SEVERE HOT FLASHES

I had to have a partial hysterectomy at the ge of 24, due to cervical cancer, my ovaries were left that was in 1980. in 2003 my ovaries had to be removed, now i constantly sweat, stay hot, in winter my ac is on. i change clothes two or three times a day. mostly i wear ea shirts to stay cool. this is killing me.Im not on hormne replacement due to breast disease,ive gained a lot of weigt. im moody, depressed, never sleep or have any sexual desires.my panic attacks are really bad. my nerves are shot, im not able to go out of my house anymore due to my nervousness and hot flashes. please give me any info or suggestions.

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

A.  First talk with you doctor about estrogen and how risky it is for you.  Estrogen can be taken by women who have had cervical cancer.  Depending on the type of breast disease you have, it may be possible to take low dosages of estrogen. Your hot flashes might be the reason you can't sleep and that could be the cause of all your symptoms. Treating the hot flashes might make you sleep better and that could help your nervousness and depression. Simple things that can help include exercise, yoga and drinking a lot of water. Make sure to drink most of the water before dinner time so you won't have to wake up to go to the bathroom.

Ask your doctor to check your testosterone level. Your sex drive might benefit from low dosages of testosterone if your level is low.  You also should talk to your doctor about alternatives to estrogen.   Fortunately, there are an increasing number of non estrogen options for treating hot flashes.  Some are other prescription drugs such as the SSRI antidepressants. Low doses have been associated with reducing hot flashes.  Also, NEURONTIN