Hot Flashes....by request

By request from “Barbara,” here is some information I’ve gathered in regards to that peachy little side effect of perimenopause...hot flashes. The sources for my research are: http://www.breastcancer.org/ , http://www.mybreastcancer.org/ and http://www.earthclinic.com/.

According to www.breastcancer.org, hormone changes, lifestyle and medications can all contribute to hot flashes. Aging wasn’t mentioned as a cause, but I’m sure it plays a pretty major role for most women. ;o)

They also state that lower levels of estrogen have an effect on the hypothalamus, a cone shaped thing in your brain. But it’s a very important thing that affects your appetite, how you sleep, sex hormones and body temps.

Hypothalamus. Say that fast five times! Actually I just tried and it can be done. But I guarantee you don’t have a chance in the world of saying “unique New York” and “cheap ship” and having them come out right. If you do it fast, and there’s not a thing you can do about it, you’ll be saying “unique-u-nork” or “newyeek New York,“ and... Well, I’ll bet you can figure out the other one all by yourself.

Time to get back on track here.

Apparently lessening hormone levels tend to ‘confuse’ the hypothalamus, causing a hot flash.

Symptoms of a hot flash can include feeling hot (Gosh! Really?) in your face and upper body. You could also experience rapid heartbeat, sweating, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, headache or weakness. And here’s one I didn’t know about before. You might feel like you’re suffocating. Does this sound like fun or what?

Personally I’d have to choose, “or what.”

In addition you get-literally-red in the face thanks to what I’ll call “THFF” or...The Hot Flash Flush. I’ll probably only use this term once but it sounds fun, doesn’t it? Like a dance.

A quick word of caution here. I guess a hot flash might make you think you’re having a heart attack.

After a lifetime of periods, cramps, PMS, pregnancy and childbirth, this has just got to be the icing on the cake.

Will hot flashes ever go away?

Probably.

The odds are you’ll have them for the duration of the perimenopause phase, and maybe another year or two more. However, up to fifty percent of women will experience them indefinitely. The good news is, they get more tolerable. Eventually.

Another thing to take note of is that heavy women-and women with plenty of muscles-seem to have it easier than women closer to their ideal weights. But, if you smoke, they may be worse.

Many sources recommend trying to control hot flashes more naturally before resorting to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). For one thing, it increases the risk of breast cancer. And given what I found at www.mybreastcancer.org, I know I’ll be looking for alternatives when my time comes!

According to them Premarin®, which is what nearly 90% of women use, really is made purified urine from a pregnant horse. They actually said ‘pregnant mare’ but you know what? I kind of figured if it was pregnant then it kind of had to be a mare...

Horse urine?!

Oh puh-leeze! Perimenopausal bodies might be lacking in something, but I would bet big bucks that it isn’t horse urine! Purified or not! And even if mine was lacking it, I couldn’t imagine swallowing a pill knowing that the main ingredient was something I wouldn’t want to step in.

Jeez, I flush public toilets with my foot and use half a gallon of hand sanitizer (to which I add a generous amount of alcohol!) when I touch door knobs and shopping cart handles!

Horse urine!

What genius came up with that?

I can just imagine some man sitting down one day, tapping a finger on his forehead as he ponders menopause. Suddenly a light flashes on in his head (something has got to take up all that empty space)! “I’ve got it!” he exclaims, jumping up and running down the hall to where his colleagues sit, watching football and picking their noses. “Let’s give them horse urine!”

So what are some of the things you can try, without resorting to that disgusting measure?

Watch what you’re wearing. Go for layers. That way you can take off a sweater or a jacket when the heat gets to be too much for you. If you're not wearing layers and start taking things off, you may find yourself in an air conditioned cell in your local jail.

And think “Cotton, cotton, cotton.” Whenever possible wear cotton and use cotton bedding.

One suggestion was to get a bigger bed if snuggling too close to your husband made it worse. Or if he likes more blankets than you do. Sounds like a Lucy and Ricky or Rob and Laura solution to me. (If you’re old enough to be reading up on menopause, you’re old enough to remember these television couples) Seriously though, I guess that would depend on your financial situation-and the size of your bedroom.

Get a Scarlet O’Hara-type fan (or a battery operated, hand held one). Try cool showers before bed-or opening the freezer and sticking your head in it. (that was a real suggestion!) Heck, I do that now and I don’t have hot flashes! Exercise is supposed to help, as is learning relaxation techniques. What about Chinese medicine?

Vitamins can help. Up to 1000 I.U. of E, up to 250 mg. B6 and two Peridin-C three times a day. Apparently it has other antioxidants in it.

My favorite website, http://earthclinic.com/CURES/hot_flashes.html, has these recommendations from their readers: apple cider vinegar, apple cider vinegar and baking soda, apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper, B vitamins, Blackstrap Molasses (note...can affect your iron levels so I wouldn’t advise taking it unless you’re already anemic!), eliminate coffee, soda (pop) and sugar, iodine, cold baths, soy, and turmeric.

I would like to add here that some studies suggest that soy can increase the risk of breast cancer, the same as HRT, as well as contribute to other health problems. (See http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/index.htm for more information)

You could try keeping a diary to see if something (or some things) seem to trigger your hot flashes. Just before, or as it hit, what were you eating, drinking, doing or feeling? Were you stressed out (a very common trigger)? If you can pin it down, then avoiding the cause could help.

Other triggers include: alcohol, caffeine, diet pills, spicy food, hot food, hot tubs, saunas, hot showers, hot beds, hot room, hot weather, and smoking.

If all else fails, and you just can’t tolerate feeling like you‘ve got the mother of all fevers, it’s time to visit your friendly neighborhood doctor and see what he or she can do for you.

Or you could just move to the North Pole, live in an igloo, eat nothing but popcicles and ice cream, wear a bikini year round and swim with the penguins.