What can cause hot flashes other than menopause?

[buddycow]

I have Hashimoto's and have gone off synthroid because I was getting so tired and fatigued.  My endo doc said I had too much hormone which is why they wanted me to try going off of it.  At the same time, though, they discovered I have insulin levels that are on the high normal side.  So they put me on Metformin.  That was 2 weeks ago that I went off synthroid and went on Metformin ~ and I've consistently had hot flashes since (hot flashes aren't a side affect of Metformin and I'm taking no other meds so bad interaction isn't the problem either).  I did bloodwork to check OB related causes and they were negative and had my thyroid checked to see if I was swinging to the hyper stage and it was negative.  I've read alot about the pituitary and how it can cause hot flashes if there's a tumor.  I'm going to see my regular doc tomorrow ~ should I ask for an MRI of my pituitary?  Any other areas I should be looking at that could be causing the hot flashes?

[Dr Rajgopal]

Hi,
Hot flashes may be caused by medications, stress reaction and a number of medical conditions in the absence of menopause. Many systemic conditions may produce flushing such as carcinoid syndrome, systemic mast cell disease, pheochromocytoma, medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, pancreatic islet-cell tumors, renal cell carcinoma, hyperthyroidism, neurological flushing, emotional flushing, and spinal cord injury. These conditions are thought to secrete chemicals into the blood stream that can stimulate the nerves or blood vessels of the brain thus leading to the symptoms of hot flashes. Please consult a physician for a complete check up to know the cause. Hope this helps you. Take care and regards!