Just call me Flash

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I am not looking for medical advice...just the practical everyday stuff. So pharmacology aside anyone have any great tips for hot flashes. I've been keeping a dry wash cloth in my pocket to dry my face, and trying to drink cold drinks...I should probably wear a tee shirt to absorb the sweat but I'm afraid one more layer of clothing will kill me. I used to have one of those scarfs with the gel stuff you kept in the freezer until you put it on...do they make any items like that which would work with scrubs? Any other thoughts?:confused:

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Specializes in LTC, Home Health, Hospice.

Welcome to Woman Hood! :)

I have a fan operated by battery that I used at the nurses station while charting,

I was told to drink soy milk

oh yah, go see your doctor..

I prefer to call them "Personal Summers"

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See the Doc on the 14th, but won't do the hormones due to hx. I've threaten to pull the fire alarms to set of the sprinklers :) But maybe I'll try a fan first.

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I had bad ones while on Lupron (the devil's drug! As in, you feel like you're residing in the home of the Devil while you're on it!) Ice packs on my neck, and what I wish I had was one of those misters with the fan. Those always looked helpful.

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Can't say that any of this will ever apply to me, but perhaps I can offer some points for consideration...

Some studies have shown that soy does work at producing relief from symptoms when from actual food sources. That would be soy milk, whole soybeans, tofu, tempeh, miso and stuff made with soy flour. I would think that the closer to natural form the better (whole beans, soy milk, tofu). Some studies have measured no differences in estradiol and gonadotropins and leave it at that.

Vitamin E has seen positive results in published studies in reducing number of, severity and 'night sweats.' (Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?typ=pdf&doi=106491 )

Exercise early in your day is also one of those general positive things (avoid exercise 3-4 hours before bed (to help avoid that night sweat thing again).

Many women also seem to have dietary triggers that exacerbate the problem, you may wish to try selective elimination with caffeine, ETOH and spicy foods.

Black cohosh is usually high on the list of BTDT recommendations, but I don't see where it has a lot of evidential support.

If you wish to avoid traditional HRT like estrogen replacement, you may wish to talk to your MD/DO/NP about Prometrium, Effexor and Gabapentin.

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Specializes in Case Management.
Welcome to Woman Hood! :)

I prefer to call them "Personal Summers"

This made me LOL and almost spit my juice on the keyboard!!

I had a friend who preferred to call them "power surges"!

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Just found this relevant bit of ACNP conference material while wandering the net...

http://handouts.acnpconference.com/2009/pdf/254.pdf

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

I had a wonderful cooling mat for those nights when I couldn't get cool (not menopausal, just always have had hot flashes). It was called a "chillow" and I actually kept 2-3 of them because they only cool for about 1-2 hours, so I could switch them out through the night. They cool back down when kept somewhere dark and cool like under one's bed. I saw my MD, an endocrinologist and a cardiologist, had tons of labs. . . Nobody could figure anything out, except that I needed to lose weight, which I did eventually and it helped.

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Specializes in PACU, CARDIAC ICU, TRAUMA, SICU, LTC.

Soy milk never worked for me, and I hung in there for a year drinking it. I found the B complex vitamins helped. It is so embarassing to break out in a sweat, to say the least. My sister used cooling pillows when she was going through chemo, and had lost all her hair. Her head was always hot; she said they were a god send.

Have you given any thought to accupuncture? If you can find a good one, they really do help! :twocents:

ScienceToyStore.com has bed fans that blow under the sheets!

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Thanks all for your responses, but it really is most troubling at work, Not that I've never had a night sweat, but at work it's embarassing and a pain.

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Specializes in chemical dependency detox/psych.

We have our "menopause fans" in the chart room. Now that you guys mention it, I think I will try one of those fans that mist you and run on batteries. I've also found that going to the restroom and running ice cold water on my inner arms and splashing my face and neck helps.

I also like these socks:

Amazon.com: Champion Elite Low Cut Sock w/ Moisture Wicking Odor Resistance - Women 6 Pair Pack: Clothing

and make sure that your scrubs aren't too heavy. I love the Grey's Anatomy scrubs (they do moisture-wicking.)

http://www.allheart.com/bc4153.html?__utma=1.578860011.1268877624.1268877624.1269289774.2&__utmb=1.5.10.1278396958&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1278397147.2.1.utmcsr%3dgoogle|utmccn%3d%28organic%29|utmcmd%3dorganic|utmctr%3dmoisture+wicking+scrubs&__utmv=-&__utmk=231928735

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Before you go to the Dr get the book "the change before the change" (sorry, can't remember the author). This book made me a believer in herbal remedies. I read it and went to my dr and said "here's what I want to do..." I used to wear a cold gel neck thing at work, good relief for me and good humor relief for my pts and coworkers!

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