Hot flush "auras"

[DustinGee]

Does this happen to anyone else?

I am getting lots of hot flushes at the moment (and fecking night sweats) - and they are always preceded by a strange, fleeting sensation of annoyance/irritation. That's the best way I can describe it.

Whatever I am doing, I'll suddenly feel irritated for no apparent reason and then, whoosh, a sweaty hot flush.

Just wondering if this happens to anyone else?

Also, any tips for coping with the night sweats? I am only managing a few hours sleep at a time because they keep waking me up. Sleeping with a fan on isn't helping.

God save you, Dust! I had the same weird moody night sweats until GP put me on a low dose of Prometrium as well Estrogel. All better now.

Also, any tips for coping with the night sweats?

HRT. That's what it's there for :)

Yes! I would get a feeling of being "wrong" in my skin almost? Can't describe it exactly. On HRT at the moment and I don't miss it. In fact I think that feeling bothered me more than the hot flushes in the end.

I eventually bought a wool duvet to replace the down one I had. It has made a difference in that I don't wake drenched in sweat, and I'm not spending half the night pushing the cover on and off.
I don't have the auras you describe but I notice that if I become irritated, stressed by something that will trigger a hot flush.

I want to avoid HRT, I have found improving my diet and being more active makes a difference.

Do you want to avoid HRT because of the alarmist and out of date info in the media on risks?

So many women do and it's a waste of life to suffer when there is something safe out there that helps.

I had this but in my case it was more like a feeling of intense anxiety - something was wrong. And then every other physical sensation was also exaggerated, needing the loo or feeling thirsty or having an itchy back. At night it would manifest as an all out feeling of panic - I would wake with that stomach lurch of fear that something awful was about to happen and then have the hot flush.

HRT was what solved it for me. But then I also had an on the cusp of early menopause at 45 so it was recommended.

PollyPerky I want to avoid HRT if I can because if I can manage my health without resorting to medication I see that as preferable to taking something. A few weeks ago I was very much considering it, but I have found a few tweaks to my lifestyle have made enough for me of a difference so for the time being at least I am not planning to use it.
I absolutely understand why it's essential for other women.
Im already on another long-term medication for another condition so I'm not anti-drugs per se.

Also, and this may sound like a daft question, but what exactly does HRT help with? Is it only to deal with hot flushes and night sweats, or does it help with fatigue, weight gain and mild memory loss? In which case I'd be more inclined to try it.

This time of life can help us to be more open to spiritual awakening.

I meant to put "only" in inverted commas, not bold - i.e. I recognise that "only" helping with a broken thermostat is of huge benefit to many women for whom the flushes and sweats are very debilitating.

The HRT I've been prescribed is extremely low-dosage & not for more than 2 years. It's helped with mood-swings, irritability, memory loss and insomnia, So yes, for me the benefits outweigh the risks (if in fact there are any).

It makes me so sad to hear women talking about 'resorting' to HRT as if it were crack cocaine!

I was certain I'd not use HRT but then symptoms hit me at 53.
Since then I've been under the care of a brilliant meno consultant and because of the work I do, I've also researched it for years, reading numerous scientific papers.

To answer your question about what it does...

Menopause has 2 stages: Stage 1, flushes, sweats, moods, weight gain etc.
2nd stage is long term and more serious- osteoporosis, heart disease, loss of muscle tone, distribution of fat round middle, pelvic atrophy, loss of collagen affecting joints.

Obviously, lifestyle can help all of these.

The latest research into HRT shows a 50% reduction in arterial calcium plaque (the sort that causes strokes and heart disease) if HRT is used within 10 years of menopause. There is also a significant reduction is bowel cancer. It may protect against dementia. It builds bone and prevents osteoporosis (along with diet and exercise.)
The biggest killers in terms of numbers per year for women are:
heart disease
osteoporosis
breast and bowel cancer

Personally, I've come to accept the small risks with HRT on account of more benefits. The jury is still out on HRT and breast cancer because there needs to be more work done on the types of progestogens used and cancer risk (they are not equal in risk.)

The International Menopause Society stopped short of saying all women should use HRT for long term health, but they were pretty close to saying it!

read it here www.imsociety.org/manage/images/pdf/4429e3dd302aac259ad68c3be7f60599.pdf

Thank you Polly that is interesting, as is the thread on menopause without HRT which I'm also reading.
I have to say that when I've attempted to read up on here and MM website about the different types of HRT I've found it incredibly confusing (so many different types) and I'm not convinced my GP's surgery will be very helpful (constant revolving door of locums).
Is there a dummy's guide to HRT and advice on how to approach GP? For me fatigue is probably the most debilitating symptom.
Sorry OP for hijacking your thread.

Yes, thanks Polly - interesting & informative.

There isn't really a Dummy's Guide though I can try to write one here :)

Your first choice should be on whether you prefer pills or patches or gel.
I don't like the idea of a patch and my consultant suggested gel right from the start (though you do need to use pills for some of the month for the progesterone part.) If you use a patch you can use a type of patch that gives both hormones in the patch.

Patches are safer than pills re blood clots but the risk of clots is really tiny in young women anyway, so I'd not worry too much unless you are over 60 then it's patches or gel all the way!

If you are still peri (not 12 months beyond last period) then you would be better off with a sequi type (gives a 'period' once a month.)

It's also best to start on the lower doses - 1mg oestrogen- for a while then move up to 2mgs if you are still not feeling better.

(Patches are measured differently (low , medium and high) and gel dose is 1 to 4 pumps a day.)

You want to avoid synthetic oestrogens so that's no Premarin or Prempak.

Is this enough?

ps as to how to ask your GP I'd say you are having x, y, z symptoms, you have read and researched HRT (:)) and you want to try it. I'd say the symptoms are affecting your quality of life and you are unable to sleep well, work, whatever it is. For me, the issues were taking ages to get off to sleep, waking several times a night, hourly hot flushes and a tetchy bladder.

Thank you Polly that is very helpful - it has only occurred to me this morning that the crushing fatigue is linked to menopause, to the extent I need regular duvet days, and that my concentration is poor. (Hence I glaze over when reading up on HRT, even though my job requires me to concentrate, and assimilate complex info )

Yes, I get a sort of pre-flush aura - I get a crawling sensation up my back, a wave of panic, then WHOOSH - I'm on fire.

For the night sweats, I keep a dampened flannel next to the bed, and when a sweat starts, I find wiping down neck, arms, chest etc helps cool me down.

Recently started on HRT, though, so hoping that will just sort it all out from source!

Thanks for the advice, all.

I am discussing HRT with my GP...she's ordered some blood tests & once those are in, we'll go from there. (I have other health issues at the moment & she wants a fuller picture before prescribing anything).

I feel I can (just about) cope with the day time flushes but it's the anxiety & insomnia that I'd really like some help with.

Oof, yes, the anxiety is a killer. That's what led me back to the docs to get HRT. I've no history of anxiety at all, but have had a series of horrendous panic attacks, that arrived at the same time as the sweats and the flushes. My GP also ran blood tests (as I am young for meno and had a hysterectomy), and it was pretty definitive that I'm well into menopause, and that's likely causing all of it. Good luck with your tests.

diodati
The HRT I've been prescribed is extremely low-dosage & not for more than 2 years. It's helped with mood-swings, irritability, memory loss and insomnia, So yes, for me the benefits outweigh the risks (if in fact there are any).

Could you please tell me which HRT you have been prescribed as my symptoms are exactly what you have along with aching joints, tiredness and zero sex drive. I don't suffer from hot flushes which I'm guessing is the main symptom and I am perimenopausal as I am 43 and only been getting symptoms for 18 months (ish). Periods are every 30 days then 18 days and so on. I was always every 28 days like clockwork.

Hi harrysmum - I mentioned what I've been prescribed below. I'll look it up for you on drugs.com..,

Gee, this doesn't bode well for the future! Did you say it hit you at age 53, Polly? Ew! I'm not looking forward to all of this! Interesting to learn about the wool duvet, though, I'll save that advice for later if need be.

Prometrium progesterone capsules, Merck & Co. 100mg / day is what I take but the recommended dosage is 200 or 300 mg / day.

Estrogel 17 beta-estradiol 0.6% transdermal gel. Merck & Co. 1.25g / day but the recommended daily dose is 2.5g.

I'm lucky to have a woman as my GP. Most of her patients are women of childbearing age or beyond. I'm 54 and still peri-menopausal! I'm a freak of nature.