# So I'm 36, why have I been having hot flashes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 8, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-36-why-have-i-been-having-hot-flashes/471754 "2008-11-08T01:36:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-36-why-have-i-been-having-hot-flashes/471754/1 "2008-11-08T01:36:35Z")
First off, yes, yes, I know I should see a doctor, and I will eventually. But I don’t have insurance and the school’s health clinic is more designed for stuff like birth control and the flu, and I’ve been busy and all of that. It hasn’t seemed “emergency” enough to go the extra mile (and dollar) for up to this point. So the deal is… for a couple of years now I’ve been having hot flashes. They’re exactly what my mother describes, and she’s going through menopause. I have a clock with the temperature on it in nearly every room in the house so I can fairly accurately say that I can go from huddled under a blanket to naked, sweating, with a fan on without the temperature in the room changing by more than .1 degree or so. I frequently have to go soak my feet in cold water to cool off. Yesterday I was lying in bed wearing nothing, ceiling fan on, sweating and miserable, and it was 58 degrees in the room. (That’s 58 F for you furn’rs, so’s not to confuse) Is this just my wacky physiology? Is there something else that causes hot flashes but no other symptoms over long periods of time? Or am I likely just one of those people who hits menopause really, really young? (I started my period at age 11.) I know you can’t diagnose me on the board, yadda yadda. I just want to hear other people’s thoughts about what it _might_ be. ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-36-why-have-i-been-having-hot-flashes/471754/2 "2008-11-08T03:06:21Z")
I’ve had hot flashes on and off, and so far, no menopause. They have been caused by medications (antidepressants), viral infections, and as far as I can tell, stress. Possibly some were caused by a strange, recurring problem with my immune system. Night time sweats, however, can also be caused by cats. Flinging cats to the ends of the room often causes a cessation of symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-36-why-have-i-been-having-hot-flashes/471754/3 "2008-11-08T03:15:38Z")
You could ask the clinic to draw your blood to check your hormone levels. A simple lab should be able to tell you where you’re at in regards to menopause. If that’s negative, you could go from there. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-36-why-have-i-been-having-hot-flashes/471754/4 "2008-11-08T03:39:19Z")
Time to check your hormones, dear. Probably including your thyroid. IIRC, you’re rather thin, and you appear to have the energy levels of a psychotic ferret (no offense), so I’d randomly and probably totally inaccurately wonder if you might have a touch of hyperthyroidism going on. Your periods still regular? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-36-why-have-i-been-having-hot-flashes/471754/5 "2008-11-08T04:34:14Z")
Shit, I get hot flashes and I’m a guy. Could be anything… I mean for you. For me, it’s probably all the MSG. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-36-why-have-i-been-having-hot-flashes/471754/6 "2008-11-08T04:35:50Z")
Yes, they’re regular, but probably because of my BC. I do have the insomnia levels of a psychotic ferret, this is true. And the stress levels. Dunno if it all counts as _energy_ so much. My mom has thyroid problems in the other direction, so it’s probably a good idea to get that checked anyway… ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-36-why-have-i-been-having-hot-flashes/471754/7 "2008-11-08T04:37:55Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Shit, I get hot flashes Well thankfully I don’t get them from doing _that_. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-36-why-have-i-been-having-hot-flashes/471754/8 "2008-11-08T06:10:02Z")
Sounds like perimenopause to me. Of course (as you clearly know) a blood test could confirm. My Mom always called her hot flashes her “private summers”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-36-why-have-i-been-having-hot-flashes/471754/9 "2008-11-08T06:14:39Z")
Obviously, you have been possessed by the Phoenix. Expect to manifest flaming wings and begin devouring planets any day now. On the plus side, eat a few solar systems, and people will realize that pissing you off is definitely contra-indicated.