Heather_T Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 Does anyone here have hot flashes. I am either freezing cold or I am breaking out into a hot flash. Is this normal from chemo? I have atleast 20 hot flashes a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connie B Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 YES YES YES AND YES! It's very normal for chemo to put us gals right in the middle of our change of life. My Onc doc talked in length to me about that when I started my treatments. For me the hotflashes got sooooo overwhelming and I got sooo many of them in a day not to mention at night. I really couldn't stand it, plus it interferred with my sleep. What my Onc doc suggested back then was for me to try Megace. It worked like a charm for taking away the hotflashes. And as most of us know Megace increases appetite. Now that part of the drug I could have done without, but it really did help me through the rough spots of hotflashes. I was on it for 4 years and then I did go on HRT. I am no longer on anything and haven't been for the last 2-1/2 years. I still get hotflashes but less and less as time goes on. THANK GOD! Hang tough kiddo, it's not fun but talk to your Onc about Megace. It can't hurt to ask! Good luck and keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raneyf Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 Hi Heather, I'm getting tons of them. I'm not sure if it's just the chemo or menopause at 30, but I'm coming to believe it's menopause. I haven't had a period since before I had my baby and my doctor seems to think they're probably not coming back. At this point, I'm kind of like, whatever, who cares, I just want to live. Sorry if too much info, guys Anyways, they are a pain - they wake me up all night. I've been meaning to ask my oncologist about them, but haven't yet. I'm just happy that they're not night sweats from cancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 My wife got hot flashes from chemo and the onc prescribed Effexor for her. It is an antidepressant that also has the side effect of minimizing hot flashes. It worked for her. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaze100 Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 Aren't they delightful? I've been having hot flashes for many years now, and they seem to be getting worse the older I get. So many every night, I can't count. I was hoping they'd go away eventually. Sometimes I take an ambien just so I can get a good nights sleep. I was on 0.025 mg estrogen patch which helped, but then my doc said that estrogen was not a good idea because of increased cancer and blood clot risks. I've noticed that sugar, chocolate and caffeine bring my hot flashes on harder that night. Like I can stop eating these. Also I'm taking Niacin to increase my good lipids. Niacin does a great job raising HDL but the hot flashes from Niacin are unbelievably bad. I read about some women having good results reducing hot flashes by taking 2-3 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar every day. They mixed it with their apple juice. I tried it for a few days. It seemed to help but arggg..the taste. Added benefit -it definitely kills the appetite. I am going to ask my doc about some of the solutions posted here. Because I agree....hot flashes are a pain in the butt. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 I had hot flashes on and off after surgery. I wish I could have some now, I'm always freezing... There was a member on here a few years ago who had been thrown into her change. I believe about a year after treatment ended, her body had "healed" and she was back to a regular "schedule". You may or may not have visits from "Aunt Flo" in the future, but it is not a definite end just because you have gone through chemo. I don't know if that's a good thing or not! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbara5452 Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 Yeap here too, glad for this post, thought I was going to melt after my first chemo, good to know its normal during radiation and chemo.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexan Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Hi Heather, me too. It was during chemo. Then went away even that Iam 52 past the menopause stage. bucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Me too! Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night soaked! Also got instant menopause, never had missed then with chemo, never saw it again. This too will pass, I hope! Donna G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather_T Posted February 20, 2007 Author Share Posted February 20, 2007 Thanks for letting me know I am not the only one. The sad thing is is that I would rather have my visits from AuntFlo than have hot flashes. I thought that would never happen. Barb, my hubby takes niacin. He found a brand that has the non flushing, it will make him flush every once in a while. The first time he took just a regular niacin and he freaked out. It was pretty funny he did not know what to think. Anyways just thought I would let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaze100 Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Hi Heather, Yes I take Niaspan or something like that too. 500 mg. Freak out is right. I had another bad night last night. I'm going to ask my GP about the stuff above. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trish2418 Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Just a note about Megace -- I had hair loss as a side effect. I only took it for about 2 weeks as an appetite stimulant, but it did cause hair loss. Also, its a hormone, so talk to your gyno about long-term effects. Trish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connie B Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 it takes about 4 weeks for it to get into the system before you really see change. I put on pouunds but I also already lost my hair before I did the Megace. Everythink came back normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ursol Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Heather, same here...hot flashes and then freezing cold. It's one extreme or the other. I guess not having any hair contributes to the freezing part. I also have not had a period in a long time, assuming chemo has sent me into early menopause which is fine for me. Lilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhutch1366 Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Sounds like what happened with me, only mine started before diagnosis, when the cancer got really bad. Sweats and freezing, in turn. Although the freezing got better about 2 years after surgery ( I lost a lot of weight, so I'm also pretty thin). Strange part is the gyn tested me 1 1/2 years out, had estradiol of 1400, he said not menopausal. Two years later it was... 14, which is post menopausal. I don't know what happend, but the sweats are very minimal now, don't even know if I could attribute them to menopause. Likely that's what's left. This too is survivable. XOXOX MaryAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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