Hot flashes - frequency?

[Providora]

I'm interested to hear what's normal and if the frequency and severity of hot flashes can give a clue to where I am in the menopause journey?

I'm 49 and stopped the birth control pill, which I'd been taking to control frequent heavy periods, a few weeks ago. I wanted to test the waters, so to speak, and see what my body was up to. Stupidly forgot to note the date of my last period, so I'm not sure when the next is due.

In the last week or two, hot flashes have started. I would say every hour or 2 throughout the day and night - from what I've read that's a lot? They pass quickly and seem mild compared to some of the descriptions I've read.

I guess my questions relate to other experiences of what this could mean for me.
Is the frequency normal? Does it mean that I am well on the way to menopause or could I go on like this and still have periods for a long time? Is it likely to get worse?

I know every menopause is different but would love some advice.

At worst I was getting hot flashes almost constantly, at best only a few times a day and throughout the night.

My dr told me that exercise helps reduce the severity of discomfort and I did notice that i had v few hot flashes during times I was very active.

I don't think there is any connection between the frequency of hot flushes and where anyone is in menopause. My Mum was still having flushes in her 80s, 30 years after her periods stopped! That's not as rare as you might think. (she asked for HRT in her 60s, but at the time that was considered too late, whereas now it's not.)

My flushes were on the hour as soon as my periods stopped- none before then.

I suffered with them day and night for 6 months then went onto HRT. I'd tried everything else- diet, no booze, masses of exercise. I've tried coming off it and they return, which means I'd still be having flushes now if I stopped the HRT.

My experience is very similar OP I'm 49 and was told I needed to stop the combined pill due to my age. Soon after I was experiencing terrible night sweats between 8-12 a night.
My dr. prescribed amitriptyline tablets. 1 every evening (12 hours before I wake up) The sweats haven't stopped but its probably 4-6 a night but I do notice them less and they are not disturbing my sleep pattern as much.

@SouthCoastShell Did your Dr explain the use of an anti depressant (even a low dose) rather than estrogen-replacement?
If you read the pinned NICE guidance on this page it told GPs in 2015 not to use ADs for women's menopause.

I didn't have any in the day but would wake up very sweaty indeed and get odd waves of cold sweats in the 5 first 5 minutes of being awake. This started 2 years after periods stopped.

All stopped with HRT. Thank goodness!

Thanks everyone. Interesting to hear from a couple of people that the flashes were at their worst when or after periods stopped. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens. I had this fantasy that I'd come off the BCP to find it was all over already

Interesting thread, thanks OP

I think I'm having hot flashes - I just heat up a bit, mainly around face/head, don't think I'm visibly flushed, it subsides after say 20/30 seconds, not had to cool myself down. No sweats yet Probably happens 5/6 times a day. Nothing at night so far..

Am 48, periods beginning to get irregular.