It is the WORST.

I was always pear shaped.

(I work in research) Many doctors are completely clueless of the most recent research on many topics.

The acceleration of research methods and resources in the last 5-10 years is mindblowing, so career physicians are simply not accustomed to changing practice in a way that's consistent with today.

THINK ON THIS:

In the past, significant discoveries that would change doctors' practice on the ground would occur at a time intervals that allowed professional groups (like ACOG) to receive it, debate the particulars, then meet and change practice recommendations.

Those changes would then roll out to doctors in practice and they would implement it.

Today, research discoveries are accelerated due to better understanding/equipment/AI/crowd-sourced data/computing etc.

The old system of waiting around for APA/ACOG/health insurance boards etc JUST ISN'T WORKING.

Patients can find the research circulating in general knowledge on the internet before professional groups can meet and debate and change.

Patients are demanding better care or at least a look at the new information but doctors in practice are shrugging because their pro group/instance overlords etc haven't told them to change their if-this-then-that paradigm/schema yet so they assume they're still up to date.

That's why online clinics and "functional doctors" and medical groups who do an end-run around insurance etc are flourishing.

Many are following the profit, true, but in seeking profit, they're a bit more willing to roll with the research/go outside the schema/not wait around for ACOG to have their biennial meeting etc.

Damn, did I just make a capitalist argument re: healthcare? That the potential for profit drives innovation? Poop. But true.

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PaddlingDingo@reddit

This is how I got my own CGM, estrogen patches, and tirzepatide. I just went outside the system. 🤷‍♀️

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fuzz_nose@reddit

So I found this publication from 2021:

ps://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/11/2506#metrics

This was super helpful. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

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RunRunRabbitRunovich@reddit

I’m on this same team and between burning like I’m on the sun to freezing cold and the mood swings of rage and crying I can’t function. My Dr has been zero help my GYN is zero help and it just feels hopeless. Not to mention the zits have returned 🙁

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interestedinhow@reddit

I've been right there. I mean Right There. Please keep looking for the right doctor. Sadly, medical education regarding women's health woefully lags behind, but it's stumbling forward, slowly. Let's just say menopause hasn't been studied anywhere near as much as erectile dysfunction.

I had to dig around online doing research on practioners who focus on women's reproductive health, including menopause (that seems to be the label that works) and found one. This person has saved my life. Don't give up! I went through two gyns and one GP. It's daunting I know, esecially with the mood swings, but it so worth it.

Your Drs may advise against transdermal HRT but topical creams are considered safe for everyone and prevent UTIs (which women die from as they age) and genital atrophy (eg your clit and labia disappearing due to no estrogen). New guidelines were just released this year:

https://www.auanet.org/about-us/media-center/press-center/american-urological-association-releases-new-guideline-on-genitourinary-syndrome-of-menopause

No_Breadfruit_7305@reddit

I didn't exercise a lot but all of my hot flashes came at night. And I think I would change every 15 minutes between I'm sweating like a camel in the desert and then I would go to screw this I'm freezing turn the fan off and get back under the covers.

You know, these incels think men are super manly but they wouldn't know how to handle menupause or childbirth pain, or any pain for that matter. We men are wimps.

I hope you had the opportunity to have children if you desired them.

I was in that 20-30 minute category. It was awful. I thought there was something wrong with the AC in the house until I realized it was me. I opted for Estroven (over the counter) and my HF's stopped within 36 hours. It was bliss. It was my "candy" I took them for about 3 years and then you know, just "forgot" to take it and didn't have another episode until 8 months later.

My wife is on HRT. There’s no reason not to. The WHI was the worst thing to happen to women’s health in decades. The data was misinterpreted, misquoted, and to this day misinformed doctors who can’t let go of bad information about the risk of HRT are adamantly opposed to it. If your doctor is against it, you should get a second opinion.

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castironbirb@reddit

There’s no reason not to.

Many women have had cancer, blood clots, etc and are ineligible to use it so there are reasons not to.

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303_native@reddit

Mainstream docs won't give it to women who have hormone receptor positive breast cancer in their history, but that doesn't mean we cannot use it. It's a personal decision that requires consideration of each person's trade-offs. After trying oodles of supposedly expert docs (med school teaches virtually nothing about menopause and not nearly enough about hormones), I found a functional doc who allowed me to make an informed decision to go back on HRT. Well worth it to me. Cells all over your body need estrogen to function, not just your breast cells. Cells also need oxygen to thrive, but we don't tell breast cancer patients to hold their breath from here on out.

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eastbaypluviophile@reddit

I wish I could upvote this a bazillion times. Thanks for getting it. Are you a doctor or just extraordinarily well informed?

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lrbikeworks@reddit

I am a lifelong athlete and I read a lot of science around exercise physiology, which led me to the effects of exogenous hormone, which led me to the WHI. Even as a relatively savvy layperson reading those numbers I was like…they stopped the study because of this?? I married an incredibly intelligent woman and she had shown me even more data about the profound benefits of HRT for peri/menopausal woman and the negligible risk.

It’s so frustrating that men of any age can get boners on demand through medicine, and supplemental testosterone with a blood test and a phone call, while women are dying of dementia, cardiovascular disease, and hip fractures, all of which can be mitigated with HRT.

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eastbaypluviophile@reddit

Amen, bro. You could not be more correct. Unfortunately this is what the patriarchy has done (or not done, I suppose) for women’s health care. We are only starting to claw some basic respect and acknowledgement from the medical profession.

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eastbaypluviophile@reddit

Amen, bro. You could not be more correct. Unfortunately this is what the patriarchy has done (or not done, I suppose) for women’s health care. We are only starting to claw some basic respect and acknowledgement from the medical profession.

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wiyanna@reddit

When your wife has a 1 out of every 3 women chance of developing breast cancer, you might pause and rethink your opinion.

I watched my mother die from it, after a mastectomy at 50 and recurrence of stage 4 at 83. In other words, it never left her body and eventually killed her. The only thing that slowed it down for a while was hormone blockers.

So, adding hormones to my already 29% chance isn’t an option and I’m glad to have a doctor who cares enough to guide me through it - having had breast cancer at 42, herself.

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freya_kahlo@reddit

Hard agree!

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Blue_Henri@reddit

Three cheers for Estradiol!

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salty_gemini74@reddit

Girl, yes! Estradiol patch for the win.

PaddlingDingo@reddit

Ahhh Pettymenopause.

Right?! 😂 Spontaneous combustion was a topic in one of those science semi-encyclopedia books we had. It even had a picture of a man who’d suffered spontaneous combustion. But it just looked like a pile of mulch kind of.

I feared it for many years after that.

But yes - hot flashes - horrendous.

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SayWhat5162@reddit

"That's Incredible" did a piece on it but our parents kicked me and my sister out of the tv room as there was a "this may not be safe for all viewers" warning. Needless to say, we were choked! But ya, I'm 3 years in and they won't give me the hormones so am sol again!!!

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SayWhat5162@reddit

Spontaneous combustion that is...

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nursefrau@reddit

OMG, I hadn’t thought of that during a flash but now I will🔥☠️

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Leucadie@reddit

I get them while giving vigorous massages in a 72F room, wearing all black clothes and standing next to a heated table.

Luckily they're short and mild, but I feel like zi lose 5 lbs every time. But I DONT.

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Sarsmi@reddit

I live in Texas and was supposed to go to an outdoor BBQ festival a few weeks ago. Took about 10 steps outside on the way to the car, then burst into tears and told my boyfriend there was no way I could go.

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Chrissy086@reddit

I greatly avoid the outdoors from May to October.

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Odd-Cheesecake-5910@reddit

The firs hot flash i recognized as one was that level. Brain melt, cant think, crawl into a freezer type of heat.

I keep swearing this is the origin of the "spontaneous combustion of humans" idea.

I thought i WOULD burn up alive.

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HappyLove4@reddit

I was lobbying to move to Alaska for a few years.

I find it awful for you ladies going through this. Nature just dosn't seem fair to women. I keep saying this but sex ed should include a strong focus on the reproductive systems so that we can teach boys and men to understand what a woman goes though and how it affects their moods and abilities. We need to build a society that nurtures women.

My wife is going through this although no hot flashes, but plenty of hormonal changes. I understand that hormone replacement therapy is something she's doing. See your doctor.

For the hot flashes, consider getting a "bed jet". (Make sure you if you order that you use a throw away email account they tend to be aggressive in their marketing) but it is an nice way to cool down in bed especially if you're getting hot flashes at night.

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Surprise_Fragrant@reddit

This is a case of, it's truly the thought that counts. Even if you taught all of us 14-year old girls and boys about peri/menopause, none of us would remember that education 40 years down the road.

Teenagers need to learn the basics, and what affects them in the near-term; we have decades to learn about things that affect us as we age.

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blackcain@reddit

I just don't want to hear from teens and men, "why you acting that way, you PMS'ing?" - ugh so disrespectful.

Agreed, I know many young girls don't get told about periods and then they get one and it's like they think they are dying because they don't undersand why they are bleeding and why they are getting cramps or moody. But boys need to understand that too so that they know that these are important changes and that their friend now has the ability to create life - she's the butterfly out of the cocoon!

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Surprise_Fragrant@reddit

Oh, I definitely think that boys and girls should learn about basic things like periods. But peri/menopause or prostrate problems? Not so much.

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Few-Pineapple-5632@reddit

At the age sex Ed is taught, many boys can’t hear anything but the testosterone they have swirling around in their smelly bodies.

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blackcain@reddit

They might want to know why their penis gets erect at random times making things very uncomfortable. :-) But they got less going on in comparison to gals.

So, I have no clue where I am. I only JUST got my first set of hormone test results at 51. I won't go into it here, but going to my primary Dr has been less than helpful with this whole thing. I don't know if I'm perimenopausal or menopausal so I don't know which group to join...

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Overall_Lobster823@reddit

You're menopausal if you've gone a year without a period.

But it's a good good sub regardless. Many women still have some periods.

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Fluffymanolo@reddit

There in lies the issue. Stupid me. Went to my primary Doctor and I think she doesn't know what the bleep she's doing when it comes to this kind of stuff...

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Open_Confidence_9349@reddit

I went to a doctor for an ear infection once. Did you know being fat can make your ear hurt? He gave me nothing for it. I went and saw the nurse practitioner the next day and was given antibiotics and steroids. I had the receptionist put on my chart that I would not see that doctor again. For some reason, even if everyone else was all booked up, he always had availability.🙄

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Fluffymanolo@reddit

I went into physical therapy because of the beginning stages of carpal tunnel. Intake lady went into a whole thing about weight. I appreciate the concern, but weight has nothing to do with the bad layout of my desk at work.

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MissSassifras1977@reddit

Because we don't know our own bodies, right? 🙄

I hate Doctors that don't listen and/or give you credit for living inside yourself for your entire fucking life.

On a serious note, an ob/gyn almost killed me and my baby by not listening.

Had I not absolutely insisted that I wasn't in agonizing pain just from being pregnant as he stated (kid you not) we would both be dead.

I did in fact take myself to the ER. Where they discovered I did have dangerously low potassium levels, resulting in skeletal muscle cramping and a massively enlarged bladder.

I peed for a solid minute straight once my muscles relaxed. Peed in front of strangers with no fucks given. Just sweet release. Gave birth to a healthy 9 pound daughter that very same night.

My point being... Listen to your body and fight for yourself honey!

Don’t wear socks! Sandals, crocs, flip flops are definitely the way to go.

Having said that, they will diminish soon. They never 100% go away, but they become infrequent and less severe.

For me it always felt like my head was gonna explode. 😩

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Wind_Responsible@reddit

It gets easier. I hit the change at 38. It was rough for a while and I still get night sweats at 49 but, it does get easier. Just watch your mood. You’ll shift faster. I know I felt bad because I knew I’d caused the fight.

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spider3407@reddit

I'm 52 and still waiting for it all to hit 😥 I'm told I am in perimenopause, but I still get the monthly visits. Sigh.

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geri73@reddit

Please don't get me started on these damn flashes.

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harley_hot_wheelz@reddit (OP)

gif

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geri73@reddit

Yes! I've sweated the flower prints out of my good sheets.

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Silver_Basis_8145@reddit

They are awful! I live in Florida and going through a hot flash during summer is like being in a pit of fire. Haha

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trees_are_beautiful@reddit

You don't have to just put up with this. Why not look into HRT?

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MienaLovesCats@reddit

I understand; I'm almost 50

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Stargazer-2314@reddit

There are studies out now that are showing that if estrogen is given to women who are long over menopause, there are a lot of benefits for women... Sleeping better is one thing it helps...you will not start your cycles over ...I've got paperwork on subject I need to read...

I highly recommend the book, "The Menopause Manifesto" by Dr. Jen Gunter.

Hot flashes can last for years, but not for everyone.

MissSassifras1977@reddit

My what? CAN WHAT?

gif

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LongjumpingDebt4154@reddit

Is HRT covered by insurance?

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gatorchrissy@reddit

Yes! Depending on your plan it could be pricey but I pay around $75 for three months worth of HRT.

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PALOmino1701@reddit

Neck fan!

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MissSassifras1977@reddit

I'm gonna sit in that like a saddle.

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harley_hot_wheelz@reddit (OP)

I play roller derby and I about died at practice last night. Immediately went on Amazon and found me a cooling neck thing!

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Careless_Ocelot_4485@reddit

I can’t live without mine.

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MissSassifras1977@reddit

I'm used to the hot flashes.

Lately I've got The Rage.

The tiniest thing will get under my skin so easily. For 15-20 minutes at a time I'm like the devil incarnate inside myself.

Then it passes and I'm like what the fuck was that about?

HRT has been a godsend. Hot flashes were ruining my life. I ended up in the ER because of them at one point because they would, like, start with chest pain. That was their "tell". I was getting 3+ an hour. I hadn't slept more than 2 hours at a pop in months. They will generally make you wait until you haven't had your period for a year to put you on HRT, if it's something you are interested in, but I got on it after 9 months of no period because they were affecting my life so much. Literally haven't had one since the day I started HRT.

I was chatting with a nurse at my primary's office and she's been having them for 10 years now. For some people they go away, for some they do not. It's a crapshoot. Being a woman is AWESOME.

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harley_hot_wheelz@reddit (OP)

Man....I have a long way to go if I have to wait a year. It's only been 4 months. And so far the longest I have made it is 6 months between cycles. I am going to spend time on the menopause subreddit to see if there are some natural things I can do in the meantime.

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fernshot@reddit

Find a doctor who believes in your health and well being and who will do an FSH test. Then get on HRT. No reason to suffer like this.

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EstablishmentDense98@reddit

You don't need to wait for menopause to be on HRT. You can start during peri

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ahheight@reddit

I didn't have to wait. I'm in peri and would DIE without my HRT

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imrzzz@reddit

I'm on the hormone-free sub (I'm not opposed to HRT, just on the fence) and a few things have helped a LOT:

Omega 3 supplements. I use Krill Oil capsules but any fish oil would probably be fine.
Vitamin D. The old research that gives us our current daily guidelines miscalculated by a factor of 10. We need 4,000+ IU per day, not 400.
Vit K2 either in supplement form, or by eating natto.
Calcium
Protein
Fibre
I quit all caffeine (sorry, I know that's really shitty to hear, but it changed my life for the better)
Cut way back on the booze
Lift heavy

I moved to Cambodia 3 years ago where it is always hot and always humid. My electricity bill due to AC use is absolutely insane.

Tbh I could cope with the hot flushes but the mood swings and how many times I consider violence when someone chews too loudly/ thinks too loudly/ near me? Could totally do without that.

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AussieGirl27@reddit

I had to go on the patches, my hot flushes were out of control and the brain fog was ridiculous and rendering me useless! The patches all but eliminated the hot flushes and my brain is back to an acceptable level of function!

Now if I could fix the painful hips, feet and shoulders and the extra 12kgs I have gained out of nowhere that would be awesome!

Getting older is great isnt it! I think I would rather get periods for the rest of my life than deal with the horrors of menopause

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EarlyInside45@reddit

They do go away post menopause, but I recommend HRT to all women in peri. There's no reason you should suffer, and menopause affects everything. Estradiol and progesterone.

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electric_woods@reddit

gif

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3shadesoftea@reddit

The other day I was on fire for 12 hours straight, and almost collapsed in the street. 5 years of this, and I'm on hormones. Old fashioned fans are my only friend, and sometimes they betray me. My right foot second toe joint is mad at me. I'm a nice person. Why?

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Bluebellfaire@reddit

Being hot all the time sucks. But now being cold all the time also sucks. Hormones are no fun! HRT helps a ton tho. Thank goodness.

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jojo11665@reddit

You are blessed to have a freezer. It gets better but took me years. My last period was in 2016 and I still get the occasional extreme hot flash.

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bird9066@reddit

I'm 52 and went through it much younger than most. It's been a few years.

donnamommaof3@reddit

I think you & I are twins!!! Seriously the hot part SUCKS!!!!!!!

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WhiskeyAndWhiskey97@reddit

My husband and I have thermostat wars.

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BuffyBubbles1967@reddit

Ten years post menopausal and I still have hot flashes but they're not as severe.

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exhaustedbut@reddit

Take a bottle of water and freeze it. Put it on your nightstand.If you wake up sweating, it will be half ice water to drink and use the rest as an ice pack. All without leaving your bed.

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SaltyBlackBroad@reddit

I'm 60 this year. The tropical moments started at 40. While they aren't as intense as they used to be (less estrogen, the milder they become), I still have "warm moments". Some women have them well into their 70's. I have a friend who's 64 and she's yet to have a hot flash. I'm still mad at her. LOL

It subsides after a while for most but I think each person is a bit different.

I (53f) have found that drinking a lot of water WITH an electrolyte tab in each top up was the only way to get the flashes to happen less often, and be less intense. That’s just me.

I don’t salt my food and don’t cook with salt, my PA suggested I try the electrolyte bc I might be sodium deficient. I’m prone to low blood pressure anyways. Alcohol makes the flashes stronger and more frequent.

It works more than anything else I have tried. No one ever spoke to me about HRT, so I finally decided I need to start the conversation to see if it’s right for me at my upcoming appt.

I stopped having a regular cycle June 2014 (I was 42, newly widowed, but was told it was “just grief”) and then by 2020 completely stopped. The hot flashes started 2018. I now wear only flip flops or slides, no socks, being able to keep my feet cool also helps. Boots only when there is snow.

Some people swear by ashwaghanda, St. John’s wort, valerian, bitter cohosh etc. I have a linen closet’s worth of supplements that are worthless for this.

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Fuzzy_Song5443@reddit

It gets easier. I’m 54 and through the worst of it but I remember times when I’d be in a meeting and get hit with a whopper of a hot flash. Being the only woman in the room most of the time, I relished in being able to say “ugh menopause.” If I’m gonna be uncomfortable, we’re all gonna be uncomfortable 😂😅

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IDK_1098@reddit

After a particularly vicious hot flash I bought a case of those instant disposable ice packs, lol

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bellum1@reddit

Go over to r/menopause - super good info. Get on some HRT if you can. Good luck!

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5150-gotadaypass@reddit

They are brutal, especially on the days the insomnia strikes too.

Doctor, stat.

PiecesofFlair@reddit

The nuclear meltdown is real. I haven’t worn a proper winter coat in 5 years (and I live in Canada). As far as it improving, not sure. I may have just become better at coping with it. Coping does mean anxiety meds - since starting those I may still be hot, but at least I’m not crazy and hot.

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Loud-Mans-Lover@reddit

Hairdryer on low/cool helps a bit for the, uh... harder to get areas when you have the sweats. My proctologist actually told me to do this lol

I'm okay with the hot flashes/cold flashes, because I only get them sometimes. It's the itching I can't stand! No one told me ypu can itch! Everywhere!

It didn’t get easier for me. The hot flashes were joined by joint pain and bladder leakage. Sex felt like sandpaper. I was rolling an ankle every time I went up and down stairs or stepped off a curb. My skin, hair and nails started looking like trash.

I started HRT two years ago. I have a uterus, so I do estrogen and progesterone. And the bladder leakage/pelvic floor thing kept bugging me, so I use a vaginal estrogen tablet: Vagifem.

For those of us with recurrent bladder infections: please talk to your doctor about Vagifem. There was a paper fairly recently. I think it was a British medical journal. Check it out.

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THE_Lena@reddit

I never actually felt hot but I would just start sweating. Drenched.

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Tiny_Animal_3843@reddit

I'm 51. At 48 , I started menopause symptoms. At 49, the hot flashes were severe. I would have to wake up every night and change my pajamas and usually lay on top of a towel so as not to bother my partner by changing the sheets. You could actually see the outline of my body sweat sweat on the sheet. During the day I would spontaneously combust! It was horrible. If I had a pair of sunglasses.Or reading glasses on top of my head they would have a condensation on them when I would take them off from the heat. My APN put me on Paxil 10mg to start. It was fantastic. It worked wonderfully. I was on it for about a year and then she weaned me off of it and my hot flashes never came back.

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julnyes@reddit

Same, I am a few months into the taking the 10mg of paxil and haven't had a single hot flash / night sweat since I started. My doctor also plans to wean me off it after a year.

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Angry_Tomato_@reddit

I tried to tough it out for like five years because I read that they might go away. They did not. I was having up to 20 hot flashes a day and was feeling like a zombie from disrupted sleep.

It depends on what you need and what insurance/ dr you have! I live in a blue state, I get vaginal estrogen and estrogen patch covered. I pay out of pocket for low dose testosterone compound cream. Feel free to message me or hop on menopause reddit. I started with my PCP for E cream and got referral to gyno.

I had to have hysterectomy recently so went into surgical menopause. 😳 Depending on who your PCP is, what state you live in, you might get covered. Please don’t give up! I hope you feel better. 💐

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Gusticles@reddit

Wow! I'm in Canada so it's much cheaper. For Estrogel and progesterone it's about $50 CDN per month. I found that my mood improved as well and I have much more energy.

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RunRunDMC212@reddit

I just got on the hormones a few months ago. Best decision I ever made. Helping with my energy levels and skin dryness issues as well.

My doctor also suggested black cohosh and evening primrose oil for night sweats - there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that women have found success with them, but she also admits that the research on this is still on the fence. I worry about the inconsistency of dosages you get in the supplement industry and I’m on a few other medications that I don’t want to inadvertently mess with, so I’m holding off on trying supplements on top of my HRT.

Slight_Succotash9495@reddit

I haven't worn my glasses out of the house in about 2yrs bc the hot flashes fog them up so often. My dr put me back on BC pills &they kinda help the hot flashes & everything else but not really. Idk why he wont give me anything else. I mean im not complaining bc with my insurance its free so thats a plus. Im sorry you're going thru it too. My mom just laughs at me every time she sees me holding a giant box fan up to my face! I cant get cooled off!

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questions1979@reddit

I thought I was done with the hot flashes at 59 years of age. They started back up. We are going to Alaska next month can’t wait!

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OGAberrant@reddit

Some may find this a good jumping off point to do some more research

Soy and Menopause – Succinct Summary:

Soy contains isoflavones, plant-based compounds that mimic estrogen in the body. During menopause, estrogen levels drop, leading to symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and bone density loss.

What’s known: • Hot Flashes: Soy isoflavones can modestly reduce frequency and severity, especially in women who are naturally able to metabolize them into equol, a more potent form. • Bone Health: Some evidence shows slight improvements in bone density, but not enough to replace standard treatments. • Heart Health: May slightly improve cholesterol profiles, offering minor cardiovascular benefits. • Breast Cancer Risk: No clear evidence of increased risk in postmenopausal women; may reduce risk in some populations.

My wife said to me, "When I go through the menopause it will be the worst thing that has ever happened - to you."

She's always been insanely hot, but the menopause made this literal. Crazy and overheated.

Then she took HRT. She says it was like getting her old self back, with her energy levels and sanity. It was lovely.

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equetra7@reddit

HRT helped me no end. X

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NZT-48Rules@reddit

It didn't for me. They kept increasing. At 56, I was having 50 per day. I went on HRT and they stopped completely.

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AboveGroundPoolQueen@reddit

My doctor put me on hormone replacement therapy and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me! I highly recommend you at least look into it. No reason to live with hot flashes. Also, the body starts aging and changing when you go through menopause so when you go in hormone replacement therapy it prevents Disease diseases and other aging related issues from developing.

Read the wiki, buckle up.

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BrilliantArtistic213@reddit

😌

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pittsburgpam@reddit

It does... eventually. I had sudden, complete menopause at age 42 because of having a total hysterectomy. The surgery wasn't even about "female" problems! I had been totally regular even since having a tubal ligation at 23 years old, never again using birth control. I didn't take HRT because I didn't want to just prolong it.

It worked. A few time I had a massacre but not on my sheets! 😂

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Hawlee72@reddit

Lol I get it. Same boat as you, but thankfully no major symptoms.

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omgkelwtf@reddit

Yes. Hello. Me too. 51 and how TF am I still bleeding? I didn't have kids bc I didn't want to and I'm looking forward to no more periods but mine are still like clockwork. I want my uterus to give it up already. A baby ain't happening. Any remaining eggs are leather. Let go already.

My Dr and I had a long conversation about how girls are getting their periods earlier and women are entering menopause later. What a fucking rip off.

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JustJezebeluk@reddit

HRT will help!

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RBme@reddit

It's brutal. I'm through peri and into full menopause and I still have hot flashes... even on HRT. I have an OB/GYN that specializes in menopause, and she's been a lifesaver. All those odd symptoms that aren't spoken about - the brain fog, the itchy feeling where it feels like little bugs are crawling all over my arms. Not being able to sleep... ugh. Thankfully all I have now is the hot flashes. I can deal with it.

My hot flashes started during Covid, that was fun….not

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sharkycharming@reddit

Sadly, it's just unpredictable. My maternal grandmother had hot flashes for 20 years. My mom had ONE hot flash in her entire life. Her 'Irish twin,' my aunt, has had them for over 20 years now. Bad ones. When I started to experience hot flashes in 2020, I was really scared I would be like my grandmother or my aunt. I had more than my mom, but they stopped being frequent after about a year. And now I get one every few months, at most. So mysterious.

I hope yours will soon come to an end, OP.

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platypusandpibble@reddit

Ugh! Isn’t it just the worst? I couldn’t stand it - I run hot anyway and felt like I was going to melt. HRT to the rescue!

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nygrl811@reddit

I have been woken up from a deep sleep by a hot flash. Do not enjoy.

What gets me is the experience of being boiling hot and yet cold at the same time. Pick ONE!!

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harley_hot_wheelz@reddit (OP)

Okay I wondered about the mixed temp thing. I will be absolutely boiling and my hands will be freaking freezing. Like, how?

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Flippedacoin@reddit

I don't understand how I can be so incredibly hot AND cold at the same time! Sweating & Shivering ugh

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LongjumpingDebt4154@reddit

It’s like running a fever every damn day (and night)

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JudyGemstoned@reddit

I'm on HRT but still every so often it's like someone turned on a faucet at the top of my skull and it just pours for 5 minutes and then stops

gif

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harley_hot_wheelz@reddit (OP)

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Slimjim6678@reddit

My poor wife would be envious of you being able to run into a freezer. I feel so bad for her because there’s nothing I can do but turn up the a/c or get her a fan.

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harley_hot_wheelz@reddit (OP)

Get her some ice packs to put inside her bra (or sports bra or something). That is absolute heaven when they hit.

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NullRazor@reddit

Here is a podcast that my wife loves, which provides tons of info about dealing with Menopause.

I live where it snows and on more than one occasion I have stepped outside and stood, shirtless, on my deck to allow the cold to cool me off. Hot flashes can choke on a d.

It hasn't gotten easier for me, yet. I am also 50 and have had hot flashes off/on since my late 30's. Night sweats. Weird hair growth. Very recently, sudden weight gain and other body changes. The fatigue. But my cycle keeps coming.

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majesticalexis@reddit

Hot flashes are HELL!

I got early and instant menopause because chemotherapy shut down my ovaries. Because of that I can not take hormone therapy.

Anecdotally, my hot flashes have REALLY subsided since I started drinking pomegranate juice daily. I hope they stay away this time. I hate when they go away for a while and then come back.

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Busymomma_86@reddit

Old love to tell you it gets easier. But at least for me, it hasn’t 🥺. The amount of Doctors and medical professionals that I’ve dealt with in the past 10 yrs who have the additive that it’s just part of being a woman and we should just accept it infuriates me. I WILL say you should check out u/menapause on Reddit though. Similar to this page, no only are all the women there willing to share their knowledge and experiences, they also let you vent and complain lol. I’ve learned more from there in the past yr than I have from my drs in the past 10. Good luck. You are not alone e in this!

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NorthMathematician32@reddit

r/Menopause

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DragonflyL4dy20@reddit

I have a large ice pack I sleep with sometimes and I sleep with my head at the foot of the bed, directly under the ceiling fan. I usually only wear my undies to bed.

r/menopause

It started for me at 42, I’m 46(ugh almost 47). The hot flashes are insane. And I think I’m almost done, no period for 6.5 months and bam it’s back. And the count starts over. I’m just anxiously waiting the end of it also.

Mugwumps_has_spoken@reddit

I'm legit terrified of the hot flashes. My younger years I had severe issues with heat intolerance and passing out because my body decided I was too hot (didn't matter what the air temperature was).

It's been nearly 30 years since the last time I had an incident (of actually passing out because of it).

I know it is not energy efficient, but I miss having a fridge/freezer with a top freezer... because it was awesome to be able to stand there with my head stuck inside. But dammit, the bottom drawer freezers not only don't hold shit (and make it more of a pain to get at), there is no way to even semi replicate the relief that comes from shoving your head in.

r/Perimenopause

kellyinwanderland@reddit

Don't forget the freezer aisle in the grocery store!

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EnvironmentalLuck515@reddit

Hormone replacement therapy is a game changer.

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Thomaswebster4321@reddit

I think a lot of us have seen this already, and it perfectly illustrates how I feel with every hot flash.

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Appropriate_Gap1987@reddit

Welcome to the club, it's a blast

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misstrixi66@reddit

Go to gyn get hrt. It will take a bit to get the dosage right but it's a life saver. Also you have to be your own advocate. If your doctor says it's just aging and there's nothing they can do find another doctor. Read the new menopause by Dr. Mary Claire haver

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firstblush73@reddit

I bought a small handheld fan for mynpurse that is usb rechargeable, and a mini fan for near my bed, that is also usb rechargeable on Amazon. They are a Godsend until I can get in to see a doctor.

Small Desktop Fan for bedside (really super amazing!)

Handheld fan for purse (not as amazing, but better than suffering!)

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I buy the 200ck strength version. Here: https://a.co/d/fQqtNxE

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ProtozoaPatriot@reddit

Welcome to /r/perimenopause