All you guys can automatically click to the next thread, By-By

I am 64, full hysterectomy at age 43.  Cannot take EST due to family history of blood clots., so have been living with the lovely hot flashes and God help me, night sweats.

I'm in 31 years of this crap.  It seems to be getting worse year after year.  Summers are OK, cause we crank the AC to max.

It's now fall.  We've turned on the heat, keeping it as low as possible, but even the least little amount of warmth = hot flash, night sweat.

I am literally waking up every hour with the sweats every night.

I need sleep.

Sandy

I've not been in it as long as you have been, but I've got it going like gangbusters.  I take black cohosh twice a day to help ward off the flashes.  It does seem to mitigate the symptoms a little with virtually no side effects.

Hot flashes and night sweats (I prefer the term "power surges") suck - pure and simple.  They feel just awful and they interrupt my sleep regularly.  I had a hell of a time even getting to sleep.

I don't like taking sleeping pills and my doctor suggested I take up to three plain old benadryl before bed.  I started out with one and it did nothing.  Two seems to be my magic number.  I fall asleep and STAY ASLEEP all night long. It's only effective for 4 hours so I don't feel groggy when I wake up, but I do feel well rested most days.  I still have hot flashes and night sweats while I sleep, but I must not notice them anymore (I know I still have them because I wake up to a wet pillow most mornings).  When the hot flashes are particularly fierce, I will sleep with an ice pack on my neck - seems to regulate the internal thermometer a little.

Hope you can find some relief. One would think they would be further advanced in research on this particular problem than they are . . . .pfffffft.

Unfortunately, she can't take black cohosh (she has a history of blood clots in her family).  Sandy, did you try those things I recommended?


Mosaicwench wrote on Nov 1^st, 2010 at 6:02pm:

One would think they would be further advanced in research on this particular problem than they are . . . .pfffffft.

Hmm, how many female gynae are old enough to have gone through this hell?  Many researchers?  Only then...............

I am lucky enough to be able to take hormones and you will pry my hormone patch out of my cold dead fingers.

I'm not passing by Sandy.  Just like any other life issue, it affects those that love you too.  I read threads like this so I'm better prepared for the day my lovely bride goes through the same.

Though I have to say I am looking forward to the day she wants the heat turned down  ;)

Good luck ladies...

-Dennis-