Blooming hot flushes and night sweats

[AnotheChinHair]

What a pile of pants!! This is just blooming crap!!! Is HRT the answer?

[MoltonSilver]

Yes! Within three days of starting hrt the night sweats had stopped.

[CharityPecksniff]

HRT is your friend.
Just remember it's not risk-free.

[AnotheChinHair]

It's affecting everything in my life, apart from hot flushes I have brain fog, my feet ache, headaches, weight gain, stress incontinence and I feel like a shadow of myself.
I stopped drinking alcohol just before lockdown, I have reduced coffee and sugar, I no longer eat potatos, pasta, rice or bread, I exercise a little every day.. it's very little, I admit it, but it's more than I ever did before. I feel I have done a lot to help myself.
I take menopace and drink 2 litres of water a day.
Now the challenge will be to even manage to get a GP appointment. The text hurdle from what I have read is them agreeing to HRT?

[Sara2000]

Can I ask when the night sweats started ? I am 47 and dont have hot flushes, but my cycle is irregular now. This month I had 3 nights of waking up hot and sweaty which was about a week before my period. Is that the normal pattern? They appear at certain times of the month ? I know what you mean about achey feet. I also have far more retinal migraines which I have always had, but they are more frequent.

[GiraffeNecked]

Read the nice guidelines on menopause before you go.

Wool duvet for night sweats.

Hrt

[AnotheChinHair]

Well, it's just a phone appointment so I will ask for hrt and hope I get a prescription. This will be my third appointment to discuss menopause, the previous 2 resulted in blood tests but nothing else, so I hope they don't keep stalling.

[AnotheChinHair]

Just spoken to GP, he asked which pharmacy I was going to collect hrt from, because that would influence which one I got. I told him which pharmacy and now my worry is that perhaps the other pharmacy would have had better hrt for me. He then mentioned pills and I said I thought I was getting a gel and he went 'oh you want gel or patches?'. It all seemed a bit random. He said he'll send the electronic prescription to the pharmacy and to ring them tomorrow, but until then I won't know what I've been prescribed.

[AnotheChinHair]

Just reporting that I got myself evorel conti patches. Wish me luck.

[mrschocolatte]

Good luck OP! I was where you are 3 years ago and HRT gave me my life back. I hope you feel more like your old self soon.

I know it has its risks but I had a long chat with my GP about the pros and cons and felt able to make an informed choice about taking it. I’m so glad I did that because I was firmly in the ‘no’ camp prior to that and then menopause hit, and my god it hit BAD!

Hope it all goes well!

[trumpisaflump]

You really need some oestrogen in HRT to help with all the symptoms you have listed. Maybe post on the menopause board too. As a PP said read the NICE guidelines on menopause before you see your GP. Also check Dr Louise Newson's website-the menopause doctor or listen to some of her podcasts. Liz Earle's HRT podcasts are good too. You'll be knocking your GP's door down for HRT after that 😂
You might not need to see your GP in person and a phone appointment might be ok given the circumstances.

[Jayaywhynot]

Can you share how you get on, I'm suffering too, GP (male) told me to come back when it's unbearable, this was a year ago, tried to put up with it then covid hit, now can't get an appointment, I'm assuming I'm fully in the menopause, 54 yrs old, no period for over a year, hot flushes day and night, mood swings etc

[AnotheChinHair]

@Jayaywhynot I also felt my GP was stalling when I visited twice before in person. In some ways I feel that having a telephone conversation has helped. I opened up by saying, 'this is my third appointment in regards to this issue, and I would now like to request HRT'. He said okay!

I will report back.

[Lily193]

@Sara2000 you sound like you're in or approaching late peri if your cycle is irregular - this is the most symptomatic time for many women. That said, I haven't experienced a single symptom and I've just entered a similar stage. It really depends on the individual.

[3dogdnorth]

I listened to a very informative podcast with Davina McCall and the Menopause Doctor. On the strength of it I spoke to my doctor and went on HRT. All symptoms have now gone. Her name is Dr Louise Newson. Look her up, it's very interesting

[rosie39forever]

Sorry op no amount of healthy eating, exercise and menopace will replace your waining oestrogen, these things will help to an extent and the healthier you are the better your mind and body will cope but HRT is the only magic pill.... or patch.
Transdermal modern HRT is incredibly safe and for me the benefits far outweigh the risks especially if you have no underlying health issues.

Oh and my god get yourself an all seasons wool duvet they are marvellous!

[Craftycorvid]

They’re a bit of a pain, the night sweats, aren’t they? If you can tolerate it, upping the soya in your diet (things like tofu are best) might help. I also find a sage supplement helps as does a nighttime body spritz with a good quality rose water (and of course it smells lovely too). I quite like the Lush one though it’s a bit Turkish Delight

[ImEatingVeryHealthilyOhYes]

I’m generally averse to taking hormones but in the case of perimenopause I think just throw everything at it! The symptoms can be too debilitating just at a time in life when we’re being spread so thin already.

Mine started relatively young so I went on the pill which is largely working - symptoms gone but have been having breakthrough bleeding unfortunately.