Female content - hot flashes!

[Michelle T]

I'm 44, and well into perimenopause. I routinely go 3-4 months now without a visit from Aunt Flo, and the adult acne, weight gain, insomnia, moodiness, and brain fog are all present and accounted for!

 

But the hot flashes are really getting to me. The waves of heat are so intense, and the sweating is so annoying. I wake up at night just burning up, all sweaty.

 

What natural cures would help with the hot flashes? And why did no one warn me that my eyelashes would get so much thinner as I got older? :glare:

 

Michelle T

[klmama]

Sorry, no natural cures for you, but in warm weather my mom used to open the freezer and refrigerator a bit and stand inside the doors. In cold weather she just went outside. Could you sleep with less covers or with thinner jammies? My mom also kept a small fan handy to help cool her down during the night.

[MotherMayI]

:lurk5: I'm 43 and I believe I have recently started having hot flashes . At first I blew them off since they happened right after physical labor, but I had another while simply sitting at a restaurant the other night:glare:. I am not ready for this!

 

As far as the other symptoms you described-I haven't gone down that road yet. It appears it's only a matter of time though! Thinning eyelashes??? Thanks for the warning:tongue_smilie:

[GraceinMD]

What natural cures would help with the hot flashes?

 

I just gave a talk on this this morning (in other words, I actually researched this!).

 

(However, it's 130a, so I'm going to just give you a list!)

(I also won't limit my answer to "natural" remedies, just in case anyone else is interested - not to ignore your question.)

1) no "cures" for hot flashes - merely symptomatic treatments that can reduce their occurrance

2) hormone replacement is the most effective remedy at reducing vasomotor symptoms of the menopause transition (vasomotor = hot flashes and night sweats)

3) lifestyle changes

(a) lower ambient temperature (e.g., fans, A/C)

(b) layered cotton clothing

© paced respiration (slow deep breathing using diaphragm / abdominal muscles can shorten or stop at hot flash

(d) avoid "triggers" (usually spicy food or hot drinks, but may be things like caffeine, etc. May differ from woman to woman.)

(e) no evidence that lowering your wt, exercise or smoking cessation help (althogh these are, of course, good for other reasons)

4) "natural" remedies

(a) black cohosh: evidence is +/-: some small studies (by which I mean well-designed scientific studies) show effect, one larger study showed no reduction in hot flashes compared to placebo; probably safe if used for less than 6 months, and the N. Am. Menopause Soc. and the German E Commission say it's probably safe and doesn't seem to have serious side effects or interactions with other meds. (Of course, as with all "natural" remedies, it's important to realize that there is no standardization of doses, so you may not be getting what you think you're getting; also, we don't know what their side effects and their drug-drug interactions are.) Used in Europe quite a bit, I think.

(b) red clover - several small studies; probably not effective

© soy - unclear whether it has a beneficial effect on hot flashes (although has other beneficial effects). Problem is that various studies used various "parts" of the soybean to test (e.g. the protein component, the phytoestrogen component). One study showed a 45% reduction in hot flashes compared to placebo; another showed no significant difference when compared to placebo. No agents with phytoestrogens should be taken by women with breast cancer, since these phytoestrogens act as weak estrogens in the body.

(d) various other agents that are not effetive and/or have more serious potential for side effects: dong quai, gingko, ginseng

(e) +/- effectiveness: flaxseed (not flaxseed oil); vit E (in "reasonable" doses)

(f) "wild yam cream" often marketed as having progesterone precursors; they do, but humans can't metabolize those precursors, therefore, these are ineffective.

(5) prescription remedies

(a) antidepressants: SSRIs (Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine)), SNRI (venlafaxine (Effexor)) - fairly effective and work quickly (but of course have side effects)

(b) clonidine (Catapres) - blood pressure med

© gabapentin (Neurontin) - seizure med - probably the most effective. One study showed a reduction of 2 hot flashes per day (on average) compared to placebo.

 

(Standard, and obvious, disclaimer: you should not take any remedies, natural or otherwise, without consulting your own physician.)

 

The good news is that hot flashes usually go away (in most women) in 4-5 yrs!

[Laura in VA]

The good news is that hot flashes usually go away (in most women) in 4-5 yrs!

 

:svengo:

[GraceinMD]

:svengo:

 

Ah, but I didn't mention the Swedish study that found that 9% of women had ... lifelong hot flashes.

:leaving:

[GraceinMD]

natural cures

 

Forgot to add: good information about complementary / herbal / "natural" supplements (from NCCAM at NIH)

http://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/Information_About_Individual_Dietary_Supplements.aspx

 

and lots of info about menopause:

http://www.menopause.org

[G5052]

I've been having them for some seven years now, so I guess that I'm one of the statistical outliers. I've not hit menopause yet either. I do use natural progesterone cream and flax seed, and when I'm faithful with those, they mostly only occur right before my cycle starts, just a day or two. When they do happen at bad times (like when I'm lecturing to a college class), deep breathing and really trying to sloooow myself down does seem to cut them off. If I am worked up, I'll have one after another.

 

I do find that I am "warmer" overall than I was, so I dress mostly in cotton year-round. I even have my own cotton blanket because DH is cold-natured and uses a fleece one year-round.

 

Sort of a funny part of life when you think about it. I have a lot of "younger" homeschool mom friends who find this all rather amusing because they aren't there yet -- JUST WAIT!

Edited November 16, 2008 by GVA

[sunshine]

I'm 44, and well into perimenopause. I routinely go 3-4 months now without a visit from Aunt Flo, and the adult acne, weight gain, insomnia, moodiness, and brain fog are all present and accounted for!

 

But the hot flashes are really getting to me. The waves of heat are so intense, and the sweating is so annoying. I wake up at night just burning up, all sweaty.

 

What natural cures would help with the hot flashes? And why did no one warn me that my eyelashes would get so much thinner as I got older? :glare:

 

Michelle T

 

 

Radiant Wonder has a product I started using a few years ago for fertility, didn't work but got rid of the hot flashes that I have had since age 30. SO it balanced my hormones.

It is called Super Fertility #2 by Radiant Wonder. You have to order online.

It is all natural ingredients, you can go to their website and look at the label.

Hope it works as well for you as it does for me.

[cillakat]

I

What natural cures would help with the hot flashes? And why did no one warn me that my eyelashes would get so much thinner as I got older? :glare:

/quote]

 

something is probably up with your thyroid (ie eyelash thinning....outside edges of eyebrows thinning...).

 

wrt the hot flashes...

 

1 tbsp ground flax seed, 2x per day can be helpful. mix it with water, drink immediately through a straw. takes some getting used to;)

 

:)

k

 

ps. be sure you're getting sufficient vitamin d from supplements....around 2000 IU per day is a reasonable amount. if you test D levels you may find you need more.

[ELaurie]

Read What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause by Dr. John Lee, MD. Natural progesterone has been a real help here.

[AnnetteB]

We buy flaxseed in the bulk section at Winco, store it in a glass jar in the fridge and grind in my little coffee grinder as needed. I sprinkle it on plain yogurt with a little banana and honey it is pretty good, and on salads with a little homemade salad dressing. It is sort of nutty. I am just now "missing" my first cycles...I think it has been 3 months now...and I have been regular as clockwork since the last baby(now 5). I'm...gasp...48...expect all hair to get thinner as you age, but thyroid issues can cause premature loss and it will return with treatment if that is the underlying cause.

[Heather in the Kootenays]

Ad I wish you had not mentioned it at all. :glare:

[MUJLBE]

My sister bought me a nightgown with wicking material brand called Softies Dry Release made by Paddi Murphy. Similar to this one:

 

http://yhst-86290447105614.stores.yahoo.net/somi.html

 

Very pricey. I never would have bought it for myself but it is wonderful. I can really tell the difference between sleeping with Softies and a cotton T-shirt. So I would look for this type or another wicking nightwear.

 

As for eyebrows, I think that is the reason that elderly movie stars have painted eyebrows-all that plucking and the hairs eventually do not come back.

 

Susan

[Scarlett]

I

What natural cures would help with the hot flashes? And why did no one warn me that my eyelashes would get so much thinner as I got older? :glare:

/quote]

 

something is probably up with your thyroid (ie eyelash thinning....outside edges of eyebrows thinning...).

 

wrt the hot flashes...

 

1 tbsp ground flax seed, 2x per day can be helpful. mix it with water, drink immediately through a straw. takes some getting used to;)

 

:)

 

ps. be sure you're getting sufficient vitamin d from supplements....around 2000 IU per day is a reasonable amount. if you test D levels you may find you need more.

 

I mix it into yogurt....can barely tell it is there...

[Scarlett]

Interesting to find this thread this afternoon. I've been suffering from hot flashes so much lately that I can feel it weighing on me. I can't sleep...I haven't had a decent nights sleep in weeks. I wake up every. two. hours. Without fail. Sitting through religious services this morning I had 2 hot flashes in 1 1/2 hours time. Thankfully I was layered up and was able to take off my wool blazer. I can feel them coming on and they are brutal.

 

I sleep with nothing on, but it doesn't matter. I wake up so hot that if dh happens to be touching me I have to shove him away. Ugh.

 

I won't be taking any hormones of any kind since my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer after taking them for 10+ years. I will consider some natural things and try all the lifestyle adjustments--even the ones that have no proven effectivness.

 

I have to get some sleep though....my mom takes a pill that helps her sleep. I believe it is an anti-nausea pill...she has no grogginess the next day from it so I might try that.

[kzdaisy]

Hi I am 50 now and good news my hot flashes have disappeared as fast as they came!! I am so happy.I wish I had thinning hair It stopped growing so fast on legs but now I have to get rid of my beard and mustache that want to grow!!! :lol:

[tibbyl]

I'm 44, and well into perimenopause. I routinely go 3-4 months now without a visit from Aunt Flo, and the adult acne, weight gain, insomnia, moodiness, and brain fog are all present and accounted for!

 

But the hot flashes are really getting to me. The waves of heat are so intense, and the sweating is so annoying. I wake up at night just burning up, all sweaty.

 

What natural cures would help with the hot flashes? And why did no one warn me that my eyelashes would get so much thinner as I got older? :glare:

 

Michelle T

 

I can commiserate, Michelle. For me, reducing carbohydrates helped somewhat with the hot flashes. Actually, they aren't flashes as much as sustained over-warmth.

 

I was in an all day continuing professional education seminar last week. Hotel meeting room was too hot even for the non-menopausal participants. Is good thing I chose table in back of room because after lunch I was surreptitiously slipping ice cubes down my top to cool off. But that failed to halt the moodiness and agitation I felt. Mean thoughts about some of my colleagues and the presenters raced through my head. By end of day, I was mentally denigrating the entire profession.

 

Driving home in tears with windows rolled down on 50 degree day, I did not calm down until over an hour after getting back home.

Edited November 17, 2008 by tibbyl

[Sharon H in IL]

I can commiserate, Michelle. For me, reducing carbohydrates helped somewhat with the hot flashes. Actually, they aren't flashes as much as sustained over-warmth.

 

I was in an all day continuing professional education seminar last week. Hotel room was too hot even for the non-menopausal participants. Is good thing I chose table in back of room because after lunch I was surreptitiously slipping ice cubes down my top to cool off. But that failed to halt the moodiness and agitation I felt. Mean thoughts about some of my colleagues and the presenters raced through my head. By end of day, I was mentally denigrating the entire profession.

 

Driving home in tears with windows rolled down on 50 degree day, I did not calm down until over an hour after getting back home.

 

You poor thing. It wouldn't be possible for me to eliminate enough carbs to get through such an ordeal. Owie.

[tricia]

I'm 47 right now and I haven't started with the symptoms yet. But a friend tells me she used to keep folded up flat double size sheets in the freezer and she would pull one out during those times. She said it was a huge help. So I am keeping that in mind when my time comes.:001_smile:

[Robin Hood]

I

(a) black cohosh: evidence is +/-: some small studies (by which I mean well-designed scientific studies) show effect, one larger study showed no reduction in hot flashes compared to placebo; probably safe if used for less than 6 months, and the N. Am. Menopause Soc. and the German E Commission say it's probably safe and doesn't seem to have serious side effects or interactions with other meds. (Of course, as with all "natural" remedies, it's important to realize that there is no standardization of doses, so you may not be getting what you think you're getting; also, we don't know what their side effects and their drug-drug interactions are.) Used in Europe quite a bit, I think.

 

Personal testimony for black cohosh. I did this for a couple of years when I was 48 and did not have hot flashes. I had stopped and still didn't have hot flashes for a few years. Then at 52, they started. Eeek. After 2 months I called the doctor and am now doing hrt using cream now. I am definitely a nicer person. I periodically sleep better but not all the time. Bye Bye hot flashes.

 

My family really likes the "nicer person" category the best.

 

Everybody is different. Check with your doctor. I did get spooked out of black cohosh after a period of time and eventually stopped.

[MBH]

Two things have helped me reduce the number of hot flash episodes:

 

1) 1 tea spoon Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with a glass of water before I go to bed so that I can sleep all night. If I am having a terrible case of hot flashes, I mix one table spoon of Apple Cider Vinegar with a glass of water. I do this during the day whenever I need it. It is the cheapest remedy available and works everytime. Ofcourse I drink it with a straw to keep my teeth healthy. The acid from vinegar can be tough on your teeth. :tongue_smilie:

 

2) Very important: I did an experiment on myself. On the days that I have beef in my food, I get a harsher episode of hot flashes. On the days I eat vegetarian (no meat or chicken), I do not get hot flashes and don't need vinegar in my water. Chicken causes a milder episode of hot flashes. I did this after reading The China Study.

 

The China Study actually has nothing to do with hot flashes. The book is about proving that non-vegetarian diet contributes to cancer. I was trying to eat vegetarian and found out that I no longer had hot flashes as a side effect as long as I ate vegetarian.

 

Cutting back on my beef intake has helped me tremendously.

 

I hope this information helps someone out there who is not able to sleep at night.

[Scarlett]

Two things have helped me reduce the number of hot flash episodes:

 

1) 1 tea spoon Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with a glass of water before I go to bed so that I can sleep all night. If I am having a terrible case of hot flashes, I mix one table spoon of Apple Cider Vinegar with a glass of water. I do this during the day whenever I need it. It is the cheapest remedy available and works everytime. Ofcourse I drink it with a straw to keep my teeth healthy. The acid from vinegar can be tough on your teeth. :tongue_smilie:

 

2) Very important: I did an experiment on myself. On the days that I have beef in my food, I get a harsher episode of hot flashes. On the days I eat vegetarian (no meat or chicken), I do not get hot flashes and don't need vinegar in my water. Chicken causes a milder episode of hot flashes. I did this after reading The China Study.

 

The China Study actually has nothing to do with hot flashes. The book is about proving that non-vegetarian diet contributes to cancer. I was trying to eat vegetarian and found out that I no longer had hot flashes as a side effect as long as I ate vegetarian.

 

Cutting back on my beef intake has helped me tremendously.

 

I hope this information helps someone out there who is not able to sleep at night.

 

 

Wow. This is very very interesting. Thank you.

[Scarlett]

I'm 44, and well into perimenopause. I routinely go 3-4 months now without a visit from Aunt Flo, and the adult acne, weight gain, insomnia, moodiness, and brain fog are all present and accounted for!

 

But the hot flashes are really getting to me. The waves of heat are so intense, and the sweating is so annoying. I wake up at night just burning up, all sweaty.

 

What natural cures would help with the hot flashes? And why did no one warn me that my eyelashes would get so much thinner as I got older? :glare:

 

Michelle T

 

Michelle, I'm 43 and having all the same symptoms as you. Well, the weight gain was about 10 pounds 6 years ago or so, and I can't seem to keep it off, but the insomnia, missed cycles, moodiness...oh my. The insomnia is the worst though. In my entire life I've ALWAYS been able to sleep so easily. I could literally fall asleep mid sentence---MY sentence. Now I wake up every 2 hours so hot I can't stand for any part of my dh to be touching me! So annoying!

 

Anyway, like you I was sure it was perimenopause, but a year ago I had blood work done and no sign of it. Then the hot flashes and insomnia got MUCH worse within the last few months and I had more blood work done 2 weeks ago. My estrogen is HIGHER than a year ago. They also checked my thyroid too and it is fine. When I complained of the insomnia (before I got the results back) I told the nurse that my Mom takes a 1 mg dose of Adavan before bed and she sleeps fine because it allows her to sleep through the hot flashes that were waking her up. I asked the nurse for a prescription for it so I could sleep. She called it in and I took it for a week before she called to tell me the test results show I am NOT perimenopausal. :confused: Let me tell you though...the week I took it was the BEST week I had had in over a year. I slept so soundly, I had no daytime hot flashes and I felt my mood improve.

 

So basically, the nurse told me that I was most likely suffering from some anxiety. I had no idea anxiety could cause hot flashes, but she said most definitely it can.

 

I stopped taking it because I read up on the side effects and it can cause serious birth defects in the early parts of pregnancy...I'm only 43 and not preventing pregnancy so that scared me. However, if I were preventing pregnancy, I would be taking that 1 mg again every night in a heartbeat. It is a very mild dose and helped significantly. Also, now that I KNOW it is probably anxiety I'm doing some things to manage that better.

 

HTH!