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[terriw]

I don't really.....just dip my finger in and spread it......!

[Elsie]

Oh dear!!  My story is a little different.  I am nealy 60 now, started the menopause at 42.  At 45 went on HRT.  Used a few different ones over the years, ended up on Tibolone, marvellous stuff.  Decided to give it a go coming off last year, just to see if I could cope.  I slowly weaned myself off it for about 5 months then went cold turkey.  Except for the hot flushes, which of course came back with a vengeance I feel just fine.  I haven't actually slept through the night for years anyway so that doesn't bother me, the flushes do though.  I try to avoid getting too warm so winter suits me, am dreading the summer, hope we don't have a hot one.  I would have stayed on HRT for ever, the breast cancer risk never bothered me, it was the increased risk of stroke that made me decide, as a close friend of mine had one nearly two years ago, he is still disabled and can barely see.  As I like to keep active, cycling and walking I just couldn't bear the thought of having to change my life so drastically.  I'm contemplating trying a few remedies for the flushes but am rather dubious about many of them having worked in a health food shop for several years and seen many people disappointed by some of the remedies, also the fact that they are far from cheap.  I think I may look into the starflower oil though just to see if that will help as I'd not actually heard of that being a remedy for flushes.  If only the doctor could prescribe something for them other than HRT, you'd think in this day and age there would be something, wouldn't you??

[Taz2]

Hi Happybird - welcome to the forum and thank you for such a positive first post!

Have a good browse around. Looking forward to hearing more from you. You may want to post in the  New Members thread so that you don't get lost in all the other posts and others can welcome you.

Taz x

[Flowers]

I tried HRT and that didn't suit me but I have managed to control my symptoms when out of work by wearing loose clothing, not drinking anything with caffeine and keeping the front door open and bedroom window open.  I have a very understanding partner.

My problems are when at work, I have to wear a uniform and work in an air-conditioned office then I can have 20 - 30 flushes a day.  I work for a large organisation with plenty of other offices some not air-conditioned, but they will not hear of me moving or of not wearing the uniform.  I think there could be a bit of a diversity/equality issue here related to our gender.  Any ideas how I can pursue this and find some relief?

Any advice would be appreciated.  Good luck to all those others who are suffering, I think you will eventually find what works best for you.

[Suzi Q]

I dont know if its mind over matter
The flushes have eased off heaps
Im still getting them but only a few and not as bad
Suzi Q
using the vagifem pressaries

[terriw]

I've been keeping off alcohol lately as it always makes the hot flushes worse. We went to a friends house for a meal last night and I thought "sod it" and had several glasses of wine.......followed by 2 large Baileys to the point where I was slurring a bit! Not a single hot flush all evening and even once I got to bed, no flushes. What's going on?

[Rosebush]

Well done Anni loads of wine, Baileys And NO sweats   are you still using serenity & ACV?? ...tried ACV for 8wks...no change in sweats..so not buying anymore   however the last 2nights i have had more flushes than sweats, they are still red hot one's, but i do not have to go to bathroom and use flannel, just throw back duvet (4.5tog) cool off..then pull back on...not sure if this is the start of the end  or just a fluke  its great with weather being so cold, i cool down within 10mins, but i am off on long stay hols in 2wks and temps will be higher, soooo hoped my Hrt was going to give me a peaceful holiday, but think its not gonna happen..oh for a good nights sleep..

Anni just thought  if i tried several glass's of wine and a few large Baileys, would i get lucky too..

[terriw]

go on, give it a try!

[hmh]

Hi all,
I was prescribed HRT for many years, (I live in France where it is available as a stick-on patch) and did find that wonderful, as I had fought against the idea of HRT for a couple of years,  - but at 60 was told I could no longer have this.
The hot flushes have returned though not as badly.

I take soya tablets, and black cohosh, though these would not have been sufficient when I  was on HRT.

However, I found early on that a very strong mint was useful to nip the flush in the bud (not the little tubes of Extra Strong, a boiled sweet type mint, but a very strong one, or even a very minty humbug).
 
More recently I find licorice even more useful, just the ordinary black strips and coils, the soft ones are nicer, Pontefract cakes, or the white-coated ones.

Hope this helps someone!

Helen

[Rosebush]

Anni i did try a white wine spritzer, but still got the blooming flushes, 9 in 7hrs..so maybe i will try a full bottle of red tonight..you do realise this is only for research purposes..

Hi hmh  never tried licorice but will give it a go, not sure what mints are really hot, other than trebor one's.. i am willing to try out anything..was just hoping Hrt would solve my prob..but no such luck..

[terriw]

oooh, I worked my way through two large bags of Australian liquorice that my friend bought me.........

now they say it helps hot flushes....maybe that was the reason. hey, so I can drink alcohol as long as I eat liquorice first then!

better get some more in then (I love the stuff)

it does nothing to help my constipation problems though!!

[Rosebush]

I will get some liquorice from Holland & B tomorrow..Anni will this make us Liq wino junkies.. mind you who cares, if it helps ease the hot sweats..

[terriw]

Liqwino junkies...yay!!!

[Elsie]

Hi Happybird - welcome to the forum and thank you for such a positive first post!

Have a good browse around. Looking forward to hearing more from you. You may want to post in the  New Members thread so that you don't get lost in all the other posts and others can welcome you.

Taz x

Hi, sorry I've only just spotted this, I'm still finding my way around here.  As to my hot flushes, been on the starflower oil for a couple of weeks now and they have reduced the flushes.  I also have been finding I get very hot feet at times, most strange.  My sister-in-law suffers from the same thing.  Anyway, I'm coping, but if I keep myself as cool as poss too, it helps.  Been reading some of the other posts and one of you sleeps under a 4.5 tog duvet, I'm under a 13.5 so from that I deduce I'm not really suffering very much at all.  Some of you sound really bad with the flushes, I feel very sorry for you all and hope you find something to help soon.   

[Bckquine]

I am taking evening primrose oil combined with starflower oil, but  it is too early really to say if it is making any difference to anything at the moment.  I sometimes think I try that many different things that am not sure if it is this or that that is working at any one time, lol!  Hoping once I have seen the gynacologist and had a good chat I will find something good.  My other problem is feeling really, really cold even though my partner reckons I am radiating copious amount of heat from my body.  I don't feel it, am just frozen through to my bones.  One of my GP's tried to explain it by saying that because I was giving out such a vast amount of heat, my actual core temperature would be dropping, not sure if that makes sense or not.  Does anyone else have this problem?  Not sure whether my thyroid problem adds to this as that is one of the effects an underactive thyroid can produce, feeling cold all the time.