The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Inositol
Posted by Vitaminjunkie (Marietta, Georgia) on 08/17/2015
★★★★★
Inositol has greatly relieved my hot flashes! I am 52, and I started having perimenopausal hot flashes about a year ago. Mine are related to estrogen dominance and falling progesterone levels, so any estrogenic substances (i.e. black cohosh, flax seed, etc.) only made things worse.
I used a DIM supplement, which is made from cruciferous vegetables and helps convert estradiol to estriol, very successfully for a year and this kept the flashes and being too hot at night at bay. Then the flashes came back. Mine are not as severe as many people's are, but they were only happening at night and really interfering with my sleep.
I started using a popular brand of an over the counter progesterone cream, along with Vitex (chasteberry) which helps the body favor the production of progesterone over estrogen to help boost my levels. This also helps some, but as far as the cream, I really don't like using hormones at all, even in a low dose. And the flashes weren't gone, they were still happening far too much in frequency and intensity at night.
I began giving my mother some inositol because it is relaxing to many people and helps them sleep. I took some myself one night (1000 mg.) to see if it would perhaps help me sleep through the hot flashes. Well, it had the reverse effect on me and kept me alert and awake for half the night, but I had zero hot flashes! I decided to mete out my dose throughout the day, and yesterday I took 1500 mg. altogether spread out over three 500 mg. doses. I took the last 500 mg. before bed, this smaller amount doesn't keep me awake, esp. if I take it with magnesium. I deliberately did not use the progesterone cream last night and did not have a single flash!
Ladies, I think inositol is definitely worth trying, you can find it at your local vitamin store and it is very inexpensive! I've seen very little research on it for hot flashes, but it works well for me.
Lastly, I eat a pretty low carb diet, favoring seafood. I take antioxidants, high doses of DHA, I drink a gallon of water per day, limit my coffee to two cups per day, and avoid sugars and grains. My diet is mostly Paleo, I guess, although I do eat a small amount of organic/raw dairy. The B vitamin complex I take, however, did not include any inositol, as many of them don't. Inositol is formed by the body from glucose, and I don't eat too many foods that favor glucose production, so I possibly had a deficiency. I also recommend taking the supplement cholin along with the inositol as these two work well together. I hope this works for some of you. Bear in mind that no one supplement works the same for everyone, but at the low price - inositol is definitely worth trying!
Chenille Robe
Posted by Erin (Pensacola, Florida) on 11/21/2014
★★★★★
Hot flashes help: I'm 83, and have had hot sweats from spring till fall each year "forever." At a yard sale, I paid $l.00 for a wonderful chenille bath robe - brand new. I had it in my closet for sometime without thinking about it. But one early morning when I was staggering out of bed in misery with my sweats, I suddenly put that robe on. I can't tell you how comfortable it was. I crawled back into bed, with it on like a blanket. It soaked up the sweaty misery like a miracle! I've used it for several years. Some people never get over hot sweats apparently. It is so thick that you pull it inside out and you have dry surface again! To me, it's a miracle.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Liz (Adelaide, Sa) on 02/12/2012
★★★★★
This works for me for hot flashes - . No sugar, avoid processed food. Give it a try, just for 2 days and you will see a difference
Coconut Oil
Posted by Laura (Houston, Texas, Usa) on 12/17/2011
★★★★★
I am a 42 yr old female w/ blood type A . I have tried soy products and organic ACV to eliminate hot flashes that I have experienced for the last 5 years or so, with little success. The only thing that completely has gotten rid of them has been replacing ALL polyunsaturated oils in my diet, like vegetable, canola & sunflower oils, with organic, unprocessed coconut oil. (I still eat a little uncooked olive oil occasionally). I have not had 1 hot flash in the last 3 months that I have been using it and that is a record for me! Be sure to get the Extra Virgin Coconut oil! Yes, it is a saturated fat, but it turns out this type of saturated fat does not clog arteries or make us fat as previously thought. It also has given me great energy and better sense of well being. I still eat the naturally occuring fats in fish, raw, unroasted nuts & avocados, but have replaced EVCO for all other fats, including butter. A little EVCO on an english muffin with honey or jam tastes amazing! I have also eliminated soy from my diet.
Ted's Remedies
Posted by Linda (Ireland) on 06/30/2015
Side effects of taking magnesium is lower blood pressure. I too was using magnesium but transdermal and found my head to swim. I later found out it was due to low blood pressure so I rectified the problem by eating natural salt on my food, licorice and applying rosemary essential oil to my wrists or ankles. Low blood pressure can make you feel really tired and light headed and can be dangerous but doctors won't do anything for it.
Vitamin E
Posted by Madeline (Jersey Shore, New Jersey) on 09/14/2010
★★★★★
I used 1000IU of vitamin E and on the first night I noticed a big difference. I have continued and will continue because it work. Vitamin E 1000IU for hot flashes try it.
Vitamin E
Posted by JOYCE (NAMPA, IDAHO) on 02/25/2009
★★★★★
I AM A 56 YR OLD FEMALE AND BACK WHEN I WAS IN MY 40'S I WAS TAKING HORMONES FOR MY HOT FLASHES AND NIGHT SWEATS. WELL, IT STOPPED WORKING FOR ME SO MY DR TOLD ME TO TRY 1000 UNITS OF PURE VITAMIN E (STANDARDIZED). NOT ONLY DID IT TAKE AWAY THE HOT FLASHES AND NIGHT SWEATS, IT MADE MY SKIN SOFT ALL OVER.YOU MAY WANT TO START WITH HALF THE DOSE AND WORK YOU'RE WAY UP IF YOU HAVE NO RESULTS. VITAMIN E IS GOOD FOR ALL KINDS OF THINGS.ALL I KNOW IS IT WORKED FOR ME AND MADE MY LIFE ALOT BETTER. NOW I TAKE 400 UNITS EVERY OTHER DAY AS A MAINTANCE PROGRAM.YOU CAN APPLY IT TO SORES AND DRY PATCHES ALSO AND THEY HEAL FAST.
Iodine
Posted by Sarah (Washington, DC) on 06/20/2008
Hi. This might help somebody: I have a weird condition where any iodine-rich food or salt sends me into weeks or horrible, debilitating hot flashes. Avoiding iodine-rich substances makes them eventually go away, though it is hard to avoid iodine, so it sometimes starts up again. I have tested this reaction many times and it is consistant. When I'm having a reaction, taking a very low dose (12 to 50 micrograms) of thyroxine (like Synthroid) usually helps get the reaction under control within a week. I've been to a couple endocrynologists about this and none of them understand what is going on, except that iodine apparently shuts down the thyroid temporarily and it may be that mine isn't starting up again properly after too much iodine. In addition to the hot-flashes, my symptoms are more like hypo than hyperthyroidism, so maybe that's why the thyroxine helps.
Be healthy.
Vitamin E
Posted by Janie (Hammond, La) on 03/25/2007
★★★★★
I have taken vitamin E for years to reduce hot flashes. Works wonders.
Borax, Baking Soda, Salt
Posted by Lana (British Columbia) on 07/19/2023
★★★★★
I've been suffering with menopause hot flashes day & night. I've tried almost all the menopause supplements in my local health food store. It has been a very expensive experience with minimal relief. I came across an article referring to Borax, Celtic salt & baking soda for balancing hormones & helping hot flashes. I took my last supplement tablet of Estrovera & switched the next day to a very small pinch of each 20mule borax, Celtic salt & baking soda. Mixed it in a glass of water and went on with my day. I have experienced no hot flashes day or night now for 10 days. I'm able to “not” dress in layers. My shoulder pain has also stopped and lower back is not as sore from gardening. Many ppl & articles say not to consume Borax but honestly, it's the only thing that has “really” helped. I'm not one for synthetic prescriptions like HRT which can also be bad for us.
I'm going to continue on this “pinch a day” of these 3 ingredients as it has been affordable and helpful. And, I haven't had any side effects. Hopefully, it'll continue to help.
Raw Chicken Liver
Posted by Christina (Park City, Ut) on 01/20/2023
★★★★★
After ten days of consuming one whole organic chicken liver raw every day, my hot flashes had decreased by 90%. It contains zinc, iron, copper, selenium, all the b vitamins, Vit A, Vit D, Vit E, etc so it's smarter than buying and choking down the inferior (and potentially dangerous) supplement forms of these. Eating it cooked is effective as well, I assume. I was also drinking ACV and lemon water during this time, though these had not helped me with hot flashes on their own, so I attribute the healing to the single greatest food on the planet. As a bonus, my cracked and peeling skin has been improving drastically, no migraines, great energy, appetite low. I take with half n half (raw, pastured) and I'm also Carnivore diet 8 months so perhaps the combination of no processed food / no plant food is important to note. Good luck.
Glycine
Posted by Madelyn (Idaho) on 10/31/2022
That does answer my question! Thanks so much Art. I always find your posts so helpful. You sure are a gem!
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Emily (NY) on 02/04/2021
★★★★★
Haven't had another hot flash after my first tablespoon of blackstrap molasses. What a tasty remedy!
Eliminate Sugar
Posted by Karen V (EC's Facebook Page) on 09/25/2020
★★★★★
I found if I eat sugar of any kind, I will wake up soaked. So a small chocolate bar or piece of watermelon after dinner will do it. I do not eat anything after dinner now. That stopped my night sweats.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Sandra (Lindale, Texas) on 11/26/2018
★★★★★
Dietary changes work for hot flashes. It is a simple matter of imbalance. I quit eating sugar. I lowered my salt intake and watched my fat intake. I got rid of hot flashes. I just plain don't have them anymore. Many years now. Balance your diet. Also watch for food intolerances or allergies.
Beets and Olive Oil
Posted by beverly (texas) on 02/22/2022
I find your response very interesting. I have often thought I had high or fluctuating histamine levels due to chronic allergies and respiratory problems..also gastric problems. I also suffered from severe hot flashes for years even on HRT meds. They are lessened now but still have them. Thanks for your insight. I will be doing more research.
Histamine produces many varied effects within the body, including the contraction of smooth muscle tissues of the lungs, uterus, and stomach; the dilation of blood vessels, which increases permeability and lowers blood pressure; the stimulation of gastric acid secretion in the stomach. High blood histamine levels will cause chronic health conditions.
Iodine
Posted by Rahat Iram (Bc, Canada) on 12/21/2014
This is very interesting & I am very thankful to you Elizabeth for sharing your experience which infact is generating many more questions in my mind to look answers for. I think I can explain the hidden connection between thyroid and hot flashes to some extent. The exact cause of hot flashes isn't known, but it's most likely related to changes in reproductive hormones (estrogen and progesterone produced by ovaries) and in your body's thermostat (hypothalamus), which becomes more sensitive to slight changes in body temperature. The hypothalamic/pituitary/thyroid axis (HPT axis for short, aka thyroid homeostasis) is part of the endocrine system responsible for body's metabolism and production of heat. Although there is no apparent direct connection between thyroid and ovaries except the complex feed back mechanism of HPT, but reproductive problems are known to occur with thyroid issues, such as infertility which is very commonly observed in patients with thyroid problems. Similarly, many poly cystic ovarian disease (PCOD) patients are also known to have autoimmune thyroiditis indicating some underlying connection between thyroid and ovaries. Thyroid responsitivity by the ovaries could be explained by the presence of thyroid hormone receptors in human oocytes.
In 1993, a study by Wakim and et all , for the first time confirmed the presence of T3 and T4 in human follicular fluid and the presence of T3 binding sites in human granulosa cells and suggest a role for thyroid hormone in the regulation of human GCs. Later on, the receptors of both TH and TSH were also discovered to be increased in the receptive endometrium, suggesting that they are important for implantation. Research in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2007 evaluated the ovarian surface epithelial cells for hormone receptors, including those for thyroid hormone. The ovaries from women who had had a hysterectomy were used. Researchers found that the ovarian surface is a target for T3 thyroid hormone and that T3 hormone increased the action of estrogen receptors. Could this possibly help explain the link between hyperthyroidism and ovarian cancer? But if thyroid hormone levels are low, this could have huge implications for the level of estrogens, as well as the functioning of reproductive system and libido. In 2003, Cramer et al. showed that serum TSH levels were a significant predictor of failure of IVF, as TSH levels were significantly higher among women who produced oocytes that failed to be fertilized.
In short, since Iodine is needed to produce T3 & T4 or in other word for the optimum functionality of thyroid, perhaps this explains how iodine intake possibly stimulated your ovaries to produce estrogen and to helped thyroid better control the body temperature through the HPT axis.
Boron
Posted by Ruth (Harlingen) on 05/21/2013
Maybe try lowering your dose of boron--maybe what was therapeutic before is too high now that your body doesn't have a deficiency.
Omega 3
Posted by Vi (Nanaimo, British Columbia) on 12/22/2011
★★★★★
Just wanted to share this with anyone who may be suffering with hot flashes and can't seem to get relief.
I tried pretty much everything on the market for menopause/hot flashes, including Promensil and other herbal remedies, hormone creams, visits to mainstream doctors (who wanted to put me on the pill!! ), naturopaths, etc. without any help or relief.
It was getting so bad that I was having what felt like one lo-o-o-ng hot flash. It just wouldn't let up! (Anyone who deals with this knows just how incapacitating it is! )
I started taking 2000 mg omega 3s and added some B6 500 mg for arthritis. While I didn't see a big difference for the arthritis, I realized that my hot flashes had finally stopped. To find out if it really was the omega 3, I quit taking it for a few days, and sure enough, the hot flashes were back.
This has been a Godsend and I truly hope this info helps someone in the same hot boots!
Thanks for the great website too!
D3
Posted by Beacker (West Valley City, Utah) on 11/30/2011
★★★★★
I was having multiple hot flashes and also not sleeping well. My blood work said I was deficeint in Vitamin D. Since I started supplementing four weeks ago I am now sleeping and the hot flashes have been cut in half. Is this a coincidence?
Bach Flower Remedies
Posted by Kalki (Mumbai, India) on 07/19/2011
★★★★★
My friend was recommended Bach Flower Remedies for her hot flashes - at least 30 in the daytime, hardly 2-3 hrs of sleep due to hourly hot flashes - of very severe intensity. She was given Walnut, Rescue Remedy and White Chestnut initially. Within 3 days there was a difference in the number but not so much in the intensity. After 2 weeks, when she ran out of the remedy mixture, a review was taken and Oak given as it was indicated by her reaction to the hot flashes - that is, one should buck up and carry on and not be deterred by it all. She is a reliable person and gets more than her fair share at work and within the extended family. Scleranthus was also added as she went from cold to hot within seconds and had mood swings also.
It worked miracles. She is free of hot flashes for the first time in 4 years. It's been a month now and she has been advised to continue for at last 2 months before seeing if she can discontinue them. I've since looked it up in the Net and books and find Walnut on its own is usually good enough. But my friend also needed her character remedies.
Please don't go in for HRT or other therapy for want of an alternative. These remedies are supposed to be very gentle. I thought I would pass on this info on behalf of my friend.
