Hot Flash City!

melm
melm Member Posts: 104
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi,all...just interested in knowing what you girls do to relieve your hot flashes (those that are dealing with this!). As I've said in previous posts, I am on Effexor now for 3 weeks and have noticed a bit of difference but still experiencing flashed all times of the day. Any little tips? I have a fan on my desk and keep it on high all day as well as one by the bed at night. I have resigned myself to the fact that they are not going to stop anytime soon so, how do you get some relief beside using a fan?

Love and hugs to all of you,
Mel in AR

Comments

  • cruf
    cruf Member Posts: 908
    #2
    Hi Mel! When you find a trick, please let me know! I've been on Tamoxifen almost 2 years now and the Flashes are worse now than before. I tried both Paxil and neurontin but I didn't like the reactions I got so I stopped. I've become the laugh at work cause one minute I'm freezing and the next there's sweat running down my face! Hope you can find some relief! HUGS!! Cathy
  • judy22
    judy22 Member Posts: 117 Member
    #3
    Hi mel my doctor told me to take vit. E for mine and it had helped a little bit. You might want to ask your doctor first. Judy
  • banker
    banker Member Posts: 317 Member
    #4
    Know how you feel !!!! Got a fan on my desk also. Some days I have lots of hotflashes, some days just a couple. I take Effexor also, it works to a point.I think we just have to put up with them????? I am post-menopausal and still get them darn things. Not much help am I ??? Maybe there are some secrets out there ??? Take care...Hugs.... Emmi
  • maud
    maud Member Posts: 178
    #5
    Hi Mel,
    I am in the same boat as everyone else. I have been on the tamoxifen for almost 2 years now and I have tried several different things and I am still taking vit.E but nothing has really worked.If you find anything that does help PLEASE let us know. Take Care
    God Bless
    Debbie
  • ldrunnrmom
    ldrunnrmom Member Posts: 15
    #6
    maud said:

    Hi Mel,
    I am in the same boat as everyone else. I have been on the tamoxifen for almost 2 years now and I have tried several different things and I am still taking vit.E but nothing has really worked.If you find anything that does help PLEASE let us know. Take Care
    God Bless
    Debbie

    Hi all!

    I have no real remedy- just some thoughts. Got LOTS of those :)

    Anyway- my doctor recommended E in combination with B6- so thought I would mention that. He said the combo was important but I dont remember why. so far I dont know that it has helped but then they DID say that it could take up to two weeks before the benefit was felt. There are other good reasons to take E and 6 so it seemed worth a try.

    I was thinking that at least hot flashes were a reason to be glad to be bald? I mean..when those litle beads of sweat pop out- better to not have hair, maybe? I just wonder what will happen when it comes back! Yikes...I will have permanently curly hair for sure from the humidity :) Ah well..

    I was at a meeting yesterday and wore my wig- been trying to do that periodically- just to get used to it and gear up for being in "polite society" again:) anyway- oh my! it was so hot! And after a while my scalp was itchy- does anyone have a remedy for that- or wear something under the wig? Yikes again- that would make it even HOTTER!

    If someone COULD find a real solution to this hot flash thing- they would make a fortune...

    Chris
  • melm
    melm Member Posts: 104
    #7
    ldrunnrmom said:

    Hi all!

    I have no real remedy- just some thoughts. Got LOTS of those :)

    Anyway- my doctor recommended E in combination with B6- so thought I would mention that. He said the combo was important but I dont remember why. so far I dont know that it has helped but then they DID say that it could take up to two weeks before the benefit was felt. There are other good reasons to take E and 6 so it seemed worth a try.

    I was thinking that at least hot flashes were a reason to be glad to be bald? I mean..when those litle beads of sweat pop out- better to not have hair, maybe? I just wonder what will happen when it comes back! Yikes...I will have permanently curly hair for sure from the humidity :) Ah well..

    I was at a meeting yesterday and wore my wig- been trying to do that periodically- just to get used to it and gear up for being in "polite society" again:) anyway- oh my! it was so hot! And after a while my scalp was itchy- does anyone have a remedy for that- or wear something under the wig? Yikes again- that would make it even HOTTER!

    If someone COULD find a real solution to this hot flash thing- they would make a fortune...

    Chris

    Thanks to all of you for replying...looks as if we are stuck with these damned hot flashes! My husband says that it is just a normal part of being a woman and people keep treating it as if it is a disease...well, my comment was "Until you have experienced a flash, you can't really know how it feels!". Don't get me wrong...my husband is my rock. He is absolutely the most wonderful thing in my life and I could not have made it through this ordeal without him. Men just don't understand hot flashes!

    Chris, as far as the wig is concerned...ditch it! When I was bald, I wore wigs for awhile until the hot weather hit. From that point on I wore light-weight scarves wrapped and tied in pretty styles. It kept that itchy feeling at bay and was MUCH cooler. And, I thought I looked much prettier. In fact, I received many compliments on the "look". Screw "polite society"! Take care of yourself and be comfortable. Doesn't matter what other people think.

    Well, girls, maybe the flashes will be less uncomfortable when the cool weather arrives!

    Thanks for the input and in the meantime, keep those fans blowing!

    Love to all of you,

    Mel in AR
  • cathyann
    cathyann Member Posts: 26
    #8
    Hi Mel I had to play around with the dosage and timing of the effexor. I found that taking 75 mg 3 times a day was effective. One dose did not work well. Ask about possibly increasing the dosage and instead of the time release capsule, take 3 smaller doses. Good Luck. Cathy
  • iris48
    iris48 Member Posts: 92
    #9
    I too have been there and would drip puddles of water all day long. My doctor wrote a prescription for Bellaspas also known as Bellergal. One pill daily stopped the 17 hot flashes that have me changing clothes 4x a day because they were soaked. Good Luck.
  • pauletta
    pauletta Member Posts: 20
    #10
    I am ER negative and don't take tamoxifen, but was taken off premarin and developed hot flashes while on Adriamycin/Cytoxan. I began taking evening primrose oil (1200mg) and vit E (400 mg) nightly and now I have no problems with hot flashes. Also, take a supplement of B along with daily multivitamin. When I began radiation they advised that I not take any antioxidants while I was being treated so had to give up the nightly vit E and have had mild flushes briefly. Looking forward to resuming the Vit E. Good luck.

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