Flaxseed oil pills work wonders.
Yes, I’ve read a lot suggesting hysterectomies were greatly oversold to women and am glad they aren’t as common any more. My sister is the only person I know well who has had one. I have had potions of my ovary removed as well as some of my endometriosis, but otherwise my other two sisters, mom and I have our original parts, as do my SisILs.
Thanks for the black cohosh, tart cherry etc. recs. I will try. I am not a candidate for HRT because I had early BC a few years back (was put on tamoxifen)
I did do bioidentical hormone replacement in my early 50’s, and will always wonder if that somehow got my breast cancer going, since it is mainly fueled by estrogen. I think people should consider long and hard before going on hormones. Hot flashes are relatively bearable considering the risks, and with breast cancer treatment you will have them even worse. Just want to emphasize that I had none of the known risk factors for breast cancer, including no first degree relatives. I am private about BC but posted just so those on this forum can be aware…
I took a synthetic drug during the worst two years., then a pill every few days. It helped me so much.
@compmom I too had no known risks; fortunately, mine was found early on my annual mammo. I had a partial mast.
I rarely speak of it. I’m of the mindset that if I don’t speak of it, it didn’t happen! For the same reasons as you, I cannot take HRT, and would caution anybody who is considering it, to think long and hard.
Goodness gracious. I didn’t think anyone would be prescribed estrogen for 50 years, especially given the risks.
Several clients I’ve had with my moonlighting job still take estrogen well into their 90’s.
None for me since breast cancer is common in my maternal relatives. I have stiffness but no hot flashes (never had one). My grandmother was dead before menopause, my mother, her sisters, and my older sisters all had hysterectomies before turning 50.
Maybe no hot flashes was compensation for horrible periods. For more than 30 years I had to stay home several days each month due to horrid bleeding - good thing my work days are flexible
This thread must have jinxed me. I was at a funeral luncheon today in an air conditioned hall and suddenly I could feel rivulets of sweat running down my body under my clothes. My head felt normal, my face was dry, but from my neck down I was drenched. I was afraid the people hugging me goodbye would feel my dampness through my dress and my cardigan.
An option for women who can’t use hormone replacement or don’t want to is low dose Effexor. It is an antidepressant that at low doses is supposed to help for hot flashes. You can Google it. So far it is not working for me, but I have only tried it for a couple of weeks.
This seems to be the case with female-reproduction functions. Healthy women’s periods run the gamut from “need drugs and mass quantities of supplies to get through” to “period? what period?” Some women sail through pregnancy with little discomfort or trouble, while others have their lives turned upside down by morning sickness or severe fatigue.
I agree with @LasMa. I had very heavy, long periods and endometriosis but fortunately had easy pregnancies, deliveries, and menopause and beyond.
I really feel for those who are suffering—periods were the pits!
A small correction. Extremely heavy periods needing drugs and Costco-sized boxes of supplies to get through are very likely not healthy. Usually, there is an abnormal something going on like adenomyosis or fibroids or endometriosis. These affect more women than we think… Fibroids are easy to visualize, the other two are not easy to detect - they are caused by endometrial tissue growing outside of uterus or growing into the uterine wall, and the pain is caused by menstrual blood that can’t easily drain from those locations. The cure is when their periods end… naturally, surgically, or hormonally.
My doctor told me that women who do tons of cardio exercise tend to have an easier time with hot flashes. That has been the case with me, but I’m still dealing with other annoying symptoms, and have to use estrogen suppositories. I can’t say I miss my periods, though!
I was one of those with horrible periods - very heavy bleeding - with both fibroids and endometriosis. During perimenopause, I had very frequent hot flashes (I remember 4 hours drives to visit my daughter at college where I would cycle through 3-4 hot flashes.) I also went 13 months without a period and then had another 2 before ending completely (unusual because they typically define menopause as 12 missed cycles) The hot flashes ended after a few years, but I do feel as though my body doesn’t regulate temperature the way it used to. So I get strong cold and hot sensations when the temperature fluctuates mildly.
@Massmomm I’ve heard that too and I think running and Pilates has helped a lot with the hot flashes. My problem is more the mood swings and feelings of anxiety for no reason. I’m going to try drinking more soy and putting flaxseed in my smoothies. I really do not want to take estrogen but I often wonder if I would feel more calm if I could get my estrogen levels up.
Yea, my perimenopause was odd as well. I’d go for prolonged times with no periods and then I’d have yet another one or spotting. My internist did a blood test and said that at my levels of hormones, I’d not be able to conceive and clearly I was in menopause chemically. The OB/GYN did a vaginal ultrasound and was ready to do more invasive testing if it continued much longer. Fortunately, things settled down and finally stopped for good. I was quite relieved not to have more medical attention from OB/GYN.