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Combating hot flashes

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Posted 7/12/2022 8:33 AM (GMT 0)
Starting my 8th month on ADT. My wife is starting her second year on ADT. We rarely have hot flashes any more. Here is what we have learned.
Keep a cool or cold cloth for rubbing on face, neck and arms when working out.
Take a cool shower as tolerable.
Keep the house as cool as affordable.
Most important, have an iced water drink nearby all day, even in the car to keep hydrated. Helps to keep internal temperature lower.
We have also noticed that real spicy foods can start a hot flash sometimes.
My hot flashes weren’t really a big thing and went away pretty fast. However, I didn’t like sweating in bed or right after a warm shower.
If anyone has more suggestions, please expand to the list. This has probably been talked about before, but it could help anyone just starting ADT. My best to all.
Jack
Posted 7/13/2022 5:11 AM (GMT 0)
I keep a little portable fan by me. I have a larger 6 speed on on my desk and a 3 speed that I take on the go. They are both rechargeable by USB cable to a computer or wall adapter.
Posted 7/13/2022 4:28 PM (GMT 0)
Been on continuous ADT since diagnosis in 2013 ...

Easy, breezy tips that I have learned that help me ~

* Ceiling fan or box fan in the living room and bedroom.

* Ice water or iced tea ~ no sugar ~ NO calories! (I make old-fashioned "sun tea" in the summertime, in large glass jars! You can throw in frozen slices of lime or lemon into your ice water or frozen slices of fresh lemon into your iced tea, for Vitamin C & a spritz of extra flavor!)

* I have a new, insulated "on the go" insulated "travel" water container that keeps water or iced tea cold all day!

* Cotton boxers or briefs & cotton t-shirts and cotton shorts for summer.

* There's great spray body powder for fellows, these days, to keep you cool and comfortable while exercising, doing yardwork, biking, walking, etc. (GOLD BOND spray powder for men is a favorite of mine, but there are other brands).

* For social occasions ~wear a sporty athletic t-shirt with cotton khacki dress slacks and cotton boxers or briefs ~ with a comfortable Hawaiian shirt, "bowling" style shirt, or long-sleeved Oxford shirt with sleeves rolled up & mostly unbuttoned over the t-shirt. Comfortable & classy!

* Ice water on your nightstand at bedtime. Turn on that ceiling fan or room fan!

* Small fan in your office or at your desk or work station.

* I often take an extra shower before bedtime, especially in the summer.

* Night sweats are common! Cool cotton sheets!

*To protect your pillows, I put two or even 3 pillowcases on my bed pillows. Launder often! Works like a charm! Easy breezy idea!

Thanks for creating this post, Jack64!

Hopefully, one or two of my strategies will help others!

C-Y-C-L-O-N-E ~ # Iowa State University
Posted 7/13/2022 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
One or two Strategies? Cmon man, you could write a book on how to combat hot flashes. LOL. As always thanks a bunch and best wishes.
Jack
Posted 7/14/2022 6:02 PM (GMT 0)
Hot flashes in our house are worse at night. We bought a "Chili-pad" and it's helped with night sweats tremendously. It's like a mattress pad, but runs chilled water through tiny tubes imbedded in the pad. You can set the temp to whatever is comfortable for you (from 59 to 80 degrees). It was a little pricey but well worth it. We've had it for about 4 years. To us, it's been worth every penny.

Donna.
Posted 7/14/2022 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
I was on ADT for two years around the time of ART and my testosterone never recovered afterwards. My T level has been around 50 for several years now. Daily venlafaxine has cut the hot flashes about in half, and helped tremendously with emotions. My wife never had menopausal hot flashes so she thought it was "funny" when I would rip my shirt off and start fanning myself with it. They hit me pretty hard the first few months, especially as we live in Tampa and it is typically hot and humid here pretty much year round.

I have fans strategically placed around the house, in the doorways to bedroom, bathroom and kitchen and one in front of the sofa where I usually sit, as well as at my dining room seat. I bought an electric remote that controls three outlets so I don't have to get up to turn the fans on and off. Also bought several folding oriental style hand fans that I have stashed here and there and sometimes take with me. I found the battery operated fans don't do much for me.

I shower daily and feel okay afterwards for about twenty minutes or so, then get hit by a major hot flash, then I lay spread out on the bed under the ceiling fan, and still require to blot myself with my still damp bath towel a few times before body temp returns to normal. I run dehumidifiers instead of lowering the thermostat for the A/C as it saves a bit on electricity. The warm air discharge from the dehum's causes the A/C to kick in anyway. I have a large (and loud!) one that dries out the air in about ten minutes, and a small one that I let run all night.

My hot flashes generally only last a minute or two. If I can toss off the sheets or fan myself for a minute it usually passes. If I have to let it build (social situations and such) it is far more annoying. I will sometimes excuse myself to the bathroom where I pull off my shirt and blot myself. I've tried some hormone substitutes that didn't really do much for me. It appears I'll be like this for the rest of my life.
Posted 7/14/2022 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
My menopausal aunt recommended Black Cohosh. I’m not any kind of an “herbalist” but no more HFs.

YMMV
Posted 7/15/2022 5:28 AM (GMT 0)
Estrogen patches help a lot.
Posted 7/18/2022 12:18 AM (GMT 0)

Duck2 said...
Estrogen patches help a lot.


I agree. Dr. Charles "Snuffy" Myers prescribed them for his patients on long-term ADT. Fairly low dose, 0.025 - 0.050 mg/day transdermal skin patches, changed twice weekly, seem enough to manage most side effects. (Yes, some gyno is likely, though it can be mitigated if it's a real problem. It isn't for me, I'm ok with it. Especially in light of the positive effects for me!)

Here's his video talking about this: Transdermal Estrogen + ADT For ProstateCancer

I've been on them for almost 3 years now, at a somewhat higher dose. This is primarily to protect bone density (I quickly became osteopenic on 1st ADT course), secondarily to manage the other side effects of no testosterone, and overall to just feel good.

This idea seems unthinkable for so many. I wish I could help people understand my positive experience with it.
Posted 7/19/2022 3:27 PM (GMT 0)

Redwing57 said...
Here's his video talking about this: Transdermal Estrogen + ADT For ProstateCancer
I wish I could help people understand my positive experience with it.

Thanks for the link! I'll try to get my Uro interested. My GP is dead set against any hormone supplementation.
Posted 7/23/2022 12:49 AM (GMT 0)
RobLee, that is so very common. Doctors are peculiarly uninterested in hormonal manipulation to treat a hormonally-dependent disease and its associated side effects. I really don't get it, and find it so terribly frustrating. I've been posting more openly about it in my case, speaking more openly, hoping to raise awareness of the options. Perhaps it can help some.

What is so concerning is people struggling so much with ADT side effects they want to stop, even when their situation would likely benefit from continuous ADT. They desperately want to stop it due to the annoying side effects, when there are simple ways to effectively mitigate them.
Posted 7/23/2022 3:28 AM (GMT 0)
A plus regarding the explosion of transgender medicine is that more practitioners are adept with the hormone medications. Don’t hesitate to seek one to get a different perspective that may provide a better situation.
Posted 7/25/2022 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
Some find relief with Megestral (megace). This is a hormone, similar to progesterone, used by breast cancer women and others to increase appetite. I used it for a few weeks and it did suppress the hot flashes, but I had a voracious appetite and some quick weight gain, so I stopped.

My best methods were to keep active, drink lots of water and green tea, and eliminate most alcohol. These all helped greatly.
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