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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity  |
Gentlemen, look away... Do any of you ladies have hot flashes? My hot flashes had been relatively tolerable and before covid, I wasn't bothered by them while teaching. Basically my approach has been to ignore them and they tend not to be long-lasting. I might take off a cardigan or something, but it hasn't been a big deal. But the first time I had a hot flash with a mask on... well, it was hell. And that wasn't even when teaching, of course. So I am very concerned about how masked teaching is going to work with these hot flashes. ...
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Minor Deity |
SK, I have been taking estrogen and progesterone supplements for quite some time not actually to relieve hotflashes but to help with cardiac issue and bone density. My gynecologist researched it, and recommended before menopause that I take them, saying that it appears if a woman begins before menopause the risks that seem to be possible (contradictory studies) are avoided. I know two female physicians (including that gynecologist) who have declared their intention to adopt that same prophylactic. Note that even though my mother has severe osteoporosis, my bone density has indeed remained excellent. This is important to me, as I have seen how disabling such fractures can be and I am predisposed to them. Not sure if you have passed that age threshhold, but I thought I'd mention that possibility. Even if you are well into menopause, many women take HRT to relieve hot flash symptoms, which for the duration of the COVID crisis* may help with the mask wearing - especially for teaching. (Sounds awful!) * optimistic perhaps, besides which mask wearing may remain a recommended practice well into the future or even for some, indefinitely. 
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Pretty sure I have :P I'm not keen to consider HRT. Although it's been a while, I've read research about beneficial aspects of hot flashes as well, and I think hot flashes, and menopause in general, are far too under-studied. There's too much we don't know. So if I can bear it, I'd prefer to leave my hot flashes unmedicated. Which, heretofore, I thought I would be able to "bear it," but we'll see how I do masked up and teaching! :P
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
When I was younger I tended to feel cool/cold. Wore heavy wool sweaters in the winter, etc. Never had hot flashes, but as I progressed through perimenopause and menopause, I found my body generally running much warmer. More like warm flushes. Fifteen years post-menopause, and I don't bundle up as much as I used to. I wear long sleeve cotton shirts in the winter; most of the time a wool sweater feels way too warm. One thing I did notice as I went through reverse puberty is that I became much more sensitive to caffeine. Anything caffeinated will really boost the warm feeling to the point it's a tad uncomfortable. I have a cup of half-caf (or less) coffee in the morning, and it definitely affects me. Even a cup of black tea will do the same. Plus I can't have any caffeine much past 2 pm; it keeps me up at night. Probably not what you want to hear, but you might want to try to back off caffeinated beverages if you drink them. Stress can trigger hot flashes, too.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
I should probably try this just to see if it makes a difference... But I love my coffee!!! Also, re stress... I don't doubt that it has an impact, it's just that the hot flashes haven't been a problem before now. I'll have to pay attention and see when they are occurring. It's funny, because "paying attention" to the hot flashes has been the last thing I wanted to do! My approach has been "if I ignore them, they won't impact me." And that was true, except I do make adjustments (like removing a cardigan or using a hand fan) when I feel hot. But with mask-wearing, I feel like all bets are off. Ugh.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Let me rephrase that.... What point is there in living if I can't have coffee??? 
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
Decaf and half-caf are your friends.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
something.something.something real coffee something.something.something 
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| Pinta & the Santa Maria Has Achieved Nirvana  |
The only issues I have are at night, where I'll start the night freezing and buried under the covers and sometime during the night I wake up broiling and fling them off. I'm very pleased that this appears to be all I'm going to have to deal with. | |||
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
So, Nina, you don't have any hot flashes during the day at all??
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
You could also try adding foods that are considered cooling in traditional Chinese medicine and avoiding those that are warming. This isn't about the temperature of the food, but about the inherent thermal quality of the food. It might help balance the warming nature of the coffee. https://naturalisbalance.com/g...chinese-medicine-n34 Chrysanthemum flower tea is pleasant and cooling.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Actually, my problem is that most of the time, I'm cold. Until I'm not. Then I have a hot flash, and in another 10 minutes or so, I'm cold again. It's like my temperature gauge is broken.  (I did have a thyroid test, maybe a year ago, all normal).
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
BTW, I wrote the above after looking at the list in your link, WTG. Oddly, I almost wonder if maybe I should add the warming foods. Because I sometimes think getting over-cold triggers the hot flash. It's like my body won't tolerate whatever it has decided to label as an extreme of temperature. The
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
Yup. That's the way it works. I didn't have daytime hot flashes, but I did have a minor version of what Nina described. I would wake up uncomfortably warm (but not night sweats like some people get). I used to also wake up in the middle of the night worrying about the oddest things. Like having the urge to review our estate plan.  My symptoms started rather abruptly after I had a very bad case of the flu. I think the flu just really walloped my system, threw things out of whack, and I was not able to adjust as well to the hormonal changes associated with going through menopause. I was never much of a drinker, but after I went through menopause I also found that any alcohol has a profound effect on me. Halfway through a glass of wine I start to fall asleep, and feel generally crummy for at least half of the next day. This getting old thing has its downsides.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
I don't drink alcohol at all. Coffee is my only vice (aside from buying scores for music that's too hard for me....)
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