I've never suffered much with hot flushes. I've had them but they have been mild and nothing like the badass ones some of you mention! Recently though I've started getting flushes quite a lot and they are very unpleasant. It's 3 years since my last period so it seems odd that the flushes should just start up as bad as they are for no apparent reason. I had a similar thing last year, quite brief which included tingling hands. It transpired I had a folic acid deficiency and within days the tablets put the situation right. It all felt like the same thing starting up again and indeed a blood test showed I had a folic acid deficiency again but this time the pills have not even made a dent in any of the symptoms. It says the symptoms should feel better within 24 hours but 10 days on, things are as bad as ever and if anything the flushes are worse. I've had a few really bad nights but the flushes can come on anywhere at any time and can be really embarrassing. They can feel so unpleasant I feel I will faint. Has anyone else had flushes start well into meno (or get worse?) I'm going out with friends next weekend and I'm utterly dreading it and feel anxious that I will get a bad flush while I'm out. They are impossible to hide!!
Hi Lynne888 - don't worry no need to apologise - you've done the right thing starting a new thread as this is a new topic and it's yours with specific info about your particular situation so as you can see members are more likely to read it! The other thread was an old one.
In terms of being 3 years post-menopause - women react to falling oestrogen differently. Some unlucky women start to get flushes and sweats even while having regular periods - when hormonal fluctuations start to increase even before peri-menopause! Some women start to get them when periods stop for a few months ( as I did) and then they disappear as periods come back and then re-appear when they stop. Other women ( luckier!) don't start to get symptoms until two or three years post-menopause. What happens is that oestrogen levels continue to fluctuate following the last period but not so much and there is a gradual decline over approx the next 2 years or so. At this point oestrogen levels bottom out approx so some women start to experience symptoms for the first time - as you have, and for some women they get worse, or new symptoms appear ( eg vaginal atrophy etc).
As long as there is no other reason for your sweats ( eg thyroid problems,blood sugar problems etc) and it is not due to folic acid this time, then this is absolutely normal!
Are you able to take HRT as has been suggested? This is the recommended treatment to eliminate these troublesome symptoms and also give you some protection to heart and bones - depending on your age?
Hurdity x