Acupuncture for Hot Flashes/Bone Pain

Anonymous

There are at least two studies on going for acupuncture and hot flashes and/or body aches.  Is anyone in the studies?  Or is anyone using acupuncture for hot flashes?

carcharm

I get accupunture every week for hot flashes. I was getting them every 5-10 minutes... bad they would make me trickle sweat. I am also on effexor xr 75 mg. Since starting both I have reduced the intensity and number to 4-5 a day. It is so much more doable. I noticed a decrease right away.

GG27

I just went through 3 acupuncture treatments for bone pain, joint pain, chills, hot flashes.  A bonus was that the neuropathy in my toes went away, thought I'd have that the rest of my life.  For me, it really helped the bone & joint pain.  It decreased the chills & hot flashes by about 1/2.  I am now able to sleep for more than an hour or so at a time before being woken by hot flashes, I'm sleeping 3-5 hours in a row.  I will have "tune ups" every couple of months.

jeanne46

Years ago when first treated for bc (which chemically induced me into menopause) I had hot flashes almost every 20 minutes around the clock. Daily, weekly, monthly.  I actually sweated in places I didn't know one could sweat.  At my wits end I tried acupuncture and biofeedback.  The flashes did ease up somewhat although I don't know if it was one, the other or both types of treatment.  I also tried effexor at a later time but it didn't seem to help as much (by then the hot flashes were less frequent and less severe).  I did the acupuncture and biofeedback weekly for about 2 months.

Best of luck.   

Susantc

Happy Mother's Day to all who are reading. Just logging in to say that accupuncture has helped me tremendously. I go one time per month at this point although for awhile I went every one to two weeks. I was going before my BC diagnosis and had really gotten the hot flashes and sleep straightened out. It all started up again after going on tamoxifen last summer, but things are much better now. When I go, I bring her all my latest symptoms such as joint pain or cramping, and she adjusts my treatment accordingly.  I also take some melatonin at bedtime which my accupuncturist and oncologist say is okay, and I sleep about 7 hours per night without waking up! I do notice that when I have some wine on the weekend, my sleep is not quite as good. Oh, I also do three yoga classes a week. I'll do anything to get some sleep!

DX 5/09, DCIS Stage 0, <1cm., Grade 2, ER+/PR+</p>

Anonymous

Thanks to everyone!