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.
Oil Pulling
Posted by Maria (North Carolina) on 08/23/2013
★★★★★
I have been doing oil pulling for about 13 months now. My hot flashes almost disappeared. I do it first thing in the morning while in the shower and at night while watching, for 10-15 minutes. I can tell that it is working because this summer we were traveling, had guests over etc. and I did not do it regularly and my hot flashes and night sweats came back. Now I'm back to my daily routine and they almost are gone.
Black Cohosh
Posted by Liz (Boston, Massachusetts) on 06/15/2013
★★★★★
Have you tried Black Cohosh for your hot flashes? When I went through early menopause (I was only 42), my female M.D. Recommended it and I'll be darned - it worked!
Boron
Posted by Charlottte (Simpsonville, Sc) on 02/27/2013
To Charlotte, in NC, If the boron hasn't helped, I would say try a progesterone cream. If you still cycle follow the directions. There is one brand that has been around a long, long time, and recommended by a fertility doc, ***-Gest. Hope this is helpful.
Maca Root
Posted by K In L.a. (Los Angeles, Ca) on 04/26/2014
★★★★★
[YEA] I'm in my early 40's and started getting the feeling of being zapped in the middle of my body and then it would spread from head to toe for about 15 seconds. I believe it's a pre-menopause "hot flash" but for me it wasn't hot, just like being hit with an odd energy flow. I did some reading and tried a few things, then started taking 1000mg of Maca root when I wake up in the morning. Those zaps went away but my monthly cycle was more painful than before. I was craving chocolate a lot and read that it may be a sign of the need for magnesium. So I started taking slow release (SRT) magnesium, 500mg per day and after a few months my cycle became more comfortable than before.
I believe the Maca root helps with natural hormone balance, when the imbalance is mild. That is why I took it over black cohosh. I've read black cohosh adds estrogen which could cause your body to produce less, whereas the Maca root encourages your pituitary gland to produce balance in whatever is needed more. It's a facilitator more than a supplement. Not sure if that's true but I can take Maca root with less concern and it works for me.
Garlic
Posted by Faeqa (Amman, Jordan) on 01/16/2013 73 posts
★★★★★
Am 52 years, I have severe hot flashes since 2 years; it is around 30 flashes a day. Before 2 months I took garlic 2-3 cloves a day cut it and swallowed it with my breakfast for throat inflammation, but from the first day I noticed sudden relief from hot flash. The garlic decreased it to not more than 5 flashes a day; even in the days I didn't take it (I sometimes stop taking garlic 7 days).
Note: The old Arabians doctors advise to take fresh coriander leaves with garlic to prevent its side effects on the brain and eyes, they said that bad gas from garlic elevates from the stomach to head.
Soy
Posted by Js (Worcester, Ma) on 12/12/2012
Started drinking 1 glass of soymilk a day for my hot flashes I am in my second week and do not get hot flashes anymore this advice was giving to me by my sister please try and stay with it for a couple of weeks to get it in your sytem and you will see it works. JS
Dietary Changes, Cool Showers, Acupuncture
Posted by Lucy (Vic, Australia) on 02/13/2012
Thanks for your lovely encouraging words - and to know we're not alone with these horrible constant hot flashes. I am in about month 3 I think of these hot flashes and I didn't sleep at all last night... I just flashed one after the other with cold periods in between. I feel like I'm withdrawing from drugs! Its a nightmare. I am doing acupuncture too... This will be my 4 session today and it helped alot with my moods and feelings... Not so much yet with the heat. I am taking the cooling herbs but I am still not getting better. I hope one day this ends, because like you, I feel like I am dying!
Dietary Changes, Cool Showers, Acupuncture
Posted by Tina (Houston, Usa) on 02/14/2012
Applying either blue chamomile essential oil, or a combination of peppermint and lavendar essential oils (1:1 ratio) on your front and back solar plexus, navel and heart chakras in the morning and just before bed does wonders to keep hot flashes to a mimimum.
D3
Posted by Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 05/14/2011
Regarding the dangers of Vitamin D3 maybe you would like to read the book The Vitamin D Revolution, or any other on Vitamin D (I reviewed it in the book section). There is a lot of misinformation out there, it pays to be informed!
Exercise
Posted by Mesem (Toulon, France) on 02/26/2011
You might not like this but I have read several times that women who exercise seriously ie sweat, increase pulse and respiration are much less likely to get breast cancer and much less likely to have menopause problems such as hot flashes.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Ginger, Stevia
Posted by Carolyvette (Raymond, New Hampshire) on 12/21/2010
★★★★☆
I have been drinking a homemade ginger-stevia-acv mix and my hot flashes are still present but much lighter and last a minute or two. My night sweats are gone. Have been drinking as many as 4 glasses per day. Trying to drink as much as 8 glasses per day in hopes my hot flashes will go completely away. Ginger adds a wonderful tasting crispness. The mixture is quite pleasant to drink, better than drinking just Apple Cider Vinegar with water and honey. I use raw green stevia. Add 1 gallon of water to a large pot on top of the stove. Take a palm size piece of ginger, peel and grate. Using a hand held blade mixer is best. One you would use to mix individual drinks. Put this grated mixture in one gallon of good water, along with 1 heaping tsp. of green or white stevia. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool and using a funnel and ladle pour back into the gallon container. When cooled, put ice into an 8 oz. glass and fill 1/4 to 1/2 full, add water to top off, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons acv. You can put more or less water or Apple Cider Vinegar depending on your taste. Enjoy and good health. Oh yes and do use _____s ACV. It is available in most stores. Green stevia is bought in health food stores in bulk. :)
Soy
Posted by Dalene (Johannesburg, South Africa) on 09/19/2009
★★★★★
Soy milk powder cured my hot flashes. I also tried everything under the sun, but the soy milk poweder was the only sure thing. If I miss one dose, they're back! I take a tablespoon in the morning, with tea or over cereal, doesn't matter. Take another dose in the evening if necessary, works like a charm!!
Ted's Remedies
Posted by Crystal (Salyersville, Ky, USA) on 09/18/2009
I am also having a problem with sweating. I take ultram and that is one of the side effects but m sweating s crazy! I look like I have taken a shower from the leas little activity. I sweat profusely just sitting in 80 degree weather. I have lupus and fibro with a host of problems. I have recently (about 3 wks) started the borax and baking soda, magnesium 250 at bedtime. I was already taking vitamin d-3 and sublingual b-12. My RX meds include 2-50 mg ultram morning and night and zanaflex at night. I have been doing oil pulling for about 2 wks but not everyday. After I strted the magnesium about a week ago I have been staing dizzy,,if I try to turn my head it feel all swimmy.
If anyone has any suggestions to the sweating or the dizziness please,,please respond. thanks
Pine Bark
Posted by Carol (Rockledge, Florida) on 05/16/2011
★★★★☆
This is an update on the pine bark extract. It started working again and very well, but I noticed every three or four months that it would not work 100 %. The one really great think about pine bark extract is there are no known side effects and it is a strong antioxident. Anyways so every few months I would have about three weeks of mostly no hot flashes, just occasionly would get warm. After about a year I upped my intake to two pills per day. Worked wonderful for a good year at least. I am now going through actual menapause I believe, since I haven't had a period for about five months. Pine Bark still works amazingly well, but here and there I will get a hot flash. Decided to up it to three per day because I don't want to have them at all. I figure my body is going through the severe change right now. So three a day is working well, just having an occasional semi flash! Still swear by this stuff, since no side effects.
Hypnosis
Posted by Emily (Goodyear, AZ) on 02/21/2009
Hypnosis has been shown to help reduce hot flashes by about 65% in one study and is worth a try.
B Vitamins
Posted by Ttsm (Melbourne, Florida) on 08/18/2012
B Complex contains Niacin and Niacin taken in high doses can cause flushing.
No Coffee, No Soda, Only Cold Baths
Posted by Diane (Magnolia Springs, AL) on 12/26/2006
★★★★★
I stopped drinking coffee and soda's especially diet soda's. I also take cool bathes and I have not had a hot flash in months until recently I took a warm almost hot bath and that night I woke up with a hot flash. Next evening I took a cool bath and no more hot flashes.
Turmeric
Posted by Madeline (Sacramento, Ca) on 09/22/2012
★☆☆☆☆
I was taking Turmeric for a very large boil, information from this site that worked incredibly, thank you so much, but I definitely still experienced hot flashes and night sweats the 5 days I was on turmeric. My experience was Nay to turmeric for hot flashes.
Soy
Posted by Leanne (Conroe TX) on 03/21/2006
★★★★★
Hi, Thank you so much for your website, because my whole family is healthier and happier due to the natural remedies that I have found here. I am so very happy that I came across this particular remedy, as you can imagine. It was a bit by accident because I had bought my 16 yr old some protein drinks by Bolthouse Farms because, after reading the ingredients, I was impressed by how natural the product was and it also had added vitamins and minerals. My son is playing sports and growing really fast (6'5") now, so I wanted the best for his body. The drink has soy protein in it, and I had heard that soy was one of the best sources for protein. My husband & I also drink it off and on after working out, and the taste is great (believe me, I don't work for the company even though it may sound like I do!) But one night I decided I would warm a cup of it up and drink it before I went to bed.....so I did, and I have not slept this good in a long time. I have not had one hot flash since that first night of the warm drink, and I am sleeping in a more deep sleep than I have done in years! I then remembered that I had read a few months back that in countries where women do not suffer from hot flashes and other menopause problems, it is because they have a diet high in soy. Then it all made sense to me as to why the before bed soy drink had helped me so much. It did not really help my menopause symptoms till I did the warm drink at night. I don't know if it will help others like it did me, but I am going to keep drinking it! Thank you so much.
Vitamin D
Posted by Jennifer (Napa, Ca) on 05/23/2024
★★★★★
So true! I suffered with insomnia and hot flashes for months until I happened to start taking Vitamin D3 for anxiety. I take 5,000iu per day starting with a loading dose of 30,000 the first day, and within a week NO more hot flashes and sleeping through the night. Absolutely astonished Vitamin D3 could help me sleep this well. ALWAYS take in the morning either with or without food, never take it at night because it's initially very energizing.
Glycine
Posted by Art (California) on 10/28/2022 2891 posts
Garlic
Posted by Lissa (Florida) on 05/10/2021
Oh I'm glad it helped you...Garlic triggered hot flashes for me.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Denise (Us) on 11/27/2018 50 posts
I too believe it's an imbalance. I am still getting hotflashes during the day, and while I'm reading in bed before I fall asleep. I also think I can think myself into a hotflash. But I am taking the advice on the ACV, as well as other supplements I need to get that balance. Before I started on this journey to better health (with EarthClinic guidance) I remember now that I was sweating profusely when I got a hotflash. I'm not anymore, and the hotflashes are way, less intense. So something is working. My food intakes is mostly vegetables, then fish/poultry, then fruits right with my meals. Then I also use them as snacks in between. I drink water mainly, love Ginger Tea (I grate the root and make my own), and add Blackstrap Molasses to that. I also use Coconut Oil every day by scooping a tbsp of it into a glass container with a lid, and setting it in warm water til it melts. Then I just drink it. I am hoping to be rid of the body-temp swings eventually.
B Complex
Posted by Rachel (Vienna, Austria) on 08/07/2018
★☆☆☆☆
Avoid Vitamin B Complex if you have hot flashes
I started taking Vitamin B Complex -- one 500mg pill a day -- about 2 weeks ago and I noticed after a few days my hot flashes had gone from already bad to completely unmanageable with sweat pouring down my face and back. It took me another week to realize it must be the Vitamin B Complex tablet, as it is the only thing that has changed in my diet.
So, I stopped taking it and, within two days, my hot flashes were back to normal. Incredibly annoying, but minus the floods of sweat.
I would caution anyone to avoid Vitamin B Complex if you are trying vitamins for hot flash reduction, as they seem to cause them.
As for natural remedies, nothing works, and I've tried everything -- apple cider vinegar, black cohosh, parsley, various vitamins, cutting out all caffeine and sugar, exercising more, losing weight and on and on. It's now two years, and my hot flashes are worse than they were before I started. I now have an appointment with my doctor and will be going on Premarin. My mother has been taking Premarin for 35 years and has not had one problem with them. I intend to be the same, as these so-called 'natural remedies' are useless to me.
Dietary Changes, Vitamin E
Posted by Clatterbuck (Beltsville, Md) on 11/17/2016
★★★★★
I started having hot flashes and night sweats about a year ago. I did a lot of internet research and the following treatments helped really reduce the frequency and intensity of them:
I gave up coffee, spicy foods, wine, and chocolate (mostly) I started meditating and I take a 400 IU of vitamin E 3 or 4 times a week. Sometimes I will eat some delicious spicy Indian food, but I do it knowing the consequences.
Dong Quai
Posted by Sabita C. (Middletown, Ri) on 12/30/2014
★★★★★
I use 2 capsules of 250 mgs Dong Quai at night and if needed, 1 in the morning. I get noticeable relief with this herb.
Cold Green Tea with Mint
Posted by Cb (Netherlands) on 09/14/2013
★★★★★
When you start drinking (cold) green tea with mint, hot flashes will disappear. It works for me and also for my sister who had them for the past 6 years. We take about 1 liter per day... But you will know when you don't drink enough because they will return (less heavy but noticeable enough to start drinking more tea! ) :-)
