Hot flushes in hot weather

[BorryMum]

I am constantly dripping with sweat day and night. Is this normal? I tried HRT patches and gel and they didn’t get rid of the hot flushes. I am exhausted from not sleeping due to being too hot. I’m trying to keep exercising but keep over heating and getting dehydrated. It’s impossible to keep hydrated when dripping with sweat. Is this normal? It’s making me so miserable

Sadly it is very normal. You need to get a hand held fan or one that goes around your neck. Even better, both.

I got a handheld one but I will have a look for the neck one as well

It sounds as if you may not have had your HRT tweaked- what dose were you on?

HRT is usually brilliant at controlling flushes.

Did you increase the dose of the patch or gel to the maximum and stick with it for 3 months? (This is what your GP ought to have advised.)

I was on evorel conti and sequi 50 for 6 months. After 3 months the effects tapered off and they added estrogel and it had no effect at all

@JinglingSpringbells

Hot flushes are usually well treated by hrt, you perhaps need another review and to try a different form - ask to see a specialist if your gp won't keep trying. Sounds awful for you, noone should have to put up with that.

That's an odd way of doing it.

Not everyone absorbs gel well.

If you found improvement on the patch, you were obviously absorbing it so they could have -

Upped the patch to 75 or 200 but you'd use an estrogen-only patch and can add progesterone either the same as in a conti patch (Norethisterone as a tablet), or micronised progesterone (tablet) or the Mirena coil.

It's disappointing your GP isn't able to consider these - as PP says maybe you need to see a specialist privately if you can afford it.

I’m thinking that I
might have to go
private. I can’t go on like this, hot weather or not.
just got home and my T-shirt is soaked and I am lying on a towel dripping. I need to sort it out for my sanity

Before going private, could you try going back to your GP to explain that patches initially seemed to work so please could you try a higher dose patch? You might have to research what you want and why, and become your own menopause expert.

I started on 50mg patches (+ utrogestan) but after a few months felt my symptoms coming back so moved to 75s and then not long after to 100mg patches which work well.

My hot flushes completely vanished on Evorel 50 and utrogestan (12 days a month)

Prior to starting HRT there were phases where I was getting at least one an hour and it was getting ridiculous at work as I'd go bright red.

I asked for higher dose patches at the time and was told they didn’t exist and was given the gel instead. I’ve since found out that isn’t correct and also have gone from peri to menopause so it’s time to sort it out again I think, feeling a bit better today but yesterday I was just beyond fed up

There isn't a higher dose CONTI patch.

However, you can use a higher estrogen only patch and use a separate progesterone with it such as micronised progesterone.

Not sure which you were using as your said conti and sequi?

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/postmeno.php

Click on the menu bar above this page for the PERI options.

There are other patches too that don't seem to be included here.

@JinglingSpringbellsthanks for the link. I really need to get myself educated about all of this! I was on Evorel before. I am booking an appointment tomorrow which I expect I will have to wait a few weeks for, but I have also found out about a local menopause group which has a meeting in early September so I will go along to that to make sure I am more knowledgeable before my appointment

Oh- I nearly started a thread with the same title. It’s been awful this last month - claustrophobic hot.
I am reluctant to start HRT due to another health issue, so would welcome any other ideas.

Would HRT help your other health issue? Is it one that's a definite contraindication?

Hi!
It’s epilepsy, which seems to be triggered by hormones. So I’m reluctant to start messing about with that.
But it’s a good point- I don’t actually know!

I put up with hot flushes over 10 years, saw GP a few times, but although GP was apparently the menopause GP, she wasn’t very helpful. I so wish I had gone private had I known I would suffer so long.

So sorry to hear everyone is suffering so much with this. I love summer and it’s made me so sad not being able
to enjoy it. If I find anything that helps
in the next few months I will post it.

today I took a spare T-shirt out with me and it was nice to have something to make me feel fresher again after my top got soggy and sweaty