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Post by villanelle on Feb 2, 2021 19:18:42 GMT -5
I'm trying to figure out what's going on with me. It would be helpful for those of you in the oh-so-delightful hot flash phase of life to describe them.
What's happening to me is more of a slow-ish build to overheating. I'm cold (because it has been cold and we keep the house cold), so I layer up and I'm fine and then I'm a little warm, and then I start tossing off layers, but I keep getting hotter. And then I'm basically naked in 65*, and I get cold, so I layer up..., and repeat. So it's more of a build over maybe a few or 5 minutes than it is a "flash".
It happens during the day but mostly at night. All. Night. Long.
Fuck. I'm so tired.
Does any of this sound familiar?
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Post by Sprockey on Feb 2, 2021 19:59:25 GMT -5
that sounds about right.
Sorry!
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Post by coachgrrl on Feb 2, 2021 20:07:35 GMT -5
Things I’ve found that help.
Soma cool night pajamas
Estroven
Cozy clothes that aren’t fuzzy (like fleece)
Drink lots of cool water
Hot tea tends to trigger hot flashes for mw
Hot baths tend to mess with my temp regulation for hours
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Post by Inky on Feb 2, 2021 20:32:42 GMT -5
Things I've found that stopped hot flashes in their tracks:
Hormone Replacement Therapy.
Plus my rheumatoid arthritis calmed down immediately when I started hormone therapy.
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Post by maurinsky on Feb 3, 2021 13:18:18 GMT -5
When I first started getting hot flashes, they were fast and furious. Every couple of minutes I'd be so hot I'd be in a sweat, then I would freeze because I was sweaty, and then it would happen all over again. It seemed to be more frequent at night and I didn't sleep well.
Now, I still get hot flashes but it's a slow build. So I can feel it coming and ameliorate the effect by taking off layers or throwing the blankets off.
I haven't done any treatment for it, I'm just biding my time.
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Post by catmom on Feb 3, 2021 13:27:03 GMT -5
I had a hysterectomy at age 43 due to Stage 1 uterine cancer. When I woke up in the hospital I was drenched in sweat. My doctor was in checking on me and said, “well I’m sorry to tell you that you’re having hot flashes already because of menopause.”
I’ve had them come on slowly like you said and I’ve also had them come on fast and furious. Even almost 5 years out and post-menopause I still get them like crazy. They are also exacerbated by my fibromyalgia which causes my body not to be able to regulate temperatures like a normal person.
HRT and things like Estroven were/are not options for me because of the cancer risk.
Things that have helped: peppermint essential oil rubbed on the back of my neck. It has a cooling property. Also those instant ice packs that you squeeze to activate the pack. I like those because I can take those anywhere with me. Placing anything cool or cold on my wrists.
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Post by shaena on Feb 3, 2021 14:42:05 GMT -5
Yep. That's the story of my life right now!
I love pajamas. So I happily lounge in my flannels, but when I actually go to bed, I wear summer nightgowns, and use a lot of blankets, so I can throw them off as needed. Amazon sells some very nice bamboo nightgowns, that are perfect.
What is most annoying is a cannot sleep without socks in winter so I start out with those and usually lose them to the bottom of the bed at some point!
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Post by Inky on Feb 3, 2021 15:16:36 GMT -5
Yep. That's the story of my life right now! I love pajamas. So I happily lounge in my flannels, but when I actually go to bed, I wear summer nightgowns, and use a lot of blankets, so I can throw them off as needed. Amazon sells some very nice bamboo nightgowns, that are perfect. What is most annoying is a cannot sleep without socks in winter so I start out with those and usually lose them to the bottom of the bed at some point! I have a couple of pairs of baggy socks that was going to pitch out because they kept slipping down - they're great to wear to bed, and I can take them off with my feet if they get too warm. |
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Post by villanelle on Feb 3, 2021 16:51:06 GMT -5
Huh. It definitely sounds like this is within the realm of hot flash experiences. They are more waves than flashes, but it sounds like this is what is happening. Thanks for all the stories and experiences!
I sleep naked. I can't stand to have anything that wraps and twists as I move around in bed. But I get clammy when I'm in the hot phase of this thing. (It's not so much moisture that it's dripping, so it's more clammy than sweaty.) For now, I'm just washing the sheets more often.
I've been wearing heavy socks (which I take off when hot but leave on the nightstand in case I then get cold). And I bought some simple knit open-finger gloves, which I've worn for two nights now and seem to help and make a surprisingly difference in regulating things. Again, I can easily pull them off if needed or put them back on.
I'm also trying to be more mindful. If I'm in cold mode--lots of covers--and I start to feel on the warmer side of comfortable, I start removing things, instead of waiting until I'm warm (or hot). I slept better last night, so I'm hoping some of these changes are working at least a bit.
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Post by fannybananny on Feb 8, 2021 20:51:22 GMT -5
Wait until you have a "hot flash" and you're absolutely freezing at the same time. That was ever so much fun.
A fan in the room was too much for my husband, so I ran the humidifier next to me every night, at about 3/4 rather than high, and that helped/helps a ton (still do, to this day) - also an "in the buff sleeper." I don't really get hot flashes anymore, I just tend to feel like I run a little warmer now, than I used to. I had a full hysterectomy (every last little thing went) 4 years ago and the gyn warned me that I was going straight into full menopause and told me all the horror stories, lol, but I had already had most of it, and had no increase in any symptoms whatsoever. The hot flashes calmed down, in fact. I haven't had HRT or anything else.
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stl
Full Member
Posts: 633
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Post by stl on Feb 9, 2021 19:19:22 GMT -5
I don't really get them during the day, mine come at night. I'll wake up sweating and kick the covers off, then wake up later freezing and have to pull the covers back on. It's like having the flu every night LOL. I don't take anything for it, just sleep in a t-shirt which I've been known to take off and throw on the floor at 2am. In February. In the midwest. When it's snowing out.
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Post by fannybananny on Feb 9, 2021 20:01:39 GMT -5
Seriously. When I was having hot flashes, I would have happily jumped every snowman I came across.
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