Hot flashes?

[monkey]

Ok ladies, now that I have reached that "special" age, I am experiencing deadly hot flashes every night. I wake up, and I mean WIDE AWAKE in the middle of the night. Then about 2 minutes later I'm drenched and can't cool off.
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_6_200v.gif ('http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008_ZNxmk278CVUS')
They last about 5 minutes each time and happens about 6-8 times per night. I've tried a few herbal remedies, but nothing is really helping. I don't want to get estrogen therapy, as I've heard nightmares about that. I've even started sleeping with 2 frozen bottles of water by my bed to tuck under my arms when I wake up to try to cool myself down.
Any of you wonderful women ahve any tips, ideas?

[Yosemite_Wolf]

man.. knock on wood... im 43... feel and look 27 and have yet to do the hotflash thingie. I think its gonna kill me when i do start those....

[Goddesschyyld]

Originally posted by monkey:
Ok ladies, now that I have reached that "special" age, I am experiencing deadly hot flashes every night. I wake up, and I mean WIDE AWAKE in the middle of the night. Then about 2 minutes later I'm drenched and can't cool off.
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_6_200v.gif ('http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008_ZNxmk278CVUS')
They last about 5 minutes each time and happens about 6-8 times per night. I've tried a few herbal remedies, but nothing is really helping. I don't want to get estrogen therapy, as I've heard nightmares about that. I've even started sleeping with 2 frozen bottles of water by my bed to tuck under my arms when I wake up to try to cool myself down.
Any of you wonderful women ahve any tips, ideas?

Hi Monkey http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wave.gif

I haven't had the hot flash thing yet, but I do have something to help you when you are hot in the middle of the night.

I was pregnant twice in two years (my boys are 11 months apart) during the summer time with the heat over 100 degrees. I couldn't sleep and it drove me crazy. I would get in the shower with a nightgown on and leave it wet and go to bed - yes, this sounds bizarre, but it was the only way I could sleep during my pregnancy and the summer months.

Just an idea. My mom takes some herbal vitamins that really help her. I will check with her to see what they are.

Good luck! http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/happy.gif

[monkey]

I'll try the wet nightie suggestion. I know my husband is gonna complain about the "wet spot" http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/laugh.gif

[Parvo Pup]

While I have not experienced this syndrome directly (being male) - I am married to a woman deep in the throes of Menopause - so I know something of the hotflash-soakthesheets-openthewindow-NOW situation.

What has worked remarkably well for my wife (and me) is an herbal supplement called Black Cohosh.

Not sure exactly what Black Cohosh is - but my wife swears by it!

[monkey]

Yeah, you men have it so easy. No cramps, bloating, giving birth, etc. Then when we get past that age, hot flashes, memory loss and other stuff I can't remember (see- I told you about the memory loss) I've tried the Bla. ck Cohosh, didn't work for me. Smilax also hasn't worked. I'm now on my 3rd week of Valian root and it's a bit better, but not by much.
I've given up caffine, any sugar and chocolate.

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_3_52.gif ('http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008_ZNxmk278CVUS')

[Ironhorse]

Here's a site with some infor on herbal remedies:

http://www.project-aware.org/Managing/Alt/hotflash.shtml#herbal

[Ironhorse]

And another:

http://www.power-surge.com/php/pfp/PFP.php3?file=/usr/l...adlines/hotflash.htm (http://www.power-surge.com/php/pfp/PFP.php3?file=/usr/local/4admin/apache/vhosts/power-surge.com/httpdocs/headlines/hotflash.htm&title=What%20Can%20I%20Do%20About%20Hot%20Flashes% 20and%20Night%20Sweats?&address=http://www.power-surge.com/headlines/hotflash.htm)

[monkey]

Thanks! I think I'm slowly working my way through the lists. Hopefully, one of them will be the right one for me.

[beautiful_mess38]

Man, when I start having bad hot flashes I'm going to feel bad for myself.
I'm already very warm blooded. When I was pregnant in the winter in Wa. state I would wake up with my nighty and sheets soaked.
I think I'll keep a bottled of chilled tequilla on my nightstand with frozen limes.

[Californee Girl]

I agree that you should research the heck out of herbal remedies, but as a back up keep in mind that there are hormone creams for hot flashes. My mother is going through that same thing, and they are the only thing that have brought her comfort.

[Parvo Pup]

Yeah, you men have it so easy. No cramps, bloating, giving birth, etc. Then when we get past that age, hot flashes, memory loss and other stuff I can't remember (see- I told you about the memory loss) I've tried the Bla. ck Cohosh, didn't work for me. Smilax also hasn't worked. I'm now on my 3rd week of Valian root and it's a bit better, but not by much.
I've given up caffine, any sugar and chocolate.

EASY??????????????

True - we men don't experience the symptoms directly - but criminy - how can anybody stay sane when one minute your wife is throwing the covers off the bed and flinging the windows open at two in the morning and 10 minutes later she has has the heater turned up to "molten".

All I can say is thank goodness for sofas...at least I can get SOME sleep http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/laugh.gif

[monkey]

You know Parvo, I think I may have forgotten about how I get b*tchy and cranky also. My husband has generally been an angel, but I still catch him doing the rolling of the eyes while deep sighing/grunting thing. I guess I can't really blame him.

[BGW]

Monkey -- I had a wise woman tell me last year that keeping the small of your back exposed to the cold of the room will help.

It sounded like an old wives tale but worth trying since there was no cost involved!! Especially since even as a kid I have slept super hot...kicking off blankets and clothes in the middle of the night.

It does work. Not a cure-all but it has made sleeping much more enjoyable. Instead of waking up in a lake and being a magnet for cat furhttp://oakhurstonline.com/icon/lol.gif or feeling like I ran the Boston Marathon...my hair is just a little extra curly in the morning and my sleep is not interrupted nearly as much; which is a good thing.

[oakhurstleaf]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by monkey:
I'm now on my 3rd week of Valian root and it's a bit better, but not by much. QUOTE]

Ya mean Valerian root? That stuff is stinky! Do you have to plug your nose when you open the bottle and down a pill?

I'll see what my mother-in-law is doing...I know she's in the throes of menopause and she's very much into supplements and diet for preventative and therapeutic treatments.

[Yosemite_Wolf]

valarian root is good.... (herbal valium)... but man does it ever smell like old stinky socks.

[monkey]

Herbal VALIUM? Is that gonna get addictive for me if I stay on it?

[monkey]

Ok, so tonight I'm fighting it with both barrels!!! I'll take my stinky Valarian root right before I turn on the fan in my room. Then I will take a shower in my nightie, put a chilled bottle of tequila and limes on the night stand, open the window and climb into bed, leaving the small of my back open to the cool air, all while I have a bottle of frozen water in each arm pit. I'm sure I'll be quite a vision to behold!

[BGW]

sounds like a typical night to me http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/rofl5.gif

[Dakota Blue]

I am taking a plant-based estrogen precription, Estradiol 5 mg., which is making an incredible difference. I had to go on estrogen following a full hysterectomy last year to avoid throwing my body into shock. I have tried weaning myself off of the prescription and alternating with a $17.00 over-the counter herbal remedy from Costco packed full of black cohosh, soy isoflavines, red clover, etc., but it didn't work at all; of course, to be fair, any herbal remedy really needs to be taken for 30 days or so to feel the effects. But the feeling of heat and suffocation from the night sweats was too awful--and I was getting very bad hot flashes at work as well. What does help is having only cotton sheets and woven blankets--no acrylic or wool--and wearing only cotton PJ's--no flannel or brushed cotton. I wish you well.

[LindaBo]

OK girls there is not much you can do with the ///HOT\\\Flashes unless you see a Dr. But there is something at the Drug Store that you can get over the counter, but i do not know the name, as the drugest he or she well know...I,m 56 and i Still get Hot flashes BUT! not as bad as yours monkey. That is terrible..I would put a damp cool towl around my neck...or something in a sack that you can frezze to put around your neck.....Every thing you said is all about the change you are going threw....Hang on it is going to be a ride... http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/worried.gif

[LindaBo]

Go to the Book store and get a book about it , that well help you to understand what is happening to you, and then Let your Husband read it because this way he well understand when you have 1 of your crazy days.....because it well get worst...Sorry http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/worried.gif your friend LindaBo http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/yes.gif