I just want to write that I recently experienced especially intense hot flashes, as many as 25 a day for about a month. It was like having a temperature of 107 degrees. I'd go from a normal, comfortable body temperature and in just a few seconds be sweating all over and would stand in front of the fan during the day or let the ceiling fan blow on me at night. Each time it would take several minutes to return to normal. It was kind of frightening, as though I didn't have control over my own body.

The most embarrassing experience with this was one night when my husband and I went out to a fancy restuarant and the maitre d' went to shake my hand just as I was in the midst of one and immediately had to wipe his hand on his pants.

I just thought if someone else out there experiences hot flashes like these it could be reassuring to know you're not alone.

Now I've returned to the garden-variety hot flash which is for me just an overall sudden sensation of heat that lasts maybe a minute or two.

I'm 51 and have skipped 2 periods. I'm hoping I'm well into the process and also hoping my 30 years of hormone-related migraines will begin to subside. I started having hot flashes at 38 so I'm hoping I won't have them indefinitely as some women report.

Those drenching hotflashes are the worst. I posted about this in the humor section: I had one at the laundry mat one day. The place was wall to wall people. I must have looked like the cherry-headed monster because when I was trying to run out the door from the back of the place, the people there took one look at me and parted like the REd Sea did for Moses.

You are not alone.

Hugs to you,
Jeaninne

Redbear: I had flashes like that. 30-40 a day. They were really intense...it's funny, I have a restaurant story too. I was out to eat with my husband and another couple and in the middle of the meal, I turned beet red, and the sweat began literally pouring from me. It seriously freaked everyone out at the table. The waitress came over and said "oh my God, is she OKAY?" I wasn't. Along with the flash, I got panicky, dizzy, and felt like I was about to throw up. I had to go stand outside in freezing weather and it gradually subsided but then I had another when I got back inside. We ended up going home early. To anyone who thinks a hot flash is simply feeling warm, it can be so much worse! HRT has taken care of this symptom so far...

Turn the clock back....summer of 2007!! OMG!! Thought I was going to cook from the inside out....or ignite by spontaneous internal combustion! Oh YES!! I had the INTENSE flashes, and they were not fun. And no matter what, I could not just "sit" through them. I had to get up and move, usually to the nearest fan, AC unit, or to strip off layers of clothing!! And there was no sleeping that summer either, all night it was one flash after another. I wouldn't call them "night sweats", they were hot flashes. I would wake up intensely hot, throw off the sheet (I wasn't using blankets!!) and let the portable AC unit I had parked 2 feet from my bed blow over me until I cooled down enough to require the sheet again.....this went on ALL night, EVERY night!! I took to running around barely clothed (in the house of course), and at my age???!!! I had cool showers, never had a normal hot shower than summer.

Turn clock ahead...summer of 2008. Have been taking an AD and Estrogel and prometrium. Hot flashes came BACK!! Thankfully not as intensely, but went thru the same hell again! Disturbed sleep, being half dressed most of the time. I did increase the Estrogel and that backed off the flashes a great deal. Now that it is fall, I am down to maybe one a day...occasionally none! I still prefer my house to be on the cool side (the men I life HATE it) and I have my window open at night so it is darn cold in there but I sleep like a baby (no wait!! don't babies wake up every couple hours??? I sleep like....I did in my teens!!)

I've been going through the intense hot flashes and night sweats since August of 2007....every day, almost every 40 minutes for a long time....now they are there all night long and about 10 during the day or so....I sweat so much now....even walking my dog in the cool weather I come home and stop and I'm all clammy...yuk.

Since I stopped the BHRT some 11 weeks ago I've been flashing and sweating every 40 - 60 mins on average and they last for about 5 mins. Occasionally they are 10-15 mins apart or I just feel incredibly hot for long stretches of time. I've taken to ripping my top off sometimes when I'm at home and just walking around in my bra until it's finished. My husband would of loved this once upon a time. Now he does'nt even bat an eyelid. I think the novelty has worn off!!

Rehma