Flushes and night sweats...

[Wolfgirl]

Purleazzzzzzzzzze for the love of my family!!! I need them to go! They occur during the day, but mostly through the night. So, I got a vitam and minerals bible, looked up supplements for MP, went out and bought Black Cohosh and Siberien Ginseng. Had been (irregularly) taking Redclover) but nothing so far is working. Its the loss of sleep and the grumpiness that is the worse I think.

Any more ideas to the top list would be most welcome

anyone? I'm 47 btw.

Wolfgirl - don't know what to say to help. I didn't find herbal remedies helped much. Went on to HRT - Angeliq - has made it a bit more bearable. I find it tends to come and go - you get better for a bit and then it worsens again. Didn't want to leave your post unanswered.

awwrrr... thanks whitecloud. Yes, I agree it gets better, then worse again. A colleague at work seemed to think that HRT only delay the symtoms and you get them when you come off the drug. Would that be right? If so, no point delaying it all, may as well get on with the inconvenience now.

Also, how long does the MP go on for? a year, two, three... more? just wondered what I've got to look forward to

Hi

Suggest a few things- first read Your Change Your Choice by Michael Dooley- my gynae, great guy and very good book (Amazon.)

Clean up your diet- no caffeine, alcohol, reduce sweet stuff and eat more pulses and fruit etc etc.

Some people have found exercising everyday has as much effect as HRT- 30 mins at least very brisk walking.

He also recommends a menopause supplement from Victoria health. (google.)

Failing that, try HRT. It can often just delay it, but not always- you have to come off it very slowly. I have been on it for 15 months and it stopped night seats/flushes in a week. Been great.

How long do the sweats last-well, can be up to 10 years. My mum still got them in her 70s.

Sorry!!!

HRT has been a complete godsend for me. Started taking effect within a couple of weeks, but the effect continued to improve over the months. HRT will also help with the sleep and grumpiness.

IMO, if you still have to go through the symptoms when you come off HRT, then at least you can have some control over when that will be. With 3 dc, the youngest a very challenging preschooler, now was not the time for me to be dealing with menopausal symptoms.

Also, if the symptoms are caused by your biological clock running down, then they will continue until it stops. Which could be 10-15 years. Why not wait until it has stopped completely, in 10-15 years' time, and then go through the symptoms quickly, rather than over a period of years?

Another good reason for taking HRT is to protect you from osteoporosis - the earlier you start menopause, the higher your risk is.

I have known friends who were on HRT for 10 years and more- befoe the scares.
They all did have hot flushes etc when they stopped, but they said they were not so bad as pre- HRT.

HRT is an individual choice. I have been lucky to use a product that suits me first time, but like the Pill ,you might have to try different kinds until you find the right one.

I use HRT gel, with progesterone tablets a few days every 3 months. When I do stop, I will be able to reduce the gel very gradually, to a pin-head amount eventually, which is easier than trying to cut tablets in half etc etc.

I agree PC- it depends on what you can cope with. I wanted to try HRT as I was sleeping badly, my flushes were frequent- every hour- though not too severe but they were affecting my work- I work closely with men and did not like flushing so often! Ihad done every thing I could re. lifestyle and diet, and I also have low bone denisty. At prsent HRT is a boost along with masses of exercise etc to get my bones better and my last bone scan showed an improvement.

Wolfgirl I'm the same age as you. I've been taking hrt now for a year or so. The sweats were unbearable and the grumpiness well! I couldn't sleep at night as the flushes made me feel I was on a big dipper, like anxiety attacks? I was so washed out.

Then the gp said I should have hrt as it was an early menopause and that I would need it to maintain bone strenght. The sweats went almost instantly, say a few days, I'm still grumpy but I think that's just my nature.

No really, I did expect to get a 'second wind' if you like, but I have to say that hasn't happened. I may ask the gp to up the dose the next time I go. I'm still pretty knackered although admittedly I think that's down to lifestyle rather than anything else.