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[Strugglinglady]

Hot flushes have made my life a living misery. When I started out with them in my 50s, I am now 68 HRT was not advised, and so I had these damn things all day, every day, terrible, palpations, and panic attacks. They wouldn’t just last for a second or two either this went on for awhile it felt like Five minutes, but probably not that long . Now I am I I’m not getting quite as many, but if I get flustered or if I get sick with a UTI, (which I have all the time at the moment.) my outback with a vengeance and the night sweats. They have gone on for years. I’ve tried everything..

[azgal8808]

I always wondered why my grandmother put an ice pack at the base of the back of her neck. She would roll it up in a bandana and tie the ends in front of her neck. And when I first started the flashes, it was the only thing that gave immediate relief. Grams was a clever woman. After I completely removed alcohol from my life, it made a huge difference and I felt so much better. I never touch the stuff anymore. I don't care what so called research is out there, alcohol is not good no matter how little. It causes inflammation and causes women to go into early menopause. As for herbs, black cohosh worked well but like all supplements it takes a while (2 - 3 weeks) to feel a difference.

[EP]

As so many others have already shared, perimenopause hot flushes are awful. Thankfully, I have great friends, only one said, "But don't you excercise?" as if I was doing something wrong 

Here is my journey. Pretty straightforward having irregular periods from 32, and as I always had periods like clockwork and my mum had early menopause, I was expecting it, but doctors were not taking me seriously. Flash forward 10 years and I went to the doctor with hot flushes, and two periods close together two periods apart, exhausted and emotional and I was told to return when I'd missed 3 periods. Once again, dissapointed.

I went away and shortly after, missed 3 periods. Typical! unfortunately I could not get a GP appointment and after 5 months of no periods, my husband saw me in tears after calling the GPs again. Ask for an emergency appointment he said, but I was so mentall low at that point.

Here I am thankful for the women before me who have been fighting. Because HRT was available at Boots, and after describing all my symptoms with the night sweats increasing and getting closer and closer together, they put me on 4 pumps of estrogen and 2 pills between days 15 to 26 (stimulating monthly bleeds). Sweats went immediately and I felt like myself, and looking back now I also had digestive issues. About a year before I had gone to doctor about stomach feeling had air in and nausea, and got put on FODMAP. On HRT I found I could reintroduce more foods again, except for lactose. So now I wonder how that influenced or perhaps was caused by hormones too? (Don't know if anyone has had similiar thing?) Anyway, with sweats under control I went down to 2 pumps daily, same pills and felt like my old self again.

Anyway, going via Boots you have to pay, and I had no strength left to call the surgery again. But a year after the night sweats crept back in, this time, feeling more like myself I called the surgery, and could not get through again, and demanded to have an emergency appointment. Can you wait? The receptionist asked me (they are lovely) and I said no. and got a same day appointment.

Went in that day and chatted to the nurse first about my symptoms and she said, you are right to demand an emmergency appointment, women shouldn't be scared to do so. WHich made me feel better, as I didn't want to take someone's place if they had something worse. but it's not ok to leave women feeling like that either. We need more specialist centres where women can go asap without delay.

Now I have HRT on NHS. The doctor (the same one) was also surprised not to have seen me sooner. I just stuck to the facts. You know the feeling, to be taken seriously and asked if it was normal to stop bleeding after being on HRT for a year, with night sweats returning, again impacting my sleep and mood. SHe asked me a few clarifying questions, and explained that yes, given my history it could be that I am entering menopause now with a natural estrogen dip, so we could try increasing pumps to 3 and if that didn't work to 4 to compensate. And also I would not need to bleed anymore so we could try one ustrogen pill daily (ideally taking 3 days rest each month). And if that did not work we could try 4 pumps, and if that did not work we will have to check for other health causes. But given I responded so well before to the HRT she isn't worried, and now neither am I.

So to any women out there hesitating, don't feel shy to call the GP and politely say that it cannot wait. Good luck on your HRT/nonHRT journey, as you prefer