Hot Flashes

[mom31257]

I am 3 weeks since my last period, so probably a week from my next, and my face has been on fire the last two nights. I did this some as a teen, and my mom would always say, it's your hormones. Is there anything that can give relief for this besides removing my head and putting it in the freezer? :D

[woolybear]

I started having what I think are hot flashes about a month ago. Not exactly as you describe, but all the same I think that's what it was. So, one of the things I like least is to be hot. I researched online and the one thing I saw that was fairly easy to do was exercise. It made an almost immediate difference. I try to exercise about 4 or more times a week.

 

Hth.:)

[Cindyg]

Bless your heart. No, I haven't found anything that resolves this. I experimented with Black Cohosh and Evening Primrose Oil for years. My chiropractor said to take sage. And there's topical progesterone cream. I tried all these long enough to say, no; I don't think they helped.

 

I finally brought mini electric fans, and I put them all over the house, in all the places I often stand or sit. And I just use the fans when I need them. It doesn't resolve the problem but it feels so good when I need it.

 

I don't know how long this goes on.

[mom31257]

I started having what I think are hot flashes about a month ago. Not exactly as you describe, but all the same I think that's what it was. So, one of the things I like least is to be hot. I researched online and the one thing I saw that was fairly easy to do was exercise. It made an almost immediate difference. I try to exercise about 4 or more times a week.

 

Hth.:)

 

Well, I've had more exercise this past week than I normally do. I walked and played basketball a few days. I am thankful it's not my whole body!

[mom31257]

Bless your heart. No, I haven't found anything that resolves this. I experimented with Black Cohosh and Evening Primrose Oil for years. My chiropractor said to take sage. And there's topical progesterone cream. I tried all these long enough to say, no; I don't think they helped.

 

I finally brought mini electric fans, and I put them all over the house, in all the places I often stand or sit. And I just use the fans when I need them. It doesn't resolve the problem but it feels so good when I need it.

 

I don't know how long this goes on.

 

I always thought these came after your periods stopped. I've skipped two periods in the last year and a half, but the other months have been full force, sometimes as little as 25-26 days in between. My mother was finished by 48 and I'll be 45 in February. I hope I take after her! Her grandmother was 48, too.

[SJ.]

I was regularly getting hot flashes at night about a week before my period. Once I started exercising regularly last spring it has stopped. I agree with the PP that regular exercise can help!

[Negin]

Amy, sorry you're feeling this. I'm sure it'll be my turn soon.

 

Here's some info I have. Not sure if they'll work or not. All of these methods (all natural methods) need at least 6-12 weeks in order to see any difference.

 

Hot Flashes are periods of sudden intense heat, while flushes include the obvious flushing or redness. While they usually come and go for a year or two, some still have hot flashes for 10-15 years after menopause. Hot flashes and flushes can last for a few seconds or up to five minutes.

 

WHAT HELPS

HEALTHY EATING

Heat-producing foods can trigger hot flashes – limit fatty foods, sugars, caffeine, and very hot spicy foods

Cooling foods and plant estrogens help reduce hot flashes – fruits, vegetables, yogurt, goat cheese – these all cool the body

More salads

Fewer cooked foods

Drink plenty of water throughout the day

When dietary changes are not enough, it’s time to look into supplements.

 

SUPPLEMENTS

Hesperidin is found in the skin of lemons and oranges. It works like a miracle for many women, eliminating hot flashes and night sweats.

Take 500 mg morning and night. You most likely will need that much to reduce hot flashes.

Although hesperidin is a bioflavonoid, you can’t get enough of it in bioflavonoid supplements. Look for a hot flash formula with high amounts of hesperidin.

 

PHYTOESTROGENS are plant-based estrogens that curb hot flashes, weight gain, and other complaints.

Look for a multiple-herb formula with

• Chaste-tree berry (normalizes hormone secretion and helps balance estrogen and progesterone) – 40 mg daily – quite frankly, this is the only one I think I will try from this list of phytoestrogens. The rest are of concern to me, since there is a likelihood that they may raise breast estrogen levels.

• Black cohosh

• Red clover

• American ginseng

• Milk thistle

Nothing has been found to be nearly as effective for menopause symptoms as Black Cohosh. Many Black Cohosh supplements are less potent than they appear. You need to get 540 mg daily. Studies have shown that in sufficient doses, this herb can help alleviate menopausal symptoms in as little as 4 weeks. Puritan’s Pride Black Cohosh 540 mg

One study found that women who took Black Cohosh were 47 percent less likely to have breast cancer.

Black cohosh can reduce hot flashes by 85%. 40 mg daily of Remifemin

Black cohosh treats hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, vaginal dryness, and anxiety

OVERALL RELIEF

Daily Balance Harmony

Enzymatic Therapy AM/PM Menopause Formula

Gaia Herbs Phyto-Estrogen

NOW Foods Menopause Support

Solgar Herbal Female Complex

SAGE has been used since ancient times to stop hot flashes and helps reduce all kinds of excessive perspiration. Sage tea and sage tincture helps hot flashes and night sweats.

1-3 cups of sage tea can reduce your hot flashes OR take the herb as a supplement

Sage tea is the safest and least expensive solution. Allow the tea to cool down for best results. Drink 1-3 cups a day in between meals. You can increase this amount, if you like, to 4-5 cups a day. You may need much less. In fact, just 1 serving of sage tea can cool down some women within two hours and last for a day or more.

Tinctures or capsules containing sage are good options if you don’t want to drink the tea.

WILD HOPS reduces hot flashes and night sweats, anxiety, and helps muscles relax. Wild hops can help you sleep

30-120 mg at bedtime

Has to be dried to have any medicinal effect

Often used in combination w/valerian and lemon balm.

SAFFRON promotes calmness and reduces irritability and hot flashes

1 pinch stirred into hot, cooked food daily

 

Some have said that the combination of Chinese Bitters (taken before breakfast) and Fem-Mate (taken at bedtime) is very helpful for alleviating hot flashes. In one case, a 60 year old woman was on HRT for 10 years and was told to stop her HRT immediately because of her vaginal bleeding. When she stopped, her hot flashes became unbearable, and she tried all manner of remedies to no avail. When she took Chinese Bitters and Fem-Mate, her hot flashes became manageable in only 4 days, although it took 3-4 months before her hot flashes disappeared.

This remedy works because Chinese Bitters decongests and cleanses the liver while Fem-Mate stimulates natural progesterone and estrogen production by stimulating the adrenals. For some women, whose hot flashes are relatively mild, Chinese Bitters alone is enough to eliminate their hot flashes.

In some cases, the complete program of liver and gallbladder cleansing may be necessary because HRT is known to cause gallstones. Daily morning exercises such as stretching and deep breathing can also help by "activating" the liver in the morning.

 

OTHER TIPS

Sleep on right side. Sleeping on right side prompts relaxation and decreases blood pressure – which can help calm you during hormone-related symptoms such as hot flashes.

 

Soak your feet in cold water to prevent hot flashes during night