how do you manage the symptoms when your having hot flashes?

[LissaH]

I don't know if any one else goes through this but how do you control the heat with the weather getting warmer and you have hot flashes all day and night. I keep hearing how the heat makes things worst, so what do you do for hot flashes that can off set your symptoms? Plus on top of that I can't do cold because that kills me, bones feel as if they will fall apart like brittle, and I have Raynaurds so I have to deal with keeping parts of my body warm to keep my fingers and toes from dying. I have a fan on my desk and a heater at my feet., with short sleeves shirts followed by a small jacket or sweater. I FEEL LIKE THE MIXED UP CAMELEON. (a childs story book)

How do you know if that could cause a flair up with MS? With the weather up and down these day here in Jersey I'm not sure if that started a flair of my MS or not. I didn't realize it until days later that I was having one. I just knew I was in serious Pain that wouldn't go away and my tank has been on empty all week. All the rest in the world doesn't seem to give me the energy I need to make it thought the day and everything feels so heavy. I'm taking steroids in hopes that it would help. Its helping a little just a very slow process,

[twooldcrows]

i agree with having the fan ,i think it works the best until i get to cold then it is back to putting a blanket on and then back to the fan it is the pits....sorry ..talk to your doctor to find out for maybe they have some ideas...sorry ...

[LissaH in reply to twooldcrows]

thank you for your reply, Yes I do that all night low. My boyfriend always says how can you have all these blankets on the bed, plus the heat and yet you have the fan on. I told him no matter how many times I tell him he will never get it. lol

[mrsmike9 in reply to LissaH]

I run my ceiling fan Every night when I'm sleeping, even when it's cold! And I'm not having hot flashes!!

[309Ygi in reply to LissaH]

thank goodness I’m not going crazy by my self!! So sinceitve to weather temp changes . I sweat ! I sweat through 3 comforters 5pairs of pjs drenching if I’m cold I’ll sweat when it’s hot I irrigate the fields , I just Wray up in a Terri cloth. I’ve noticed any time my spine / back of head. It’s like fire super hot then sweating .

[Sandydemop]

Hi Lissa, I don't have any answers except maybe it's menopause and not necessarily the MS? wishing you all my best.

[LissaH in reply to Sandydemop]

thank you for your reply, it is both my question was more so if you get heated during a heat flash how can you keep the symptoms from taking over is your having them all day and night. It don't bother me as much but I was just wondering if anyone was going through the same thing. I haven't had a period in over 3 years. Oh well just something else to smile about and keep it moving, while looking like you just stepped out of the shower and freezing at the same time.

😆😂

[Sandydemop in reply to LissaH]

ugh. do you have an endocrinologist or a gyn who understands menopause?

[BlanketTime1 in reply to Sandydemop]

i should be approaching menopause in the next decade or so, but i'm already afraid of it! b/c i can go from ok to dripping with sweat in under 2 minutes, especially in summer. i connect it to pmt, when our bodies are at higher temps and how horrendously bad i feel then. i have no clue for solutions other than keeping cooling materials (ice, cold bottles, cooling vests) at hand. i hope you get some answers soon. if you do, please share!

[LissaH in reply to BlanketTime1]

Thank you BlankeyTime1, you may be one of those lucky women who don't go through the hot and cold sweats. I work with 4 women who are older than I am and they never broke out in one sweat. When they would see me in the winter time with my fan they would look at me and I would say PERSONAL SUMMER and we would laugh.

[BlanketTime1 in reply to LissaH]

dunno. my mum had a couple of years of hot flushes. i remember from being a kid. fingers crossed though.😸

[LissaH in reply to BlanketTime1]

thanks I hope it will be done and gone soon. 🙂

[BlanketTime1 in reply to LissaH]

oh, i forgot to add: i have hypoglycaemia. unfortunately, i'll get junk food sometimes. whenever i eat sweets, the next 2 days i have neck sweats, just the neck, but it gets so bad sometimes there's a layer of wetness. i hate it. i looked it up the other day and it's a part of hypoglycaemia. dunno if you have that or diabetes. both can give you the sweats.

[LissaH in reply to BlanketTime1]

Wow I never heard of just the neck sweating. I do not either one of them. Its a combo of MS, and mental pause. At least its just the neck, me its my whole body. Its so nasty, I could just feel the sweat flowing down all over. It just is not a good feeling at all. I hate if I have to dress up. ughhh everything is black and I have to find something that will not show alot of skin for you can see the wetness during the flash. It is not pretty at all and it makes me not feel pretty. I HATE IT.

[JMWCO]

I don’t have menopause but I get hot at night and sleep with ice packs; body pack, neck wrap and eye packs in the summer but with the weather changing it’s just as you said 1001 blankets and ice packs at the same time.

I learned that if I use a flexigold large ice pack with a light blanket I can in turn have the comfy blankets without getting too hot. I also got some heat32 clothes/pjs from their Cool32 line.

Every little bit helps when the weather changes.

[Lizard50]

My doctor has had me on extra vitamins for the headaches and I think it must help a little to tame some of the other symptoms. Not that this totally controls the situation. I too have Raynauds and at times have burning feet. I do have a cooling collar that I just have in the refrigerator not the freezer. It's cool not freezing so it doesn't send me over the edge. I do not put it directly on my skin either. The one I have is called OPAL and I got it free from doing a study for them to see if it would help with MS. I just had it on last evening and it did wonders. The vitamins I have been taking are B6 and 12, CoQ10, and Magnesium. Talk with your doctor and maybe something like that will help. They are pretty high doses but I have not seen any bad side effects. I hope something works out for you.

[LissaH in reply to Lizard50]

Lizard50 I take vitamin C and D. I also get the burning feet. drives me insane.

[LissaH in reply to Lizard50]

Thank you for your response, My wonderful boyfriend bought us a heated blanket for our bed to get rid of some of the blankets haha. One of the best gifts ever i can control the heat on my side while he keeps his off. I need it for my feet and hands in the winter and spring and summer because of the air conditioning. I love that blanket. It still goes on and off during the hot flash. Man does it feel great on my feet afterwards. Helps me sleep better also.

[Lizard50]

Check out this site. It has given much information about menopause. gennev.com/

[LissaH in reply to Lizard50]

thank you the information

[Goldilockssearching]

I am very temp sensitive. Right now window open +blanket. Once we put in air, set to 64 + blanket. Dress in layers. When starting to feel I’m getting too warm or hot flash as you call it, STOP & rest til it passes otherwise it will take me out! I’m finally accepting this myself and actually tell myself: “you need to sit it’s OK everything is gonna be there when you get back up”. I find if I can catch myself & do this it is so much better! For myself when this happens I really only need 15 minutes and it’s honestly night and day. Work in progress 🙋‍♀️ Hope you find relief.

[starlight5]

I was lucky and didn't have many, if any, hot fl ashes during menopause. I'm realizing now there was very little conversation with PC or PA other then them asking how long it had been since last period.

I have to limit time in the sun and outdoors and stay inside with the AC if the temp gets too high 🙁 A fan on the side table is really helpful, day and night!

Hope you are feeling better

[bxrmom in reply to starlight5]

I sleep with my fan on high so that my room stays cool. Vents in my room are closed in the winter so it stays cool. Sometimes a window is cracked open to let the cool winter air in. Have a fan on my desk so that if I get how when at the computer, I can just turn it on.

[starlight5 in reply to bxrmom]

Hmm, too cold for me! I know I might sleep better in a colder room but I don't lower the heat at night, I'd rather sleep with just a sheet then under a lot of blankets. I am barefoot 99% of the time, can't stand to have my feet covered and they are cold enough most nights even with the heat at 72!

Hub prefers a cold room and a flat bed so I often sleep in the recliner, it's easier on my back too. I dread the day I need to replace this old recliner, it will probably fall apart under me one day!

I only use the fan during the summer months it seems.

[bxrmom in reply to starlight5]

Some days I think that I won't need the fan but then I start to get hot so I have to turn it on. Now it's just an automatic thing to turn it on. The one I have in my room has a remote so I just have to push the button to turn it on and set the speed. The one I purchases about 10 years ago, has a really high speed that it goes up to so I can stay nice in cool. Though it seems lately my body will wake me up around 8am because I am hot. My body just doesn't know what it wants sometimes lol

My feet are almost always HOT! I'm told that even as a little kid, I had 'hot feet' and didn't want to put on slippers in the winter. Now, I will put them on with no socks if my feet are hot lol

[starlight5 in reply to bxrmom]

Oh my feet often feel hot, burning hot, even when they are ice cold. I usually have one foot that feels cold to touch while the other is hot to the touch, and they switch back and forth. Lately they have both been quite red at times too. MS or circulation?

[bxrmom in reply to starlight5]

My feet are hot a lot of the time but when I touch them, they feel fine. No redness to them. That might be a circulation issue. Definitely, something to talk to your dr about.

[Tazmanian in reply to starlight5]

Maybe reynauds

[LissaH in reply to Tazmanian]

Hello Tazmanian, yes it do have Reynaud's thats why I'm a mixed up chameleon haha I have MS, Hot/cold flashes, and reynauds. Fun trying to keep cool for MS. Keep warm for Reynauds, and both for the hot/cold flashes.😱😱😂

[Tazmanian in reply to LissaH]

Good luck and keep us informed if you find a solution

[LissaH in reply to Tazmanian]

thanks will do 👍🙂

[falalalala]

I do not notice mt MS flaring up with hot flashes but maybe that's because I'm busy melting.

I have a small fan nearby that helps.

[LissaH in reply to falalalala]

😂😂😂 true so true hahahahaha

[ahrogers]

I take Gabapentin for vertigo. I star5ed having pretty mild hot flashes a couple years ago. My GYN told me Gabapentin does help reduce hot flashes. Unfortunately, it does nothing for the meltdown when in hot weather 🌞🌞

[LissaH in reply to ahrogers]

amen to that hahaha

[Xvettech]

hi! I too am in Jersey and this weather is not fun! For hot flashes I put a cold wet wash rag on the back of my neck. For my freezing hands I wear glove. (Even in the summer). The feet I have awesome slippers but I need socks Going through menopause early is the best part of ms so far! Lol. I like people telling me I’m too young for menopause! Ha! Tell that to the ms! 😂. I hope you find something that works for you!

[Jeeplife55]

Hello I am in Pa and yes we have had a cool summer thus far the hot flashes are still active. Yes, i have MS. I have a fan going all year with layers for my husband and myself. We may have the heat or AC on but i am able to use the sheet and he can grab the comforter. The fan is the important part to keep the air circulating. I find the tingling in my arms and feet ( which my neurologist says i have to deal with because i have MS ) is worst when i am warm. The question is does anyone have ideas about limiting the tingling?