I've been doing a LOT of research about this - I've been having some awful symptoms for the past 2 years (since turning 40) -- some of which are typical menopause related stuff and some are not, but I suspect all are related to hormonal decline. I've been getting bloodwork and basically, my estrogen and thyroid are both circling the drain --- my last bloodwork showed the estrogen level of a 60 year old (I'm 42! WTH!) I am pursuing bioidentical hormone replacement via cream. I don't have it all figured out yet (I get the feeling that there's a lot of experimenting on yourself til you find the right combo) but from the reading I did, I am pretty confident that this is what I need. Those of you saying you can't take HRT because of pre-existing tendency to blood clots or migraines or whatever might want to investigate the bioidentical stuff via transdermal cream. Blood clots are only an issue when estrogen is taken orally and passes through the liver -- if you are delivering it via skin or patch, there is no increased risk of blood clots (and in fact, your risk of other heart issues goes way down). Migraines are also one of the things that estrogen can help. And even the connection between estrogen and breast cancer is not as cut and dried as I thought -- I feel safe taking the bioidentical estrogen. I have read probably 20 books on the subject of menopause and HRT and the one I found most clear ad helpful is called Screaming to Be Heard by Elizabeth Vliet. I would recommend reading it - it pretty much debunks a lot of the things that I had heard about HRT including the results of that women's health study that caused everyone to abandon HRT -- did you know that whole study was done with synthetic hormones, not bioidentical? And that none of the horrible side effects found in that study have been found in studies that use bioidentical hormones? They are all related to the synthetic stuff like norethidrone and premarin. Because the pharmaceutical companies can't patent a naturally occuring substance and therefore can't make big bucks of bioidentical, there have been few efforts to educate doctors or do controlled studies on bioidentical hormones, but the studies that have been done show amazing benefits without the scary side effects. (Of course, the pharma companies don't want you to know that, because they want you to keep taking your premarin....)

Hi golddust have you tried placing a fan next to your bed hun that helps me some also i have got a summer quilt an put pure cotton on it im not saying it stops the sweats but it helps i do get a bit more sleep than iwas doing why do you refuse to give up your lattes is caffene causing you some problems i drink de caff now because of palpatations but ive managed to find a remedy for that now i take magnesium n calcium tablets every morning and that stopped them i can even have a few glasses of wine now i go to bed early get up early i only work part time now but doing a bit of something helps to take my mind of my physical problems and i get tired out as well so i sleep through the flushes a little easier i take cammomile tea right before bed as well i think that helps

Just a word of caution: Do be careful about taking these over-the-counter remedies without consulting with your doc first. They can contra-indicate if you're taking other meds. I'm on the "other side" of most of you, having stopped my periods 15 years ago at age 44. (And sorry to say, the hot flashes are still with me.) My experience showed that I was not able to quickly find a successful regimen to hold my menopausal symptoms in check. I consulted with three or four GYNs until I found one who was willing to stick with me until we got it right. I really had to become my own advocate, if you will. We need to be as well educated as we can about the subject. As you look for what you can "take" to help you, you should also research really well the results of the (Women's Health Initiative) study they released back in 02. Don't rely on websites related to drug or supplement firms - read what's available on the National Institute of Health and other medical sites. In '06 the NIH released results of a separate study that showed herbal supplements were of no value in relieving hot flashes. Some women are lucky in that their menopausal symptoms are less severe and perhaps they perceive that herbs like black cohash have helped. But it's not "everyone's menopause," and what works for some doesn't work for all. After lots of trial and error, I was on an HRT regiment with both estrogen and progesterone that was wonderful for my body. I took the pills for about twelve years (referred to them as my "life line"). Hot flashes and night sweats were completely eliminated, and I was able to concentrate once again (although NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING helps for memory loss!). On and off I also tried a variety of anti-anxiety pills, none of which seemed to make a discernable difference. Depression is very common in menopausal women. Many people have had good results with the bio-identical hormones. I tried them for about a year but I didn't find the results comparable at all, so I stopped. I'm no longer on any hormones, and it has been a real struggle. I still have almost-daily hot flashes and nightly hot sweats (although the night sweats are not as severe, yet they still awaken me and that's annoying enough). Since stopping HRT, I don't think I've had a single uninterrupted night's sleep. But, as with every step I've taken since my periods stopped fifteen years ago, being off HRT is my choice. I have just learned to live with it. I think the bottom line is that you need to understand what if any risks there are in your body/family history that would or wouldn't make HRT a good solution for you. I don't think I've seen any mention here of calcium supplements, and that's so very important. We should be taking 1,200-1,500 mg daily if we're not on estrogen, a bit less with estrogen. Osteoporosis is very common in both pre-and post-menopausal women. Here is a link that might be useful: Menopause and Herbal Supplements Study Article

My hot flashes aren't too bad, but they are still here. I have weird symptoms. At night it isn't always easy to sleep. Year round I need a light soft cotton nightgown with at least short sleeves. My sheets are the T shirt kind and are not crispy. My hot flashes at night are not that bad, but my skin can feel funny, and these bed clothes probably absorb some of the moisture. If my shoulders are bare and I sweat a little, I have a very strange mixture of hot and cold that is very uncomfortable. I drink a lot of water. I have been hospitalized once with a kidney stone, and think I have passed others. So I follow the water rules of people with kidney stones. I drink my 2 and often 3 liters of water a day. It is very important to do that in the summertime, but I think it helps to drink water before you go to sleep. Part of the overall discomfort of night sweats might be the dehydration. Whenever I wear a turtle neck under a sweater, I make sure that it is a nice one and realize that I may have to take off the sweater. I know that hot flashes pass quickly and have stopped asking my students if it feels a little warm in the class. I wear camisoles under my school clothes. Again too many fabrics can just sort of feel funny and not absorb moisture. If I am tired and want to sit and watch TV, an old king size flannel sheet feels better than a throw to cuddle up in. These are just a few thoughts of what I do. Maybe some of you have other ideas. We much watch out for the summer heat. Hot flashes aren't dangerous, but that summer heat with hot flashes can be. Sammy