OT: Perimenopause or Menopause help

[preklbt]

Hi ladies!

I'm not sure what stage I'm at, but I am definitely dealing w/night sweats & hot flashes! This stuff is making me crazy & I am not sleeping much because of it.

I have found somethings while googline online & wondered if anyone here has tried either of them.

I-cool, you find this at your local drugstore, such as walgreens.
Amberen, this you need to order I think.

Anyone tried either of those or had any luck w/something else?

My sister suggested vitamin E, which I have added, but I'm not sure I see much difference.

Thanks!
Tami

[weezy]

I wish I had some words of wisdom for you. I am post-menopausal now. I still have night sweats although they are not as bad. Last summer was the worst because it was so hot. I had like a gazillion hot flashes a day. They started to subside as the weather got cooler. I would say to try anything that helps to keep you cool. Hot weather or just being hot seemed to make my hot flashes come on. I Kept a fan blowing on me while I slept during the summer. Even now, while my DH has the covers up to his neck and looks like a mummy I am laying there with barely a sheet covering me. I am not trying to discourage you. It does get better. My doc wanted to put me on HRT last summer but I declined. I am one of those people that do not like to take medicine unless I absolutely have too. I was determined that I could handle it on my own and I did. Anyway, I don't know if this is true or not but I read somewhere that when you go off those pills that the symptoms will come back. That this is something that your body has to go through so you are just putting off the inevitable. Like I said I don't know if that is true so take it with a grain of salt.
Oh, and when I felt a hot flash coming on I would breath in real slow through my nose and out through my mouth and sometimes I could nip it in the bud.
Good luck and just remember-NO PERIODS!!!!!!! That is absolutely the best thing. Haven't bought a tampon in 18 months. I used to keep Playtex in business.

[macska]

My acupuncturist friend gave me this herb complex "Balance Heat" by a company called "Evergreen". It is amazingly effective, almost no hot flashes anymore. I very highly recommend this.

[DI431]

I can't use any hormones or herbs that act like hormones, I had breast cancer. My doctor put me on a low dose of an antidepressant, it worked for awhile. I am using the I-cool it seems to help alot, it really cut out the night sweats, I used to have to get up and change my clothes, and it cut out hot flashes during the day. I would really like to try amberen but it's pretty pricey and the reviews said you have to keep taking it. My oncologist couldn't recommend it because they would not say what was in the propriatary blend. I'm sure my oncologist will take a look at the I-cool and tell me to stop, but for now I'm using it. I want to get off the antidepressant, need to talk to my doctor how to do that without side effects.

[Joni O]

I went to a menopause specialist and have been taking biodentical hormones for a couple of years. I plan to take them for the rest of my life to avoid all the symptoms of hormone imbalance.

[Paine]

I have empathy for you. I had terrible night sweats during perimenopause where I would wake up drenched and had to change my nightwear in the middle of the night. It helped to keep our bedroom as cold as possible so that if I woke up feeling on fire, I could uncover and quickly cool off without waking completely up and then I could go back to sleep. I took extra vitamin E for hot flashes (recommended by my mom who said it helped her) but I don't know if it helped me or not. Fortunately we live where there is snow during winter and if I had a hot flash, I could step outside on the snowy porch for a couple of minutes of instant relief, ahhh! I know this is an uncomfortable time of life but you will get through it.

[bfit]

Yes. I can identify too. I had night sweats (but no daytime hot flashes thank goodness) on and off for a couple of years. The only thing that made it bearable was that it would be really bad for a couple of weeks and then slack off a little to give me a break. I did not take any supplements or estrogen. We kept the bedroom really cool, and I wore really light sleep clothes. Another helpful thing is the "chillow" which is a cooled pillow. I don't remember where to get it right now, but you can google it and order it online. I also went to bed a little early and if possible slept in a little late to compensate for the sleep lost when I woke up all hot and sweaty.

[margaux]

CHILLOW is a lifesaver. It gets me through the night..keeping me cool. Highly recommend. I got mine through amazon.

[mandie123]

I also take bioidentical hormones in pellet form as for me they work much better.

[preklbt]

Thanks for all the feedback, I know I am not alone in this, but it sure is not fun! I don't mind sweating when working out, but not when I am sleeping or when I am not doing anything!

Our bedroom is cool at night & I have been sleeping with less clothes & covers. The problem is I wake up frequently, trying to wake ahead of the sweats so I can pull the covers off! This cat nap type of sleeping is wearing me down.

I bought the I-cool & will try that, if that doesn't work I will call my gyno about other options. It's good to know others have found solutions with some other options or the biodentical hormones. I didn't realize there was any options until I started googling things today.

Hoping for a cool, restful sleep!
Tami