Hot flushes help

[Jholly4]

Hi teal ladies, struggling with hot flushes keeping me awake most of the night. Has anyone found a useful supplement not contraindicated for us teal ladies? I also have a bit of liver impairment since debulking surgery in May without a known cause yet so need to check that wouldn't be a blocker for trying supplements. On a positive note this weeks oncology bloods show my CEA and CA125 remain stable so looks like the surgery worked 😊 (1C3 but didn't have chemo as poor evidence it is effective for mucinous so was a little nervous bloods may not stay good).

Thanks

Jholly

[SopSinger]

First of all, don't assume that you can't have HRT. It's not contraindicated unless your tumour is oestrogen receptor positive or you have other conditions. It's worth asking for referral to a menopause clinic, as they are the real experts (saved my life, maybe literally!). They are few and far between and you may have to travel, but I only had to do the long journey once (80 mile round trip) and the follow up has all been by phone. You could try sage for hot flushes but I couldn't take it (I was allergic to the form I found).

[Jholly4 in reply to SopSinger]

Thank you, not sure how I find out if it is an oestrogen driven tumour as the only lab test was to check cell type confirming mucinous. No genetic nor dna tests done. May have to ask if it's too late to get this info.

[SopSinger in reply to Jholly4]

Maybe start with GP. They store tumour tissue for up to 25 years, so you may be lucky and get some testing done. They didn't normally do testing when I had my op (2006), but I thought it was routine now.

[wendydee]

I didn’t have any luck with any of the usual herbal supplements that I tried (I think I tried them all!) I found that having a diet rich in soya products and pulses helped. However, the real game-changer for me was a Ladycare Magnet, as recommended by the consultant at our local menopause clinic as being worth a try. She stressed that it didn’t work for everyone and I’ve found this to be true, anecdotally, from chats to women who’ve had a hysterectomy for various Gynae cancers. (I volunteer at a local support group so I meet quite a few women who’ve had treatment of varying types). I got my Ladycare Magnet at Boots it was around £20 I think. Definitely worth googling it! I know it all sounds a bit woo-woo but, for me, it cut my hot flushes from once every 20 min approx, to about 5 or 6 a day. A definite improvement. I hope it works for you.

Wendy xx

[Jholly4 in reply to wendydee]

Thank you wendydee, worth a try as I may be one of the lucky ones it reduces frequency in.

Jholly

[OvacomeSupport Partner My Ovacome Team]

Good morning Jholly

Thank you for your post. I was really sorry to hear that you’ve been struggling with hot flushes that keep you awake for most of the night. I can see that several members of the forum community have shared their experiences with you which I hope has been helpful.

I wondered whether you have had an opportunity to discuss this with your clinical team at all? They should be able to provide you with some personalised advice to help alleviate the hot flushes and support you to get a good night’s rest. We would be very happy to help you plan or prepare for any future appointments you have, if you think that could be helpful?

I wasn’t sure from your post whether the cause of your hot flushes has been identified? If these are caused by surgical menopause, you may find our information booklet of interest on this subject as this offers some guidance on how to manage hot flushes:

'Hot flushes are the most common symptom. They can happen at any age as oestrogen levels are reduced. They vary in how severe they are and how long they last.

It may help you to:

Keep a diary of your hot flushes to see if there is a pattern to them.

Wear natural fabrics rather than synthetic ones, such as cotton nightwear and bed linen.

Find ways to cool down quickly. Keep a bottle of iced water near, use a spray and carry a small fan or pack of wipes.

Take cool showers and keep rooms well ventilated.

Cut down or stop smoking. The first puff of a cigarette can trigger hot flushes.

Exercise regularly, to improve your circulation. This may reduce the intensity of the flushes.

Cut down on foods and drinks that trigger flushes. These could include spicy foods, salty and sugary food, chocolate, alcohol, tea, coffee and soft drinks with caffeine.

Limit the number of hot drinks you have at night to reduce night sweats.

Use relaxation techniques like deep breathing, visualisation and music.

Research has shown that cognitive behavioural therapy can help with menopause symptoms.

Try complementary therapies such as aromatherapy, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture and yoga. It is important to speak only to qualified therapists and to tell the doctor treating your cancer.'

This can be found here on our website: ovacome.org.uk/surgical-men... - or we can post this to you, free of charge, if you prefer? This page also contains a recording of a webinar hosted by Ovacome in June 2020 with menopause expert Dr Louise Newson. Dr Newson speaks about managing menopause with HRT for people who have had ovarian cancer. In addition, Ovacome hosted a talk with Kathy Abernathy who is a menopause specialist nurse, titled ‘managing menopause without HRT’. Please do let us know if you would like a transcript from this talk?

I hope this information is useful and that you’re able to access some personalised medical advice about your hot flushes very soon. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if there’s anything you would like to talk through or if there’s anything we can support with. You can send us a direct message here on the forum, email [e-mail] or call our friendly support line on 0800 008 7054. We’re here Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm, to help with questions, provide information or just have a chat about anything that’s on your mind.

Best wishes

Annie – Ovacome Support

[Jennifer1959]

Hello Jholly - sorry to hear about your hot flushes! Some good advice from Annie at Ovacome though. Glad to hear your bloods are still good. I did go on to have chemo - which finished in August. I then had my post chemo scan in September - that was clear. I was also curious about oestrogen etc - I had my surgery post menopause anyway but did wonder how I might be affected by it. It was hard to pick apart post surgery, chemo and any menopause symptoms to be honest. I am doing ok now though (I hope!) I am so pleased to hear you are also doing ok - well apart from the hot flushes of course xx

[Nicky100]

Acupuncture worked a treat for me. X