These Hot Flashes are Killing Me!

[Yeoman Randi]

OMFG. I've just seriously started menopause and it sucks like i can't tell you. Gaining weight despite all my dieting and exercise. The mood swings. The night sweats. But the worst part is these hot flashes that i am now getting. I get BEET RED and hot. Has anyone here dealt with this and what helped if anything?

Take a look at my chest. I ask you, have you seen anything like this? I fucking glow!!!!!!

 

[trampledamage]

On the bright side, your tattoo still looks really cool!

And sorry, I haven't heard of anything that helps with the hot flashes.

 

[KJbushway]

I am sorry. Lady issues never seem to go away I guess. Don't they have some pill for this.(I might be wrong I am getting all my info on this from That 70's show)

 

[Misfit Toy]

My wife is going through the same thing, Randi. Do your flashes come with irritability too? <he asked, cautiously...>

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Wine, I prescribe wine ~ if it doesn't get rid of the flushes at least you won't care about them

...and I'm at home without the men, beer, my henna pen and your tattoo looks great

 

[Yeoman Randi]

On the bright side, your tattoo still looks really cool!

Thanks!

I am sorry. Lady issues never seem to go away I guess. Don't they have some pill for this.(I might be wrong I am getting all my info on this from That 70's show)

I really don't know what's out there. I guess a visit to my GP is in order to see what options there are.

My wife is going through the same thing, Randi. Do your flashes come with irritability too? <he asked, cautiously...>

LOL! I am having major mood swings (sometimes it takes all my energy not to scream SHUT THE FUCK UP when someone is talking to me....but i don't see a correlation between the irritability and the flashes. Like, when a flash comes i don't get cranky. I just get hot. And not in a good way.

Wine, I prescribe wine ~ if it doesn't get rid of the flushes at least you won't care about them

...and I'm at home without the men, beer, my henna pen and your tattoo looks great

Thanks (re the tat) ! I wish i could do the wine, but truth is, i don't drink and when i did, IIRC, wine made me flush ...so that wouldn't work for me.

Years ago Ann Margaret sang "How lovely to be a woman" in Bye Bye Birdie. I'd like to punch her in the head right about now.....

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Selflessly I will have a drink for you
Take care honey X

 

[HoneyBLilly]

My mom had those same kind of hot flashes when she started menopause, they lasted a while for her before finally calming down.

I wish I could remember what she did to combat them, she did figure out something that worked for her.

 

[Mary Ann]

When I worked in a health store (yeah, I know; the irony! ) we sold black cohosh for hot flashes, and a lot of our customers swore by it. You can check with your doctor to see if it's safe for you to take.

I have all this to look forward to, don't I?

 

[Kirby]

I'm not a big tattoo guy, but that one is awesome Randi!

We determined that my wife will be going through menopause at about the same time my daughter will be going through puberty. My son and I already have plans to move out in about 10 years.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I have been waiting all my life for a woman to ask me this question:

Take a look at my chest. I ask you, have you seen anything like this?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no...

 

[Yeoman Randi]

My mom had those same kind of hot flashes when she started menopause, they lasted a while for her before finally calming down.

I wish I could remember what she did to combat them, she did figure out something that worked for her.

If you remember PLEASE let me know!

When I worked in a health store (yeah, I know; the irony! ) we sold black cohosh for hot flashes, and a lot of our customers swore by it. You can check with your doctor to see if it's safe for you to take.

I have all this to look forward to, don't I?

Well shit. You told me about that and i forgot. That's another symptom i'm not enjoying. Major memory loss! I'm writing down that cohosh right now so i remember to ask the doc when i see her.

I'm not a big tattoo guy, but that one is awesome Randi!

We determined that my wife will be going through menopause at about the same time my daughter will be going through puberty. My son and I already have plans to move out in about 10 years.

Thanks re: the tat! (I've said this before, but i love it so much. It makes me so damn happy!) OMG, seriously. Between the wife and the daughter, it's not going to be pleasant in your house. Trust me on this one. I have a daughter (whose puberty was deadly) and now at 17 she is.....EVIL!!!!

I have been waiting all my life for a woman to ask me this question:

Take a look at my chest. I ask you, have you seen anything like this?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no...

Oh MLB. You crack me up!

 

[HoneyBLilly]

My mom had those same kind of hot flashes when she started menopause, they lasted a while for her before finally calming down.

I wish I could remember what she did to combat them, she did figure out something that worked for her.

If you remember PLEASE let me know!

I just got off the phone with her about five minutes ago she said that she got her tips from online, she just sent me the link since she still had it bookmarked just in case they came back.

But from this she ate lots of soy: soy beans, soy milk(which she has fallen in love with), and tofu.

She bought over-the-counter progesterone cream.

She jogged for at least 30 minutes a day since exercise helps.

And she watched her diet to see if anything she was eating made the hot flashes occur.

She got all of that off of this site, and there's a few more options she didn't try.
http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/hotflashes/a/nomorehotflashs.htm

 

[bluedana]

YR, I slammed into menopause a year ago December. I cannot take soy or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or supplements like black cohosh because of the cancer. I highly recommend drinking water -- as in 10-12 glasses a day. (It might even help with the weight gain.)

Other symptoms: If you have insomnia, you can try melatonin. It didn't work too well for me, but other women swear by it. Night sweats: sounds corny, but try a fan. Or a wet washcloth on your neck, or google "Chillow" which is some sort of pillow cold pack.

Memory loss? . . . I'm sorry, what was the question?

All I can tell you is that it DOES go away, but really gradually. If you can, stay away from alcohol and caffeine for the time being. They really do make flashes worse. And hang in there.

 

[Kestra]

This sounds horrible!

 

[bluedana]

Menopause is a finite thing, like puberty and pregnancy. There may be long-term effects, in that I'm not sure anybody ever gets her full memory capacity back -- but that might be just old age, but for the most part, the acute, uncomfortable symptoms do go away. For some women, medication is involved; other women barely notice the difference. I would rather not have gone through it at 42, but now, a year later, it's not that big a deal.

 

[Kestra]

Feeling horrible once a month seems bad enough, but it seems incredibly unfair to have to go through more at the end of it!

 

[bluedana]

But then you're done!

Maybe this year, I'll buy a white bathing suit and use it every day of the summer. See? Glass half full.

 

[HoneyBLilly]

Pregnancy feels like it's never ending.

But I've never had to deal with hit flashes during it, just horrid horrid morning sickness.

 

[Kestra]

But then you're done!

Maybe this year, I'll buy a white bathing suit and use it every day of the summer. See? Glass half full.

I'm sure if I ever get pregnant, I'll be a total delight.