Hot flashes, cycling and running

[Crankin]

I tried black cohosh years ago, when I was in peri. It didn't do a thing. I just deal with the flashes. Usually keep a big bottle of water by me and drink a bunch when I feel one starting. I mostly have one big one when I wake up.
My worst symptom has been the "dryness" issue, which put a severe crimp in my love life. I got an E-string about 5 years ago and it has made a nice improvement, but the issue is still there. The nurse practitioner I went to at my last doctor said that this is also an issue of "use it or lose it," so i guess I need to "use it" more. But, getting the E-string, definitely eliminated some of the pain I had cycling, which were not really saddle issues.
My gyn. is a tri-athlete, but when I first went to her, she had not started this and she was kind of clueless when I tried to describe the issue I was having. Now, she always asks.

[Biciclista]

I made a comment to my doctor after she prescribed a tube of estrace for all of the above tissue complaints; "what did women my age do before Estrace?" She said women of a certain age didn't ride bikes or have sex much once upon a time.
Bike Chick, there are exercises and programs for people in your situation. you might send a message to Knotted Yet she can tell you the name of it.

[arielmoon]

No chemicals in my body thank you. I take Chinese herb blends that I get from my acupuncturist. My hot flashes are mild and the night sweats are gone.

I dont know that exercise has any effect on them one way or another.

[Dogmama]

No chemicals in my body thank you. I take Chinese herb blends that I get from my acupuncturist. My hot flashes are mild and the night sweats are gone.

I dont know that exercise has any effect on them one way or another.

I'm glad that you can do minimal things for your hot flashes. I was that way for years - a few herbs, some acupuncture, a nice massage and I could handle them. Then I spent one solid year sweating at least 5-7 times a day so badly that rivers ran down my torso and my calves even sweated. I'd be damned if I was going to "cave." Then, the memory and the sleep started suffering and I couldn't stand to be in my own skin. So, I take a dusting of estrogen & progesterone. Much better.

My point - be careful about being supercilious. You never know what the future holds.

The "chemicals" are bioidentical, not horse urine, btw. So, I don't consider them foreign chemicals.

[Crankin]

Dogmama, the E-string is the same thing as the tablets, except you just insert a new one every 3 months. It's about 2mg of estrogen over that period. Very low dose. It's a ring that is just like the ones that are used for birth control.
As for the natural remedies, +1. I tried everything, and while my symptoms were mild, none of the natural remedies helped. So, I just lived with the flashes and got the help for the dryness.
Sherrylouz, early forties is not too young for perimenopause. I was around 42-43 when my periods started becoming irregular, heavy, and annoying. They stopped when I was 48, but for two years before that, I went 9-11 months without a period. So, while some people are having kids at age 42, I was definitely in perimenopause. My mom and aunt both were the same way.

[indigoiis]

I haven't had any hot flashes in the past week or so.
It also hasn't been that hot around here. This morning it was 40.
So I am wondering if I was overheating - but the night sweats thing - ?

Anyhow, cool weather seems to help.

[arielmoon]

indi- cool weather does seem to help me too!

I'm glad that you can do minimal things for your hot flashes. I was that way for years - a few herbs, some acupuncture, a nice massage and I could handle them. Then I spent one solid year sweating at least 5-7 times a day so badly that rivers ran down my torso and my calves even sweated. I'd be damned if I was going to "cave." Then, the memory and the sleep started suffering and I couldn't stand to be in my own skin. So, I take a dusting of estrogen & progesterone. Much better.

My point - be careful about being supercilious. You never know what the future holds.

The "chemicals" are bioidentical, not horse urine, btw. So, I don't consider them foreign chemicals.

I hear you. Loosing sleep is not worth it! I am very grateful that I am able to manage it this way even if it is only temporary. The idea with the Chinese herbs is to encourage my body to make the hormones instead of replacing them with something foreign. The only time I have taken hormones was after the ovomectomy to keep me from cycling for a few months and I really didnt like it. I will never say never but for now the herbs and acupuncture are working!

[jasmine]

I wonder if there is some correlation between working out a lot, decreased body fat and hot flashes? I notice that when I am training hard and lose a bit of body fat my hot flashes and night sweats kick up a couple of notches. I remember reading somewhere that there is a connection between estrogen and body fat--that estrogen is stored in body fat and therefore heavier people tend to have milder menopause symptoms? Such a dilemma if this is true because the hot flashes are so disruptive but who wants to deliberately put on body fat?

[Crankin]

I've read that, too, but not sure if it's really scientifically valid.
The cooler weather decreases the flashes for sure.

[Dogmama]

I wonder if there is some correlation between working out a lot, decreased body fat and hot flashes? I notice that when I am training hard and lose a bit of body fat my hot flashes and night sweats kick up a couple of notches. I remember reading somewhere that there is a connection between estrogen and body fat--that estrogen is stored in body fat and therefore heavier people tend to have milder menopause symptoms? Such a dilemma if this is true because the hot flashes are so disruptive but who wants to deliberately put on body fat?

Hi Jasmine-
I've read that too - but there is new information that heavier women have MORE hot flashes because their body mass keeps them hotter.

Sheesh!! Who knows??

I have the vivelle dot patch and take prometrium and I'm really happy. Not only have hot flashes abated, but I'm sleeping all night, I can actually REMEMBER things and my mood is 110% better. My gyn has special training in menopause management and that is his prescription. I've never felt better. I did bio-identicals for quite awhile but either they never got in right in the compounding pharmacy, or the creams aren't enough for me, or something. PLUS, they're mega-expensive whereas my insurance helps pay for my patches.

[Seajay]

The "chemicals" are bioidentical, not horse urine, btw. So, I don't consider them foreign chemicals.

I just finished reading Mia Lundin's book. She is a huge proponent of bioidentical hormones. Problem is that its proving impossible to find anything by an M.D. on the subject.
Comments on bioidenticals? success or issues with them? and can anyone quote medical studies or refer an M.D.
Thanks!

[OakLeaf]

There aren't many sources I really trust, but here are two.

Here's what the Breast Cancer Fund has to say about bioidentical hormones:

There are very few studies, and those that exist have somewhat contradictory findings regarding impact on breast cancer. On the other hand, differently aged women, different compounds of hormones, different duration of using hormone supplements...all make comparisons difficult.

We are concerned that even taking bioidentical hormones extends the lifetime exposure of women to estrogens and progesterone, given the extensive data linking duration of hormonal exposure with risk of breast cancer. We also recognize that that there are differences in biological potency of various component estrogens, and that pharmacies and/or companies differ in their recipes for compounding the bioidentical hormone components.

In short, we support inclusion of bioidentical hormones in ongoing studies of efficacy and health outcomes (positive and negative), especially for post-menopausal women using these compounds to address the symptoms of menopause.

The National Women's Health Network is less equivocal:

All hormone products, bio-identical or not, are manufactured in a lab. While some are synthesized from “natural” sources (horse urine, plants, etc.), all go through extensive treatments in the lab to become hormone products. Some are synthesized to be exact copies of the body’s hormones (e.g., estradiol, estrone and progesterone); others are made into forms that are similar, such as progestins and conjugated equine estrogens. Unlike herbs, there’s no place in nature women can go to harvest hormones for home use. An interesting aspect to the natural vs. synthetic argument is the little known fact that many pharmacies that promote bio-identical hormones as natural alternatives actually buy the raw ingredients from pharmaceutical companies!

Are bio-identical hormones safer than other forms of HT? No. Are bio-identical hormones more effective than traditional HT? No, again.

[Dogmama]

You might be able to Google bio-identical hormones in the Google-scholar section. You'll find actual studies that you can look up. Basically, bio-identical hormones are made to be replicates of what we begin to loose. Compounding pharmacies can make them but there is some question about quality control - you don't really know that the specified levels are accurate. You can also get bio-identicals through a pharmacy. All require a doctor's prescription. Bio-identicals can be rubbed on (as in Diva Gel, my current one), applied as a patch (aka, Vivelle Dot) or taken orally.

I found an MD who specializes in menopause management. He has no problem with bio-identical hormones and we've been trying different types. My hot flashes are so intense that my calves actually sweat. I always have an array of clothing from heavy sweatshirts to sleeveless tops that I alternate during the day. I have annoying side effects from HRT, e.g., I can't wear my contacts because my eyes dry up, bloating, constipation & general malaise. BUT, I do sleep better and my hot flashes become bearable. My general mood improves and my memory becomes better. So, right now I'm on diva gel which I'm starting at half the regular dose. I go on & off - not good, I know. I've tried black cohosh, soy, you name it. They work a little bit, for a little while, but then I'm back to square one.

My doc says he has patients who are breast cancer survivors who still take estrogen. I went to a nurse practitioner who had breast cancer & said she'd never stop estrogen because it's a quality of life issue. So, some women are very adamant and I can't blame them.

BTW, The WHI study used Premarin which is horse urine. The FDA extrapolated that their findings extended to all hormone replacements. In 2005, the makers of Premarin petitioned the FDA to restrict the availability of bio-identical hormones.