Semi-delicate question for you more mature ladies...

[jayne]

Yikes! The last couple of nights I woke up burning up and sweating and couldn't thrash the covers off of me fast enough! I think I sent a cat flying!! I'm 46 so I figured this was coming, but WOW. It is really dramatic, and I pride myself on being a calm, level headed person. It's like having a giant hot spider on you that you try to fling off. Then, after laying there about 20 minutes, the heat subsides and the chills start. I think the chills were worse than the hot flash. I just couldn't seem to get warm in spite of calling up the fat aussie dog to lay against my back. That too went away in about 20 minutes.

So....not wanting to take any kind of hormone treatment, what might I be able to do with diet or supplements that might make these things a little less severe? I understand that this is a natural thing to go through, but if I can take the edge off some that would be nice!

Jayne

 

[Marty]

Queen of Hot Flashes at your service.....VARRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOMMMMMMM

Jayne, that doesn't really sound like a hot flash to me. Sounds more like a panic attack or you are coming down with something.

 

[Cathy_H]

Been there done that......... Immediate instant power surges - sweat appearing within seconds running down my face & body - waking up with gown soaked. These occurred about every hour or so... Gone about as fast as they arrived & yes some were followed by chills....... I bought several vests as it was easy to take the vest off during the surges & put back on during the chills...... Now about 3 years later I just have warm spells less often. I tried some of the natural supplements etc - sorry can't remember what all. I did try black cohosh last year & I do think it helped some.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I blame the loss of a somewhat valuable antique on hot flashes. While thrashing around in bed, trying to find a cool spot, I fell out of bed, flung my hand against a corner cupboard and knocked off a flow blue Ivanhoe plate that I bought on a trip to England. Crash!

While my husband put on an extra sweat shirt in the evenings, I stepped outside to cool off.

Fortunately, the frequency and intensity diminished and now it is only occassional.

Good luck surviving yours.

 

[Charley]

I get up and run cold water on my hands. It immediately brings me back to normal. If I'm in the car I put my hands in front of the air conditioner vents or out the window.

 

[sfmini]

I am lucky, I have a 'warmish flash' about 8:30 every evening, I do get warm and toss covers off, then on, then off, then on. All night long, but still not bad enough to worry about.

Make sure you mention it to your doc the next time you go in.

I have heard that HRT for a few years does have health benefits, so don't write them off totally.....

 

[shelia]

I have been wanting to see a subject on this! Most of you women sound pretty lucky! Mine started at least 6 years ago and still haven't stopped. My period slowed gradually to about once a year and no it has been over a year, but I still have night sweats just as bad if not worse than ever. Not much in the daytime anymore though. i am cold most of the day like I have always been and have trouble keeping warm. When I am outside shivering, I always wonder, where is a good hot flash when you really need it!

Shelia B.

 

[Charlene]

i was thinking the same thing as marty...i never had chills while going through the dreaded change so i wonder if this is something else.

in the event it IS the big bad change, get yourself to walmart ASAP and get the "Equate" brand of an herbal supplement called "Remifemin". the walmart brand is about half the price and has the identical ingredients. i used this supplement for about 3 years, after taking myself off of premarin cold turkey. it took 2 or 3 weeks for it to get into my system but once it did, i never had another problem.

 

[sfmini]

Dreaded? NO WAY! I was wishing I could have a coming of age party when my doc declared me free of my 'little visitor'!! WAHOOOO!!!!!! Little bit of money savings there

 

[Just Us N Texas]

Do not drink anything with caffeine. No tea, no coffee, no soda, and tread very lightly around chocolate.

This will help those hot flashes.

 

[Shaladar]

I've been having them for over 10 years....I am 53.

And who ever named them Hot FLASH????? It is hardly a FLASH..

The only thing that stopped them was HRT, and I only did those for a couple of months. It was great to not have mood swings, private saunas, etc....but .....just couldn't justify HRT. But I have friends who take it and are doing great.

Right now, they aren't too bad, only a couple a night and a couple a day. But that can change daily.

Caffine is a trigger. I am taking a Over the Counter supplements, plus extra Vitamin B's, Vit. E, Fish Oil, magnesium , etc. I also take a Anxiety med (RX) that helps. There is a web site called HysterSisters that had lots of information on things you can try.

Soy milk helps some women, but I cant tolerate it.

Most of us just live with it...and sometimes that is very, very hard. I can tell when a bad one is coming because I get a feeling of anxiety, (like jumping out of my skin) my sinuses clear,(the only good thing about a Hot Flash, I have allergies) heart starts pounding and then the heat starts...then the sweating, then the cold. And yes, they are Hot Flashes, not panic attacks. (I know the difference) Some aren't as bad as others.

Some of the Depression/Anxiety RX's also do help, your Doctor could help you with them.

Everyone is different. Hopefully yours won't last too long.

Sue

 

[MyBarakah]

Hi,

I've not had my time yet to experience the women change "yet". I still have a couple more years.

But I have heard from other women with taking this product "Reliv" that is has really helped with the

heat flashes and allot of other problems! I just started taking the Reliv product myself last week and in

a SHORT time I could notice a difference on it, I use to ALWAYS crave the sweet stuff and this has REALLY

helped with my cravings. It's a really neat product and has helped ALLOT of people!

 

[jayne]

Thank you, friends, for all your wonderful insights!! I really don't think I'm coming down with something as I feel find otherwise and this has been going on for a little while now and I feel really healthy otherwise. It seems from reading all these responses that women have different experiences with their hot flashes.

I am prepare to just give this change the 'tincture of time' but I will definitely look up that supplement a couple of you have mentioned. Thanks for that!

Keep the stories coming! At least we can all share a good laugh (or cry) and embrace who we are.

Jayne

 

[sfmini]

I was pretty intrigued with the thought of the reliv product, so I googled it. It is from a legal version of a pyramid scheme, and I strongly oppose such 'organizations' and would have nothing to do with their products.

Tell you what, makes it hard on me living in my home with the caped crusader of one. I think he is on his fourth or fifth pyramid scheme (which he gets mad every time I call it that). Just doesn't learn......

 

[MyBarakah]

I guess I didn't really know it or never heard of it as a scam. I do know people/distributors can sell the product and make some off the product.

I guess I don't think of it as a scam, where this stuff really works and lots of people use

this product and it works for them and I can see results by taking it, so I guess if there's people

making money off it of, so be it, but I really like using this product. Which it's a powdered shake

that has all the minerals in it, instead of pill form, and the body can absorb all the vitamins right away.

I take the Fibrestore which cleans out all the bad stuff in the body and then take the engergize stuff

(mix it all together 2 times a day) and am very impressed with it! So as long as it works for me and

it works for others, I will not bad mouth the company. I've not seen any other stuff work like this stuff does.

 

[sfmini]

I did not call it a scam.

I did not bad mouth the company.

I merely stated that I am strongly opposed to pyramid scheme organizations and would not support such a company.

 

[minie812]

OOOH...THAT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE THE HORMONE DEVIL. I DO KNOW THAT STATINS TO REDUCE CHOLESTEROL CAN CAUSE SIMILAR TO HOT FLASHES ARE YOU TAKING THAT...CRESTOR-LIPITOR...ETC.?

 

[REO]

Can you all please share at what age you were when you started "the pause"? I've been wondering for years!

I'll be 45 in June and have no one to ask.

 

[minie812]

Can you all please share at what age you were when you started "the pause"? I've been wondering for years!

I'll be 45 in June and have no one to ask.

I am going to be 55 and started around 44-45 and it went till I was about 52 and slowly faded away...along with my memory...or was I around 42? No wait...43...mmmmI don't remember!

 

[shelia]

I think mine started early 40's. It may have even been late 30's! I can't really remember either! OH! I am almost 53 now and the flashes are still going strong. i think it started with night sweats only for a few years. Then suddenly became hourly! then after a few years went back to mostly just night sweats again. i just wonder how long it will all last! I just wonder if this goes away after time.

Shelia B.