Hi ladies,

I have a few questions, ok, regarding hot flashes, the other night (Friday, I think) I SUDDENLY became rather hot, just on my hands, feet, and head, not really my cheeks or the rest of my body, welll actually, for a little while my legs and abdomen got rather warm, and I felt very "pre flu" ... but then, it ended up localizing on my forehead, hands, arms, and feet. Now, I began to take my temp. like crazy..lol...and I quickly jumped on the power surge chat room, to blab about this to some very patient, and understanding women here..lol! I was a nervous wreck AGAIN...because it seemed like I was getting a fever, and my temp. would fluctuate between 97.9 and 99.5 over a period of say, an hour and a half. I was reassured by these obviously experienced PATIENT women..lol....that I would be alright, and it sounded like a hot flash! THANK YOU LADIES, BTW! .... ok, so, my question is then: was that a HOT FLASH? Like I told the girls that night on the chat, I can remember my mother having them, but she, like most of my friends, got them from the neck up, she would get very red in her face and sweat! I didn't have that, the other night.
Now, what I HAVE HAD, is that I can wake up in the morning, TOTALLY HOT! Yeah, I get the whole body treatment. My entire body feels like it's burning up, you could fry an egg on me...and yet, when I take my temp., it's normal. But that night, my temp. was fluctuating. So, during a hot flash, can your actual body temp. change? I know your SKIN temp. can change but what about your actual INTERNAL temp.? I can't seem to find this info. on teh web. (I know Tots, I am TRYING to stay off that..lol:)

Also.....a question about hormone testing...my GYN says I don't need it....because since I am still getting myperiod, it wouldn't make a diff., because they change to frequently. But, I see other women here, get their hormones tested....so, I am trying to
understand why MY gyn won't do it. If it doesn't seem to matter, then why do other GYN'S do it?

ok, that's it for now, I think...LOL.............MyDarling

Okay, I posted that question on another thread. My temp rises to 99.5 as well! I can't find any info on it, so I posed the question in the "hot flashes" portion of the discussion boards. I am looking forward to hearing other women's thoughts. You're not alone MyDarling!

I guess I have never taken my temp. when I felt warm. i just know when mine started I did beleive I was getting the flu ar soomething, but then it would be gone an hour later. eventually I figured if I was really getting sick my temp. would be staying high or I would feel warm more than 15 min.

I didn't recognize the flashes at first they wer so few far between, maybe 1 a day or a few a week. I get them regularly now and there is no mistake. I have had diiferent feelings withthtem from warm face to whole body warmth.

I have been very warm lately getting up and sometimes feel my worst. warm is an understatment. You are probably just starting them...hang in there. I would look for options and try to nip them in the bud...I wish I had back then. HUGS Mikki

It's my understanding that a hot flash is a great change in skin temp for a very small (sometimes only a fraction of a degree) change in core body temp. I think a change of body temp from 97.9 to 99.5 is not a hot flash but an indication of the body fighting infection. However, feeling very hot but maintaining a normal body temp ... now that sounds like a hot flash !

Your doc is just flat out wrong. The fact that you are still having a period, even a regular one, is not a reason to not measure your hormones. You are having symptoms of perimenopause, many women continue to have periods for years during peri, but the hormones are fluctuating rather wildly. A period simply means that you had enough estrogen for part of your cycle to build up the uterine lining, and enough progesterone to drop and trigger the shedding of the lining, it doesn't mean your hormones are normal throughout the entire cycle. I am very peri, I had hot flashes a few weeks ago and then had a period.

If your gyn refuses and you can't switch to another doc, buy saliva test kits online and do it yourself. Timing within the cycle is important, so plan in advance when you're going to take the test(s).

I'd like to revise my last post. I have since read articles online that say there can be an increase in core body temp just before the hot flash starts. One study measured core body temp changes up to .99 degrees C which is 1.782 degrees F. Your temp change, from 97.9 to 99.5, is in line with that data.

Sandra,
Thanks for that info. Do you have a link to that article? I would love to read it.

I think I am not allowed to post a link, but here is how you can find the article ... do a search on: hot flashes temperature degrees

click on the charts in this article, and look at the difference in the onset of Tc (core temps) and sternol conductivity...

medscapeDOTcom/viewarticle/510409_2

ROFL ... I just read a medscape article ... "Severe Hot Flashes May Be Linked to Chronic Insomnia". DUH !!!!! As my friends used to say, no **** Sherlock.

I plan to publish a paper soon, "Being Set On Fire Every Night May Be Linked to Chronic Insomnia", and later a follow-up "Being Immersed In A Tub Of Ice Water Every Night May Be Linked to Chronic Insomnia".

Hi girls,

oh thank you! you know, you made me laugh! it's good to know this info! and yes, I am only covered for two dr.'s under my husbands plan!, so I'm stuck with these two. I didn't think that was right, him not wanting to test my hormones, what the heck?
I mean, i understand what he's saying, that basically, they just keep changing all the time, so what's the point, but still, I myself
would like to know! Yeah, so, I figure maybe I did have a hot flash that night, I don't know. The whole thing lasted about an hour to an hour and a half,,,now, I've learned a lot about these hot flashes latley too. When I was a teenager, I thought hot flashes lasted say, about 15 minutes or so...LOL! But I myself can walk around totally HOT (no ladies, not THAT WAY, believe me..lol:) all day, and have no temp. change. So, obviously, a hot "flash" isn't a "flash" at all, I mean, it can hang around for quite some time.

well, ok, that was really good to know! thank you girls!!!!!!!!! MyDarling

Hiya, Darling

What you wrote is precisely what I experience: all day heat. Sometimes I can feel hot to the touch, sometimes my skin feels cold . My personal best is 5 days and nights.

Now, I don't know how your HMOs work, but I gather some HMOs pressure doctors to rein in costs - and that can be a mitigating factor. Most doctors will note that hormones change all the time (Have a look at this chart: www.holisticonlineDotcom/Remedies/hrt/hrt_menstr_hormone.htm ) and are therefore, its difficult to determine anything much based on one sample. Timing is also a factor: ask when the best time to draw blood or spit is, relative to the onset of your monthly monster. I rather believe in the peace of mind theory - reducing mental strain is a worthwhile pursuit. If your doctor won't cave, and if it's important to you, google "hormone tests online". There are a number of places that will sell you the kits, you take your own samples, send them in for analysis, and mail you the results. PS if you go this route, have the lab send a photo copy to your doctor. It might help make him understand you're seriously concerned, and want the effort made. Sandra would probably be willing to share a little practical advice on this issue.

Best of luck

I have ordered saliva test kits from ZRT. I did a 5 hormone test the morning of Feb 5 and mailed it the same day, I'm waiting for the results. I still have a 2 hormone test yet to do, and Duch, being a measurment nerd like yourself :-), I ordered another 5 hormone test yesterday to do some time in the near future. This could get obsessive !! I honestly wish I could test every single day for 2 months, to watch the ups and downs, and even then I know there are fluctuations within a single day !

Speaking of fluctuations within a single day .. since getting relief from my frequent hot flashes several weeks ago, I noticed that now once a night I have one very mild hot flash. Well, one that I can identify, that wakes me up. I wonder if my estrogen is lower at nighttime. I haven't done any research on this yet ...

I get cold flashes too,all of sudden I feel like I am getting the flu,shivering and then my hands sweat?!Wild stuff-and I hate it.