I say uncle

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I am waving the white flag! How do those of you with hot flashes handle them? I had them the first time I went through menopause (when I was 21-very early menopause). Recently I went off my HRT that I had been on for almost 30 years. The hot flashes are awful! I must get about 15 of them every evening. For the most part they don't seem to hit until after 5:00 but when they do-omg!! Of course, then when they pass I am freezing!

I cannot go back on HRT. Anyone have any advice on how to handle the hot flashes?
 

runawaybunny

Administrator
Staff member

svengandhi

Well-Known Member
I did a few sessions of acupuncture and, although I was skeptical, they helped. I couldn't afford them anymore or I would have continued. The acupuncturist recommended dark cherry juice, which is tart, so I poured a bit of it into my iced tea and it was nice. Black cohosh was recommended as well but I never tried it. I was also told to reduce caffeine and try to exercise more. My mom took Premarin for years and I wanted to avoid that.

Good luck.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
So far I'm just "flashing"...I'm already on so many medications (in my opinion) that I don't want to add HRT to the mix. I sweat and turn red, it looks awful, I know, but I don't know what to do, either.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I was told SSRIs calm hot flashes. I can't verify this for a fact, and my mother also had a very easy menopuase like me, but I am on Paroxatene and I don't even know what a real hot flash feels like. I had the easiest menopause in history. I always think it is because I was on Paroxatene. I never took anything else and had been on Paroxatene for years for severe depression. Yet I didn't get cranky or depressed either during menopause.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I have those hot flashes too. It seems I am always either burning up or freezing. I wont take anything else either. It seems all have blood clots as a side effect and I dont want to go through that again.

The cherry juice sounds good. I will have to try that. I love cherries.

I seem to hardly sleep for any extended length of time now due to being so hot. I get to sleep and then wake up because Im hot, then I toss and turn for hours trying to get back to sleep. It doesnt help that I have a large dog in my bed who likes to cuddle up next to me...lol. She is like a furnace!
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Runaway Bunny-Thanks for the links!

Sven-I wish I could try the acupuncture-I bet it would help but I don't think I can afford it. I already exercise about 5 days a week and rarely drink caffeine (well during the school year I drink a bottle of caffeinated water a day but even cutting it out during spring break didn't help).

Ktmom-Sorry you are dealing with this too! It is no fun!

Dixie-I'll have to try that!

MWM-I know some anti-depressants can cause night sweats (happened to me).

Janet-I am the same with sleep now and it is driving me crazy!!!
 

Josie

Active Member
I had a hysterectomy when I was 40 and went into instant menopause. My doctor, for some reason, didn't prescribe HRT until after the first month. I never really had any hot flashes but I did notice I might have been warmer than usual. It was 80 in January though and I was dressed more for winter so I wasn't sure if it was a hot flash or not. When I told my doctor that I hadn't had any real hot flashes, he was amazed and thought it was due to the Lexapro I was on at the time.
 
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