Medicine for Menopausal "Glow" (surgery, swelling, relief, research)

[Soda120]

Does anyone know ANYthing I can take to prevent me from perspiring so much?
I think this is all part of menopause, as I never used to "glow" so much.

Two steps forward, jump around, turn around, pick a bale of cotton - and water flows down my face like crazy. Seriously, by the time I'm done applying my false eyelashes and brushing my wig - uh - hair, it's like I stepped out of a shower without drying off.

I could walk from one corner to the next, and here comes the water.

This is icky. Thankfully, my hygiene is great, though. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing.

Please. What can I take to alleviate the moisture? Thanks.

[suzy_q2010]

The only thing likely to provide reliable relief is hormone replacement therapy.

Other medications, including some anti-depressants, clonidine, and gabapentin, are less effective. Paroxetine, the ant-depressant Paxil, is now available as Brisdelle, in a lower dose than used to treat depression.

Alternatives, such as black cohosh, dong quai, kava, and ginseng have been shown to be no better than placebo.

It would be a good idea to talk to your doctor about what is best for you, based on your personal history.

[AnonChick]

Suzy, I do realize that menopause involves estrogen, and shifts in levels that cause all kinds of funky symptoms. But do you know of any data that indicates the hot flashes - in particular - might be related to those hormones causing a shift in niacin levels? In other words - if I were to get my nutrition levels checked during this phase of my life, do you think they might discover an increase in niacin in my blood?

If such a thing is possible - is there any supplement, or alternative to pharmaceuticals (such as diet, perhaps) that would off-set an overabundance of niacin?

I really hate the idea of taking hormone replacement pharmaceuticals, just to get rid of hot flashes. But these flashes are driving me nuts and it's causing me to wake up in the middle of the night - sometimes to push the blanket off, and sometimes to yank it back on again. Plus it's embarrassing at work when I'm talking to a customer and all of a sudden sweat starts dripping down my face.

That's the most obvious symptom I'm experiencing so far (unless having to wear glasses after 50 years of 20/20 vision is a symptom of menopause). No increase in mood swings, my periods are irregular but I'm not feeling a need to "fix" that - I'm fine with not getting my period for 6 weeks in a row

If there were anything that could just rid me of the hot flashes, I think I'd be able to handle the rest of the change with relative ease. But hormone therapy - just for that one thing? I'm just very hesitant.

[suzy_q2010]

I am not aware of any association between menopausal hot flashes and niacin levels.

I have personally experienced both hot flashes and the niacin flush, and to me, at least, they are not quite the same. The hot flash was more like the flush you get when you are embarrassed. The niacin flush was more of a prickly feeling, and taking aspirin before I took the niacin pretty much eliminated it.

Menopausal hot flashes apparently are due to something wonky going on in the hypothalamus, though the mechanism has not yet been elucidated.

I was fortunate that I did not get the profuse sweating with the menopausal hot flashes. I did take hormone replacement for a while, and when I stopped it, the hot flashes did not return.

There just is not anything so far that is going to work as well as estrogen does. You could consider the Brisdelle when it comes out and see how it works for you. It's supposed to be available in November or you could just ask your doctor about taking 10 mg of generic paroxetine. Brisdelle will be 7.5 mg. It will be interesting to see how they price it.

The glasses have more to do with aging of the lens of the eye, than menopause!

[Catdancer]

My wife was just researching this the other day and this is one of the pages she bookmarked.

how i cured my hotflashes and night sweats - Menopause Forum - GardenWeb

Hope it's some help.

[Mikala43]

My hot flashes are mild right now, but I live in tropical climate, so it's insult to injury. I'm going to try the black cohash and see if it helps.

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

My hot flashes are mild right now, but I live in tropical climate, so it's insult to injury. I'm going to try the black cohash and see if it helps.

I used it way back then and it definately helped. But the amazing thing was I had severe trigger finger, where the nerve is trapped by swelling of the joint in your fingers and had had surgery. One healed fine, the other didn't so well. Another finger developed problems before I started taking the black cohash. The swelling just vanished, My finger worked perfectly and the joint swelling subsided. I did some research and the origional tradition use was for joint treatment.

I use a cream with it in now for bad fingers and it works beautifully. You rub it into the skin and it is absorbed better than pills.

[west seattle gal]

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

The only thing likely to provide reliable relief is hormone replacement therapy.

Other medications, including some anti-depressants, clonidine, and gabapentin, are less effective. Paroxetine, the ant-depressant Paxil, is now available as Brisdelle, in a lower dose than used to treat depression.

Alternatives, such as black cohosh, dong quai, kava, and ginseng have been shown to be no better than placebo.

It would be a good idea to talk to your doctor about what is best for you, based on your personal history.

Totally agree with all of the above. Estrogen replacement.

[purehuman]

try not eating any carbs for a few days...see if that doesn't work....sounds crazy I know, but it works.

[in_newengland]

Avoiding spicy foods, even tomatoes. Using progesterone cream.