Doom & Gloom, Nausea, Adrenaline, Chest weirdness; ...it's my HOT FLASH!

Posted , 13 users are following.

You can be having a great time and then as Juanita said in a previous post - you start having these horrible thoughts come from nowhere - for me I've finally figured it out;  it's a Hot Flash!

With or Without Sweating - it's a Hot Flash!

For those who've been on the forum for a while - you probably already know this, LOL! I'm the new girl on the block.

Yet I read all of these posts that describe these experiences of jelly legs, suffocating feeling in chest, can't breathe, dizzy spells, nausea etc. I went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack in April - the female doctor said it's vasomotor symptoms (aka Menopause Hot Flash). And yet - even when this happens I still think - should I go to the ER again? 

I think some of the "experts", LOL, like to call them a panic attack because it has a lot of the same symptoms. And yet all of the Meno "experts" call them Hot Flashes. 

Sometimes I consider posting my symptoms that come on before a hot flash. My symptoms can be different with every single hot flash! I had no idea it was a hot flash but I'm starting to figure this out after nearly 3 months of it. If you are having a lot of the other peri or menopause symptoms - then, like ME, at age 49 and for the first time; this is all new and it was all very unsettling/scary! 

My recovery time: Because my hot flashes feel like a fight or flight feeling that comes from out of nowhere - it can take me SO long to recover from the experience. And this makes sense to me. If any of you have been in an intense/scary situation with adrenaline; you know what that feels like and can remember it ...

- it can WIPE YOU OUT both emotionally and physically! Not all of the time - but when I have an intense one I am so drained. 

It is hard to get used to these hot flashes. When I start to have one I want to go and hide! I started a natural progesterone cream and I'm hoping this will give me marked improvement in the coming months. 

Would love to hear how you all cope when you are having these "moments". At times I've thought of just saying out loud - excuse me - I'm having a Hot Flash. What do you all do? Find a bathroom? Hide out?

 

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  • Posted

    Hi , Finny, we certainly are detectives trying to figure out what all these crazy symptoms are Hugh??? Great post, it really does make perfect sense and I've been told the same its a hot flash or a cold flash as well, without the sweating for some, which explains the awful pressure the feeling of being squeezed, and many other uncomfortable feelings.. And these symptoms definitely cycle themselves month to month, some days estrogen high symptoms are worse some days progesterone low symptoms worse ECT.... ECT.... For me I just push on thru if I can, if my symptoms are to unbearable and they stop me in my tracks then I go lay down until I feel better what more can you do...

    • Posted

      Gypsy - yes - my nature is to try and educate myself; always has been! Yet this week I did NOT journal any of my symptoms - ugh! I'm on that natural progesterone cream and am noticing improvement so I really need to keep track of things!

      Wouldn't it be amazing if like how some people use an inhaler, or insulin etc - we could have a "cream" or inhaler or injection  we use on the days that we know what hormone is off balance? Oh that would be so awesome! Much like a blood pressure machine, a blood sugar prick of the finger etc. You get your sample for that day and it's say ESTROGEN needed, LOL! And you grab your EXTREMELY SAFE TO USE estrogen or progesterone and wa la! You feel amazing. My good friend gets a ding ding on her phone when we are together to tell her she needs insulin - oh how it would be nice if I could get a ding ding on my phone telling me I need progesterone or estrogen. 

      Funny you mention the cold flash! I had my first one last night!!! It was SO weird.

      My overall mood has been good for about 3 days; for that I am so GRATEFUL. Those fragile down in the dump days are so hard.

      I went out with my husband and kids last Friday (had just gotten a period that came on 16 days late) and I was so fragile emotionally - ALL NEW AT 49 - this "fragile, who am I woman." When we went up to the counter to order I just couldn't do it. It's like - who am I??? Seriously? I looked at my husband and said - I just can't make a decision right now, can you order it or me? He looked so sad for me and I went and sat at a table on the verge of tears (realizing now I was having a hot flash but didn't know it). And then 4 days later I am feeling almost myself for 3 days. 

      It's such a comfort to share in this experience with you all. Helps to know we are not alone! And I so appreciate ideas and tips to get us through. 

  • Posted

    Hi Finny, it took me a while to figure out that I was having a hot flash when I was having all theses other wierd symptoms, like you said the dark horrible scary thoughts that come out of nowhere these really scared me I thought I was going mad and that I was a very bad person for having these thoughts, now I know they are part of the hot flashes and part of the menopause , I also have a pounding heart, wierd head, cold prickles over my body, feeling dizzy, faint, pains in my arms, body, shooting pains it could be anything and like you it’s different symptoms every time, ive been on and off HRT for a while but decided to try and get through it without HRT because of the side effects from them.  Thanks for sharing it sounds just like me take care Jules x 
    • Posted

      Jules - yes I am starting to figure out the symptoms before a hot flash, too!  Are you willing to share your experience withe your side effects from the hormone replacement? My doctor has been on them for 10 years and she has no plan to go off of them. She said if I was interested I could start at age 50 (3 months from now). Take care! Thanks for sharing your experiences. 
  • Posted

    Hi Finny. Sorry you are feeling poorly. Thank God I don't have the hot flashes anymore. My panic attacks were different. This feeling of doom would come over me, then nausea, then trouble breathing. The doom feeling was the worst!

    If you can lay down and put a cool towel on your head, drink some ice water, and take some deep breaths.

    I wish I could make it all better.🤗🤗🤗??

    • Posted

      Juanita - thanks for your sweet reply! I have only had 3 hot flashes this week during the day. They come out of the blue and that is what makes it so hard. I've had night sweats for 4 out of 7 nights this week. I am hoping with my periods skipping a month and then having 2 in a month etc - is an indication my hormones are doing a "Hormone Performance Tour" that will end soon and at the most hopefully a year, LOL! My mom had a breeze of it; I didn't get that. Thanks for your ideas - I appreciate it. Hugs to you!

    • Posted

      "Hormone performance tour"...🤣😂😁...accurate title!!

      You might be joking when you say "excuse me, having a hot flash"- but I have the luxury to be able to say exactly that! I teach 5th grade, and the vast majority of my teacher girlfriends are in this stage of life...so we all get it. We can cover for each other should we need a moment or ten to "get it together".

      Other than that, the first thing i do is talk myself down:"ok- you've felt this before...or, you know what this is,..the doctor said you're in great health and this is not a disease....99% of the stuff we worry about never happens...etc

      I guess we all have to come up with things on the fly...since symptoms change so randomly.

      Hope this helps you some and hope you feel better!!

    • Posted

      Katy- what a blessing for you to be able to work with your fellow teacher girlfriends who get it!

      That is such great advice about how you talk yourself down; I actually tried that twice today. I had two minor hot flashes today and I am noticing the feelings of doom that come and I said to myself - "okay I think I'm getting used to this, I don't like it but it's going to stop and go away, it's hard to have these feelings and thoughts but it's temporary."  Thanks so much...yes it helps!!!

       

  • Posted

    Hi Finny!  I get very “vascular” with my flashes/ flushes.  My veins pop out of my hands and arms and my whole body gets flush looking. I only sweat at night.  Then, I chill sometimes.  Neddless to say, my temperature gauge is on the fritz!  My skin has been so hot the last couple days, no fever or anything. Sooo dizzy this morning.  But, I got up at 6am, did some chores, fed all my critters by 7.  Felt really faint, wanted to lay back down, but, then my son got up and I’ve been chasing him around since...he has special needs and is high octane.  I actually put something in the microwave for breakfast earlier, forgot about it.  It is 12:30pm and I just ate my breakfast that I forgot about!  No wonder I was ready to pass out 🙄. Just pounded some blueberries too.  I’m sitting here with my fan blasting on me now!  Thank god hubbie will be home soon to relieve me of my “shift”.  Lord, why did I have kids! 😂. I guess to answer your question...I hide in my room if I can!  Also, I am definitely going to get back on BCP like I mentioned to you before...but have to go to the appointment to discuss it.  Hopefully those and my AD will make me semi human again!  🙏🤞🤗

    • Posted

      Lou - thanks for giving me laughs in this reply! Not sure that you intended - but forgetting your breakfast, sitting with the fan, wondering why you had kids, LOL. Thankful I can laugh at myself as I do the same as you describe! I am with you on this journey and pray that you will keep feeling better slowly but surely! I will be waiting to see if you go back on the same BCP you were on or something new. I mentioned in a prior text that my GP suggested a BCP for me as an option. As of now I am trying the natural progesterone cream and I am seeing benefits in my mood and overall well being. And yes; I hide in my room when I can. It's those times when I'm out with my kids or have people over at the house, etc - and the flash comes on - UGH - I want to run and hide but I can't. I pray that I will get used to it! 

  • Posted

    Hi finny..im a little confused but intrigued...do you live in the states as you say "hot flash"and we say in ireland or uk "hot flush"...are you saying that a hot flash can be symtoms without feeling hot and they can manifest such as headaches, neasuea, anxiety ect?? I dont get too many sweats but i get awful tummy issues, awful headaches and low sugar levels..anxiety ect. Is tbis what you mean by a hot flash? Thx CK

    • Posted

      Hi Carol - yes I live in the states; I've also noticed we say hot flash over here and you say flush. smile And YES; I've been reading a ton on the Hot Flash and it can manifest in a wide range of emotional and physical symptoms;  in some you can have a wave of dizziness, nausea, headache come on sudden and with or without sweat. Maybe next time it's feelings of fear, doom and gloom, fluttering inside, tingling etc with our without sweat. Another one may be chest tightening, jelly legs or arms etc. The hard thing is these all can sound like or feel like something SO serious as a heart attack or stroke etc. I've been to the ER thinking I was having that - and I've had so many tests done to confirm my heart is okay etc. My flashes can sometimes have a lot of those vaso/vascular experiences - who knows how may times I will be going in to make sure I'm okay. 

    • Posted

      Hi finny...thanls for this and makes sense to me...i get pounding headaches that like are stronger at times and they come in waves....up and down in severity like when a hot flush peaks then you cool down. it makes sense and yes, its feeling of doom and gloom and anoverwlemness with life then subsides later on....there is so much better research in the States than there is in the Uk and Ireland. I also feel with time that this will ne more recognised as a condition and tve affects it has on the lives of women and how difficult it is......thanks for this and keep osting and sharing more light....so much appreciated.....CK
    • Posted

      Sorry for typos as on my phone ....ck

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