I am new to this, but so glad that I found this web site. I think I am having some sort of hot flash???? I just get mild warmings of the chest, neck, and face but it is accompanied by prickly feeling and red blotchey rashy looking skin. The redness takes a while to go away too. I have a heavy feeling in the chest also. From what I have read so far on different postings just about anything goes. Seems like I always want to toss in a bit of anxiety once it all begins.

And why not? Anxiety seems to attach itself to everything else!

My hot flashes are not flashes, they are more like hot lingers. The hot spells seem to last about 5 minutes or more. If im sitting down the backs of knees get so wet the water runs down my leg. The back of my neck gets so hot that I put an ice pack on it. This is one of the worst sym. of menopause. Pixie

Moonshadow, I have had the electric shock feeling...had it last night. It feels almost like the feeling you have when you wake up startled and that "shock" feeling your body feels. Then I have a hot flash. It didn't last long...just kept recurring throughout the night.

First of all I must say thank you ladies ... sooooo much! Until I found this site yesterday I thought I was losing my mind... or dying I had experienced a few night sweats over the past year, but no big deal. Then the palps began getting worse & episodes lasting longer. Still no biggie, figured it was stress. Then I begin waking during the night. A touch of nausea, then a sense of panic, heart beating faster & faster, a wave of warm to hot tingling begins in my chest, moves down my arms, thru my body then to my legs. I wasn't sweating during these episodes so I think it must be my heart! Went to the doc & ekg & blood were fine. I've been at a total loss for ideas then stumbled on this board yesterday. Thank God I'm not alone with these feelings!! I felt such a sense of relief even after reading this one thread. I love you girls already!!!

Another life saved Dearest!

Welcome to HMS (forgot US equiv again- sorry girls) Powersurge Menoboat Boyzmum!

The first and worst hot flash I ever had was shortly after the birth of my daughter. It felt like a volcano, the heat went straight up to the top of my head. Never had another one like that again.

The ones I get now are just overheating in the blink of an eye. I get overheated very, very easily and am always worried about the heat indoors during winter. Overheating makes me feel faint!

I just recently started having 'pit flashes'! I've only occasionally had what I would consider a hot flash, but lately my arm pits will just start sweating for no reason. I can be sitting or standing still, and BAM they're dripping. It lasts for a few minutes, then just dries up. Think this is considered a flash?

I'm so glad that I have all these posts to read thru and begin to understand whats happening with my body. Although I have been having strong peri symtoms over the past 2 years, I hadn't experienced any type of hot flashes....... Until 2 weeks ago!!!!!

I have been having major insommnia the past 3 months (never had this problem before) than I started getting the night sweats. They come to me around 3am, and its a flash of heat mostly from my chest up. I wake sometimes already in a sweat. Then its covers off, then it covers back on cause I get the chills, wacky and crazy nights.

During the day, I get these things that are like instant heat wave, like someone put a strong "heatlamp" over me. I get warm (mostly upper body). They tend to come on, especially if I am in a stressful mood or situation at work, WAM.... hot all over, then it goes away. This is something new for me, don't know, but each day has a life of its own lately.

I'm going on 47, still have my periods, but they are acting strangely also. Major fatigue, tired and feel grumpy much of the time, this is not me, but now is the new me. Its like pms, all month long.

Thanks for listening and for being their ladies, may each of you get a break from the flashes and a good nights sleep......Juliann

I used to get warm flashes and have as yet to experience any genuine sweating sensations. Being four years post menopause, I do experience cold flashes - that cold feeling radiating from the inside to the outside. That is an odd sensation, but I just "ride with the feelings." Can't decide which I "like" better - the warm or the cold. Whatever. One of these days, I will be in sync!

Don't speak too soon Sybilleruth! I used to think:o

Even four years after cessation of periods? Good grief. This definitely seems to be turning out to be a "roller coaster ride." Seriously, Alice - do you honestly think I could still get hot flashes? Have been on this ride for almost nine years. Peri - I was going crazy. Post - My body is going crazy. Two opposite ends. Where is the middle, I ask.

Sorry, I missed the post meno bit B_U_T I was reading a book by Dr Miriam Stoppard (UK) (Menopause) that "for 25-50% of all women hot flushes can be very troublesome with up to 50 a day, even ten years after their last period".

That made cheery bedtime reading I can tell you.

Should I continue to have a "cheery" day after that revelation?

The picture above my name describes "to the T" my mental capacity. One of these days clarity will present itself.

Does anyone experience their thighs and legs getting red and on fire. Sometimes it is together with my face and ears and sometimes the legs alone. If I am chilly and put on an afgan I can feel the heat bilding up in my legs. I don't sweat with my flushes, but they are so uncomfortable. With snow on the ground I have the ceiling fan on and windows open. My family isn't to happy.

So many of these posts just exactly describe my flashes, too. Or the way they used to be. Many of you will not sweat with them as you are now, and they will diminish to feelings of warmth instead of being so overpowering. Mine used to be horrible and now they have subsided considerably, as I am two years post meno.

Do any of you notice an increasing intensity with warmer weather? Or conversely, do you notice a lessening of the intensity when it's cold? It's cold weather for me right now, so I'm wondering if I am speaking too soon and my flashes will worsen when it gets warmer.

I thought that my temperature must be rising during a flash. Sometimes even now, I'll be watching TV and I'll have a flash, and the chair back feels very warm.

jeez louise alice3! Did ya have to add that little tidbit?!? Keep that up & you'll be placed in a category with that dreaded groundhog & his prediction of 6 more weeks of winter!

How about feeling vunerable and crazy thoughts? Or is that just the anxiety I've begun since these hot surges began two months ago?

How about feeling vunerable and crazy thoughts?
That's a free gift that you get with the perimeno-anxiety Wingwalker!

If you read back some of the old posts, you'll see we have all gone through this. When I first came here I would usually sit and cry while typing my posts. There were others besides me who seemed to be in the same boat. I must admit we seem a little cheerier nowadays but WE ARE ALL HERE FOR YOU. We're all well equipped with cyber-tissues and lots of TLC should you need it.

Vent away, my dear!

Okay Alice3 you asked for venting here goes.....
For four months how come my doctor never mentioned the possibility that this could be perimeno? Each time I visited him, why was he making me a wreck by upping my BP meds and telling me I need to workout more? He finally put me on CELEXA and told me that my fear or flight response was off cilter. Then after quitting my job as I spiralled down and found a female psychologist who said I turned the situation into 'panic disorder'. I kept telling her "I'm not panicking I just get these horrible rushes and feel like a hyper lunatic and don't know why". So, I've read about four panic books and talked myself into being a mental case and my husband and kids have watched (for the first time) me bawl pratically every day. Now since reading this site I think I've turned my anger to 'pissed off' Feeling better already! Thanks for listening.

You go girl!! Get pissed & kick peri's butt!! To repeat other posts, those rushes then panic had me wondering if I was dying or losing my mind. At first the doc told me it was stress, caffeine & nicotine. My bp was up, now I'm on a beta-blocker. The next time in I asked him about peri & said "could be" .

It is this site ALONE that is getting me thru the aches, pains, palps, surges, tingling, screwed up periods.....need I go on?
Hang in there!

See, it feels good to get it off your chest. You have a right to feel angry that they haven't really listened to you. I feel most doctors (I'm in the UK) want to shove a couple of pills your way and get you out the door.

I've had this sort of thing since I was 41 (I'm 50 now). My periods were very heavy and I was finding it hard to function, I was anaemic and getting sick regularly, which is not good when you go out to work. I had no help or advise from my doc (a woman at this time, so you'd expect some sympathy) and she would not consider me going on a mild bcp. I was back and forward to the docs for years (especially as I needed sick notes for work). Now I work from home, so I don't go anymore. I'm not saying that I have less things wrong with me but I've just given up.

Many stories you'll read here of the doctors not believing you or being sympathetic. Hormones have really thrown all of us into whack. Most of us have become really teary, short-tempered, spotty...it's like those teenage years all over again, I'm afraid.

There's a good, supportive crowd here Wingwalker, with lots to read. You should no longer feel that you are alone.

Boyzmom-He's got me on beta blocker propranolol 40mg twice a day. My BP's been a beautiful 115/65 now that I'm home. That job was definitely stressing me but my BP going up was a sympton! IF I ever level out and complete the winddown of my SSRI, I may see what happens if I taper down on the blockers. I definitely have a new attitude toward 'crazy' folks. Man - no fun - you do feel the asylum is the only place at times. Now I feel perfectly normal which is so strange when I think of how I felt when I woke up cuckoo and rushing.

Alice3-I worked at home about five years ago, that was the ticket.... making money with my bunny slippers on . Get this, my next job was watering spring flowers with my headphones on in a greenhouse in the dead of a Minnesota winter - completely awesome - may have to go back that one. This last venture (busy receptionist) seems to have made something snap in my head that just will need some time getting rearranged. In the meantime, thanks for being there.

I think if any of us can function and contribute to the household bills it's a bonus.

You just have to find something you are comfortable with.

That job alone could send anyone to the psych ward!! The greenhouse job sounds like a deal tho!!

My hot flashes have been SO intense lately and while i'm having one,i feel so much anger...more like ~rage~,i just wanna pick something up and throw it or hit somebody(but i don't).....but i do yell and complain over the most trivial things because when i'm feeling like that,the trivial things seem so major.It seems like i spend alot of time saying i'm sorry to people....do any of you feel this way during a hot flash?That intense heat and sweating just gets hard to cope with.

I seem to be doing that even without a hot flash. Bi!ching at other drivers (even more than usual ), yelling at the boys for trivial things that I normally wouldn't notice. So many things piss me off ... things I shouldn't find that annoying. Ditto on wanting to smack somebody .... anybody really. Isn't that awful? How is my family supposed to put up with me if this goes on for years?
Hope it lets up for you soon!

I sure can understand where your coming from, my flushes are whole body intense heat and I don't sweat, so I feel like a furnice. I just want to tear off my clothes and run into a snow bank, (not a pleasant site). My poor family, I have no patience left and thought at 57 and a total hysterectomy 10 yrs. ago I would feel normal by now, even on hrt. Does it ever get any better?

I have differnent types. Some start with a feeling of anxiety,then I turn warm all over, others start with my skin having a tingling or crawling feeling, those are the worst, heavy sweating, and dizziness. Luckily I always have some type of warning and try to get to a fan or an air condition vent before it is full blown.

Hello, I'm soo glad I discovered this site! Finally validation. I am forty-one years old and experienced the most ungodly hot flash yesterday evening. While sitting at the dinner table, I suddenly felt apprehensive, a little light headed, slightly sick to my stomach. I excused myself and went into the front room with a cool glass of water sipping on it and sat in the recliner. I felt like I was having an all out panic attack, and felt as though I was loosing control, because I didnt know what I was experiencing. After I sat down my family came into the livingroom to check on me. I had the feeling that someone split open my chest, filled it with ice, while the rest of my body, especially my face, earlobes, and neck were on fire, and was visibily red to my family standing around me asking me if I thought I was having a heart attack. I felt like I was boiling, and asked my husband to touch my face to see if I was feverish...his reply: "Your cooler than I am." It was like a rollarcoaster ride from hell, I thought more than once I was going to have to go to the hospital. After about an hour of sitting and sipping water, the anxiety subsided, and the reddness slowly dissappeared, only to be replaced with a chill.
Today I phoned my ob-gyn and described this phenomenon, and was told that there was no way I was experiencing a hot-flash due to the fact I was still too young and having "normal" periods...which by the way inch up about seven days every month. So even though I have the night sweats, have what I call "mini meltdowns" that require freezing everyone else out around me, and what I experienced last night.....per the professional I'm just a looney!
Can anyone out there help shed light on my experience? Does it sound familiar to anyone? I would appreciate any insight that I could get.

No way you could be experiencing a hot flash?......then what in the world was that???? I certainly can relate, and I think that is exactly what you thought it was. I am 42 and am feeling like I don't know my body anymore. My doc said the same thing....no way you are too young. My hot flashes are a bit different. I get a tingling in my mid-back and then around my lips. My head begins to throb, and here it comes. I also get a tightness in my chest. I have also experienced facial pain. Sometimes this can go on for days. Anyone else have experiences like mine?

I can remember my first hot flash. It was a horrible experience, but now I find it a hoot reminising about it.

It happened about three years ago. It was a hot day(41C to be exact)and I had gone out with my husband on one of his jobs. I started getting really hot all over, yet I wasn't sweating. I can hear you ladies saying "well everyone will be hot driving around on such a hot day". And yes I agree, but this was different. It felt different. Anyway I cranked up the air conditioner to the max, thinking that would soon cool me down. No such luck, because it was only blowing hot air, so we guessed that it needed re-gasing.

Anyhow we continued on our way, as we were almost there, and we thought as soon as my husband was finished we would head home. To cut a long story short, things got worse and I told hubby to stop at the petrol station to get a bag of ice. Oh! what a relief. I hugged that ice so tight. But I was so hot it had melted within 5 minutes, but what was worse it had a hole in it, so my clothes were drenched. By this time I was panicking as to how to cool down. Hubby said he would buy another bag of ice, but I said NO, I need an air conditioner.

As luck would have it , we were near a fish shop, so we dived into the car park, and I just ran inside as fast as I could, drenched and water dripping everywhere, threw open the freezer doors and let them close against my body, and oblivious to all the stares I was getting, I had this huge hot flash. This all happened in an instant, as my husband had only just got out of the car. Anyway to try and recoup some of my dignity and appear normal ( I am sure 'normal' is not what I appeared) I bought about $50 worth of fish.

The flash subsided, hubby didn't get to his job, the car got re-gased the following day, and I survived to tell the tale. A lot more water has flowed under the bridge
since that day and its all been from my body.

So to all you flashers, keep cool and keep your cool.

Hugs from me.

Allshookup:
This surely sounds like peri to me as well. I have the great joy of having "wierd" hot flashes as mine occur only at night when I get into bed and my thighs get hot---just my thighs!! I mean SUPER hot. Hot to the touch---but my feet are usually freezing. Obviously, no sleep happens!! I also have to deal with palps, wierd and crazy heartbeats and some anxiety---usually in the form of "something awful is about to happen"---even when I sit perfectly safe and sound in my own home. I have had great relief from my "hot thighs" with Revival soy products and would recommend that you read more about the benefits of soy. I hope this site reassures you--I have found it to be a Godsend. It has, literally, saved my sanity. I have found great empowerment in the suggestions and thoughts shared by all of the wonderful women here. Keep reading---I am sure you will find hope and help in this site.
Chris

My hot flashes are actually becoming embarrassing now....i am getting the kind where the sweat pours off my face,rolls off my back and neck and down my legs.I was in the store yesterday and was embarrassed to notice my shirt was soaking wet over my left breast...it was a huge circle....looked like i had been leaking or something,but it was just sweat.I had to go home and change clothes,including my bra and panties.Do hot flashes keep getting more intense until we're completely through menopause,or will they just keep being different on a daily basis?

Chris, I have gotten the hot thighs lately. I have now had 2 periods this month! Ugh! I am finding that before and during this period, I lay down to sleep and get hot through my body, chest pressure, weird tingling...which all stops as soon as I get up and stop trying to sleep. It's horrible feeling this way. Then there are the times I fall asleep and wake up with the weirdest feellings in my body. Other nights I sleep fine...oh, and the palps, too...always worse when I lay on my right side. Every day is a crap shoot on what will happen! LOL

I find myself coming to this board more often now trying to see who else is having this weird crapola, too!

I just turned 50 March 05... began experiencing "changes" this June, not fun. I'm having nite sweats, and hot flashes, (not sure of the difference, other then one occurs during the day, and the other at nite) They begin with the feeling of warmth in the chest area, then move up the back of my neck. I get the all over clammy feeling, sweat between the breasts, and the back of the neck. They seem to last 3 to 4 minutes, and I've been tracking them, and it happens every 1/2 hour or so, plus I'm waking up at all times of the night. I throw the sheets on and off... How long is this going to last?????? I just know I'm very thankful for this site, and all the members who are willing to share their experiences

Thank you all!

Just wanted to say hi, Pam! Lots of good info here and mucho comfort in sharing!

Don't know how I missed this thread til now... except that I didn't think what I have are actually "hot flashes".... Talk about denial??!

I was always a very cold person - very cold, especially my feet and hands. When they put me on thyroid meds two years ago, all the coldness went away, and now I am always the warmest one in the room. But, I still haven't thought of it as "hot flashes"....until reading this thread.....

Of course, I was always skinny up until the weight started pouring on two years ago.... to a grand total of 40# extra pounds. Maybe that adds to the heat factor??

I teach classes quite often at the SBA and I turn the A/C on to about 66 when I am teaching.... being up front and active while teaching adds to the heat factor! By the end of the class, I look out at all these students shivering and quivering with blue lips! All the while, I am feeling great!

Hi! My hot flashes is just me feeling a sudden wave of warmth in my face and neck. My husband the other night didn't want to cuddle because I was "too hot" and that's a switch because he's the one who is always hot.
I never need a sweater these days!!!!!! hehe

I posted something earlier to the Newcomers forum, but my main reason for joining is horrendous hot flashes, so I'm posting here, too.

My whole life I've always seemed to sweat more quickly and heavily than most women, but it was always associated with intense exercise or very hot weather. This is a whole new stage. I'm 51 and this past May, two weeks after my period (my last one, so far) I started with hot flashes 24/7. And they are way more intense than before. It starts with warmth in my face and tingling up and down my legs--I call it my flash aura--and within minutes I am in a full body sweat, scalp to toes. The intense portion lasts about 2-3 minutes and then a few more minutes of a cooler period and then finally I normalize. About 10 minutes total. Higher frequency from 4 pm-11 am, but still at anytime during the day or night. I kept thinking they'd calm down, but no luck in that department. So I'm seeing my GYN soon. I'm hoping this forum will help me ask the right questions when I see her and then help me evaluate the options she offers...I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me soon.

When I was younger and older women joked about them, I had no idea....

Hi, I am new here and am glad I found this forum. I have had nite sweats and hot flashes off and on for a year or more, and they had always been tolerable and not that frequent.

Last week I was in Scotland on holiday and I had nite sweats something awful, it was almost constant, or sure felt like it, I could smell the BO in the morning and I sure didnt sleep well. I take Vitamin E and Evening Primrose Oil and so I increased the amount I took in hopes of improving things for me and I dont think it worked. Or maybe it takes longer than I want it to!

The sweats would wake me up and I would feel the heat in the upper part of my body and face and arms and it would overtake me. I just kick the covers off and wait for it to pass.

Since I have been home from my holiday the sweats have slowed down! I find that to be odd, I wonder if the time change and different activities while on holiday upset my system and caused more sweats? Has anyone else had this happen?

I am reading up on what else to try that is natural and I am going to buy some black cohosh today and see if that helps. I dont want any chemicals put in my body if I can help it, I'd rather do this naturally if I can.

Funkynassau

Hi girls!!

Last night aroung 9:00pm , I was on the way to buy some ice cream with my husband. Suddenly I began to have intense sweat, profusely, and my face got real cold, and feeling like faint, no pain, just that .. I had these kind of cold sweats before but never get that cold, ... I thought I was having a heart attack.. i didnt tell anything to my husband , I stayed quiet, waiting... it last about one or two minutes I think, and when was over, I felt okay... I have been having many rare symptoms, including this burning sensation on the ovaries and back area, buth only on the right side. the thing is that as they comes, they go... It feels like some kind of inflammation... I am 50 years old...
CAN THAT COLD SWEATS BE COLD SURGE AND THAT BURNING FEELING BE HOT SURGE? have someone experienced it in that way?
I have them during day or night, but never at sleeping time... I never expected that turning 50 will bring these kinds of presents... however, I try to find a possitive point of view, thinking it will not be forever... this site has helped me a lot coping with those symptoms... not all people , even our relatives and some doctors, can understadnd what we are experiencing... thanks Gold my husband is trying to understand them , although sometimes he forgot it... it is not that easy to cope with a new woman ... jajajja believe me girls, it helps me a lot taking it with a sense of humor... wish the best to all...

Hi, I'm 45 years old and I just experienced my first "DRY" hot flash, or perimenopausal flash of any kind just the other day. I still have regular periods, though I do experience break through bleeding at about 3 or 4 days before my period is due. I have read that people usually sweat during their hot flashes. I did not. Mine started in my chest and spread up through my arms and neck and into my scalp. Another wave appeared to head South through my buttocks and down my thighs ending at my knees. There was no sweat. Just a terrible burning heat, and all my skin became ultra sensative to touch including skin to skin, fabric on skin or air movement. All of my flesh looked like it was sun burned and reacted in true fashion to the touch test. Touch Red sunburned skin and it turns white for a few seconds. Visions of "Spontaneous Combustion" were fluttering about in my head. I ran for the shower and took a luke warm shower, and the heat and pain were replaced with itching. Every inch of my body from the top of my scalp down to my ankles were itching. I wanted to scratch so hard that I could well have broken skin. In fact I believe that I did because when I woke up from a nap there was blood on my bed sheets. The Itching frightened me, thinking that it may have been an alergic reaction, so I took some Benadryl to stop the itching and to relax me.

Is this at all similar in terms of the PAIN and ITCHING to any one else's Flashes? I have to admit it scared the living daylights out of me!

Wow!! This is soo wonderful to find all these women that have the same symptoms as I do. I thought I was having a heart attack and never even realized it could be peri meno since my periods have never changed even though I am 45. It was the most awful feeling in my life when I experienced these Hot Flashes. I just woke up instantly one night and started feeling like I had these butterflys in my stomach , then all of a sudden I started sweating a little , then my heart started racing faster faster until I started panicking thinking I was having a heart attack!! I went to several doctors after that - cardio- found nothing wrong, all kinds of blood tests including thyroid and harmones - found nothing. So I was diagnosed as being depressed and having anxiety and I just could not believe it because this was just an all of a sudden type of thing and nothing was happening in my life that changed!! And those anti depressants made things worse!! ugghhh!! I stopped all meds and starting to search sites and found this wonderful place and I love you all for making me realize I am just going through a natural part of life!! Whew now I can deal with these Hot Flashes so much easier. I may not like it but at least I know now what I am having. Doctors need to stop thinking everyone is bipolar, depressed and having anxiety and start looking at the natural way of life. Thank-you all for all your information!!

Re: Fear of Heart Attack. It could be an anxiety attack no matter how dismissive you may be. Also, in the Homeopathic world, teas of Black Cohosh Root or Oat Straw are supposed to help with controlling overheating and sweats. Before you decide to try any Homeopathic Remedies, remember to check with your Doctor first, as there could be some interactions with your own medications.
I just recently found out why St. John's Wort is not the best of remedies for Depression or other mood disorders. St. John's Wort is classed as an MAIO Inhibitor and as such has negative effects on an individual taking SSRI's, and you may have taken notice on medication instructions that certain drugs are not to be taken with MAIO inhibitors and that potentially fatal interactions could occur. Be Careful out there Ladies. One must also realize that a Dietician is not a Practicing Physician or a Pharmacist, thus they are not the best at knowing any contra-indications.
I end my note with a TIP. When I work outside at something strenuous, I take a strip of old Bath towel, soak it in cool water and tie it around my forehead. Not only does it help to keep my head cool and thus my body, but it also absorbs perspiration and keeps the salty sweat from trickling into my eyes.

Have a Day !!!!

Me Again;

I said MAIO Inhibitor, I meant MAOI Inhibitor.

for me, heat seems to start building around chest level, and rises.. if i have been stupid enough to not layer clothing, and can't start stripping off the layers, the heat starts to come in waves and spreads to my whole body, and i start sweating profusely all over, markedly my face and back of neck, my chest and my personal bits.. if i am home, or if i have layered well, i can take off enough clothes to help me be comfortable before major perspiration starts.. after the main heat wave has passed, and this can be a matter of minutes, or longer, i start to feel cold, and need to layer the clothes back on again... and this happened all winter long for me here in Australia - ok, it's not really cold where i live, but i am dreading summer! night sweats are worse, waking up wet in damp sheets has got to be one of my least liked things these days! i have taken to having a towel within reach, rather than getting up to dry off, i have a hope of going back to sleep then..