<p>Just thought I’d move our issues to a new location.
<a href=“JYM626%20said”>quote</a>Ok-
I am doing my own little research experiment. I bought an inexpensive wicking t-shirt from walmart and an obscenely overpriced “nightie” from nitesweatz, as well as some “homeopathic” pillsto take at nite to help you sleep and not sweat (probably has eye of newt and other such potions in it). I’ve also been eating edamame (supposed to eat soy to help the nite sweats). So…if I get a decent nite’s sleep, I’ll have no idea which of these things did it, but who cares!! I will try any in any combination to sleep through the night! I am tired of waking up at 2 and 3 and 4 and 5… Any other pointers??? I am a “newbie” in the realm of hot flashes (aka “power surges”, “my own personal summer”, etc) and nite sweats-- Help!!!
<p>I’ve been having “power surges” on and off for the last 6 months, and I’m with you - I would LOVE to sleep through the night!!! I’m convinced that soy products are evil, so no soy for me. And I prefer not to add in any meds, so no hormones either. (Guess I’ll just have to suffer ) I read somewhere that exercise helps, so I’m going to try upping the amount of walking I do. The only good thing about all this is - I haven’t had a period in 5 months - just stopped 'em, cold turkey. See, there’s a silver lining in my cloud! And think of all the money I’ll save on sanitary products! ;)</p>
<p>But once you get through the night sweats you move into the waking several times a night to stumble to the bathroom in the dark phase. I’m not sure that ever ends! The only bright side is that those of the male persuasion seem to be somewhat afflicted with it too.</p>
<p>Here’s how I coped: Progesterone cream (over the counter) twice a day, Promensil tablet once a day (OTC but takes 2 months to “kick in”), 400 mg vitamin E, and 1 or 2 fish oil (or Omega-3) capsules a day. No more hot flashes for me.</p>
<p>OK, me too… I was particularly distressed that just when my younger kid is getting ready to go off to college, I’m getting hit full force with this… aargh. </p>
<p>Anyway, a couple of things: I was only having very mild hot flashes and they started coming on very heavy right after a day when I had been drinking very strong coffee, which I don’t usually do. I suspected a caffeine connection, googled, and found that caffeine does trigger hot flashes in some women. So: try cutting the caffeine. </p>
<p>The same web sites reported that spicy foods can also be a problem.</p>
<p>I decided to make sure that I always had cold water readily available - it seems to help when I am awake to take the water as soon as I feel it coming on. It doesn’t work for me with night sweats because I am a sound sleeper, so I tend to toss & turn in bed and be very aware of being uncomfortable, but I don’t manage to rouse myself to actually try to do something about it. </p>
<p>And I bought some black cohosh capsules and they definitely did help, right away. It made a very big, immediate difference on the worst day of my hot flashes. But I googled that and found that in extremely rare cases black cohosh can cause liver problems, so I took that as an indication to be careful not to take the capsules unless I needed them, and also to be very careful not to exceed recommended dosage. So far I haven’t had any problems though.</p>
<p>I would hate to have to give up coffee… and I forgot to take my “homeopathic” stuff last night (contains cohosh, by the way) and I was up a few times. I actually kinda like to see what time itis-- that way I know how much longer I can sleep (or try to) !</p>
<p>I think my friend used cohosh to induce labor - she was huge and tired of being pregnant, so took a major dose of it. Her advice - don’t ever do what I did. She had an incredibly powerful and hard labor. I’m not sure exactly what cohosh acts as in the body - but it is powerful!</p>
<p>You rub the prog. cream completely in and use a different spot each time - tummy, insides of thighs, neck, insides of arms. The directions will tell you. The health food stores have creams in a dispensing pump that I prefer.</p>
<p>Yes, coffee and hot foods can spur on the flashes and cold water will help. Promensil is red clover and some say it’s hogwash but it helped me. Just don’t buy it at Walmart as it is not the same.</p>
<p>Tookie - I use Natural Progesterone cream as well (from “Awakening Woman”). My DS and I started sprouting chin whiskers at the same time (puberty & menopause - what fun!) I took action immediately, and although by nature I am always cold and hot flashes sound good, I was begining to experience night sweats, which stopped after I started using the cream. There are a couple of books by Dr. Lee “what your Dr hasn’t told you about menopause” & “perimenopause”, that heavily promote natural progesterone…and while I take it all with the Large Grains of Salt that Decorate my Margaritas…it seems to have done something. (PS For sanity’s sake do not bend over a reflective surface after the age of 50…I leaned over the chrome garbage can with my windex this am and nearly fainted at the face that dropped by… ). :eek:</p>
<p>Am I paranoid? I am scared to death of any hormone pills or creams. I am scared of getting breast, cervical or ovarian cancer and am afraid that any exposure to any extra hormones from an outside source is dangerous. This fear may be irrational, I admit…</p>
<p>Oh wise women! I have one answer and some questions!</p>
<p>There is an interesting book called “Sex Lies & Menopause” that is cowritten by an oncologist and her short answer, jlauer, is that the wrong hormones do cause harm but the right regimen can be protective. Natural hormones AND natural cyclical doses. The “right” way is a very complicated regimen that replicates the rising and falling levels of progesterone and estrogen to mimic a fertile woman’s cycle, plus use non-synthetic hormones.</p>
<p>I am not quite there yet but have had the following symptoms that, though I could be wrong, I attribute to pre-menopause:</p>
<p>-have occassionally awoken feeling hot (never sweating, just warm.) I suspect this is a pre-hot-flash? Maybe 5-6 times in the last year and a half?</p>
<p>-incredible increased sexual desire. (If this is a problem, i don’t want to fix it.) Is this a menopause ‘last gasp’ sort of thing?</p>
<p>-My skin seems a lot drier. I am currently using a natural cream (made of beeswax, oliveoil, etc) that is goopy like axle grease. My eczema seem a little worse.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info… I admit that I am clueless about the whole hormone thing which is why I’m scared of all of them.</p>
<p>My skin and scalp are drier (used to be very oily) and if I don’t wear a wicking type garment, I often wake up sweaty or without a top on, which I must have taken off in my sleep. (Unless, of course, I went to sleep without one on in the first place…)</p>
<p>Didn’t use anything, didn’t really know what was happening. Jet lag coming back to the West Coast would bring it on in full force and going back the other way, it would recede. Weird! I take vitamins, walk a lot, and am really careful with what I eat. Gained too much weight (belly fat which I never had…I figured it was the body’s way of defense in a sense since it is going off now) during the process and it is now coming off and back to normal. Skin went from oily to dry and I use olive oil on my scalp from time to time. I actually feel really good now. So there is light at the end of this preprogrammed tunnel. And I sleep through the night unless I am working on a project and it is due…:)</p>
<p>One thing I was told by someone who experienced it was that Red Clover helped her thru the hot flash stage…me, I find that with my husband taking blood thinners, which make him cold, and me with my hot flashes/unable to sleep at night, creates a conflict. Eww.</p>
<p>I am really bad about remembering to take pills and such, but tonight I’ve taken some homeopathic sleepytime - no- sweat stuff, calcium, omega 3 (HORSE pills) and will rub on some progesterone cream made from yams. All this stuff is fattening! I had not a single hot flash til I sat down to type this. Now, who turned up the heat? I think I’ll return to the “ignore it and it will go away” practice of medicine…</p>
<p>SBMom, it does sound like you’re in pre-menopause. Mine started out gradually and I’d get warm and night but my ob/gyn tested me and I still had estrogen levels. However, when they get to 0, look out; I would wake up in the morning naked as a picked bird. Husband loved it - LOL. I read Dr. Lee’s book as well. Took me 2 or 3 years to finally finish with the hot flashes, but I still use the cream. It’s not supposed to harm you. I took Prempro for nearly a year until I heard all the bad things, so I weaned off and never looked back.</p>
<p>I never noticed the dry skin because I’ve always had it and have used lots of creams and lotions. I hope you all are taking calcium (Bone Up is really good).</p>
<p>OK, this doesn’t help with night sweats, but I just figured out that while I am awake, the hot flashes come for me when I have been sedentary for awhile, sitting or reclining. (Huge insight for my couch-potato self!) This of course would also explain the reason for the night sweats… so now I shall experiment, if I can rouse myself I will make a point of getting up, going to the bathroom, walking around, etc. & then coming back to bed. Can’t be any worse for me than tossing & turning. </p>
<p>After 20 years of freezing when my husband is broiling, we have traded thermostats.
I bought an electric mattress pad with dual controls. He can be warm, I can stay cool(er), at least in the winter</p>
<p>My mom has been on estrogen (w/out progesterone) for over 25 years. She has had no problems except for very minor, rare breakthrough bleeding. The doctor gave her a D&C a couple years back because of the bleeding but everything was OK, so he said stick with it. She looks good, has no osterporosis, which crippled her mom, no heart problems. Cancer does not run in the family.I guess she is the exception to the new rule.</p>
<p>My Doc said that once I’m in the thick of menopause, he is fine with prescribing estrogen, although I doubt he would promote a 25 year plan.</p>
<p>Weren’t the problems connected to a combo pill of estrogen/progesterone?</p>
<p>I have to jump in here and recommend that all of you go to see “Menopause the Musical” if it comes to your town. I laughed till I cried! The parody songs (“Puff, My God, I’m Draggin’”, “Heat Wave”, among others) are hysterical. It’s absolutely the funniest (and truest!) stage show I’ve ever seen. Take a friend and do a girl’s night out, you won’t be sorry. </p>
) I read somewhere that exercise helps, so I’m going to try upping the amount of walking I do. The only good thing about all this is - I haven’t had a period in 5 months - just stopped 'em, cold turkey. See, there’s a silver lining in my cloud! And think of all the money I’ll save on sanitary products! ;)</p>