Variable Hot Flashes?

[onehotmamma]

OK, I started this glorious process in October. During October and November I had hot flashes nearly every day and in December, I was getting them several times a day. They were even waking me up in the middle of the night.

However, since Christmas I have only had ONE, and it was a mild one.

I know that the process is different for every woman, but is this typical? Periods (pardon the term ) of frequent hot flashes followed by periods of relative calm?

[mi4angels]

I can only speak for me, but this is EXACTLY what happened to me. I even started a thread here somewhere...

The thing I related mine to was stress. I was having them many times a day and night in November. That's it. When I looked at my life in November, it was extremely stressful. The week I got rid of my stress (finally got the relatives to go HOME), my hot flashes decreased greatly and then finally disappeared.

Of course, none of what "I" think is scientific, but I think it just the same.

[minniepauz]

As the hormone balance changes in your body (as in your body slowly decreases the amount of estrogen it is producing), your "thermostat" will also change causing a variety of hot flashing times.

[snoopy]

All I can say is ENJOY when you DON'T have them....I am about to go insane!!

[onehotmamma]

All I can say is ENJOY when you DON'T have them....I am about to go insane!!

Awww, sorry you're having them.

My big thing lately is forgetfulness

[gorgeousfluffpot]

I haven't had a period for ten months now (nearly comingup to the year ... yippee!!!). Anyway, my hot flushes have really decreased, they're more like a warm sensatin all over, like getting into a warm bath, and not at all like the intense uncomfortable heat that I was getting earlier. However, alcohol sends my hot flushes into overdrive ... just one of glass of wine (and I live in good wine country!) is enough to bring on some real heat. I can't drink a second glass, if I do then I am bright red and looking very very flushed like an alcoholic and my protests that it's the menopause just bring knowing looks ("of course I always knew that GorgeousFluffpot couldn't take her drink ..."). So alcohol must really interfere with the thermostat!
Re. forgetfulness, don't get me started. It's silly stuff like not being able to find the correct word, it's like I'm sometimes searching in my brain for a word and end up calling something "thingy", as in "Darling did you bring the ... umm... ahh.. u... THINGY ... in from the car" when the word I want is "shopping". Stuff like that, I do crosswords but am not half as good as I was, it's like the right word sometimes escapes me. I know it's hormonal but that side is infuriating!

[minniepauz]

So, how are things in France? Very different than the UK?

Ladies, it's been 19 years since my last period and I still have to have a fan on me when I'm sleeping, even in winter. If I don't have the fan on, I have to remove the blanket several times because I'm just too warm. Now it's not the inner volcano erupting like they used to be and I don't get night sweats, but I feel like my thermostat was permanently adjusted which is one reason living in Michigan hasn't bothered me for 12 years. Finally though, this year there were times when I actually felt chilled!!

[gorgeousfluffpot]

Hi Dee, yes France is good although I am still unpacking and muttering "what on earth did we bring this for". Mostly it is stuff that Mr.GorgeousFluffpot considers to be essential (bags full of knotted string ("might be useful"), empty ice cream cartons "to keep stuff in") and tools, tools and more tools ("well you can't have too many"). But life is good and I'm enjoying the wide open spaces of southwest France, so different to cramped squashed London. Oh, and no litter nor graffiti, well none that I've seen, now that is a blessing.
But the hot weather in summer ... blissful but, my goodness, my thermostat is on permanent overdrive these days. As I said earlier, one glass of cool rose wine on a summer's evening makes me go red like a tomato!!! It is now winter and cold here, but Mr. Gorgeous has stuck the heavyweight duvet plus two blankets on the bed, and he also has two hot water bottles (one for the back, one for the feet) ... all of this heat, heat and heat just inches from me. Consequently our bed is like a FURNACE and I am always throwing off the blankets and duvets and trying to move the hot water bottles away from me. Does anyone else have temperature problems with their partners?
One other significant difference in France .... shoe sizes. I am a size `42, UK size 8. Not huge, fairly normal I'd expect. Oh no, in France a size 42 is akin to having elephant's feet. Ladies' sizes go up to 41 and if you ask for 42 then the shop assistants stare at you in horror, and their eyes slowly slide down your body and widen in disbelief as they look at your (to them) enormous feet. Their expression changes to pity that you, a woman, should be burdened by such a terrible disfigurement ... and then they point you in the direction of the men's department. So ladies, if you ever come to France, bring your own shoes.