Morning all, my story with hot flushes bagan (I realised just now) over 10 years ago. I can actually remember the exact moment. I'd arrived at the hairdressers. It was cold out, But i wasn't rushed or late, I'd driven there so was feeling collected and calm and not over dressed for the weather etc and within a minute of sitting down to wait I can vividly remember very suddenly getting hotter and hotter and HOTTER. And wet! Where was all this sweat coming from??? The more I unrobed and sweated, the more I began to panic.....and so on.... thought my head was going to explode. I was scrabbling for tissues to mop me up, and pulling my clothes away from me as I could feel them getting wet. Checking the seat I was sitting on to see if I was leaving a wet bum mark!! The panic!
I can remember it happening to me a while later, whilst I was waiting for someone...an older (ha!) lady passing by stopped and mortifyingly, for someone who thought she was much younger and no where near "that age", offered me gentle words that it would pass, and wasn't it horrible........
Since then they've got worse and worse and worse over the years.
I have tried everything over the years, sage, starflower caps, meno suppliments, black cohosh, redclover, I'm sure many others too. VitB6 And evening primrose oil I took for years.
I tried citalopram a few years ago on Drs advice. Helped for a while. Increase dose helped for another while, as did the first hrt I tried (I do know which it was but I can't remember the name) .....I take hrt to help with "bulk" menopause symptoms now but without doubt what I cannot cope with without hrt are the hot sweats and flushes.
I have been put on Angelique in the last few weeks......and for the first time since I can remember I am cool!! (There's always a downside...I'm bleeding again right now! Fingers crossed it will level out and I can deal). But oh to be cool, even If it's short lived.
Anyway, that was just to say I sympathise and empathise with everyone of you! It's horrible and takes over your life, but this is my tip.......
No help whatsoever ever if you're out and about, but if I am home and feeling hot and sweaty, I lie the wrong way up on my bed, Remove anything constricting and prop my feet higher than my head on the headboard or stacked pillows. My hand and feet always feel (even!) hotter than the rest of me, so I put my hot hands splayed on my stomach and I can visualise the heat flowing out of my hands to my stomach and dispersing around me....and out through my head and skin... .breathe deep through your stomach and imagine the heat draining out of your feet and legs.
It can work for me.
Another thing I realise is, it's contrasts of hot to cold or vice versa that affect me most (even minute temperature changes). So even at my hottest I've realised over the years that whilst it's tempting to be desperate to cool down fast, what actually then happens is as soon as I go back to inside I sweat more....
I can't control it I know. But being aware helps maybe. Interestingly I find whilst I do get sweats and flushes wherever and whenever, I feel better when the weather is warm or hot......nothing worse than sweating and dripping when chilled. I used to keep our bathroom at home cool, knowing I'd sweat in the morning after my shower. I now realise it's better if the bathroom is not frosty cold and my shower is only slightly warm and def not hot. Less contrast. (I still bloody sweat!!! It's not miracle. But it helps I think😏)
Oh and another little tip, I always carry hair bobbles and clips....if I can stop my hair from becoming saturated and dripping around my neck and temples by fastening it up as soon as I start to sweat, when I do cool down I feel so much better.
Ultimately I know nothing has really worked for me long term (yet! I'm still trying! And hopeful on this, new for me, Angelique) but those are my tips
Maybe some of that will help a little bit, fellow sweaty ones!! 😏
Good luck all.xx
(I'm pretty new at this forum and I realise I keep writing the equivalent of war and peace in anything I post or reply to🙄 I've got the opposite of writers block! I'm so taken aback to have a place to let this all out to, without driving my friends insane (as I just don't seem to k ow anyone who's struggled this much) that it's too tempting to share and join in.....
I promise I'll start to reign it in. But this topic is so close to my heart!!!!!)
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Topic: Tell us how you have coped with FLUSHES (Read 726749 times)