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Menopause

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Original poster

Perimenopausal hot flushes seem worse since getting back from holiday - normal?

19 replies

NorbertDentressangle · 13/08/2016 11:06

Have been feeling as though I have a broken thermostat for a couple of years now, gradually getting worse, alongside various other perimenopausal symptoms (nearly 50 so hardly surprising).

Anyway came back last week from 2 weeks holiday in temperatures of 30+ degrees and since then I seem to have waves of uncontrollable hot flushes, particularly at night. Last night I woke up in a pool of sweat - loads worse than ever before, it was almost like having a fever. As soon as I threw the covers off I'd go cold and the goosebumps would appear.

Usually I find I return to the UK "summer" and have to reach for jumpers (like the rest of the family have) but honestly, I feel hotter here than ever.

Has this spell in high temperatures on holiday completely stuffed up my ability to regulate my temperature even more?

OP posts:
HawkingsMead · 13/08/2016 13:12

Sounds awful!

I don't know about the environmental temperatures but stress depletes progesterone so it could meant that while on holiday your progesterone levels were higher (or more balanced with your estrogen) and therefore your body temp regulation was better and now (if you are more stressed/less relaxed) your estrogen is higher causing the increase in hot flushes. Are you on any type of hormone therapy? Hope you are feeling better.

Original poster
NorbertDentressangle · 13/08/2016 13:38

Hi Hawkings - thanks for your reply. Yes, I guess that could make sense as suddenly back to reality!

I'm not on any hormone therapy as I've been putting off going to the doctors thinking "it's not too bad" etc but think I need to now as it's getting ridiculous. I'll go armed with a list of what I believe are perimenopausal symptoms that I'm experiencing.

OP posts:
HawkingsMead · 13/08/2016 13:40

I think it sounds awful - hot flushes are terrible - I've only had one and not had the night sweats but that is really terrible. Hope your GP can help.

PollyPerky · 13/08/2016 17:56

I've never heard of stress depleting progesterone Hawkings- where did you come across that?

I suspect Norbert that it's coincidence. Your oestrogen levels may simply have fallen and would have anyway whether you'd been away or not.

HawkingsMead · 13/08/2016 17:59

I watched a perimenopause YouTube lecture yesterday Grin as you do.

It was a lecturer from a women's hormone clinic who said it. I've not got any source more credible than that. If it's true it will be on PubMed somewhere no doubt.

HawkingsMead · 13/08/2016 18:06

if you search for 'cortisol' / progesterone you will find the stress/progesterone connection.

PollyPerky · 13/08/2016 20:22

your estrogen is higher causing the increase in hot flushes

.High oestrogen does not cause hot flushes- flushes and meno symptoms occur due to loss of oestrogen.

The link you have posted is not 'conventional science about hormones. 'Adrenal fatigue' is not recognised in mainstream medicine or proved scientifically. Many of the links including the cbn one are for drs offering bioidentical hormone treatments including progesterone - (which cannot be used by the body if administered as a cream ).

Presumably men can have 'adrenal fatigue' (if it were to exist) and they don't produce any progesterone at all.

In peri meno, any shortage of progesterone is due to cycles that are incomplete through lack of ovulation. Progesterone is only released once ovulation has occurred.

The normal fertile cycle is higher oestrogen from days 1-14, peaking at day 14 then falling, then progesterone kicks in on ovulation and rises to a peak at day 28 (to increase the blood flow to the endometrium ) then if no pregnancy occurs, progesterone falls and both hormones fall while there is a period.

HawkingsMead · 13/08/2016 20:50

Ok, glad you cleared that up.

PollyPerky · 13/08/2016 21:57

we have a family friend who has Addisons disease which is a disease of the adrenal glands. This link shows the difference www.hormone.org/hormones-and-health/myth-vs-fact/adrenal-fatigue

Original poster
NorbertDentressangle · 14/08/2016 16:33

Looks as if this has sparked a bit of a debate!

OP posts:
HawkingsMead · 14/08/2016 16:40

Not really - it just depends on what your views about allopathic medicine are. Lots of people disagree about 'conventional medicine' vs unorthodox views all the time.

I particularly like his article about HRT
www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/11/jeanette-winterson-can-you-stop-the-menopause

TimeforaNNChange · 14/08/2016 16:45

OP was your diet different on holiday? Did you drink more alcohol, or have more caffeine?

My symptoms are affected by all sorts of things; a few days of red meat gets me all hot and bothered, a morning coffee sends my anxiety through the roof for days, and missing a couple of glasses of water does all sorts of horrible things to my digestion.

Changes to sleep patterns make a difference too, as does more/less exercise and even spending a day in the sunshine!

I'm becoming a right old woman - having to stick to a routine in order to keep the worst of my symptoms under control!

PollyPerky · 14/08/2016 18:28

Hawkings the Gluck clinic uses a type of HRT that is not endorsed by top gynaes. If you google bio identical HRT/ Nick Panay / Daily Mail you will find a feature- worth reading.

I have used 'bio identical HRT' for 8 years . I see a consultant and it's prescribed privately but you can get exactly the same sort on the NHS. It comes a regulated products.

The difference is, there is no virtue at all in having blood tests or saliva tests to work out how much you need because in peri your hormone levels are all over the place. Also, 'compounded' HRT which is what Gluck prescribes, is not licensed or regulated.

The stuff about adrenal fatigue is a con - honestly. It's pedalled by drs who are selling stuff. I have no issues with keeping an open mind on complementary medicine, but not on things that are scientifically impossible.

HawkingsMead · 14/08/2016 18:42

I agree re adrenal fatigue - not something that I think is credible. I had only read the first part of the article that I posted.

I am scheduled to see Gluck - simply because I couldn't find any other private doctors who prescribe bio-identical. I am very very unwell with nausea and vomiting as I'm clearly all over the place with peri-menopause. And trying to sort it out!

Are you sure you get bio identical progesterone on the NHS?

I'm not too worried about regulated or unregulated.

Do you use a private London based practitioner?

(So sorry for the thread derailment OP maybe the conversation will be of help)

PollyPerky · 14/08/2016 20:02

Sorry to hear you are so unwell- sounds horrible.

Almost 99% of HRT(available on the NHS) is bioidentical. The only ones that aren't are Premarin/ Prempak (older types) and the synthetic progestogens.

The oestrogen in most HRT is estradiol which is bioidentical.

Utrogestan is bioidentical progesterone.

Don't confuse 'compounded' with 'bioidentical'. Compounded refers to it being made 'just for you' in a lab, as a result of the blood tests. But, as Panay says in his comments , you don't really need these tests because with a product like Oestrogel, you can titrate the dose yourself to get symptom-relief. You can start with a pin-head blob to a max of 4 pumps, adjusting up every couple of weeks- that's what I did. I use natural progesterone - Utrogestan. Lots of women do- from their GPs.

I don't agree totally with the comments of Gluck on progesterone for osteoporosis- this is not scientifically proven.

Yes, I see a London based meno specialist gynae.

But if you know what you want to try, you can get it from your GP.

HawkingsMead · 14/08/2016 20:17

Thanks. I do understand the difference between bio identical and compounded. I've had to have lots of meds compounded for my DS.

And I was very dubious about the testing because the efficacy is questionable. I'm not sure it's nothing than money making off the testing.

symptom management and dose tweaking seems fairly universal rather than test based prescription. I didn't realise that the current NHS hormones were bio identical though. That's good news.

I wouldn't go in and ask my GP as I'm sure they would just out me on low dose estrogen and I don't think that's what I need at all.

Do you mind PM me the name of your consultant? I've seen loads of private hormone clinics but I thought Gluck was the only one doing bio identical because I didn't realise they are all bio identical. I've only recently started symptoms.

PollyPerky · 14/08/2016 21:06

I'm afraid I've heard lots of negative things about the Gluck clinic (from forums) such as not seeing her, but other drs, with poor follow up and not much real care.
She is also very expensive- more than other consultants in Harley Street and thereabouts.

GPs tend to be a bit unaware so if you have a whole series of problems, a specialist may be your best bet.

HawkingsMead · 14/08/2016 21:16

I just can't decide on which specialist and I knew Gluck was expensive but I'm desperate. - and I've no one to ask that I know has had similar problems - they all seem fine with low dose estrogen and I'm puking my guts out and migraines with it.

There are a lot of hormone clinics around which makes it difficult to decide.

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