No sleep with having night sweats

I have gone back onto the Menopace Red Clover extract tablets as at 58 I started getting really hot and tired all over again. Feel so much better now. I am very careful with caffeine and alcohol as sadly, wine in particular affects my sleep. Fizz is not so bad strangely! I use some herbal sleeping tablets on and off too.

My sweats were morning, noon and night. I remember standing up from my seat on the bus and leaving a perfect sweaty stamp behind. I was mortified, and it was regular that I was literally dripping with sweat. It would run into my shoes and make my feet squelch! I cried when the doc said I couldn't have HRT.

I wouldn’t touch HRT because of the dreadful cruelty involved in its collection. I got over the menopause the best I could as other generations of women have had to do i the past.

I wasn’t allowed HRT due to migraines and the meds I take (still do) for that.
But diet sorted it, I cut out the sugar and i5 made the whole world of difference.

I had HRT for 18 months. Daughter persuaded me to stop it. I also had the pill for a few years, but then the coil. I had breast cancer 8 years ago. A lump removed, also all the lymph glands under that arm as it had spread to one node. I already had osteoporosis and the medication to not get the cancer back made this worse, so I had medication for that. I can't say whether the cancer was caused by the HRT, the pill or the fact I was very overweight for some years. I'm just adding the information so you can take the risks into account. I'm much slimmer now . I lost 8 stones on Weightwatchers because it makes me safer not to get cancer back and have kept it off for 7 years, but I had lost most of it before I got cancer.

Coll66 - Nightsweats were a regular feature with me in my 50s - the bed totally wet, hubby next to me fast asleep and no opportunity to change the sheets even if I'd had the energy. I used to put a very thick towelling robe on and get back into the wet bed falling asleep before that became wet itself. Absolute hell and then there was the regular washing of the bed linen the following morning and all that fatiguing work when I was already tired. I had been on HRT before the nightsweats but had to come off because of weight gain and cancer risk so no option but to turn to herbal remedies. Like others, I tried Black Cohosh, wild yam, and sage which I drank as a tea. I did get some relief. The nightsweats did stop eventually - took around four years actually and even now at 68 I still get the occasional one but have no idea what to put it down to. My advice to you is to stick with the sage tea (make your own), and try to eat as good a normal diet as possible. By the way, hats off to you for your great weight loss - you did well.

I'm a fan of HRT without it I'd have been divorced or dead.The night sweats were horrific and I had to change sheets during the night sometimes twice or more,my OH moved into the spare roombut he wasn't happy I was moody and tearful and reclusive,didn't want to go out of the house if I could avoid it so of curse I was depressed too.All this in my late 40's .I tried to come off but all the symptoms returned with a veangeance and I was sent to the Menopause clinic where the Gynaecologist said I could stay on HRT for life .I was never overweight ,always active(ran a minimum of 6 miles a day) and a vegetarian ...so I domt know where I was going wrong .HRT changed my life ..gave me it back and I just said yesterday I'm happier and more content now at 64 than for a long time.As an added fact my sister who is 69 is also on on long term HRT for similar reasons

I went on HRT with no weight gain. Think it was because I was. Sleeping better and had more energy. Stayed on them for just over 15 years with no problems. My health at 70 is good and so is my weight. Go for it.

The thinking on HRT has changed in the last couple of years, with the benefits being seen as much greater than the risks (unless there are specifically known concerns within the family etc). I’ve been taking HRT for seven years now. The night sweats stopped immediately and I haven’t put on any weight. It’s made such a difference OP.

A simple but foul tasting remedy that definitely helped me was a handful of sage leaves, steeped in hot water for 15 minutes or so, strain and drink the residue. It was more palatable with a bit of honey added but if you are trying to keep the weight down ... I hope that this helps you. Menopause doesn’t last forever, it just seems that way when you are going through it!

The thing I remember from the Womn’s Hour discussion is that Japanese Women don’t suffer night sweats because of their diet. WH is covering menopause all week.

W11girl I listened to this a.m Woman's Hour and what really jumped out to me was that there is NO upper age limit for H.R.T, my own GP has not agreed to prescribe this for me "at my age" (73) but I think I'll pay him another visit armed with this information.

Please go on HRT, it gave me my life back. I was becoming so bad tempered, which just wasn't me, I was like a different person. My poor husband. I didn't get any weight gain etc. Try it, my friend was divorced because she wouldn't go on it and was unbearable!

If you can find the video of the live chat with Dr Chatterjee, he mentions someone whose menopausal symptoms were eased considerably when she followed his advice. It's on this site somewhere.

Sounds like it. There was a good discussion on Woman’s Hour this morning, radio 4. Too late for me but could be useful to you. The main throng of the conversation was to see your GP and don’t take no for an answer.

Why do so many ladies suffer night sweats and others do not.I do not wish to appear blowing my own trumpet but never experienced them. My demons were black moods. I was sure I was going mental and apart from the usual monthly experience,, which grew less and less, that was it. I had never been on the 'pill' but neither had my mother who had suffered these sweats.Which ruled out what had been in my mind.
Answers appreciated.

I was lucky enough to have no health issues at time of menopause so went on to HRT as it prevents bone density loss I believe. Stayed on it for 5 years, sailed through menopause and weaned off gradually. No weight gain at all. Wish I could say the same now but know it’s self inflicted, little exercise, lots of afternoon tea and cake and over indulgence at Christmas. Working on it, wellll maybe start tomorrow.
Good luck, hope you find what’s right for you.

SussexGirl60
An interesting profession and a form of treatment that is so often ridiculed.
I rely on Shuessler as these can be used in conjunction with the traditional and while waiting for hip replacement and the pain I am feeling, at present, prefer them to a GP prescription which had given me side effects which needed another 'drug' to counteract.

Was determined to go thro' menopause without HRT but after stopping alcohol & caffeine, trying black cohosh, soya milk, even a magnet the hot flashes and night sweats continued exactly the same so went on HRT. Wonderful! BUT considering apparent health risks decided to limit use to 2 yrs. OBGYN said to reduce dose gradually and symptoms might not come back but once got down to 3 tabs a week as opposed to 7 all symptoms flooded back. 67 now and still have at least a couple of daily hot flashes although don't 'drip' as I used to years ago.

Forgive my ignorance but why would sleeping during the day and sleeping at night make a difference? Does your body know when it's night and day when you're asleep? I'm being serious about understanding the difference. Thanks.

I agree with Susie.......watching what you eat and drink later in the day is a real help. I’ve carried this on after menopause and find it helps with maintaining my weight and feeling good.

I used Serenity natural progesterone cream to help me through this - I found it better than being on HRT and actually lost weight on it.

After over 10 years of night and day sweats...i changed my diet to low carb! No joint pains, loss of two stone, sleeping all night and no night sweats! Could not take HRT so tried all other remedies mainly with little success...although black cohosh really helped with the sweats.

Women's Hour covered this on Monday and Tuesday of this week you can hear it on a podcast you might find it useful.

Woman’s Hour is about the menopause all this week, a doctor has a website all about the subject. Might be worth listening on catch up.
www.menopausematters.co.uk