New here, questions about hot flashes...

16 years ago

First of all, thank God for this forum. I never knew how ingnorant I was about menopause until it hit me - and since my mom had a hysterectomy at 40 and my sisters haven't experienced it yet, I find I don't have much guidance about what's "normal" for us. I'm sure I'll be reading all the posts for days to catch me up to speed.

A little background. I'll be 47 in July and always was very regular until a year and a half ago. Last July after several months of no periods and two weeks of hot flashes, I had a doctor's appt and told her I was done, LOL. She said I'd have to have not had a period for a year to be considered post-menopausal and didn't believe I was through it already - the blood test did indicate I was on the beginning levels of post menopausal though. Then I had maybe four or five more periods, then no symptoms of any kind for months.

I have to say it was the easiest menopause I've ever heard of, apart from total lack of libido and vaginal dryness which I kept hoping would get back to normal.

Now I've started having hot flashes again after a year or more, only mine don't seem to be like what I've always heard described as hot flashes. They start with my ears burning and it's only my head that ever gets hot, usually. It seems very different from the ladies I remember in my office fanning themselves constantly. Mine consist of my ears get very hot and my head follows and it fades within a minute. It's always just my head and it's annoying and frequent but brief.

Is that what most of you experience or is this very different? Lately, it does seem to be a bit more like what I think of as a hot flash as I've had some sweat forming on my brow or face sometimes. I get these hourly at times. I have had night sweats once in a while also.

I just don't know if it's bad enough to seek hormone treatment and I wish I had some idea of how much longer it could go on for! That's the frustrating part for me, the not knowing how long it could last or if it will get worse or better!

I wish there was something more definitive than "everyone's different" or "some people can be in menopause for months, others for years". I understand that, but there still must some "average" experience of how long hot flashes last, for example! I truly felt done with menopause (maybe because I never had any difficulty with menstruation either) and wonder if I'm really just beginning or if this is like the last bit before I'm truly done.

Somewhere in there is a question, I'm sure of it! Sorry for being so wordy - it's just great to find a forum like this.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

soinspired
16 years ago
God love ya! I've had all kinds of hot flashes the past ten years and they continue but have lessened. I've had the ones that make my face flush terribly and then I break out in a sweat. I've had the one that feel like I'm a thermometer and the heat rises somewhere from my abdomen and up thru the top of my head. They can last a minute or several minutes. The ones I get the most of now are at night. I can go to bed so tired and cold and just when I get comfortable and ready to doze off, I'm sweatin' like I'm in a steam bath. My mother was 85 when she passed and she continued to have hot flashes till then. Yes, everyone is different. I think of it as "surging" now! But, I never get use to them. Hang in there!
bigdogmom48
16 years ago
I have been having power surges for the last 12 years. At one time I would have them about 1 an hour. I didn't want to take HRT so I looked for a more natural way to deal with them. I started taking a phytoestrogen from the health food store and went down to about 6 surges a day. Almost 6 years ago I switched brands and now only have one or two hot flashes in 24 hrs and sometimes none. The other thing that helps is that I keep a bottle of water in the refrigerator and when I feel a surge coming I take a long drink.
Related Discussions
new here, question about h. serpens
Q
Comments (3)
My little serpens (in a 3" pot) sits on an east windowsill and just bloomed. For the most part, it gets very bright reflected light off the close white house next door. Not much sun to speak of at all... I just had a bloom and it's got several more peduncles forming now. I would have to say it's a fairly easy bloomer. The challenge with serpens, for me, is finding just the right amount to water. A little too much and the leaves yellow and drop. A tad too little and the new growth dries and dies back. But the fragrance of the flowers makes it worth the trouble. Denise in Omaha
...See More
New here and learning question about nutes
Q
Comments (1)
Welcome! same as regular NFT concentrations for Dutch bucket as far as I see. That's 3 teaspoons per gallon in the first few weeks (first week maybe only 2 tsp), but you will probably need to increase as you get into the fruiting cycle to around 5 or six tsp total between grow and if CNS has a 'bloom' to especially boost up the potassium levels for tomato. This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Mon, Sep 23, 13 at 1:05
...See More
New here...question about plan drawings
Q
Comments (19)
Interesting to see this thread float back to the top! Another thought or three about CAD: --Every CAD program has a steep learning curve--so a lot of early time is devoted to understanding the user interface; --When/as that curve is mastered, a consumer still doesn't know about building code requirements; doesn't know about minimal and desired shapes and spaces; probably doesn't understand stair design; etc--so many of the owner created spaces are often inadequate and/or unworkable; --Finally, most consumers don't have a spatial sense and don't understand the spatial implications of linking one room to another room in various ways--so the interior spaces and the exterior massing of the design almost always suffer, or are rudimentary at best. Reno's sketches (the old analog approach to design) have all of these issues inherently considered, as with the sketches and studies of all experienced and talented architects. Each of these sketches represents a strategy to address the various issues required for designing and building a house or other structure. These seemingly freehand, random sketches are akin to the thumb-nail sketches that artists do in their sketch books, exploring design, composition and later, as the design progresses, studying options for values and color. Design is an iterative process and in archtiecture the process involves a number of simultaneously considered issues: site conditions, code requirements, life style, budget, climate and energy options, etc. The list of issues is usually extensive. For an architect, those sketches represent thinking on many levels and synthesizing opportunities and constraints from all of those levels into what may look like a simple droodle (but is not). This is one of the primary reasons most architects understand that owner-derived floor plans (working by themselves) may actually do more harm than good, setting pre-conceived but narrowly formed expectations. Just some thoughts.
...See More
New here, question about flooring transition
Q
Comments (8)
Hi, and thanks for the responses! Under the tile is 1/2" plywood. We originally had planned to have tile here (we're the original owners), then changed our minds. Our builder told us we'd be able to put tile down anytime - that the 1/2" plywood would be ok. It wouldn't surprise me if this is something else he was less than honest about. The area with the tile is very small, maybe 4x4. Oh, and I know the pictures don't show it, but the tile is higher than the carpet, but not by a whole lot. There isn't a horrible height difference right now. If we extend the tile any farther, it will look really weird. Right now the tile/carpet edge is right at the edge of the stairs. So if the tile ran any farther, it would jut out past the stairs. I have a pic hubby took while doing this that might show what I'm trying to describe. Notice where the edge of the stairs is. This entryway extends through the living room to the kitchen, so the only option we'd have for extending the tile would be to extend it all the way, which would look really weird! I think... So hubby talked to some work friends (weekend warriors) about this today and here's what they suggested. Use a rubber mallet to "pound" the curved metal carpet gripper as flat as possible. Then buy some wooden carpet -> tile transition, the kind with pre-drilled screw holes on top, and just screw the transition down into the subfloor so it "covers" the existing metal stuff, the tile edges, and part of the carpet. Kind of like this: *sigh* Is this salvageable? :( I know we can cover the wall edge with quarter round, but then there's still the issue of what to do with the tile edge that hits against the threshold/door area... Normally I'm picky about aesthetics, but right now I just want this to be done. :(
...See More
jaysav
16 years ago
I am 52 and just started having my flashes about 5 weeks ago. Mine are mainly head and neck but sometimes go down both arms, twice I got this overwhelming itchy head at the end of it (very unpleasant while your driving). My period stopped for 8 months returned for one skipped two now gone for four, There is nothing predictable about meno. I decided if I don't have a serious disease, I can manage. Good Luck, try and be patient with the process.

New here, questions about hot flashes...

Comments (3)

soinspired

bigdogmom48

Related Discussions

jaysav

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US