I am glad to report some good news here and will post in case in helps another woman who is struggling along with intense night sweats and some hot flashes during the day, as I was for several months. It got to the point, I wasn't getting more than 2 hours of sleep at a time because the night sweats were SO bad. I tried so many things - diet, teas, etc etc. I finally decided to try acupunture .. and within 2 weeks - the sweats and flashes were GONE! My acupunturist is also trained in chinese herbs, so she also has me on some herbs as well. It's now been almost 3 months without a single hot flash or night sweat! Stunning! I can now get a minimum of 8 hours sleep (!!!!) at a time - I can't begin to tell what a relief that is ... I had truly forgotten the feeling of a complete night's sleep. I share this as a ray of hope to all who are still struggling with this meno issue. kathleent

kathleen this post really caught my eye as I was having night sweats and, as I can't take HRT, was struggling to find a natural solution. The last bout of night sweats was in February and March and by April I was feeling so tired. I'd had this problem on and off before at the beginning of peri. My GP ignored me and I thought I could handle it but I ended up completely exhausted so I knew that I needed to find a solution.

I started having acupuncture by accident really but it worked for me too. I am so pleased to read your success story. I've posted on the alternative remedies forum about it because I would never have thought of trying acupuncture mysef and like you if it helps someone then that's a good thing.

My naturopath only recommended the acupuncture, no herbs.

I haven't had a problem since May (doing a happy dance ) although for me this peri symptom comes and goes. There doesn't seem to be a pattern to it. I agree it really makes you appreciate a good nights sleep and being able to wake up feeling good instead of like a zombie after being hot/cold/hot/cold all night

Wishing you much beeeeeeeauuutiful sleep kathleen.
hugs
robin

kathleent,

I was so glad to see a post from you. Acupuncture helped me too...along with Simplex F that he prescribed. I only took that for about 5 days. I still have hot flashes because I stopped but they are no longer as intense. I only had one acupuncture treatment for the flashes.

Hugs,
Karen

Glad to see acupuncture is working....

Lets see...I'm wondering what else I can do.....as Ialready....

1/ exercise frequently
2./eat healthly

I myself have been going to an alternative wellness clinic, and as of last May my Doctor there did some kinesiology and acupressure (similar thing, without the needles) and I stopped having terrible 'hot moments', especially the night one's....ALTHOUGH, they did return after 5 months, therefore he did his stuff again and I was free of them again...BUT,
they seemed to have returned just 2 months later( however the intensity isn't so great) but it does still really bother me at night that I can't fully have a well rested 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep!

I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the fact that I haven't had a period since first week in August, apart from some spotting about a month or so ago?

Tonight I'm going to try and lay off any glasses of wine (oh bother!) and cut out any sugars to see if that helps at all, as I'm sure there must be something else I can do.

ANY IDEAS ANYONE?

I am anxious to try the accupuncture as I suffer day and night from flashes and have for 5 years now. Is there a specific way to give the accupuncture for flashes. In other words, is everyone who is certified to give accupuncture knowledgable to know how to do it specifically for flashes? The reason I ask is I have had accupuncture recently for sore muscles across my shoulders but my flashes were no different. Is there a certain process and do all accupuncturists know how to perform it for hot flashes and night sweats?

I would love to hear about that as well. Good Question Gail!

I believe there are certain meridian points in the body for different problems, so a trained acupuncturist should be able to place the needles where the energy needs releasing. If you go to an acupuncturist and you don't see any relief then try another one as they may not know what they are doing!

My alternative therapist does 'acupressure' and managed to relieve my night/day sweats on 3 seperate occasions, but since I haven't had a period (August '07) my night sweats come and go but the daytime ones have almost gone....

I am now trialing taking extra magnesium/calcium supplements at night because I read that helped....so far i have had success, but it is only night 5 and who knows if it will carry on!

Caz

I've had four sessions of acupuncture and I have not felt any different, I have to say.

oh well.. there goes that one... i was thinking about trying it myself..

I would still try it, zen. It might just work for you. It might still work for me. I have another session next week (had to miss a week as the acupuncturist is on holiday this week). I asked if I should be feeling any difference by now and his reply was that everyone is different. He did say that the quicker you see results, the faster they disappear, so it seems to be better if you see an improvement over a longer period, then it will be more long-lasting, presumably. We'll see. I was going to give up, having already spent a small fortune on a nutritionist and a multitude of supplements, but I think I will continue for a little while longer. It is at least helping a little with my aches and pains!!

if you're not noticing any incremental differences, then I would try a different acupuncturist.....pref trained in chinese acupuncture....I have had several friends that have seen a huge difference, though not for menopausal issues, but I think you just need to get the 'right' acupuncturist, who knows what they are doing!!

Don't give up....just think what it would be like w/out night sweats!!

Good luck.

Caz

I don't get night sweats, but I sure get hot at night. Covers on/off/on/off/on/off, you all know what I mean. I found something I am really looking into on the net, called a "bedfan". Type it into google, it looks and sounds so inviting.

i googled... how cool is that!!!

But are you tempted? I am, but will probably wait intil closer to the next summer, and see how I am feeling. Just remember, Zen, we had a draw in who could flash at the lowest temperature.

my husband was with me in thinking how cool it was! lol... tempted yes.... but like you, i can wait till next summer.. i have this mad hope that things will be better by then... btw, i'm not at all sure, but i think the LSA is starting to work, maybe coincidence that i'm halfway through the second lot, three weeks maybe? i've lost track... and my flashes seem to be lessened both in frequency and intensity.. i don't think i'm imagining that! lol..

btw... i had been saying LSA was ground Linseed, (flaxseed), Sesame seed and Almond, actually it's not Sesame at all! it's sunflower seed.. lol.. and of course, i'm having a hot flash right now just talking about it.. but i will continue to eat the LSA on my breakfast cereal, or cooked into my porridge, it's supposed to be good for keeping down cholesterol levels too... (just edited and re-read this post and the flash is almost over, instead of hanging on for a while, i've barely sweated at all...)

I think the therapist I am seeing is using the Chinese method, or so he said. I may go to one of the places that we have in town, where the therapists are actually Chinese. I really don't know what to do. I have spent a fortune trying different things that have not worked. I am still trying different supplements, based on various books I've read. I seem to be taking all the correct things, but even though I've been taking some things for quite some time, I still have the main issues of insomnia and hot flushes bugging me.

I must admit that the one thing that helps me at night is the Chillow that my sister passed on to me. She bought it herself when she was going through meno, but it is some years ago now, as she is 18 years older than me. It seems to be working OK, although it had been drained, which the instructions say not to do. Sometimes I use it from getting into bed, but other times I only reach for it on my first waking when I get hot. Then I can cool down more quickly (without having to throw the covers off) and get back to sleep.

I don't want to imply that I think those of you who have had accupuncture are lying :-), but honestly it doesn't make sense that it would reduce hot flashes or any other peri- or meno- symptom.

Hot flashes are not well-understood, but there is quite a bit of good scientific evidence that low estrogen is the culprit. There is no way sticking fine needles into any part of the body could possibly increase your estrogen production, or affect the part of the brain that depends on estrogen for temperature regulation.

Hot flashes can come and go seemingly at random. It's possible that accupuncture "success" is merely a coincidence, not an effect.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1701938...ogdbfrom=pubmed

OBJECTIVE: Hot flashes are a significant problem in women going through the menopausal transition that can substantially affect quality of life. The world of estrogen therapy has been thrown into turmoil with the recent results of the Women's Health Initiative trial report. Pursuant to a growing interest in the use of alternative therapies to alleviate menopausal symptoms and a few pilot trials that suggested that acupuncture could modestly alleviate hot flashes, a prospective, randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial was conducted in women experiencing hot flashes. DESIGN: Participants, after being randomized to medical versus sham acupuncture, received biweekly treatments for 5 weeks after a baseline assessment week. They were then followed for an additional 7 weeks. Participants completed daily hot flash questionnaires, which formed the basis for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 103 participants were randomized to medical or sham acupuncture. At week 6 the percentage of residual hot flashes was 60% in the medical acupuncture group and 62% in the sham acupuncture group. At week 12, the percentage of residual hot flashes was 73% in the medical acupuncture group and 55% in the sham acupuncture group. Participants reported no adverse effects related to the treatments. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the used medical acupuncture was not any more effective for reducing hot flashes than was the chosen sham acupuncture.

Actually, acupuncture is really good for a whole host of issues. Many many people use it for fertility and it's pretty effective. I used to work for an acupuncturist and she helped so many people get pregnant that we started calling her Daddy! I'm not sure what "medical acupuncture" is, but you do need to make sure the person treating you was properly trained and is nationally certified. That means don't go to a chiropractor or MD who took a few classes. Acupuncture is it's own medical system completely different from what we in the west are accustomed to. It is far more complicated than "sticking fine needles into parts of the body". I have not tried it for my night sweats and hot flashes (it's pretty expensive) but I probably will if they keep getting worse. Acupuncture does not always work for everyone, but it does work for many people. I don't want to argue with anyone, but I did want to throw in my 2 cents here.

Layne

I too started acupunture last week and am feeling sooo much better. I don't know if its coincidence or the treatment but I am not about to stop it now!

BL

'SandraSmith'

Hi Sandra I think it is very obvious that a lot of traditional doctors struggle to understand menopause.

Asian women on the other hand, seem to get through the change with a lot less difficulties than western women, often with a combination of herbs and acupuncture.

What works in menopause works, sometimes we don't understand why.
I myself had acupuncture last year, and it had a remarkable effect on my heart palps, (which had been very bad)

My acupuncturists also helps women with fertility problems, and her waiting room was full of women who had
struggled to get pregnant with the help of traditional doctors, all with their newborn babies.

Acupuncture does not deal with hormones, but rather a series of on/off switches in the body, and body chai.

As someone who found enormouse benefit from using acupuncture, I can highly recommend it to other women going through perimenopause.

I have another suggestion that has really worked for me, recommended by a friend of mine (now a number of us are using it). I was getting hot flashes as soon as I fell asleep-- does anyone else get that? It was awful-- I'd begin to fall asleep, get hot, cool off-- over and over again. I was miserable.

Luckily, I found this cover for my pillow made of jade pieces-- the stones stay cool. So I was able to stay cool (especially since so much heat is dissipated from your head). Amazingly, I am able to sleep through the night! And I don't have to take anything.

The pillow cover is made of small stones strung together, and is actually very comfortable. They come from China (commonly used in China since they don't typically have air conditioning). You can find them online if you look. I think they are called 'Jade Pillow Covers'. I found mine at a site called sleepingcool.

I can't take hrt, since I have high blood pressure. So nice to have found something that works so well for me. Has anyone else discovered these?

My hot flashes have completely disappeared now, thanks to womentowomens 'herbal equilibrium'....I tried starting with just one (I am usually a lightweight) and that did work initially, then I kept forgetting them.....I called W to W and they said that 2 is the correct dosage, and some women take 3 to begin with....I began on 2 a day, and within 3 weeks they have been working (as the bottle says!)- relief a last!

I have been taking them for about 6 weeks now and no more hot flashes and sleepless nights anymore!!

Whooppee!

Caz

Dear'frances'

Am very interested in the jade pillow because although my night sweats have disappeared with HRT.my head always sweats and messes up my fine hair.What about the cost?

All the best

Elizabeth

I don't know if it was coincidence or not but I had some major positive changes after seeing an acupunturist/herbalist for my ongoing anemia and heavy bleeding issues. This was after at least four years of hemorrhaging every three weeks. Within days of the treatment, I had a horrible period and then everything just stopped. All of my fibroid issues, heavy bleeding just disappeared and I have had no signs of return since the treatment. I will definitely go back if hot flashes become too much to endure. On the subject of hot flashes, I read somewhere on the web that you can stop them in their tracks by placing an ice pack on pulse points like your inner wrists, side of neck when you feel one starting.

I'm going to try that when I'm at home orngkat06...bit hard when we are out...LOL

Cheers choco

I have found one good accupuncture dr. that treats specifically menopausal anxiety and other hormonal issues, will make appointment, I have heard accupucture can do wonders and balance hormones naturally.
I just read interesting article that had a very good point: they way we feel it is not how young we are, is how healthy we are, so it is all again points to liver and adrenal problems.
Good to know it helped, thanks for sharing.
I.

Elizabeth--
My jade-pillow-cover was around $55. I've seen them as high as $95ish. I only found out about it through word of mouth from a friend who knew someone who used one and swore by it.

For me it's has vastly improved the quality of my life. Such a difference between sleeping comfortably vs the on/off/on/off business. I can't sleep without it now-- even in the winter (and we don't heat our house at night, here in California).

Its worth a try, since it's not too expensive, and not anything you have to ingest. It's supposed to have all manner of other health benefits, but I think it sounds like alot of snake oil... better skin, healthy liver... etc. If you are buying it to stay cool and sleep, it certainly works for that (for me).

Try the web site: sleepingcool.com. That's where I got mine. It's a pretty thing.

Good luck--

Frances

Hot Flashes, HOT FLASHES...............what's a girl to do? I'll tell you what to do. You look for alternatives that will help to lessen the symptoms that come out of nowhere to make your life miserable and crazy! I suffered with them for quite awhile and then I decided to try a few things to help alleviate the hot flashes and the night sweats or make them more bearable. There are some interesting tips listed in these forums.

Someone had suggested using a satin pillowcase, because they are smooth and the fabric is nice and cool. Trust me, it works, Especially when you flip the pillow over.

The second thing I do and what I have to found to work best for me is an eye pillow, right out of the freezer. I keep it there so its ready at a moments notice. I use a peppermint scented one because it opens up my sinuses and that helps me to breathe a lot better and helps any sinus or tension related headaches. The cold flax seed inside the eye pillow surrounds my eyes, temples, forehead and cheeks. You will be amazed at just how much relief and comfort you will get. The weight of the flax seed applies just enough acupressure to soothe and relax your facial muscles so your not so tense and uncomfortable . The eye pillow also blocks out all light so you can truly relax and get some needed rest.

I searched online and found several sites that had them. The one I decided to go with was A Touch Of Satin. I liked them because their ingredients were organic, and that was important to me. They had an unbelievably large selection of patterns and I like the feel of satin on my skin. They also had a page on their site that talked about the benefits of their aromatherapy scents. They had lavender as well and that is suppose to be good for migraines and they also had them unscented. It was very interesting. If you want to check them out, their website is http://www.atouchofsatin.com Well, I hope this helps you. Good luck!

Hi all,
One thing that I tried that was recommended from a homeopath psychiatrist is fish oil. I started taking four 1200 milligram capsules a day and my night sweats vanished. The interesting thing is I began taking fish oil about 2 weeks before I got the recommendation from the doc and my sweats had stopped. So I know that it wasn't a placebo effect. It is an easy thing to test to see if it works and a fairly cheap option. I would give it a week or two to work. The other good news is it is good for many other things. Anyhow good luck. I hadn't really slept for almost 2 years so I can relate to how miserable it is to be sleep deprived ..... not fun!
Sue
P.S. It also helps with everyday hot flashes too.

I am all about natural solutions! I've been taking fish oil, I also noticed that giving up sweets, alcohol, caffeine, and refined flour helped me a lot. The clincher on finally getting a good night's sleep for me was the ChiliPad - it's a mattress pad that you can set the temperature on (it has a huge range, down to 46 degrees) They even make one that has two zones so you can set both sides of the bed differently. I love my ChiliPad - it has a remote control so if I wake up in the middle of the night too hot or too cold I don't have to get out of bed (I read that if you have insomnia and you wake up - the worst thing you can do is get up because it signals your body that it's daytime).