Any hint on Hot flushes

User

Posted 22 Sep 2022 at 17:47

This is my second first was back in February/March when I was struggling to decide between surgery or radiotherapy/HT. You were all amazing then and helped me! In the end I went for radiotherapy. Which I had during July. All went well although second two weeks were hard going.

My question this time is about hot flushes while on HT. I started HT late March & am now on my third dose. Generally things have not been too bad, energy level have stayed good, weight not increased (although some belly fat!) not got breasts, sex is in the past! The worst thing has been hot flushes they happen 7 or 8 times during the day and another 6 or 7 times at night. The daytime I can Handel but the night ones keep me awake & are effecting my moods, concentration & reduce my motivation and leave me feeling tired by the afternoon.

I've read that they should get better over time is that the general experience? If not how did others cope with it is there anything that can help?

Many thanks

Les

User

Posted 22 Sep 2022 at 19:16

Evening primrose oil or sage tablets are said to help, but that is far from certain, you can get both at health shops.

I would say that was a lot of hot flushes in a day. I have seen people say they never had them others saying they started after a year others that they stopped after a year, so don't make any assumption about getting better or worse.

Dave

User

Posted 22 Sep 2022 at 21:13

Some ideas:

- make sure the bedding is pure cotton rather than polyester cotton

- if you wear pyjamas, same applies

- if you normally sleep naked, try wearing cotton pyjamas or a cotton t-shirt - although it sounds counterintuitive, your body might find it easier to self-regulate with a layer of clothing

- women have been taking sage tablets or evening primrose oil for hot flushes for centuries - it works for some but not all

- acupuncture really helps some men. In our area, men on HT used to be able to get acupuncture for hot flushes on the NHS in the urology department at our hospital but they stopped it before the pandemic

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 23 Sep 2022 at 17:14

Thanks Lynn & Dave for good ideas I'll certainly give the cotton sheets and pajamas a go. And will give sage & EP tabets a go. I'll let you know how I get on.

User

Posted 23 Sep 2022 at 17:22

I have a little lithium powered fan that lasts a week. It’s rechargeable and looks like a mobile phone. I don’t use it in public and tbh the flushes don’t bother me during the day. But it’s on my bedside table and if you pull the covers back and lie it on your chest it really helps a lot blowing air on your neck and face. I mainly get the flushes immediately upon retiring and then on waking around 5am. It’s quite silent too

User

Posted 23 Sep 2022 at 18:35

Thanks Chris like you the daytime not flushed don't particularly worry me it at night it's worse. Ok when I go to bed then Wales me almost every hour. They don't last long but wake me and it takes me some time to get back to sleep. I may give your fan a go if the other ideas don't wake.

User

Posted 23 Sep 2022 at 18:46

I forgot - i read recently about someone who swore by socks that have been kept in the fridge and also a hot water bottle with cold water in it

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 23 Sep 2022 at 19:46

I had a lot of hot flushes day and night and was lucky enough to have acupuncture via a holistic cancer therapy place, as has been said some areas of the country provide such therapy as here in Wirral, it helped me a lot, didn't try anything else. Local Macmillan or Maggies will know of any such services.

Peter

User

Posted 23 Sep 2022 at 21:51

Increasing your soya in your diet worked for me. I switched over to soya milk, soya yoghurt (nice coconut alpro), miso soup etc it took a while but it did help....

The PCResearchUk webinars last year on diet were great....look em up!

Cheers

Steve

Blog: prostatecancer.vivatek.co.uk

User

Posted 23 Sep 2022 at 22:17

Thanks for that. I don't milk in tea or coffee. My wife has Soya milk and yoghurt so I might try it on my beakfast cerial. Thanks.

User

Posted 24 Sep 2022 at 07:31

Here's the link to those dieticians

https://www.prostate-cancer-research.org.uk/living-well-library/september/

Steve

Blog: prostatecancer.vivatek.co.uk

User

Posted 19 Oct 2022 at 15:43

Someone suggested I should ask my consultant about cyproterone acetate, so I did and have been on that ever since. I was getting serious sweats - literally dripping - when I first went on Prostap, but (for me at least) the cyproterone reduces them to no more than a mild passing sensation.

Worth asking...

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