<p>teriwitt-I had surgical menopause as well in November '12. That’s what started me on my severe hot flash episodes, night sweats, no sleep, etc. I also had the adrenaline surges. I would try not to move because it felt like the hot flash might not follow if I didn’t move an inch. I think they arrived regardless. One night I timed a hot flash and it lasted SEVEN minutes! I’ve now gone 24 hours without a hot flash so I think my estrogen has stabilized. If your system can tolerate the patch, I highly recommend it. The dosage can be quite low and the nice thing is that you can trim a little off the patch if you want to try reducing the dosage on your own. I’m not planning to mess around anymore since weight gain is the only symptom I may have. I can work on that in other ways. </p>
<p>I have been sleeping so deeply since starting melatonin and my doc highly recommends it. Ihad crazy nightmares at first, but the doc said it was probably because I was finally experiencing deep sleep that allowed me to dream a lot. </p>
Update, again: I’m now on the lowest dose patch .025 estrogen-only and it is working wonders. I also went off Celexa, which was prescribed for anxiety, due to weight gain and am now on Wellbutrin 150 mg. All is well. I do get overheated once or twice a day, but it is nothing like a full-on hot flash with the sweat and soaked clothing. I usually quickly peel off a layer or two, or go outside if it is cold weather, and it passes in a minute or so. I still take 5 mg melatonin about 1/2 before I want to be asleep and it works wonders. I no longer take Benadryl for sleep. If any of you have trouble falling asleep, give the melatonin a try. It is not habit forming and is not a drug. As you get older your brain produces less melatonin, so this just replaces it. Just be sure to tone down the lights/tv/computer, since that will defeat the effects of melatonin.
I’ve really been noticing the link between drinking a glass of wine and hot flashes, so I’ve mostly replaced that luxury with sparkling water. I hope all of you are doing well and finding new ways to manage menopause.
Thank you all for sharing on this thread. It has helped me through the journey!
@baseballmom - glad you found something that works for you and that you are finding a manageable place! I, too, finally found the magic bullet. After trying a bioidentical estrogen gel, then later a cream (you rub them onto the skin of your forearm nightly), estrogen was still barely registering in my blood. So about a year ago my GYN put me on the Minivelle patch, first the highest dosage, but after experiencing a few minor symptoms, he lowered it, and I’ve remained relatively hot-flash free (although I do still tend to run a bit warm in general).
Since I have to see a GYN every three months for check ups, I get my hormones checked every six months; just had a blood draw on Friday and will see my GYN this coming Friday; I don’t expect he’ll change anything. At my last visit, though, we were talking about how wildly my estrogen fluctuated just prior to the cancer diagnosis, then after surgery. In 3/13, my value was at 126 (I was just starting to miss some periods and have some hot flashes); then in 2/14, it jumped way up to 380 and the hot flashes stopped - just over a month later was when I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Five weeks after surgery, my estrogen was at <5. After trying the gel for four months, it went up to a whole 15, so he tried me on the cream - it pretty much stayed the same. That’s when he moved me to the patch. I think he said ideally he’d like for my value to reach at least 60 to see symptom relief. Six months after being on the patch, it finally went to 95, but since I was having symptoms (similar to PMS - headaches, etc), he lowered the dosage and I’ll find out next week what I’m at, but again, no symptoms, so I expect him to keep me where I’m at. I think I was sleeping better on the higher dosage, but it’s still SO much better than it was a year ago. I might talk to him about melatonin this week.
I have been fortunate in that he gave me samples at first; once I was done with those, he gave me a prescription discount card from the manufacturer and my patches only cost me $15 for every 90 days worth. The card was good for 2015, so I hope he’ll have another card for me next week for 2016. I hear it’s very expensive even with regular insurance (and we have pretty good prescription drug coverage).
Mine have been super mild and infrequent, but I still have them after 2 years of menopause. I work out frequently, and the doctor did say that this sometimes lessens the flashes.
I think they drinking LOTS of soy milk during peri-menopause and menopause helped me minimize side effects, but who knows? My mom didn’t do anything and she can’t recall any problems with it either. Haven’t spoken with my sisters about it.
I have not had a period for a few years. I used to get the annoying night hot flashes but thankfully they have dropped off. Now, most of my hot flashes are triggered by anxiety. I often find that if I am lost in thought about something that is bothering me, a small hot flash seems to come out of nowhere.
Summer is definitely worse for me. Where we live is very hot and humid in the summer. When I visit areas that aren’t so steamy the hot flashes decrease.
I went through a period during peri where I put on weight but I increased my protein and cut back on my calories and now my weight is good. And getting a dog that has to be walked twice a day helped too.
I have been taking bioidentical hormones for over three years. No signs of menopause, and my doctor says I probably won’t notice when I go through it. I hope she’s right. Bioidentical hormones help with many things. I had to go off of them briefly to diagnose an issue, and I did not like feeling tired, mildly depressed and anxious. Made me think I never want to have to deal with the effects of low hormone levels, even if it is “normal” to feel worse when you age.
I never had them. I was told by several people that women who exercise on the regular basis do not have them. I do not know if it is true or not, but certainly I am a proof that it may be correct. I exercise every day for at least 2 hours or more, no exceptions, vacations, or being hurt / sick do not stop me.
@MiamiDAP …oh heavens I WISH that were true. I walk 3 miles daily and lift weights and/or elliptical and am at a healthy BMI. The hot flashes are brutal.
I just wish my doctors could settle on the right treatment & dosage. I had a radical hysterectomy/oopherectomy in my 30s and was on a patch for years. In a post-surgical Rx haze about 15 years later, I stopped using the patch due to fears over blood clots while I was unable to walk. For a few years everything was okay, then suddenly I had every horribly painful symptom of insufficient estrogen. It took about six months to get relief.
Since then, I’ve been through five more doctors as each has switched to a new practice (our ins. not accepted), moved or retired. They all want to do something different. Painful problems recurred last year and I’m now on both a patch and a Rx cream.
I had to go out of town suddenly for a funeral and forgot to pack my Rx. Acne is back - worse than at 13 - only now it’s side by side with wrinkles. I don’t know if it’s stress, lack of sleep, poor diet on the road, or the hormone mess - or some combination.
My hot flashes are brutal too…I exercise 5 or 6 times per week. I have been going through this for the past 6 years…seems no end in sight. For the 1-2 months I took hormone replacement, they stopped completely but for various reasons I don’t want to take hormone replacements and so I am sucking it up
