I’m 42. My gynecologist tells me I’ll probably experience menopause about the same age as my mother, which means in the next 5-7 years or so.
I work with all post-menopausal women in my office (and 1 or 2 part-timers who are young guys).
I am hypothyroid, and have been since I was about 30; prior to that, I lived in semi-tropical Florida for most of my life. When I moved to the Pacific Northwest, I was always, always cold. Even after getting my thyroid meds dosage to where my T3 & T4 are at the correct levels, I still am usually the most likely person in a room to complain about being cold, especially my hands & feet.
That is, until about the beginning of this year. It seems that my basal body temperature is no longer in the 96 degree range that it tested at before I got on thyroid meds. I can now be comfortable in a 68-72 degree (F) room without needing a sweater.
In fact, now I find that I start to perspire if some wingnut in the office cranks the thermostat to 75 or higher (especially if I’m wearing a wool suit!).
The response I get when I complain makes me want to slap them: “Oh, you’re just having hot flashes!”
Oh, yeah? Twenty-four hours a day, every day for the last 3 or so months? Ya think?
I’m sure my doctor would disagree with their amateur diagnosis, but it makes me want to ask: what’s the (subjective, personal) difference between hot flashes and just being too warm in a room? How long do/did your hot flashes last? How hot did they make you? What else can you tell me about the experience - will I “know” when I actually have a hot flash? Or do all women need someone who’s been through them to condescendingly, patronizingly tell them when they’re having one, as I sometimes feel is the mindset of certain women I know…
I’m in the throes of it right now. A hot flash is distinguished from “just being warm” because it literally just washes over you (intensely!) for no apparent reason. They last anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes, and they come in waves, every 10 or 15 minutes (for me anyway). You get so warm that you can almost get panicky! Some women suffer sweats as well, though I didn’t. I’m on the patch now because the flashes and mood swings were very intense and I was going kinda mental.
I’m not a woman, but I think I can contribute. I was on hormone therapy to control prostate cancer. This caused me to have “hot flashes” and, in my experience, there is no doubt when your having one. It’s a very strange feeling when you first experience it, but I became more accustomed after a few days, although it was still mildly
uncomfortable. I’m off the treatment now, but may go back on next month.
BTW, the therapy was very effective, it stopped the growth of the cancer and my PSA dropped dramatically.
Hot flashes are like standing in front of an oven set to “Broil” and opening the door. You know it. I got a few every day.
While I always had extremely tolerance to cold weather, for five years I suffered if the temperature went below sixty degrees. That stopped this winter, and I am very grateful.
That’s a very good description. Or being stuck in a dry sauna. No escape. The flames of a million hot coals reside under your skin. (Oh…the drama!). They’re pretty damn unbelievable sometimes.
What Kalhoun and **Annie-Xmas[/]b said. And always very sudden. You are going to find that that wool suit is not your friend. I’ve found that sitting alone at home, I’m fiercely pulling shirt/pullover ofof, even if the real temperature means that only ten minutes later I’m rushing to put on layers of clothing. Better than menstruation, though.
Celyn (44 )
I went into perimenopause early (age 35) and it sucked bigtime! The first couple of times the hot flashes/night sweats woke me up I thought I was having some kind of heart attack Then I started getting weepy for no reason. THEN I got written up at work for snapping at (idiot) coworkers.
So I went on the internet to see what was wrong with me. (No insurance, doncha know.) I read a bunch of information and headed to the store for some herbal pills. The mood swings, hot flashes & night sweats stopped within 2 weeks! Yay!
{Since SDMB is not a place to post commercials, you’ll have to contact me privately if you want to know what kind I’m on.}
