Hot Flash Forum!
Comments
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Yeah bobogirl, I know what you mean - I just ate my lunch - a healthy vegetable salad with homemade bread and a bit of soy margarine. I immediately had my first hot flush of the day. Go figure.
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My sister-in-law is taking a tsp. of magenisum in a glass of water before bed to help w/her hot flashes. She said that she can now sleep through the night. Not sure if that's OK for BC patients; am going to ask my onc about this next time I go in. This is the first time I've heard of that suggestion.
I've not heard of Gabapentin lifelover.
I used to like a glass of wine in the evenings (sometimes two!), and when my onc said to limit alcohol to 2-3x/week I was bummed. But since I've been getting such crummy sleep, haven't wanted to drink that much (too tired), and am practically a teetotaler now. (=Silver lining?!)
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Lifelover- I just started taking gabapentin 3 weeks ago. Since taking gabapentin 30g along with my 75mg of Effexor I haven't had one hot flash since. It's a wonderful life for me right now.
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Thanks Renee and Chris.
I'll ask my onc about the magnesium Renee. Gabapentin is also called Neurontin. Sometimes Lyrica is used but I didn't like the Lyrica. Drinking (the devil on my back): I definately need to watch how much I drink. I know drinking makes my flushes worse. I only drink in the evenings and have 1 or 2 about 5 nights a week.
Chris, think I'll ask for more Effexor as I've heard other Ladies say that after awhile of it working they needed to up their dose.
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Hi ladies haven't been here in a while. I went to my MO and questioned about upping my Effexor, she would not. But she has put me on gabapentin in conjunction with my Effexor. It has been almost a month and I have not had a single hot flash. It is absolutely wonderful. Hope everyone is able to control their hot flashes.
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Hi Ladies -- I think this is my first post to this thread. I've been on tamoxifen for over four months now. The hot flashes started up after the first month (but to be fair, I had hot flashes last summer, pre-dx, that went away once the cooler weather kicked in). Back in June I started acupuncture treatments to help with the hot flashes. I did have relief for several weeks, but then when the extreme summer heat started, nothing was helping.
Anyway, I'm just here to complain!
I'm 49, still pre-menopausal, and am experiencing both shock and awe at the power of hot flashes. Like many others, I am chilly when I'm not hot-flashing. The sweat really makes you cold, but not in a good, relief-from-hot-flashes kind of way. More like clammy and shivery. But here's the craziest thing: I find myself dreading showers these days! I normally love to shower and wash my hair. But I find showering really messes up my wacky internal thermostat. I sweat like crazy when I come out of the shower. Blow-drying my hair is also an exercise in futility. I can feel the sweat pouring out of my scalp as the hot air is blowing on it. And my face ... forget about it! I never used to perspire much, but these days I get drenched with sweat after I'm all dressed and showered.Sorry, I know I'm preaching to the choir. I'm really reluctant to take effexor, so I'll get back to acupuncture and hope that it makes a difference. Summer is my favorite time of year, but perhaps the cooler temps to come might make things more manageable.
Thanks for listening!
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Gemini- I completely understand when you talk about the sweating from drying or showing. My effexor was working up until about May when it became unbearable. I was post surgical menopause 3 years prior to Dx. So I was already accustomed to HF's but not as severe as post Dx and surgeries. I really love the combination of the Effexor and the Gabapentin. I feel like a new person. Good luck with your HF's.
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Reneeinohio--noticed you mentioned constipation as a problem, here's a link to my constipation thread. Hope it helps
http://community.breastcancer.org/topic_post?forum_id=6&id=781867&page=1
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Yes, that's right, life with hot flashes/flushes = no more hot showers let alone a long hot bath
My showers are tepid now - and before I get out I splash cooler water all over me. Not cold, cold, just cooler.
Oh yeah, no more blow drying hair - my hair is short anyway.
And to boot, no more make-up because I wipe it off anyway when I sweat.
It's good to have a rant. But seriously, I'm happy Gabapentin and Effexor is working for some of you. The combination does work for me but I guess when I'm really stressed it doesn't. Back to meditation maybe.
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Gemini, I've had the cold flashes too, sitting on the beach in the hot sun, covering myself up with a towel because I'm "shivering" from the cold. It's horrible, feels like the worst hangover/worst flu combined.
Does anyone else have trouble with temperature variations in general? For instance, just sitting on the side of a pool, sticking half my legs in, used to feel refreshing. Now I feel miserable. It's as if my body can't handle the temperature difference. Or standing by a warm oven. Usually it's mildly unpleasant but now it makes me insanely uncomfortable.0 -
TarheelMich, yes, I know what you mean. So does my poor sweetheart - he suffers with me as I keep opening and shutting windows, tossing off the bed covers, then covering up again . . . oh well . . .
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Freedman : recent publication "Alludes to perception of FLash In the insula"--forebrain. Doesn't define it as an AURA as we did in the early pages of this thread. But for those that were here in the beginning of the thread. WE identified an Aura as something that was experienced that forewarned that a FLASH was beginning. This was previously absent from the literature. I notified Freedman's office of this. His assistant of many years took all the info. She had typed all his papers for years and had never heard of this. I suggested that he come here and read. Apparently they did. His research was a bit flat prior to that communication. Meaning no break throughs.
We did something YAY. Of course no credit. But we know.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/wsu--wsu071513.php
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Ah I'm finding that theirs infighting in the hotflash research community. They are dissing each other ----be very careful in reading all the current research. Here's a new study
Ellen Freeman in Penn and Robert freedman in Detroit are the premminent researchers in the field of Hotflashing. They are in direct competition. I searched them both when I was on the Hotflash forum. in 2011 pre sept that year. Got diverted by a brain tumor. Now looking to see what's new LOL. The two are still at it.
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We may have reviewed this publication as it's from 2010. What caught my eye this time was the response to a decrease in HF's by 46% with use of Gabapentin at 900mg.
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Ladies, it's been a long time since I was on this thread, I'm glad to see it is still chugging along! Here is my update.
I was on Tamoxifen for 2 1/2 years. Hot flashes were tolerable after a period of adjustment to them in the beginning. But the past 3 months, they have increased. I get one every 45 minutes. Akways preceeded by being severly cold and as soon as I put on a sweater or turn off the A/C or pull on a blanket... whooosh, intense flashing that now cause me to sweat (I'm not a sweater) *and* created a heat rash on my left boob.
The add'l flashes alone I was willing to live with. But I've also developed a feeling like I have a fever (even though my temp is below 98.6). For 2 months I lived with what felt like a fever, no energy, headache, nausea, increased pulse. Something was wrong. I woke up one morning and had an AHA moment: it's the Tamoxifen. So I stopped taking it 2 1/2 weeks ago. I am seeing my MO next week. He wanted to switch me to an AI back in April but I asked to stay on Tamox for 6 motre months, as I was afraid to rock the boat — I was handling the SE's well. And then I wasn't.
I feel incrementally better every day. Man, this drug stays in the body a long time. My hot flashes are still the same, still as severe. The only relief I've noticed? No nausea, less fever-like symptoms (tho I still feel that way) and I'm sleeping a little better.
I gotta tell ya, it was very freeing to snap the lid shut on that bottle of Tamox. Now I get to experience AI. Oh boy! Will start that end of October (if it's OK with my MO to wait a few weeks). PS I was unable to take Effexor for the hot flashes b/c I do not react well to antidepressants.
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Hi ladies - I've been on Tamoxifen for nearly five months now. I'm also on 75 mg of Effexor. In the past month the hot flashes have been wicked!! I feel them coming on, they are about 1 - 2 or more per hour afterwards I am dripping in sweat. It seems like if I can bring them on just by the mention or thought of the word. I haven't had a period since May. I am 53. Do you think the sudden increase is because my ovaries are shutting down naturally?
Are there side effects to the Gabapentin? Also since I have not met my deductible this year, is the Gabapentin expensive?
Thanks so much!!0 -
Ok I just checked the cost, and it looks like it is inexpensive. I think the HF are worse if I eat anything made from white flour (I generally don't eat processed sugar). Does that make sense?
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Farmerlucydaisy, my onco suggested vitamin E 1000mg a day. I now have fewer and less intense. Your age indicates that it could indeed be menopause and I have heard that certain foods, likely spicy hot, can make hot flashes worse. I'm sorry I don't know anything about Gabapentin.
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Grandmav; I can vouch for the hot spicy foods adding to the intensity of the hot flash. Had my first curry since diagnosis in march for lunch the other day.. Phewwwww was drenched in sweat... Luckily was alone.. Was truly the strongest one I've had...think my curry days are over. Re the shivering, I am def noticing that too..
in fact i thought I'd had the flu, but maybe its more the tamox...0 -
Hi ladies,
I'm experiencing hot flushes due to chemo and am not on hormone treatment, there are just so many posts on here I'm unsure of where to start, but can anyone recommend something herbal to take? I've finished my last chemo and have just done a menopause test, I had a hysterectomy 3 years ago but they left my ovaries in but my doc thinks it's quite likely it's put me into menopause (I'm 37).
It's keeping me up every night, sticking my feet and hands out of every corner of the blanket - then I wake up freezing my ring off.
Thanks ladies xo0 -
Angstapp, Hi, My onco had me go on 1000IU of Vitamin E for hot flashes caused by femara. It really seems to help. It takes 2 to 3 months to notice a difference though. I still have them but not nearly as often and they're more like warm flashes. Hot spicy foods can make flashes worse, as can caffeine. Since you're ER- there are some phytoestrogen foods that can diminish hot flashes, like soy and flax seed. I haven't tried them because I am ER+, so have no personal experience with those.0 -
Thanks!!!!0 -
Bump
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In case you don't have this link. It's a drug site that is great even though it was done by the government. Why is it GREAT! 1. after putting the drug name in the search box and the list is pulled up the first drug manufacturer is the one that originated the drug. 2. importance---all the pre-approval clinical trial documentation is there 3. all post marketing data is there 4. hyperlinks throughout to connect within the report for easy referencing between topics.
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I already had hot flashes on Tamoxifen and they got worse after my ooph, but Effexor had terrible SEs for me so my MO has just told me to start taking Cimifemin, which is a black cohosh extract. I'm concerned, though, because I've read so many posts about that being a no-no for ER+ patients. I've stopped T while I switch to Femara next week, but the hot flashes haven't abated at all (I spend most of the night fanning myself as I lie in a pool of sweat).
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I received a cooling pillow for christmas, I have hardly any hotflashes during the night anymore. Awesome!
Redroan
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I have spent the last three days reading through this thread. I'm seriously thinking of staying bald to keep cool at night. I wished my MO would have told me that when you get off chemo, your body decided to go nuts with hot flashes at night and nauseous then freezing to repeat the cycle. I'm 36 and I will be doing this for how long? I'm waking up 35-50 times a night, then actually like clockwork up around 2:47-3 a.m and can't go back to sleep until 5:30 then up at 7 am to go to work. I'm looking forward to my next surgery just so I can get some sleep. They will be pulling my ovaries too, so that will change me from Tamoxifin to some aaromatase inhibitors. I"m no neither of these right now. I can't take Vit E or melatonin b/c of my cancer type. Right now, I just put cold water on my bald chemo head and wrist, an ice pack, and the dueling fans. I a a runner, but that seems to not help. I'm meeting with my MO on Wednesday I'm going to ask about the black cohosh. I am allergic to most pharmaceutical drugs, so I'm thankful for all of you gals who posted other remedies.
Stay cool.
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Hi fairy what,s this about no melatonin? On kindle trouble typing
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I was told by OS and MO no melatonin and Vit. E mimics estrogen and not to go eat edamame or other soy issues. Then I'm reading on here that others are taking melatonin..so who knows. I'm just so much ER/PR + that they are taking the ovaries, because of it. I also need to start dropping more weight, hence my running I drop 30# then gain 15 on chemo, so now I have 45# to loose. I already eat "clean".
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Michelle - I hear you. I've been saying for some time that it feels like my internal thermostat is broken. If I'm in a warm room, I start hot flashing like mad - my hair drips sweat down my back. Just lovely when you're in a marketing meeting in a hot humid room! I'll ask my onc about the Vitamin E. And the night sweats are pretty awful too. Between those and having to get up to pee every 2 hours (this is also very new for me!), I'm just chronically exhausted. Thanks for all the info and suggestions, everyone!
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