

[EX-itchell]

Hi all,

HOT SWEATS

Boy have I been there.  I had years of them, but have some suggestions.

If you're with a partner, then use single duvets under one double duvet.  I use a 2 tog, and David an 8 tog under a 4 tog top layer which is for companionability, and at the start of the night when I'm cold. Then I can throw off the top layer and not freeze, but not remain too hot all night.  It helps to be able to regulate your heat at night.

As TF said, wear layers.  I always have a cotton layer next to the skin and a woolen layer on top which goes regularly on and off. I seem to be hot / cold far more frequently than I used.

Consider what you eat - especially at night.  Alcohol and a large dinner at night WILL make you hotter during the night - it makes sense as you are metabolising the food.  So eat little and often and you'll stay a bit cooler.

But I'm afraid the sudden onset of a giant wave rolling over your whole body causing sweat to rise fast and furiously wasn't stoppable.

I know the Japanese don't get menopause and that this is put down to the natural progesterone found in (Ithink) soy.

All the very best,

EX-itchell

[Alohamora]

"Soy and other phytoestrogens, black cohosh, evening primrose oil, vitamin E, the bioflavonoid hesperidin with vitamin C, ferulic acid, acupuncture treatment, and regular aerobic exercise have been shown effective in treating hot flashes in menopausal women." http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDN/is_3_8/ai_107835436

The last 2 nights I've woken up about 4 times, fortunately, I was better able to cool off and get back to sleep reasonably quickly.


I'm not willing to accept that there's nothing much to be done, I'm stubborn that way. I've finally lost weight, cured my allergies, lowered my blood pressure, controlled my skin problem, all in the past year, why can't I beat this as well?

[anthropositor]

Hi Aloha,
I'm a man so what could I possibly know?  But since you are a member of my favorite gender, I take an active interest anyway.  Your current regime seems quite sensible.  But the hot flashes are still occurring.  The question is what else to do and what needs to be avoided.

I would avoid high-dose vasodilators like niacin.  (There are valid and important uses for niacin, but unless you are suffering from cardiovascular disease you can easily get your needs in the amide form, which is almost invariably the form included in your multivitamins anyway.)  You should be very cautious about the opiates, particularly codeine.

Try eating more yams or sweet potatoes.  They need not be the wild Mexican variety.  More radishes, nuts, seeds (like sesame) and sprouts like alfalfa and clover.  And more fungi in general, particularly coriolus and reishi.  There are some things that I am leaving out because their effects seem paradoxical to me; onions, garlic, leeks, chives.  Use them if you like them, but be cautious.  Mild peppers like Bell, banana, pepperoncini might also help, but don't cultivate a taste for them if you don't like them.

Oddly, even Kombucha is reputed to have some beneficial effect on hot flashes.  I am not at all sure of the logic of this, and I have yet to consume Kombucha Tea.  But the ordinary fermented Green Tea I have been drinking appeals to me more and more (which I suppose means it is habit forming).

I think I would avoid the purple ferments like concord grape wine for now, but after you are symptom-free for a while you might try adding it to your regime (in modest amounts at first).  If any of your symptoms re-appear, try switching to a white grape instead.  I am not speaking of commercial wines now but of home-ferments.

Hope you feel better soon.
Anthropositor

[LIGA girl]

Hello ladies & Anthro

Ex itchells advice sounds good regarding eating & drinking at night - I have found that doing some exercise in the early evening helps too, tho I am not at the stage of having my sleep disturbed. I do tend to sweat a lot in the evening however. Exercise generally helps I find ....

LG

[Earths_Angell]

I too had this problem about 2 years ago was so bad I went to see my gp turned out it was my blood pressure if its really getting you down go get it checked just for peace of mind x x

[Alohamora]

I too had this problem about 2 years ago was so bad I went to see my gp turned out it was my blood pressure

Was yours high or low?  I just checked, right after waking up mine is 100/60, I've never seen it this low before. I have the meter because I used to always test high at the doctor's office.

[Alohamora]

Anthro,

I don't know what to think about all the things you mentioned. I know there's somethings in my diet that making a difference both good and bad, it's going to take time to sort out what's helping vs. what's hurting.  I was drinking lots of green tea but I think the caffiene is hurting more than the tea is helping.

I don't think I have time right now to learn to make any of the fermented foods you're talking about.

I'm going to disapear now again for a week or so because of overtime at work.

[Earths_Angell]

I have pmed you Alo x x

[anthropositor]

Hi Aloha,
I didn't mean to imply that these suggestions needed to be done as a whole.  Just various things that could be tried that might be of possible benefit.  Your blood pressure sounds excellent.  I would rather see it a bit low than a bit high.

As to the farming of nutritious organisms in yogurt, wines, Hard Cider, fermented tea and fermented coffee, the effects on hot flashes per se are pretty much unknown.  There are some suspect effects of red wines on vasodilation (which could be playing some part in hot flashes) but the evidence is not compelling.  It is surprising to me how little time I am using to prepare ALL of these beverages combined, now that the initial learning curve is behind me.  I don't really mess with yogurt to any extent because I can get a half pint for forty cents. 

As to the wines, now that the learning portion has dropped off sharply, I spend perhaps ten or fifteen minutes a day at most to save $500-$750 a year AND get a more nutritious, tastier product.  Further, I strongly suspect that the lack of sulfites and the presence of the live yeasts in the wine is an added nutritional benefit not available in the commercial wines at all.  The nucleus of the theory I am working on now is that these organisms may be of considerable health benefit in our nutrition AND are virtually absent in our industrially produced food supply.  More and more, I am thinking that this is an important lack with impact on our health.

The fermented tea and fermented coffee are also a part of this same theory.  I am technically not saving money on them since I did not previously drink them and because they are not commercially available for purchase.  I am still in the learning curve with these beverages.  My focus now is on getting the alcohol content above 1% or 2%, not because I want more alcohol but because that is an indicator of the concentration of the organisms.  I peg the value of the coffee and tea at perhaps $200 a year.

Moneywise, the cheese is pretty much a waste of my time.  Worse, I am eating too much of it.  Not just because I like it, but because I am deliberately "loading" my diet with an excess of all the wild micro-organisms from all these products.  If there were going to be deleterious effects, the large doses I have been consuming should have started to produce them.  I have gained perhaps ten pounds, but I have eaten A LOT of the cheese, some of it made with cream.  My current intention is to make a lot less cheese and to make the cheese I do make in much smaller batches.

All in all, other than the weight gain, the health benefits of what I am doing seem pretty clear, even under these loading conditions.  How much of that might be "placebo" effect remains to be seen.  I intend to reduce loading with the cheese, but not with the drinks.  My skin is currently still doing fine during this challenging winter season.  That is another good indicator.  My animals too are pretty robust.  All in all, I am having a productive learning experience.
Anthropositor

 

[Alohamora]

In today's news:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The popular herbal dietary supplement black cohosh, often used as an alternative to risky hormone therapy, failed to relieve hot flashes for women going through menopause, a study released on Monday found.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-12-18T221359Z_01_N18181872_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-MENOPAUSE-DC.XML&WTmodLoc=SciHealth-C4-Health-2



Still, I'm going to keep on going with BC, since I already have the stuff and I think it's helping a little bit.

[CalamityJane]

When I started menopause in 1996........I was hot, very hot.  The doc prescribed Premarin, plus a progestine.  I felt even worse.  After 18 months trying to get things sorted.......I just stopped.

So.....the flashes (US)/flushes (Uk)........started again.  The meds had stopped that.  However, when I stopped, they came back 10 fold, and I just sweated it out.  It WILL stop.  It took a very long time.......and even now almost 10 years later, I still get one or two; and I'm grateful for them, cos they warm me up, and help me go to sleep, in minus temps, or v. low temps.

My saving grace in all of this was though I got very, very hot, and would push the covers off several times a night--I never did get 'wet' with sweat.  My was, and is, a dry heat.  Now it's comforting, but it was hell, for a long time.

Jane

[LIGA girl]

Hello again ladies

I am taking HRT, Premarin (which I am taking for other health reasons which I won't go into here) and I have an IUD which releases progesterone (also for other health reasons). I have found that the Premarin hasnt really affected the hot flushes (tho I dont get them as badly as some of you describe). Like Jane, mine are worse in summer and in winter they are positively warming, not troublesome at all!

BTW, when I went to the  endocrinologist (in relation to problems with my skin disease) and asked him about the HRT, he wasnt convinced till he did a blood test that I was going thru menopause as I didnt have enough problems. I didnt find the flushes problematic till after it was cconfirmed via the test that I was menopausal, then I seemed to be getting them much more often and severely! Shows the power of  the mind, I think .... tho in this case not a good power.

V

[totalfolly]

My mum gets these her gp says its her hormones she now taking HRT to control them and Evening Primrose Oil too

After a breast cancer scare several years ago, I quit the HRT.  I'll put up with the hot flashes.

totalfolly

[Alohamora]

So what about liquor?  I don't normally drink. But for medicinal purposes, I'll give it a try. I don't care if I get hot while drinking, I just want to sleep through the whole night. Nothing else is really working.  Now where did I put that corkscrew, there must still be one around here somewhere.....

[CalamityJane]

Hi, just a thought this, but I think there's probably something better than wine to help you sleep all night. But, heck, whatever will work for you I say.

Jane

[anthropositor]

If I were in your position Aloha, I would be fermenting some white grape wine or some cider.  I would avoid the distilled spirits.  My guess is they will make the hot flashes worse until you drink sufficient amounts not to notice as much.  Be sure not to mix alcohol with any sleep medication.