Mood Swings + Hot Flashes = Menopause

There has never been a word in my life that I disliked as much since the word cancer and then came Menopause! It really knows how to through a monkey wrench into our lives when things finally are beginning to get back to normal. To any man that says he wishes he were a woman because our lives are "so much easier" I say this; bring it on sweetheart! Men have no idea what we go through. Every woman's body is different and there are times that we don't know whats going on inside of us, so how on earth could a man know? Oh sure they show signs of empathy for us, or make wisecracks or comments under their breath...but those are the times that I look that a man and just want to nail his balls to a tree. From one day to the next (especially when you are going through menopause) we wonder what next? What else is our body going to do and when will we ever feel normal again? 

My mother and her mother finished menopause by age 42. So what the heck is going on with my body? Why am I suffering through this now, and for that matter why does any woman have to suffer this? At 48 when you wake up out of a sound sleep to sweat buckets pouring off you and find yourself racing to the freezer to get an icepack to bring back to bed with you simply to lower your body heat all which trying to get back to a normal sleep pattern just seems crazy,...but oh does it work. The ice pack lowers your body temperature quickly. So gals, if you or any woman you know is experiencing hot flashes ( I call them power surges) throughout the night and they are not 'hot spells' from hot sex, try this method.Theoretically these are called 'night sweats' I'd like to call them a REAL PAIN IN MY ASS! To side with men for just a moment here, I learned recently that a man who has had prostrate cancer can actually get hot flashes after having been on a particular drug or two for this disease. Those are the only men getting my sympathy at the moment.

I've spoken about this and even written an article or two in my past blogs, but what you're getting now is coming from a woman who has been up since 4am fighting the sweat and mood swings. One minute I'm happy, the next I'm in tears. Not always, just every now and then. To those of you who don't have a clue what I am trying to say, or wonder just what is a hot flash?

A hot flash is a momentary sensation of heat that may be accompanied by a red, flushed face and sweating. The cause of hot flashes is not known, but may be related to changes in circulation. Hot flashes occur when the blood vessels near the skin's surface dilate to cool. This produces the red, flushed look to the face. A woman may also perspire to cool down the body. In addition, some women experience a rapid heart rate or chills.Hot flashes accompanied with sweating can also occur at night. These are called night sweats and may interfere with your sleep, and my beauty sleep is crucial! A hot flush is a hot flash plus a visual appearance of redness in the face and neck. I can feel it coming on like fire ants under my skin. 

How Long Will I Have Hot Flashes?

The severity and duration of hot flashes varies among women going through menopause. Some women have hot flashes for a very short time during menopause. Other women may have hot flashes  at least to some degree for life. Generally, hot flashes are less severe as time passes. So then, on that happy note I told my kids  that if this gets much worse and I can't take this up and down, hot and cold (like the Katy Perry song) anymore to just take me out in the back yard and shoot me like Old Yeller and put me out of my misery once and for all. I feel like a million bucks and don't at all feel like I am 48. Nothing can get me down, but these darn hot flashes are enough to drive me crazy. 

 Did you know that hot flashes are sudden waves of heat that can start in the waist or chest and work their way to the neck and face and sometimes over the rest of the body. The upper body, from the chest to the scalp may begin to sweat profusely. You may also "flush," that is, become red as you flash.

Heart rate and skin blood flow increase, although internal body temperature may drop by as much as three or four degrees as the body struggles to correct the imbalance. After the flash, the body quickly becomes chilled as it struggles to regain its normal temperature. There's no real "average" when it comes to duration. Some flashes can last 15 to 30 seconds, while others from 3 to 6 minutes. Most women who've come through Power Surge have described theirs as approximately 5 minutes, This happened to me on more than one occasion, Several actually while I was out at the clubs hunting men with the girls and literally had to clear a booth or the floor to lie down because I got so overheated that I felt like I was going to pass out. Talk about an embarrassment and a half? It was like shooting myself in the foot so to speak....Then I have to ask myself"What may wouldn't want this?" I learned that the alcohol in my bloodstream was triggering these hot flashes as was stress, As a single mother of two having raised them and put them through college solo I felt that I deserved that title of Super Mom but my body was trying to tell me something.

I've gone ahead and done my own research and this is what I found about these nasty pests that take us from cold to hot in a matter of seconds;

Can I Prevent Hot Flashes?

While it may be impossible to completely avoid hot flashes during menopause, there are certain triggers that may bring them on more frequently or cause them to be more severe. To prevent hot flashes, avoid these triggers:

• Stress
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Spicy foods
• Tight clothing
• Heat
• Cigarette smoke
•   Marijuana
• 
  

Other things you can do to keep hot flashes at bay include:

• Stay cool. Keep your bedroom cool at night. Use fans during the day. Wear light layers of clothes with natural fibers such as cotton.
• Try deep, slow abdominal breathing (six to eight breaths per minute). Practice deep breathing for 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the evening and at the onset of hot flashes.
• Exercise daily. Walking, swimming, dancing, and bicycling are all good choices.
• Chill pillows; cooler pillows to lay head on at night might be helpful.

Talk to your doctor about taking short-term (less than five years) hormone replacement therapy or HRT. This treatment prevents hot flashes in many women. In addition, it can help other symptoms of menopause, including vaginal dryness and mood disorders. However, even short-term hormone therapy carries some risks, including blood clots and gallbladder inflammation. If HRT is not right for you, there are other treatments that may offer relief. These include both over-the-counter and prescription therapies. It is important to clear any new drugs (including over-the-counter) or supplements with your doctor before taking.

Nonprescription treatments include:

• Vitamin B complex
• Vitamin E
• Ginseng 
  
• Ibuprofen

Prescription treatments include:

• Catapres, Catapres-TTS, and Aldomet, blood pressure medications
• Birth control pills
• Antidepressants, such as Zoloft, Paxil, and Effexor
• Other hormones, such as Provera and Megace
• Neurontin, an anti-seizure drug

If you are experiencing what I have been going through for the past 5 or 6 years and only this past year has it become so much worse, then follow the above steps if you don't want to seek a physician's advice or if you have no health care coverage. We're all in this together gals and we need to stick together. Please comment on this article and share your hot flash story!

www.simplydeliciouslingerie.com

Menopause...Insomnia, Mood Swings, and Hot Flashes..

If you are middle aged and beginning to go through the change of life, you'll know exactly how I've felt now for the past few years. My questions is "Honestly, when does it end?" I'm up, I'm down, I'm happy, I'm sad, I'm comfy, then I gain 10-20 pounds,....really? Is this honestly necessary? Mother Nature is either not a woman at all or she is very disturbed in my opinion! Why on earth must we partake in this event?There’s nothing like a poor night’s sleep to make you feel less like yourself. Insomnia may be one complaint on a long list of many uncomfortable symptoms menopausal women endure, but lack of sleep is one symptom that can be particularly annoying. Menopausal women already have to deal with so many bodily changes that may leave them exhausted; not being able to get quality sleep adds insult to injury.

Menopausal women can experience any combination of forms of insomnia. There are nights where I walk the floors because I cannot sleep...Sound familiar? Some women aren’t able to fall asleep; other women fall asleep but then wake up at inopportune hours. Other women have no trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, but then wake up simply feeling as though they didn’t get enough rest. There are some menopausal women lucky enough to not experience any form of insomnia, because if there is one simple truth about menopause it’s that it is different for every woman.

Many are quick to blame the dropping estrogen levels for menopausal insomnia but there can be other culprits, some tied to estrogen levels and some not. Night sweats, which are a product of menopause, can be the cause of a woman not getting a restful night’s sleep. Restless leg syndrome can also be to blame for a poor night’s sleep. Another reason, which often goes unchecked, is a possible issue with depression or anxiety. After all, menopause can be a particularly stressful time in a woman’s life, and if she is unable to deal with all the emotions tied to this transitional period it may manifest itself into insomnia. Any feelings of depression or anxiety need to be discussed with a health care professional.

What can be done about menopausal insomnia? If the cause of insomnia cannot be pinpointed to something treatable (as in restless leg syndrome) then broader remedies may be employed. The old adage of establishing a sleep routine must be mentioned, because as simplistic as this sounds it may bring great relief to someone wrestling with sleeplessness. A good sleep routine involves not using your bed for reading or watching television, trying to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, and avoid drinks with caffeine in the evening. Caffeine can be tricky, as it oftentimes shows up in unexpected places. Chocolate has caffeine, as do some medications, so indulging in a piece of chocolate pie or popping a headache medicine may be sabotaging a good night’s sleep.

Sometimes a sleep routine isn’t enough. Relaxation techniques may be beneficial if the issue is a racing mind when trying to doze off. One classic example is systematically relaxing each part of the body, starting with the toes and ending all the way up to the top of the head. Many people find that they have fallen asleep before completing the entire exercise. Finding a way to shut off the day’s worries before attempting to sleep can help too, especially for those women who find that bedtime is the time when their minds start racing. Laying down to sleep in not the time to review the passing day, and it is certainly not the best time to think about all the things that need to be accomplished in the following day. A quiet mind is much more apt to welcome slumber than a busy mind. Do yoga or meditate. It works wonders!

If a sleep routine or relaxation techniques bring no relief then it may be time to head to the doctor’s office. If there is no underlying cause for the sleeping problems then the doctor may want to discuss the possibility of sleeping pills or herbal supplements designed to help prevent insomnia in menopausal women. Both of these remedies are common for menopausal women, and many are designed to work well with whatever other therapies are already being utilized. Take comfort in the fact that most menopausal symptoms, including insomnia, eventually fade away... Yes, I said eventually. When is it exactly that eventually is? I'll let you know when I discover it, but until then, you'll find me with layers of clothing and within minutes, or hours, stripping down to fewer layers. Better I've learned to keep your body temperature cooler than too warm. You can certainly add layers but taking them off can be a whole other story! Know that there is an end in sight...ladies, I just don't know what that is exactly. Until that time, use whatever method works best to get a good night’s sleep, dress apprepiately, and if all else fails remember layering is good. Count sheep, not the clock.

www.simplydeliciouslingerie.com