Night sweats

[Tattiesthroughthebree]

My periods are still like clockwork (I'm 49) but I've started having night sweats. I wake up at about 3am all sweaty, sleep badly for the rest of the night and wake up tired.

I've had a blood test to rule out diabetes.

Suggestions? I've cut out caffeine after 6pm, and I've experimented with cotton PJs, cotton PJ bottoms and no top, and sleeping nude, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

I sleep alone (DH and I have separate bedrooms.)

I am a couple of stones overweight.

They are not the facts though. There are no conclusive facts just different studies and thoughts. You believe these facts because it suits you as you take HRT. Women are not always afraid of HRT they just dont believe its healthy to it. Hormones are necessary of course but at a time when your body is naturally reducing them how can it be healthy to put artificial ones back. There are many illnesses but you dont always have to take medication. There are many other ways of treating yourself than giving money to big pharma companies.

And you cannot prove that they didn't get cancer because of it.

Sorry think that came at wrongly. Just because a Doctor has said that no Doctor can prove that HRT causes cancer, equally none can prove that it didn't cause the cancer either.

I've found that hot flushes/night sweats are worse premenstrually (quite handy as a reminder, actually, as the calendar no longer works). I'm taking sage (which helps a bit) and need to cut out red wine (which definitely makes it worse).

There are many other ways of treating yourself than giving money to big pharma companies.

But you are okay about giving it to other profit making companies?

Did you know that ( to my most recent knowledge) one of the biggest manufacturers of vitamins and 'health products'- Seven Seas- is owned by Imperial Tobacco?

You query how it can be healthy to add hormones - until less than 100 years ago most women died before they reached menopause. It wasn't an issue.

Every drug ( and supplement) has side effects. 'Natural' does not mean risk-free. In fact some drugs like black cohosh are linked to liver disease- long term- and there is some query over phytoestrogens in soya- which may have the same effect re.. breast cancer.

Rules-You seem to like facts! I understand that.

If you want facts, then have a look at the French study on HRT using natural progesterone ( it was around 8 years) and the Danish study into HRT + CVD+ osteoporosis- tracked women over 16 years- and the KEEP studies. These studies showed no increase in breast cancer .

The look at the stats from the old MW and WHI studies. Even at their very worst, the stats show practically no additional illness for HRT up to 5 years use. And women who take HRT live longer- statistically.

I dont take black cohash. I dont take much actually. Tend to use food as my medicine and get all my vits from that.
You have mentioned about women dying before they reached menopause age. They tended to be the less wealthy women and the wealthier lived much longer lives. No conclusion can be made from that. It just means that we dont know how those that survived longer dealt with menopause but we do know that they didn't take HRT.

I didn't mean to give that impression. I dont think im really into facts actually. There are many statistics for many things and it all depends on how those statistics are presented depending on who is presenting them and why. Sorry, im a bit anti establishment and dont believe much that the government and doctors tend to tell us. I totally respect your choices and you wouldn't take it if you didn't believe that it was good and right for you. As long as your happy with it then that is all that matters.

If dealing with the meno means having a dowagers hump, frequent broken bones crippling you, heart disease and ill health then you can keep it :)
If you don't see any virtue in drugs for any conditions or as a preventative then I can't convince you! It's a bit like trying to convince Jehovah Witnesses that blood transfusions are acceptable.

It's not the whole picture about women wealth and age-just look at the stats for life expectancy of women pre 1900.

It was night sweat hell at NotGood Towers. Tried black cohosh, didn't help. Tried something else from Boots, forget what, didn't help. Went to doctor, who said the contraceptive pill I'm on is basically HRT (which is maybe why the night sweats are worse during the week between packs). He prescribed citalopram, which when I got home and read the leaflet turns out to be an antidepressant with lots of side effects, so I decided not to take it. However, after more night sweat hell I tried it and found it actually works - for me at any rate. Not 100% but hugely better. And if I forget it one day I'll wake up drenched at 2am.

I had night sweats for more than several years, bizarrely, whilst taking the pill, and at all time, not just the week off.

I used to deal with it my drinking plenty during the day, having a glass of water by the bed to drink during the night, wearing an absorbant nightdress, with another to change into if necessary. The bedroom was heated to about 15/16 C, with a medium weight duvet - enough difference so that I could stick bits out to cool, but not so cold that it was painful to stick wet bits out. This way, I could throw the covers off and dry a bit and dry out the bedding a bit.

I just got used to going back to sleep in slightly damp bedding which is a bit skanky, I know, but did not want to disturb OH.

I have had no problem whatsoever since I came off the pill, which is wonderful (other problems available though............)

And I cant convince you that HRT is still an unknown and we wont really know the damage until about twenty years have passed. So for now the ladies who are on it are the guinea pigs. Also, you can only take it if you dont fall into the category (breast cancer, heart disease, clots or strokes) for which it is unsuitable and therein lies the doubts. Im not against drugs totally. Of course there are definite medical needs for some people. I know its been talked about a lot but in other countries they really dont get the symptoms of menopause like we do here in the West. It is said that their diet which is highly nutritious and lacking in processed refined carbs, is responsible and that if we adopted this way of eating long term then the symptoms will be greatly reduced. It is working for me and I prefer this to taking HRT.

That's interesting about citalopram Notgood. I'm hoping for a better night tonight. I'm sure I'm going to get to the stage when I'll want to try anything. I actually feel hot a lot in the day too. It's horrible and I miss having a good night's sleep.

I'm considering going to see my GP. I haven't had a period since May but I was going two months without due to having had an endometrial ablation, so not sure what stage I'm at.

Hi I am 52 and started missing periods last year, I had mood swings, anxiety sleepless nights and a whole lot more. I too did not want HRT when the doc suggested it in December. I decided to use soya products and they worked for a while until July. Now I have been on HRT and they have started to work but they are not a instant cure - I wish I had started in December

Glad its working for you Gerijrich.

I'm 50, had my last period about a year ago, and was suffering the dreaded nightsweats for about a year before that I think.
Someone recommended Vogel Sage tablets back in January, and I've honestly never looked back.
Took a few days to kick in, but the relief has been immense. And I don't think it's the placebo effect as I was sold H&B version in a massive 200-tab bottle, but they just didn't work. Plus I initially tried the drops, which did nothing for me. I also find that if I forget to take it in the morning, I will start to flush and sweat by about 10-11am, which is when I realise my mistake!

I also have pain issues which can wake me, so I take Nytol a few times a week so that I get a full night's kip on those nights.
Plus hypnosis apps on my phone, which I plug into before going to sleep and again if the twinges wake me up. I rarely lie awake for hours now.

But the miracle product, in terms of stopping the sweats, has been the sage. I have no axe to grind re avoiding hrt, but don't relish the thought of potentially taking any medication for the next twenty years if I can possibly avoid it. Same reason I try and avoid pain tablets; although I may well end up going down that route I'm doing my utmost to avoid it for as long as I can.

RULES- an really happy to discuss but feel a bit like a record getting stuck.

If you want to chat about this then maybe do some research.

HRT has been in use since the 1960s- so much longer than 20 years. The last major study was done almost 12 years ago.

Studies are not done by governments- they are done by scientists- if you read the BMJ journals, Lancet, or the info on the British Menopause Society website you will see that the research is by independent doctors who are not paid by the drug companies.

(BTW I don't know if I've actually said whether I use it or not.)

The other points you make are not entirely correct. Recent strokes and blood clots are an issue but using topical HRT- not taking it orally- does not increase any risk of strokes or clots in women who are healthy.

You are completely at liberty to choose what works for you- all of us are. I'd just go back to saying that unless you have suffered really badly and have already tried every single then available except HRT then you are not really empathising or understanding why some women use HRT- food etc may work for a while but as oestrogen levels continue to fall in your 50s and 60s then the effects on all your body may show in ways they don't as yet.

Even though it has been used for the last 50 years, trial information was only released in 2002. Hence why it will be intesting to see the information gathered over the next 20 years as there are many more women using it now . I have done some research and my conclusions are different to yours. Please dont presume that I havnt just because I disagree on some points.
I also have said and totally agree that for others it might be the only choice for them.
Many thanks for the interesting conversation though.

I have just started a new type of progesterone and I have had really bad panics today - could this be because my body needs to get used to it - I have had a few changes recently because of allergic reactions- thoughts would be welcome