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[Sage 🍃]

'Thurston reported relationships with Astellas, Bayer, and Hello Therapeutics.' Just saying...

[Wrensong]

Hi Sage

Faye said she had endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN)

Sorry if I have missed something but I can't see mention of that on this thread.  Do you mean on another thread?

[Sage 🍃]

Hi Sage

Faye said she had endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN)

Sorry if I have missed something but I can't see mention of that on this thread.  Do you mean on another thread?

Yes, her introduction post on the New Members board. Just click on her name > Show posts and scroll down to her first post.

I don't know how to quote a post from another thread 

[FayeZ]

Yes, in 2018 I was diagnosed with endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN) and had a total hysterectomy to remove "precancerous cells". After the op I was told that a "final pathological report has come back from the laboratory following your operation. This has confirmed that there is no evidence of any cancer" which was a huge relief.

After the op the hot flushes and night sweats came back and I thought I would try non-hormonal options, most recently I've been taking A Vogel Menopause Support. My GP referred me for some online cognitive behaviour therapy earlier this year. The material on worrying and anxiety was useful (I just have to remember to use it!). When I'm worrying about something it definitely makes night sweats worse (surge of adrenaline?).

I've read Managing Hot Flushes and Night Sweats: A Cognitive Behavioural Self-help Guide to the Menopause by Myra Hunter up until the point where I should do some practical exercises. Has anyone found these helpful?

I think my memory is getting worse but this could just be due to not getting enough sleep.

I think Rebecca Thurston is a genuine women's health academic  https://www.sph.pitt.edu/directory/rebecca-thurston

[Jules]

Coincidentally I was reading some australian research about Alzheimers and  dementia and downloaded their app to check brain health, BrainTrack. I'm doing ok, which is reassuring as i do worry when i have to go through the alphabet to recall names and i have night sweats. It doesn't tell you what you got wrong though. If nothing else, it's more interesting than a crossword.

[Sage 🍃]

Hi Faye, I don't doubt she is a genuine women's health academic. It's just that the pharmaceutical companies sponsor research that is interesting for profit.

If the cells were not precancerous, why can't you have HRT? Or is it because you don't want to?

I haven't read the book but I think it's an interesting approach to menopause symptoms. Let us know if you find the exercises helpful 

[Beaker]

I havne't read the links yet: who funded the research and is it Peer reviewed?

If you go to the first link it says at the bottom who funded the research and the journal it appeared in which looks repiutable and I imagine, as such, was peer reviewed. You're right to question any of these headlines which can sometimes be sensational or misrepresent the message!

FayeZ it was a longtudinal study which looked at women over a period of time and cannot demonstrate any causal relationships.  I really would not worry but concentrate on doing what you can to keep your brain as active as possible.

I don't know where you are in menopause but if you have been troubled with night swaets for years then HRT will eliminate them in most women - if you are able and willing to take it.

However a more in depth study would be needed to determine whether it is the actual night sweats themselves, or the potential to have them (even if they are eliminated by HRT), that gives the association. For example I had terrible night sweats and hot flushes before starting HRT at age 54 (now aged 70), but I haven't experienced them for years as I still take HRT.

As Deidre says -

I would imagine loss of estrogen is probably the main cause of a lot of age related conditions in women.

Hurdity x

The voice of reason as ever, thank you Hurdity.  I'm a bit sick of the negative stuff in the media about menopause. I wish they would stop - are they trying to get us down??  I am going to have a break from reading online or listening to or watching the news.

[Wrensong]

FayeZ, thank you for the clarification.  I understand why you've been pursuing alternatives to HRT.  Yes, night sweats are definitely worse during periods of increased stress. The Myra Hunter book looks interesting; would you recommend it?
Wx

[joziel]

It could be simply that night sweats cause poor sleep. And poor sleep is a risk factor for Alzheimers. (Sleep being when the brain cleans itself out, to put things simply.)

[Jules]

It could be simply that night sweats cause poor sleep. And poor sleep is a risk factor for Alzheimers. (Sleep being when the brain cleans itself out, to put things simply.)

I think that's a more logical explanation

[Sage 🍃]

Hmmm, I think they have ruled it out judging by this '"In addition, the association between hot flashes and this Alzheimer's disease biomarker was not explained by sleep or estrogen (...)'

[Hurdity]

Hi FayeZ

By all means explore non-hormonal options but as you've had your womb removed you are no longer at risk from endometrial cancer. The contra-indications to HRT are here:

    "Pregnancy
    Undiagnosed abnormal vaginal bleeding
    Active or recent blood clot or myocardial infarction (heart attack)
    Suspected or active breast or endometrial (womb) cancer
    Active liver disease with abnormal liver function tests
    Porphyria cutanea tarda"

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/contraindications.php

So if you do not have success with other options then do reconsider - there is no need to suffer and have all the worry that goes with it. There are risks of course with everything but quality of life is a very important consideration!

All the best
Hurdity x

[FayeZ]

After my operation in 2018 I thought that maybe the HRT had just postponed my body adjusting to a lower level of oestrogen so I didn't want to start HRT again. I hoped that non-hormonal methods might tide me over until my body adjusted but this hasn't happened (I'd also hoped that things would improve naturally between 2011 and 2014 when I was finally prescribed HRT patches so I should have known better.)

I'm taking the A Vogel soya supplement which I thought was working last autumn, but it was probably just the weather getting colder. Now trying a new alternative, cognitive behavioural therapy. I've read the first few chapters of 'Managing Hot Flushes and Night Sweats: A Cognitive Behavioural Self-help Guide to the Menopause' but not got onto the four-week self-help guide yet. It appears to be about getting women to have a less negative attitude towards the menopause and feel more in control. I have found that slowing down my breathing does make the night sweats less intense.
https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/02-WHC-FACTSHEET-CBT-WOMEN-FEB-2023-A.pdf

[Taz2]

Hi FayeZ. Is there any reason why you can't resume HRT? Hot flushes and sweats can be really debilitating and you've been putting up with them for a few years now it seems.

Taz x.

[FayeZ]

I could probably consider HRT again as my operation was successful and no further treatment was needed. As well as hoping that I was getting to the end of the hot flushes/night sweats naturally I'd also been worried that because I'm now over 60 it would increase possible risks from HRT. 

NHS website says: "If you're under 60 years old, have menopause symptoms, and are not at high risk of breast cancer or blood clots, the benefits of HRT are likely to outweigh the risks."
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/benefits-and-risks-of-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/

I have varicose veins and a GP in 2014 was reluctant to prescribe HRT because of increased risk of blood clots. However she wrote to the Menopause Clinic and they must have said it was ok as I did get the patches eventually.