i'm getting soooo desperate!  these are getting worse by the day!  first i had them only at night, then i started getting them in the evening, then during the day, now it's all day and nights have gotten worse as well!

i want to try those over the counter things like remifen? estroven?  can't quite remember the exact names...has anyone tried these products with any success....???

i don't care about if they are bad for you or not, i will worry about that later...i just need some sleep!

also my period was due january 1st, but it didn't show up...so it is now due jan 28th...do these get worse as it gets closer to your next period and does it go away when you finally have a period, like does it reset your hormones???

any advice would be soooo much appreciated!i could not take the black cohosh it gave me bad headaches, the progesterone cream and vitamin e's are not helping either...

thank you all..jen

HI Jen,    I feel a lot of sympathy for you.  I can remember feeling as you do now....desperate for help to relieve the severe and frequent hot flashes.  Everyone has to find what works best for them.  That is, you will have to do some experimentation because the same things do not work for everyone.  While you try various over-the-counter remedies (remember to try one at a time and give it a month to 6 weeks unless you have a bad reaction), you will have to put up with the flashes.  Pay attention to a few general health tips: Drink at least 8 full glasses of water a day; avoid caffeine and carbonated drinks;  even if you don't sleep, stay in bed and rest for 8 hours;  practice some form of meditation or relaxation process;  stop all activity and take several slow deep breaths every hour; eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies;  do an aerobic exercise like walking for 30 min. every day.  To directly ease the discomfort of a hot flash what works the best for me is to stand in front of a fan and sip a glass of ice cold water.  Look at all the good suggestions provided on this web site and experiment until you find the combination that works for you.

No one is going to be able to give you a magic answer.   Most all of the otc remedies for hot flashes (Remifemin and Estroven included) contain black cohosh.    You will have to do your own research and try whatever you think may help you.  Meanwhile, know that you are not alone and many other women have survived the severe discomfort of hot flashes, you will too.  Try to be less desperate about it if you can, tension often makes them worse.

In peri-meno you can forget about regular menses.  Your period may have been "due" on Jan 1 in your old system, but now you could have it at any time.  There is no predicting.  Some women find a relief of hot flashes on the months when they ovulate, others do not.