Alternative to HRT for Hot Flushes

I have taken Menocool from Holland and Barratt for many years, it is basically Black Cohosh, and has helped me enormously with hot flushes. It might be best to ask your Dr or pharmacist if it is ok to take with your medication though.

I took (and recommend). evening primrose oil capsules (back then, they were available on NHS prescription but not any more).

DH had a lot of "manopause" symptoms during treatment for prostate cancer; including sweats and hot flushes. At the time we had a GP who was also qualified in homeopathy and she gave home a homeopathic treatment that also worked.

(Don't bother telling me it doesn't).

I was never able to take hrt either due to other meds for migraines. I found that cutting sugar to a bare minimum helped.

Thank you all for your replies. I will certainly try out your suggestions. Cutting sugar is also something that I should do. Gransnet is wonderful with such kind posters x

I had hot sweats off those ‘venlafaxine’, prescribed for depression in my thirties.
They are two heavy duty drugs, wonder why your Gp offered them for hot flushes? Are you in pain?

Have you got a good independent herbalist, or H & B nearby? They could give you good advice.
Homeopathy is another good route.
Again Boots, H & B, or like B & J said, Gp might be clued up.
I am now on 10mg fluoxetine, had a battle to get 10mg tablets. They help with anxiety which became worse during peri menopausal.
Also you could ask to be referred to an HRT nurse (mine was brilliant). Can you not even have a low dose patch? I know you said that you had breast cancer. Depends what type.
Anyway good luck finding a solution as hot sweats are hellish.
I don’t get them now, thank goodness! 🥵

I never found a solution. I tried everything on the shelves in Holland and Barrett but nothing worked. I didn't go to my GP as I didn't want HRT.
I have just learnt to live with the night sweats. I'm in my 70s now and have fewer night sweats, but they haven't gone completely.

Mt61. I’m not in pain or depressed. Doctor said Venlafaxin should relax blood vessels but could raise BP. Gabapentine I see is for epilepsy and seizures which I do not have. Oregano. Black Cohosh is not suitable for my other medications. Butterandjam. EPO capsules are something I can try. Dogsmother. Cutting down on sugar is another sensible thing to try. Thank you ladies for taking the time to reply.

Soya contains lots of isoflavones - phytoestrogens. They appear to have some benefits for cardiovascular health but certainly helped me through a nearly symptomless menopause.

I did use soy products (tofu and some soya beans for example) before the menopause but found I really enjoyed soya milk that I hadn't bothered with much before...

I suggest you look at these type products as they have these naturally present estrogen-like benefits.
Flax also, apparently.

Good luck in finding a way through.

Sunnyoutlook

Mt61. I’m not in pain or depressed. Doctor said Venlafaxin should relax blood vessels but could raise BP. Gabapentine I see is for epilepsy and seizures which I do not have. Oregano. Black Cohosh is not suitable for my other medications. Butterandjam. EPO capsules are something I can try. Dogsmother. Cutting down on sugar is another sensible thing to try. Thank you ladies for taking the time to reply.

Gabapentine has proven useful in controlling hot flushes (where alternatives cannot be used). Many medications manufactured for one condition have proven to be useful in treating others (through feedback from people taking them). A good example is amitriptyline which was manufactured as an antidepressant but was found to be extremely useful for alleviating nerve pain. A good resource on all things menopause related is Dr Newson, maybe Google her. As someone mentioned, depending on the type of breast cancer HRT may be an option.

I totally agree with NotSpaghetti. I cannot benefit from HRT because of my high oestrogen levels; which resulted in breast cancer & a mastectomy.
My awful menopausal symptoms are kept well -balanced now by eating lots of tofu in lovely soups, peas & soya-milk too.
Plus, plenty of beans & hummus. My hot flushes are manageable & dispite going without the conventional hormone-stuff, I feel fine. A bit ratty sometimes but my husband is to blame for that!😚

I would definitely suggest a herbalist. There is almost certainly something that can help you perhaps alongside other medications.

Thank you so much everyone. I’m making notes of all your suggestions. Gransnet is wonderful!

So have you tried your doctor's recommendations? Don't worry about what ELSE Gabapentine etc. might treat.

Please, PLEASE do not take Gabapentin. It is given for women whom the doctor thinks need "calming down", no evidence that I can find for hot flushes.

Yes, it is a great painkiller, but it has so many side effects and it addictive, which is why it should (and it says on the leaflet) be only taken for a short spell.

- My son, prescribed for exam anxiety, had hallucinations after 2 day's worth.
- My niece completely changed personality, and now is on a drug withdrawal programme.
- Even the dog (yes is is prescribed for animals), who was given it for post-cancer op pain relief, started running around in circles and howling.

Sunnyoutlook

Mt61. I’m not in pain or depressed. Doctor said Venlafaxin should relax blood vessels but could raise BP. Gabapentine I see is for epilepsy and seizures which I do not have. Oregano. Black Cohosh is not suitable for my other medications. Butterandjam. EPO capsules are something I can try. Dogsmother. Cutting down on sugar is another sensible thing to try. Thank you ladies for taking the time to reply.

All my friend who are exercise buffs, flew through the menopause with any symptoms. So maybe a little exercise each day might help.
Yes I think the natural route is probably the best way to go. Primrose oil is supposed to be good. I swore by Agnus cactus? Think it’s spelt that way.. brilliant for breast pain. Have look on eBay, Amazon for books on natural HRT.

Goodness🤦‍♀️ exercised buffs- had no hot sweats

I was refused HRT ,so I put myself on a soya diet , milk , yogurt etc - also high strength soya capsules . It did reduce my hot flushes , Took a few weeks to note an improvement. Eastern / Asian ladies don't suffer with menopausal symptoms as Westerners do apparently due to their soya diets .
Good luck

There was a Systematic Review about Gabapentin relatively recently FranP
Gabapentin for the treatment of hot flushes in menopause: a meta-analysis

Here it is if you want to read it:
journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/fulltext/2020/04000/gabapentin_for_the_treatment_of_hot_flushes_in.17.aspx

I shall try soya and the herbalist route also cutting down on sugar. Have a friend who takes Venlafaxin for depression and said she quickly became addicted to it and has been unable to come off it. Had a chat today to a pharmacist who said Gabapentine is most unsuitable for hot flushes. I’m prepared it may take some time to feel results. Thank you everyone for your help.

I had to stop drinking wine. If I drank wine in the evening I had terrible night sweats and a broken nights sleep. Without wine I was much improved!

I was very lucky - isoflavones helped me through it. I got them from Healthspan.

I’ve never had an alcoholic drink in my life and never smoked. I’m asthmatic and have been on medication for that for 50 years. Some members on here have far worse than hot flushes to deal with. I was just curious if there was something that others had tried that I hadn’t heard of.

Isoflavones are in Soya products as discussed earlier NannyKnit - so you obviously found a "supplement" version.

I wonder if a GP can prescribe them?

I used sage tablets, they didn't stop all hot flushes but they did seem to be less severe when I took them.