Chemopause and Hotflashes

jenn3

I have gone into chemopause.  It started with a few hotflashes at night, which I could handle, but now I've gotten to the point that I get them about every hour or so starting around 7p and it goes on until 5am the next morning.  I can't get a good night sleep.   Is there anything that can be done to ease the frequency of these miserable hotflashes? 

carcharm

I'm in the the same predicament only my hot flashes come every 20 minutes. I read that the antidepressant Effexor helps thwart some of the hot flashes. I started walking on t he treadmill for 30 minutes everyday and staying away from hi ghly spicy foods. It seems to have reduced the number of hot flashes but when they come it's awful-especially at work. My fan is on than off. The girls make fun of me cause they know when I have them. If you find something that is allowed and works while doing chemo please email me privately. Carcharm

smithlme

I couldn't have any sugar or caffeine after dinner or mine were terrible. Exercise didn't seem to help. Sleeping pills helped a bit. I could at least get a few hours of sleep before I was woken up again, throwing the blankets off...

Linda 

jenn3

I'm walking for 40 minutes to an hour each day and my mouth doesn't tolerate spicy foods right now so that isn't it.  I don't like the nighmares I get with sleeping pills so that's out.  I guess I'm fighting suggestions and running myself out of options................... I'm afraid to add antidepressents to the mix, but if it helps it may be worth talking to the onc about. As I'm typing this they have started for the night - ugh!!!!

Thanks for the suggestions.

tkone

Hi Jenn3

Have you considered acupuncture?  I had NEVER considered acupuncture for anything and then decided during chemo that I would do anything in the world to get rid of the bone pain and it worked.  So when I started having hot flashes and night sweats, I decided "what the heck" and decided to give it a try.  I wish I could say that it completely got rid of the hot flashes and night sweats, but that wouldn't be true.  But I will say that they have been much less frequent and milder. 

I don't eat any sugar and I get exercise several times a week so those things could be helping as well, but I'm not sure.  I wasn't eating any sugar before I started acupuncture so that part hasn't changed for me.

I say it is worth a shot, especially if you don't want to put any other drugs in your body.

Good luck.

Tracy

jenn3

Never thought of acupuncture and hotflashes, it may be worth looking into.  I have to admit that I do have a sweet tooth, so maybe I'll watch the sugar intake and see if that helps as well.

Thanks!

pk0199

Well I didn't have chemo but had hyst with ooph so now in surgical menopause. The hot flashes weren't too bad at first but now getting more frequent and stronger.  My sister got me onto Bob's coral calcium which is helping me sleep better and gives me the calcium I need. So I too would like to look into accupuncture. How may sessions did you have to have? Will admit, I am a sugar hound so need to work on that.

Tracy would love to hear more about your experience with accupuncture.

Penny 

KKing

I can relate.  Chemo put me into menopause and I am now on Arimidex.   I did go to a Naturpath that said caffeine in coffee or tea can aggravate the situation.  Also, alcohol.  She gave me a homeopathic solution but I honestly have not been taking it.  I really find if I stay away from the caffeine and the alcohol it does lessen them.  Deep breathing when it starts seems to work.

Hope this helps

Karen

jancie

Jenn - I have found out that taking an ambien or valium at night have helped me get some decent sleep as I was waking up 3-4 times a night with hot flashes.  I keep my ceiling fan on and the window wide open even when it is 30 degrees outside.  I constantly throw my blanket off and then back on throughout the night.  At least when I wake up now I can go back to sleep thanks to the ambien or valium.

AmyIsStrong

I bought a "chillow" which is a water filled pillow that helps keep your head cool. You can google it and find where to buy it if you are interested.  While it isn't perfect, I did find it to help take the edge off.

Now that I am done chemo and on Tamoxifen, I find them a little less frequent (so far).  BUT what I don't like is that immediately before the hot flash, I get a brief wave of nausea, like a mild upset stomach. It took me a while to catch on, and even now when it happens, I think "Oh no, my stomach is upset - what did I eat that didn't agree with me?" and then the hot flash comes.

Does anyone else experience anything like this?

jancie

Thanks AmylsStrong for the information on the chillow!  I didn't know such a thing existed.

I have also found that going to bed with a wet head and the ceiling fan on helped me a lot.

jenn3

Before the hotflashes started my bald little head got cold every night, now I sleep w/o a head covering.  I think I'll look into the chillow and a cool rag to keep my head cold.  The Ambien gave me strange dreams so I'm a little leary of taking it.  I do have Ativan that was given to me to help calm me down if I needed it - I've only taken one..... does that work with hotflashes or just relax you enough to not care?

I don't get the upset stomach, but feel more like a heatwave is coming from the inside out, it starts slow enough that I don't quite realize it - then all of a sudden I dripping in sweat ripping off the covers and fanning my head.

More good ideas thanks..........

pk0199

AmyisStrong, that is exactly what I get! Sometimes the heat waves feel "deep" from within, almost knocks you off your feet, only for a few seconds, a little nausea then just heat. I think I am seriously going to look into accupuncture.

jenn3

I was just sitting on the sofa with my daughter laying in my lap I started with a hotflash, but didn't say anything.  She got up looked at me and said "are you having a hotflash"?  She could feel the heat on my legs - she said it felt like she was laying on a heating pad all of a sudden..........

pitanga

I´ve been doing acupuncture too, for other reasons, but it turns out it is helping with the hot flashes and my state of mind in general.

Before acupuncture, I was getting them several times an hour. Now I think I get them about once an hour and they a little less strong than before.

I also find myself in a pretty bad mood most all the time, and when the hot flash starts to hit I start to feel angry. The acupuncture has helped lessen this but has not made it go away.

Does this happen to anyone else? the mood issue, I mean.

Estepp

Jenn... SS!

EFFEXOR!

I had 50 hotflashes a day.. never slept.. it stunk!

I take Effexor at bed time daily.. for the past five months... it started to work IMMEDIATELY!

I now only have 3-5 hotflashes a day.. and sleep with 0 hotflashes.. for me... Effexor..75mg at bed time... was a MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

eastender

I take gabapentin and wellbrutin/pristique for the hot flashes now, I find the hot flashes come and go depending on how much stress is going on during the day!  This is a very special club and not everyone is allowed to join...Lumpectomy June 09; Chemo July-Sept 09; Revision of margins October 09; Rads October 09
Diagnosis: 4/29/2009, IDC, 6cm+, Stage II, Grade 2, 0/5 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

jenn3

I feel like a Chia Pet, except it's sweat coming from the inside out not some crazy plant......

I'm going to call the dr today and ask about Effexor. 

TennesseeMichele

It's been over a year since I finished chemo, and I'm glad to say that the hot flashes have gradually lessened in intensity and number.    Stress is what really brings them on.  My kids notice immediately when one starts and they don't want me to touch them at all until I've cooled down. 

A friend of mine that has migraines mentioned that she has them unless she drinks caffeine daily.   Since then I've noticed that it's the same with me; if I have caffeine (for me it's a Coke), then the hot flahes that day are milder and fewer.  Crazy, since everything else I read says the opposite reagarding caffeine.

Exercise helps too; many days when I'm able to walk (about 3 miles) I don't have any hot flashes except a couple mild ones in the evening.

Michele