I'm really confused. I'm on BHRT and my last bloodwork showed sky-high estradiol levels--488! I was taking my Prometrium at the time but my progesterone was still a little low. The wierd thing is that when I take my Prometrium I get the hot face thing at night. It's worse when I've had a stressful day (hard training or a rough day at work). I've been doing lots of research but what I've found out is that vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes, etc.) are related to low estrogen levels, but no one really knows what causes them. Why can't someone do a study and figure this out? My blood test was in the morning--I wonder if it's possible for my hormone levels to drop off so much at night that I have symptoms? I have a patch but supplement with some compounded estradiol cream in the evening. I sometimes wish I didn't have to take the Prometium even though I know progesterone supposedly has a lot of health benefits. I'm just venting I guess!

From the reading I have done, you can get hot flashes from hormone fluctuations, even if your hormones are still well within normal ranges. So I would guess your hormones are doing a fast drop when you are having the flashes. And if you put in a hard day, you seem to "use up" your hormones faster, so it makes sense that you would get worse flashes. I don't really know how to stop that from happening, especially if you are using a patch. It could be that your P is getting too low, because dropping P can cause flashes as well....from the reading I have done.

Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon.

I find it very annoying that no-one seems able to explain hot flashes adequately. All the medical info seems to contain the word probably or maybe. How many women must have passed this way before us, yet still no-one knows. Useless.
Today I read a report that said that women who had a rough time with hot flashes were probably psychologically unstable. Great, they have no idea what causes them or how to treat them yet they feel in a position to make sweeping derogatory comments about the ladies who suffer them.
Message to the medical profession: Show me the research and I will let you make judgements about my mental state!


XIII

Floater,
I've read about fluctuations causing hot flashes too--and that low P can cause them. It's funny though--I feel best when I'm not taking the progesterone. I agree that the stress and training probably rip through my hormones.
XIII,
I get mad when I read that severe menopausal symptoms are caused by mental instability or something I'm doing wrong. I'm healthier than 99% of the population and before peri hit me like a ton of bricks I had no problems with moods or anxiety. Even Dr. Northrup, whom I respect greatly, implies in her book "The Wisdom of Menopause" that our unbalanced life contributes to our symptoms. Yes, I have stress--I have a job, a husband, two kids, a big house, and I exercise a lot. Yes, I could cut down on the workouts, but I don't want to--I love being active and competing. It's part of who I am. I'm sure if I was able to eliminate all of the stress from my life, I'd have an easier time balancing my hormones. But I want to live my life to its fullest--stress and all. I'll say it again about the hot flashes--with all we understand about hormones and endocrinology why can't anyone figure out what really causes them? Maybe there's not much research because hot flashes are not life threatening, but they sure can be debilitating.