Hot Flashes!
by Barbara Roberts
When I was in my early 40s I started hearing whispers about older women and how they lost their minds when they hit the age of 50. I had HEARD of menopause, but beyond losing the ability to no longer have babies, I wasn’t clear on any other aspects of the condition. For most women, menopause comes in their late 40s or early 50s, and we all know – now – that it might come with some physical and/or mental effects.
What is terrifying is that many women who have left their 50s and 60s still complain of hormonal hell. Some days and nights are not as bad as others, but so many of my friends and I are still living the hot/cold life. I shouldn’t be surprised, since my mother called me when she was in her 70s to announce that she had requested hormones from her doctor. She couldn’t get a good night’s sleep because of flashes and night sweats. I’m there… Depending on the night, I am awakened every hour (at the worst) to every three hours most nights.
Going back to when my hot flashes began, at age 48 and a half, and several months before my menses ceased, I wore tank tops under my suit jackets so I could undress when one flared up. I had a fan. I went to meetings and tried to hold my composure and not think about that little heater in my back that was radiating out to all parts of my body and trying to see if it could break the heat index. I think I was successful. No one mentioned that I didn’t seem to be paying attention. They did mention that I had sweat on my forehead. My doctor assured me she could help, once my lab results indicated I was fully in menopause. Thank goodness! I once was on my balcony in the middle of the night, with snow on the ground, trying to cool off…
So, it took a while, but my doc called me one afternoon and said she had already ordered the Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) prescription for me! Within a week, I was in heaven, able to concentrate, able to sleep, and unfortunately I noticed a little later that I was also able to gain weight. For relief, I could put up with a few extra pounds. I was on HRT for 8 years. I wasn’t happy with the weight, but I was happy.
And then in July of 2002, we learned that HRT was not as beneficial for women as we had been told. The notion that it could protect against heart disease was wonderful. But they found that it did not give those protections. Instead, there were serious issues that could lead to blood clots and breast cancer. So, over a two-month period I weaned myself off of the pills. My reasoning was that I SHOULD be over it by now, so be safe and stop. I was good and had no problems until I was completely weaned. At that point, it was October. By November I was back in tank tops under my suit jackets and trying to stay cool. I was fearful of ski season; how in the world was I going to wear a turtleneck top? I went on a mission to find them with zippers, and I did. When I was skiing, I could unzip and ski with abandon, cooling myself down in the process.
By April, however, those hot flashes were so fierce that I went to see my doctor, who explained to me that HRT was meant for people like me who were having quality of life issues. I resumed hormone replacement therapy, though at a lower dose, for about four more years. Finally, the risks outweighed the benefits and I began the weaning process again. My doctor didn’t hold out much hope that things would be any different. She was right. Darn! Since then, I have tried Black Cohosh, Green Tea, sweet potatoes, and a concoction of herbs that I brewed into a tea that I bought from a Chinese herbalist. It tasted horrible, but it worked – until I couldn’t sleep one night because of a really fast heartbeat. Turns out I have a reaction to licorice, one of the herbs I was boiling up. Wonderful…
If you Google for information about menopause and when hot flashes should end, Web MD says: “That depends. About 2 in 10 women never get hot flashes.” Well, I know one of those 2. I hate her. “Others have hot flashes for only a very short period of time.” I know a couple like that too. I hate them. Still others can have them for 11 years or more.” For me, please place emphasis on the ‘or more.’ “On average, however, women get hot flashes or night sweats for about 7 years.” This is not an area in which I wanted to excel!
For about the last 10 years, I have lived near Miami, FL. Yes, more hot… However, unlike a lot of the West Coast where there is no air conditioning, the ability to cool down quickly is plentiful here. It doesn’t prevent the occurrences, but it does mitigate the effects. Being at the beach means cooling off in the water, and letting the breeze cool when I get out. At night, air conditioning, plus a fan focused on the bed does the trick. But, every day I hope that the hot flashes and night sweats will end. Way down deep, I know they will be back, but I am optimistic that some day someone will follow up on a hunch and find a solution to my problem!
*Do any of you have similar issues, or are you in one of the two groups I “hate?” Let’s have a conversation; maybe we can help each other!
