hot flashes and night sweats

i had a tah/bso on dec 11,2002 for cyst on right ovary and fibroids
i am also a breast cancer survier. went through chemo and radiation. i also take tamoxifen, and have been on it for almost 4 yrs...one more to go!! so i can't take hrt so i need some info on what will help hot flashes and night sweats.

thanks debbie

Debbie:

Ask your doctor about adding soy into your diet, or taking black cohosh supplements. They have worked wonders for many, and if you look at the top of the forum, you'll see an excellent article by Trish called "Studies about soy and black cohosh" that may help with the tamoxifen link for you. You could also speak with your pharmacist about it.

I found that, when I was experiencing flashing and the night sweats a few years ago, adding an 8-ounce glass of soy milk per day helped enormously. So did: giving up caffeine and sugar; trying to reduce my stress levels; and exercise...just walking a mile or so a day reduced the flashing quite a bit.

Look as well into other supplements as well...increasing B-vitamins and adding in Omega-3 and EPO often help. This is a time to really take care of yourself...sure, you're "higher maintenance" now, but you're worth it!

Good luck. All these maneuvers take time, and the changes are gradual in nature. You may find that keeping a brief journal helps you to realize, weeks down the road, just how far you've come.



Audrey

hey audrey
thanks for the advise! i go back for my 6 weeks dr appt. on jan. 28th and i will ask my dr about those. i have read in here where a lot of sisters take the black cohosh and it really does help.
thanks again for your help!
debbie

Deb, I can't go on ERT either for blood clotting reasons. I just got off my coumadin(blood thinner) last week and my hot flashes got really bad two days later. I started to get palpitations too. Since coumadin reacts to so many other things(vitamin K, etc.) I did not eat many vegetables or take any supplements so I wouldn't throw my coumadin levels off. Anyway, I started drinking soy milk again a couple of days after stopping the coumadin. I also try to replace soy protein wherever I can. The hot flashes and palpitations started getting better two days ago. These things seem to be working for me. I am also exercising again.
You will find that you have to find what works for you. My body keeps trying to adjust and I'm trying to do my best to listen to it and help myself. The doctor can only do so much for you since it is very difficult sometimes to even ask them a question.