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[welshcake]

My hot flushes were also truly awful .
I started using A vegitarian omega supplement because of my terrible loss of memory and mixing my words up.
This had me really worried for a while. I thought it might be the beginning of alzeimers.
It also used to make me very cross that my family used to take the mikey and for a while I could not see the funny side of my mistakes.
Thankfully these supps have not only improved my memory but have also controlled the flushes.
I have gone from 5-8 Whoppa's a day down to 1-2 a week. Which is much better to cope with.
I am also at the tender age of 46 learning to drive and am doing much better than my last attempt. Where I couldnt remember my right from left or what a gear stick was for. lol
Best wishes
Welshcake

[alison]

i get through the very hot nights by using a chillow pillow, they are fantastic , i`d thoroughly recommend them.just type it into  any search engine.
and wear lots of thin cotton layers , particularly in the summer, which means lots of cold showers as well mind, and lots of `spare `clothes , oh and extra washing of course, oh such is life...alison.

[rik]

um... see that link at the top of the page that says 'shop' - well, we got chillows n stuff there.

[Gillian]

I have just found this website.
Regrettably I am not coping with day and night sweats (forget flushes!) reading Starflowers 'bio' was very familiar. I have had 'sweats' every 30/45 minutes day and night for 3 years since stopping HRT (following breast cancer). I have tried virtually every homeopathic remedy via Royal London Homepathic Hospital and 2 sessions of Acupuncture, the chillow, none of which made the slightest difference. I have also tried the SSRI antidepressant which is supposed to be better than Clonodine which I have also tried. It seems whatever I eat or drink or don't eat or drink makes no difference to the pattern of flushes.
It does have a serious effect on my life and I am currently waiting for my GP to talk to my Oncologist to see if I can restart HRT, I am clear of breast cancer and willing to take the risk as I cannot carry on for 15years like this!! As it would seem/feels like I am in the small percentage that could be in  that position.
However as we know we are all different and the things I have tried do work for other people, so please carry on trying they may work for you.
I will try Starflower whilst I await my GP.

[Gillian]

I have just posted a 'bio', I meant that Rosebush's experience was like reading my own. sorry.

[jenny_max]

Hot flushes
The hot flush, or flash, is well known as the classic menopausal symptom and affects 60–85% of menopausal women. Hot flushes and sweats are called vasomotor symptoms and vary immensely in both their severity and duration; for many women, they occur occasionally and do not cause much distress, but for about 20% they can be severe and can cause significant interference with work, sleep and quality of life. Women are affected by vasomotor symptoms on average for about 2 years but, for about 10%, symptoms can continue for more than 15 years.
Hot flushes usually last 3–5 minutes and are thought to be caused by a change in the temperature-controlling part of the brain.Normally, there is a daily pattern of rises and falls in your body temperature, being lowest at about 3am and highest in the early evening. These small changes are not normally noticed, but a menopausal woman may flush with every temperature rise, whether these are normal changes or not – for example, moving between areas of different temperature or having a hot drink – because of a change in the setting of the temperature control centre in your brain; your body thinks that it is overheating even when it isn't. To try to cool your body down, a variety of chemical reactions cause the blood vessels in the skin to open up, giving the sensation of a rush of heat, and sweat glands release sweat to dissipate heat.
It is believed that the changes in various hormone levels that occur around the time of the menopause, lead to the change in the setting of the temperature control centre, but the exact underlying mechanism is still unclear.
Other factors that can also cause flushes include being overweight, alcohol, excess caffeine, spicy foods, monosodium glutamate and some medications. Eating a healthy diet and losing weight if necessary can be helpful. Other simple measures that can help include:
•           wearing cotton clothing rather than man-made fibres
•           wearing loose thin layers of clothing rather than thick tight-fitting clothes
•           keeping your bedroom temperature fairly cool at night – either leave a door or window open or consider a fan (partner permitting of course!).
Flushes affect every woman differently and, for many, no specific treatments will be required. When flushes are embarrassing, disruptive and affecting your quality of life, then help is available and your doctor will give you an individualised treatment plan – we are all unique!
Headaches, palpitations (sensation of heart racing) and dizziness can be associated with vasomotor symptoms. Excess caffeine can worsen palpitations, so take coffee, tea and caffeinated soft drinks in moderation.
 
Tell us what works for you.
 

[Tricia]

Is it just 1,000milligrams perday of the Starflower oil caps or can you take more?

Love

Tricia

[Scorpio]

Hi I have been having hot flushes for a while but literally for minutes then they go away, but these past few days, I have noticed in the evenings I get hot and have to take my jumper off! This is someone who has the heating on and turned up and feels the cold easily. At night I wear cotton but again I get hot and sweaty and throw the covers off and its only February (heating goes off at 9 too)!! Currently these hot episodes aren't causing too much disruption but if they start to increase I shall have to do something. Initially thought I had a tempertaure, but not every night surely??
Scorpio

[Tanny]

With regards the hot flushes, I am not finding them too much of a problem in the day at the moment, although I am often wearing a T shirt and its sill winter !!! I do find I get them if I become stressed though, together with a kind of anxiety attack, think pops mentioned earlier about stress and I seem to have also had one thing after another for months now and find it kind of builds up.

Its more of a problem at night for me, and have a feeling I need to ditch the winter duvet, although then hubby will be feeling the cold.  Have been trying to cut down on my tea and coffee intake during the day and try to keep off it completely in the evening and do feel that when I do this I do sleep a bit better and not wake up so many times.  The constant waking in the night was making me feel really tired and any time in the evening when I sat down was just falling asleep. Also noticing my concentration levels low and my memory really bad over everyday things.

Bought the Starflower capsules yesterday, so am hoping these might help, however after googling I notice that one of the side effects of these is that it does thin the blood like taking asprin, so its worth checking if you are on other medication and warns about things like ginger and garlic, as I am currently taking Glucomasine and Chrondroitin (which I think also has a similar effect) am going to finish those off first before I start on the Starflower.

Not sure if anyone else is noticing that the symptoms come and go, mine seem to have a subsided for a few months and I thought I was ticking along ok, then suddenly wham, its like they all come back together, suppose the hormones dip in and out.

[poppyrose]

Hi Ladies 

Tanny said:

Not sure if anyone else is noticing that the symptoms come and go, mine seem to have a subsided for a few months and I thought I was ticking along ok, then suddenly wham, its like they all come back together, suppose the hormones dip in and out.

Absolutely Tanny, this happens to me, it makes gauging the success of anything you take for the relief of symptoms very difficult, as you do not know if it is a natural easing in the symptoms for a while, of if the easing is a direct result of something you are taking.

I too seem to have had an exacerbation of my symptoms this past week, I am directly linking this with stress. I know that certainly for me stress can really aggravate my menopausal symptoms, not surprising really as the brain triggers the release of hormones in response to "Fight or Flight".
I have also seen a recurrence of my reflux problems with the pain in my throat returning too and this happens every single time I get stressed with and exacerbation of other menopausal symptoms.

I too have cut right down on coffee, mainly I only have one cup in the morning and woe betide anyone that interferes with my coffee time  I like to take my time and enjoy it. Sometimes if I am out at the shops I have a skinny latte', usually on a Saturday, which I look forward to. I do not drink tea, as tea has a lot of caffeine in it too. I am lucky because I do not drink alcohol or smoke, so these are two less things I don't have to worry about cutting down or stopping. Although the other week I did have a brandy on the advise of someone on here and it knocked me sideways  very quickly, LOL. I am allergic to chocolate and I actually resent this as I love chocolate, but I do sneak a bit here and there, as long as it is not too often and in strict moderation I usually get away with it. I find that chocolate gives me severe palpitations and migraines, so really do have to watch it.

I was taking 2000mg of starflower oil in the morning and I cut it down to 1000mg in the morning and 1000mg in the evening and I am wondering if this has caused the increase in flushes, so today I am reverting to 2000mg in one hit to see if this settles them back down again, but as you say Tanny, I have a feeling it is stress causing this.

Know exactly what you mean by one thing after another, it seems to have been this way for me for around a year now, I hope you manage to get some relief from this, it is not a very nice place to be.

(((Tanny))) 

Still at least we have each other on here 

Lots of Love Pops xxx

[Rosebush]

Have to agree with you Tanny re symptoms appear to leave us, then come back with a great big bang, i am retiring early with hubby in 9wks and was really hoping my hot sweats after 5yrs, were on the way out about 4wks ago, felt over the moon then the last 2wks, i feel like a lump of lard melting in 90 degree's (sorry about the description)), i am getting them about every 20-30mins day & night, feel so miserable, and work seems more stressful, i feel some times as if i cannot breathe i am so hot, and i have to change my uniform top at least twice

Pops like you i also tried Starflower 2000mg in 1 hit for 6 days, no change, then did the same but 1 hr before bed, still no change so back on 1000mg now and returned to the Boron as well, this worked for a while hope it works again for you, and you get  some relief

[Rivadan]

Natural progesterone cream has completely eliminated my hot flushes.  I was very scepitcal that a little dab of cream twice a day could do this but it has. I obtain mine from a company in the Channel Islands.

If you have allergies to food colourings beware of taking PrempakC (HRT) to alleviate your flushes. I had a horrendous reaction - my face and neck swelled up bright red.  GP was quite offhand about it saying "oh yes its the colouring" - great aren't they?

[hotmomma]

hi There I'm new
Been reading through this thread in the hope that some-one will mention the symptoms I am having...and |i dont seem to see it......
I started HRT for various symptoms ...you know them all too well, mood swings..joint pains....night sweats and palpitations....memeory loss...irregular periods etc etc
But Hot Flushes were not a problem (night sweats occurred maybe twice a night where \i would wake absolutely drenched)
Stopped the HRT after 3 months as I had bad side effects (terrible itching of the skin under my breasts and erm...down below.....
Since I stopped it ( I was on the lowest possible dose) the hot flushes have kicked in....OMG have they kicked in!!!!!
twenty times a day or more....my whole body is soaked, my hair goes curly due to my hair being so wet, my clothes are damp etc etc....bad enough ...but at night
and this is the worst bit............
the hot sweats happen but they wake me by starting with a terrible pain in both wrists....which feels like my blood is fizzing so hard it hurts....this fizzing spreads eventually all over my body ending at my head....by this time my whole body is soaked and aching badly.
This can happen 6 or 7 times a night.
At my wits end folks....cant find any one who has ever had this symptom....can you help?

[Tricia]

Hi Hotmomma

You have come to the right place for help and advice at this time of your life, I can't comment personally about HRT as I have never taken it, but as for the sweats/flushes I think you will find that most of the menochicks on here suffer to some degree from sweats/flushes it kind of comes with the territory  you will find that you are not alone here and every menochick here is very friendly, helpful & supportive, so make yourself at home and let us turn that sad face into a smillie face

Love,

Tricia

[Cazikins]

Dear Hotmomma & welcome. You are really going through a rough time but you have found the best place to be. We all experience similar symptoms but maybe at different degrees. You sound like you are having a really bad time with the hot flushes at the moment & I think a trip to the doctors is advisable. Tell him/her what you are experiencing & ask if there is an alternative.
Personaly I use to suffer really bad night time hot flushes - waking up covered in sweat, dreanched to the skin. but I have found Femal ( not HRT ) & the flushes are so much better now. I get the same old warning but it doesn't "explode" as it use to. Every one of us is different & what works for one may not work for another so just keep an open mind & shop around.
Hope you keep "tuning in".
Love Cazikins xx