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[Rosanna]

I'm just wondering if anyone remembers their first hot flush, or their earliest ones.

I'm still at the stage of not knowing what is wrong with me.  I get a 'glowing feeling,' which has started in the last 3 days.  Before that I've had palpitations for about 9 weeks, a red flushed face (I used to get this on and off over the last 7 years soon after my dad died, but it was mainly triggered by hunger, or eating, or tiredness, so I could easily remedy it, but in the last 9 weeks it's been a little more persistent and stays, even if I address hunger, tiredness, etc).

I've had 4 normal ecgs in the last month.  A normal chest x-ray.  A normal blood test for the heart the last time I went to the hospital.  I'm on the waiting list to get an echo cardiogram and have otherwise been reassured about my symptoms.

Yet I'm sat here glowing right now, and the palpitations seem to come at the same time.  Also a headache comes, washes over my head and then leaves fairly quickly (but returns a lot). And my skin on my face just keeps burning.  It was worse yesterday when i had a long commute with work, so a very long day.

In the last couple of days I'd say there's even been a vague, fleeting nausea....but really nothing at all (and I'm a vomit phobic, so that gives the impression of how mild it is).  Also a 'wiggly' feeling in the legs.  I've also had a chaotic cycle and one 17 day period (I'm usually 2 days).

Sorry if I've repeated anything from my other thread.  I'm struggling to concentrate at the moment and just wondering if anyone else felt as confused as I am about their symptoms at first.  I'm really hoping this is the onset of menopausal symptoms, because otherwise I'm worried what's wrong with me.

I seem to be feeling a bit better with Tulsi (Holy Basil) tea, apparently it lowers cortisol.  I've also decided to take resveratrol again, I haven't felt right on anything else like red clover or agnus castus, etc....but heard resveratrol can ease symptoms in some people.

Thanks for listening

[Taz2]

Hi Rosanna - I'e been on HRT for almost ten years now but I do remember my first hot flushes. Each flush would start with a vague feeling of doom - sort of a really tired and "whats the point" kind of sensation. Next would be the slight feeling of nausea and not sure whether I would need the loo (bowel). After that the heart rate would increase or feel like it was out of rhythm and then, finally, the flush would begin. You do get used to the feelings as they become more familiar and you are then less panicky that something else is wrong. After a few months the flushes took on a pattern and eventually happened every twenty minutes or so. By this time they were also accompanied by sweating. After a year of this I went onto HRT and it was the best decision I have made. Within forty eight hours of putting on the patch there was no more flushing/sweating/palpitations etc. Bliss.

It sounds as if your feelings are typical of a hot flush/sweat so try not to worry that there is anything else wrong.

Taz x

[Rosanna]

Thanks so much for your description Taz.  I didn't realise all this would be so confusing, but it probably is because I witnessed my dad die of a heart attack, so I'm focussing on the heart symptoms.  If he was still alive I'd probably not be thinking about that so much and just be aware of the whole thing.

Your description sounds very similar, although I've got a niggly headache too and I don't get headaches.  But otherwise very similar.  Then I get moments where it all goes away and I'm feeling completely ok, lol

[Rosanna]

Within forty eight hours of putting on the patch there was no more flushing/sweating/palpitations etc. Bliss.

I have my box of femoston in my bag....just haven't decided to take them yet because everything the doctor's ever given me has come with other problems.  But you're making me think I could try at least one or two of them.  I might do that....will give it a bit more thought though, lol

[Taz2]

So sorry about your dad. 

It seems to be the extra adrenaline which causes the symptoms of palpitation/rapid heart beat. It's a horrible feeling and until you experience it I don't think it is easy to understand why hot flushes and sweats are so disconcerting and how they can really make you feel so horrible. I always thought that it just meant that my face would go hot and that it would last for, at most, a few months and that would be me,and the menopause, finished! 

Where are you period-wise etc?

Taz x

[Rosanna]

I was pretty regular until around january....when I seemed to be waiting ages for my period to start and yet feeling all the pms symptoms for around 7 days, where normally I only got them for 1 day before.

Then the next period after that was 17 days long, where it's normally always only 2 days.

then a week after that I had all the symptoms of pms again and then another period, all be it very slight, which has just stopped.

My heart skips happened before the 17 day period.  And its interesting because I waited ages for it as well, so the heart skips might have been something to do with that wait.  Once it happened, the heart skips went away!!!!  So weird.

but now I'm getting weird sensations in the chest, and glowing and all kinds of frickin stuff that no one told me about, lol

[Taz2]

It is all very strange when changes first start but you do get used to it... eventually...

Taz x 

[CherryC]

Hi Taz2, do you mind saying which patch you are on which really helped with your hot flushes and the strength? I seem to get waves of heat during the night which continually wake me up but during the day it feels more like I can feel the blood flowing through and tingling. x

[cubagirl]

My first hot flush happened during a supermarket trip, roughly 4 weeks after hysterectomy. Didn't feel too horrendous. Little did I know. GP put me on Premarin back then.

[Wrensong]

Certainly do - was in the same week I experienced my 2nd earthquake while on hols in 2006.  Earthquake woke us in the early hours with a terrifying rumbling & shaking & all I could think was where have I left my knickers - must get them on quickly, so I can get outside in case the roof falls in!  The first flush was a night sweat the following night - have never been right since!  Not sure which was the scarier.

[cubagirl]

Blimey Wrensong. Earthquake would have had me in a sweat! Funny the things we think of, not sure knickers would have sprung to my mind, but then not been in an earthquake.

[Rosanna]

Certainly do - was in the same week I experienced my 2nd earthquake while on hols in 2006.  Earthquake woke us in the early hours with a terrifying rumbling & shaking & all I could think was where have I left my knickers - must get them on quickly, so I can get outside in case the roof falls in!  The first flush was a night sweat the following night - have never been right since!  Not sure which was the scarier.

 

The things we think of in an emergency, lol!

[Dorothy]

Sounds very like my early days.  I also found that I started getting regular headaches when I never usually had them before.