Are occasional/infrequent hot flushes a thing?

[SilkieChick]

I have had these strange, infrequent 'funny turns' for years - a sudden feeling of nausea, tingling skin, churning stomach, pounding heart, usually feeling quite hot but not 'sweat pouring off me' hot.

They come and go within about 10 minutes and I feel fine again. When they've happened, it's often - but not always - in the evening or in bed at night, and sometimes - but not always - after a later meal and/or alcohol. I don't consider these triggers as it doesn't happen every time, I've just noted that when they've happened, it's quite often been at night or late in the day, after food/drink.

I just checked how long they've been happening, and they have been going on for at least 10 years - I started noting them in 2015 when I was around 37 - but they're very irregular. I might have one or two episodes within a couple of months, then go for weeks or months without any.

So, what I'm wondering is: have I been having hot flushes all this time but not realising it? Does this sound consistent with a hot flush? I'm under the impression hot flushes are much more frequent - if you get them, you get them a lot! And also that hot flushes don't cause nausea, and I definitely do feel sick each time, though I don't throw up.

I'm definitely perimenopausal now at 47 - I've been taking HRT for about 2 years to manage various symptoms, though I've never considered hot flushes to be one of them!

I had another one last night in bed, which is making me wonder about all this because my hormones have felt a bit wonky lately, and I'm currently reducing my dose from 100mcg patches to 75 so I suppose there's a bit of fluctuation going on at the moment.

I need the menopausal MN hive mind - what do we think? Have I been having very occasional hot flushes for all this time? or is it something else?

It's possible. OTOH hot flushes can be a symptom of other things and my concern is that in middle aged women everything is attributed to menopause.
My hot flushes were indeed frequent. Probably 20+ a day. Triggered by a slight change in temperature, for example moving from one room to another, turning over in bed, drinking a hot or cold drink. They were like a furnace within, intense heat, red face, sweat. Never nausea though but everyone is different.
They were like this for two years then subsided. I think many women find their thermostat is permanently wonky though.

@isitmyturn I think that's why I didn't really consider it could be hot flushes before - my impression is they're usually quite frequent and disruptive, and the intense heat isn't something I experience, the nausea is probably the most dominant sensation.

Whether they're 'official' hot flushes or not, I suppose I've generally chalked them up to weird hormones over the years. I'm interested to know if anyone else has experienced similar - and if I can assume they are hot flushes it would be good to think I'm further along my perimenopause journey than I thought I was, as these started quite some time ago!

I have had exactly the same sensations for years too. Now that I am officially in menopause they seem to have stopped, although I am permanently hot now.