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Night sweats and hot flashes - how long will they continue?

I am 50 and have been in menopause for about 14 months.

Since April of last year, I have experienced periods of INTENSE hot flashes and night sweats - sometimes 30 within 24 hours!  These periods last 6-8 weeks and then the hot flashes reduce in intensity and occurance gradually over the next 10 weeks.  Then, unfortunately, they start again.  I am currently in my 3rd cycle of this pattern.

I haven't had a period since November 2005. My GYN has done blood tests - I'm definately menopausal.  I am not taking HRT.  I am taking herbs - I can't tell if they're helping or not.  I eat healthy food - no meat - lots of vegies.  I exercise a lot.

How long does menopause usually last?  Am I close to the end of this Hot Flash torture?

Pam

55 Responses
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Avatar universal
Hi, Ive been going through hot flushes now for 4 years on and off...just went through the worst 8 week one...only sleeping 45 minutes., and waking with a night sweat, all night long.Day flushes not as severe as at night.  Been taking Blackmores vitamin E as it is a oestrogen inhibitor, also Blackmores brand is a naturally sourced vitamin E, less synthetic,Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 Executive complex every morning.  4 days hot flushes reduced completely, now 1.52pm and had one this morning about 8am and not severe at all. Im dancing on air and looking forward to sleeping tonight.  I know not all things work for all people, but give it a try. Good luck
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
When my hot flashes first started, I tried Black Cohosh. It worked for awhile. Then I ordered Amberen online. It worked great for me for about 2 years. Then it slowly stopped working (you can buy Amberen OTC now). I then started taking Estroven and it worked for about 6-9 months. I stopped for awhile and the hot flashes did not immediately come back, but they are back now. I started Estroven again about 1 month ago. So far, not a lot of relief but I'm going to stick with it for another month and see. My GYN recommends Evening Primrose Oil. I have not tried it but may do that and the milled Flaxseed. A friend takes Womens Ultra Mega Green from GNC and she said it works good for her. I will try that if the others dont work. Fortunately, mine come and go and aren't constant, though at times I feel like I'm losing my mind. I feel for all of you. This really *****! :)
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Avatar universal
Is this still helping you?? I thought my sweating was over...but they have come back with a vengeance!!! I am 57 and had a hysterectomy in 1992 and they left my ovaries. I am SO sick of sweating at any random time during the day and night!!! I will try almost anything!!!
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Avatar universal
Look at webmd.com under fentanyl patches. you have to hit the link at the bottom to see all the side effects. I had a total hysterectomy in 1999 and am still suffering hot flashes. I have been on 25 mg fentanyl patch and 7.5 norco for chronic pain and neuropathy. I have only been on the fentanyl patch for a week but my hot flashes have tripled. On webmd, one of the side effects is excessive sweating. I am going to talk to my dr tomorrow about using black cohosh.
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Avatar universal
Yes, I have a lot of stomach trouble when I'm having bouts of hot flashes and chills. I'm 64, and haven't had a period for about 13 years. I had a few hot flashes and that was it-or so I thought. About 6 years ago I was having some work problems, and began having hot flashes chills reflux, couldn't eat, sick as a dog for about 6 months. finally straightened up, with an occasional hot flash until about 2 weeks ago when I started having hot flashes chills and the whole nine yards again!! Why would they stop for years, and then return?
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Avatar universal
I'm 56, almost 57.  I had a hysterectomy when I was 44 and kept my ovaries, so it's difficult to tell when you're actually going through menopause..  I've been "heat intolerant" for several years and thought, at my age, that I had gone through the worst of it.  Not so!  I just started with hot flashes, all day, sometimes every hour or two, and night sweats, some nights worse than others.  Feel like I'm losing my mind!  I'm pretty dead set against HRT. I tried Estroven, and it made me so nauseated that I had to stop taking it.  I do have a friend that takes antidepressants, and it worked for her, but I'm not so sure about that either.  I decided I was going to muscle through it, but it gets so bad sometimes, I wonder what I'm going to do when the summer months kick in!
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Avatar universal
Does anyone have reflux with their hotflashes? I sometimes worry I am going to have a heart attack......But I know it is aniexty
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Avatar universal
I have been post menapausal since my late twenties and have experienced hot flashes from the beginning I am now 60 years old and the hot flashes are still going strong. I have tried everthing from hrt to herbal remedies and absolutely nothing works and it don't get any better with time I have been told by my doctor that the flashes will never go away.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm hearing you.. Men have very little understanding of what a lot of women endure. Wonder how many male doctors take this seriously. I fear i am going mad at times.It is just on 20 years since i had my hysterectomy. Straight into menopause at 37 is not fun!  Tried all the naturopathic remedies, increased my Soy content, water,  flaxseed, cut out sugar,caffeine, alcohol, don't use marj/ butter spreads.Cook only with light sprinkle of Olive Oil. Have tried anti depressants.Having a family history of heart and thyroid disease limited the type of HRT i could use. Until recently i used  HRT ( patches and pills) with mild effect ( still suffered 2 or 3 night sweats and 4 to 5 hot flushes during the day) Have not had a decent or uninterrupted sleep for over 10 years.Not fun working in retail sector working up a sweat in front of customers. Very debilitating and embarrassing. Have a foggy feeling in the head most of the time. Being anxious or flustered can bring on an internal!. I carry a little hand held fan in my bag wherever i go, it's my best friend. We recently lost our daughter to estrogen positive Breast Cancer. The jury is still out on whether soy products and other phyto estrogens and xeno estrogens ( plastics etc)  are cancer causing. So i am now off HRT and have tossed out all products related to soy. Sweats in the day are again every 30 mins and about every 2hrs at night. Have a friend who swears by estrogen capsules that is rubbed directly onto her tummy each night. Dr would not prescribe for me though as it could unfortunately increase the risk of breast cancer. I feel like i am getting no where fast.Last 20 yrs are a blur.  Surely this cannot go on forever?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have had hot flashes for almost ten years and lately they have become worse.  I also have insomnia and am becoming more forgetful.  I am going to consult my doctor and ask her to test for hyperthyroidism.

I have taken HRT in the past and would be willing to discuss this again with the doctor.  I laugh when I read posts telling me, "Oh, you can't do that because you might get cancer."  Insomnia is also a health risk.  It causes weight gain, fatigue, problems with memory, and depression for every sufferer.  It also increases risks for heart disease and diabetes.  

If men suffered from hot flashes, there would be an effective treatment for it.  Just sayin'.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
yes.

I was able to eliminate my hot flashes for a couple of years with a weekly estrogen patch, but now they have come back especially at night.  I am now 53. Not sure if a higher dose will help...I had planned to stop the patch in five years to reduce cancer risk.   Now I'm not sure how my body will react.
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Avatar universal
Hormone Replacement Therapy
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Avatar universal
i am turning 49 in less than a week.  my periods haven't been regular for two years now.  

i was having hot flashes every morning from 3:30-5:30 and then again through out the day.

I recently tried Black Cohosh and it made a difference immediately.  i take it every day at lunch with food.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Scandalous, I agree with your approach as oppose to pill-popping.  I had a GYN appointment today & she suggested Paxil to help alleviate the night sweats.  After watching so many prescription medication commercials, my own list of side effects started running thru my mind immediately - just like a commercial - side effects may cause blindness, liver damage, retina failure, etc.  I couldn't turn it off, so I jumped on the Internet as soon as I got home and started researching the possible damage(s) this drug can cause which is what led me to your post.   Long story short, you're right - diet & exercise are the key.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just was wondering how you are doing with the flaxseed. I have been 7 years post menopausal and have been experiencing many hot flashes daily. They seem to go away and then bang, they are back. It has been about 3 months now with about 20-30 daily. I also experience the aura prior to the flash which consists of dizziness, an uneasy feeling with an upset stomach, and minutes later the flash comes on. It has created anxiety as well. I have been eating hemp hearts hoping they would help, but they have not. My last period was at age 52...I am now 59. It has been so bad. it is nice to hear I am not alone
Looking forward to your reply
Ellen.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been having hot flashes on and off now for 5 or 6 years. They usually go away or become more infrequent in the winter when it gets really cold. I thought I was done with them but when it got hot this summer they came back. So, yeah , they come and go, just hoping for that day they're gone for good!!!
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Avatar universal
Well said! I have been going through this now for over 12 years. The last 5 years have been the worst. I had to stop leaving my home because I would get so frustrated after changing 2-3 times " due to me clothes getting drenched and my hair literally  looking like I just stepped out of the shower from Sweat " or actually making it half way to my grandson's birthday party with the AC on Maximum only to again have sweat dripping down my body. What I have tried is the Herb Black Cohosh. They say it can take up to 6 weeks to see all the benefits. I took it for 3 1/2 months with no relief. I have girlfriends that have said it helps them though.
I keep 4 Gel Ice Packs in my freezer and wrap one in a washcloth. I sit and have one on my neck and one for each wrist!! It is the only thing that cools me down. I am going to try the Flax Seed I read here on a post.

Good luck everyone. Post anything you have tried that helps so we all can pass it along and try it ourselves. Have a great day.
Helpful - 0
8098975 tn?1396531445
I must say.. Hot flashes are horrible, have had them since 2009 and still going strong.  

I tried the Estroblend - regular and extra strength from Walmart and it seem to help for about 3 weeks, but it took a week for it to kick in.  But then it quit working.  Then proceeded to try Estroven, it did the same thing. ugh

I try to stay away from Sugar, Chocolate, Alcohol and spicy foods which seem to trigger or escalate them.  Sounds strange but I make sure to get a glass of ice when I have any of these, seems to help to chew on a few as well as stick a few down my shirt (crazy right? but it works!)

If I could walk barefoot, short sleeves with no collar (so nothing is touching the back of my neck) year round I believe my hot flashes would be cut in half.  

Helpful - 0
7063051 tn?1387612602
The Menopause Overlords are taking over our bodies!  I had a hysterectomy clear over 20 years ago when I was 32.  Within a month, I had started night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, the whole nine yards.  At this point my doctor put me on HRT.  Immediately, I started feeling better.  I didn't feel like I was going crazy, and I actually got a decent night's sleep.  Since then, I lost of job and my insurance, too; HRT was no longer an option for me, and it's been a hot, sweaty, emotional roller coaster ever since.  It's been so bad that in the wintertime, I have gone out and stood naked in the snow.  (Thank God for high wooden fences, I wouldn't want to scare the children and horses!)  I did do some research; a study a couple of years ago did show that women that currently took HRTs had less symptoms (no surprise there), but those women who had taken estrogen in the past were MORE likely to have both the night sweats and hot flashes.  I'm not overweight (5'4" and 104 pounds), and fairly healthy - or would be if I didn't look like I had just ran the Boston Marathon...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am just viewing this so you probably won't see.. but in case you do I wanted to write about my experience.  In a nutshell, I cut out polyunsaturated fats to a minimum and after a few months my hotflashes went away.  PUFAs as they are known, are very inflamatory.  I also added vitamin k2 because it is probably the hardest nutrient to get from food.  Best.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
HRT brings relief to Hot Flashes BUT.... and there is ALWAYS a BUT isn't there.... it causes WATER RETENTION!  Hey I am beyond caring about the other side effects of HRT like breast cancer etc... but when you swell up so bad that you cannot get your feet into your shoes well......it is a catch 22.   HRT worked well for me for a couple of years then I developed EDEMA (water retention) so had to give it up, I went onto plain progesterone cream, it helped for the water retention but the HOT & COLD FLASHES are back with a vengeance!  I piled on weight whilst on HRT and just could not lose it, then found out it was the beginning of my water retention problems.
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Avatar universal
You are so polite, lol, I am not so polite anymore. I hate this stage in my life but- now I understand how so many older women become bad tempered old bags, it's menopause! I was never taught anything about female problems as a child or told later for that matter so all of this was a big worry for me, I thought I was really sick. Now I have something that helps the sweating & insomnia, I can cope better with the other symptoms that simply cannot be helped. I would much prefer to live 5 years less but have a quality of life that allows me to be sane at least while I am still here
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Avatar universal
I am so sad to see that this lasts "forever". I got on to see what I could do to minimize night sweats and to see how long I had to put up with this faze of life. It is almost funny that we never talk about this and it has come as a surprise; I am not sure I can ever look at women the same way again; I will always wonder how miserable they are. I guess that I shall get more serious about my exercise, get in to see my doctor, and know that this is normal!
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Avatar universal
I am 54 & in desperation after years I went on HRT . It took a couple of months to work & now I sleep better & do not constantly sweat, I have also actually lost a few pounds in weight. To anyone suffering give them a try but the pills are best ,I found the patches fell off so were not effective. Don't just hope these symptoms will miraculously go away, they don't
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