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[Sadie49]

Greetings folks! Hope everyone is moving forwards with their invisible "friend"? After 20 years I am still having 10+ hot flushes per day and approx. half that at night incl. the dreaded night sweats. I have cut my alcohol consumption down to 1-2 low vol. per week and don't smoke. Weight is acceptable. Stress isn't which maybe one contributing factor and due to painful joints etc. I don't get much outdoor exercise.

My new GP (bless her!) has prescribed Clonidine for me to try. I've looked up the pro's and cons online and now unsure that this med. is for me. Too many possible side effects!

Has any member been prescribed this to help with hot flushes and if so did it help? If not why not? Thanks!

Sadie x

[Hurdity]

Hi Sadie

Your post got missed. Is there any reason why you are not thinking of trying HRT? Clonidine may work for flushes but it is not the first line of treatement for menopausal symptoms for women who have no medical reason not to try HRT. Can you remind us of where you are in menopause and your age, whether you have tried HRT etc?

Hurdity x

[Sadie49]

Greetings and thank you for your response. 46 viewed my post so it didn't get missed. I am 70 now and began the MP around 50. Flooding pre-empted the irregular bleeding. My then GP said HRT was not a good option with my Mum's sister and my younger brother both passing away to Cancer aged 48 and 32 respectively.

I tried all things Soya to begin with, but found it too expensive without any improvement. So I've gone it alone so to speak. Nightmare 18 years!

My new female GP said the Clonidine would help with flushes but I'm not taking it...too many contraindications.

I am wondering if a Serotonin type med would help as there does seem to be a link with low Serotonin and the MP. Any comments welcome. x

[Taz2]

Hi Sadie. I have two close friends in their late sixties who were still having flushes five years ago. They had never used HRT thinking the flushes would end but after 10 years both of them were fed up. They were both prescribed clonodine (Dixarit) by their separate doctors and it has transformed them. No side effects and no flushes!

Taz x

[Sadie49]

Taz, thank you for the response. Did your friends have BP issues do you know? I take 3 meds. for high BP and although the Clonidine was first given for BP apparently is has had good reports for MP although as I said, once you begin taking it you have to be monitored that it doesn't cause your BP to drop. Other issues caused me worry too!

[Taz2]

One was receiving treatment for high BP and the other one didn't have any BP issues.

Taz x

[Sadie49]

Hi again. I don't suppose these friends of yours are available here for private chat are they? I am willing to try the Clonidine but worried about possible side effects and the fact that once you start them you are warned not to leave them off without help.

Best wishes
Sadie x

[Taz2]

No, sorry, they're not on here. The starting dose is small though and they were told that if no improvement after four weeks then they could just stop without any problems. Most drugs do come with a list of possible side effects but if the flushes are affecting your quality of life then maybe you could just give the clonodine a try? Gabapentin or low dose anti depressants are also used for hot flushes. Not sure about serotonin.

Taz x 

[CherrySG]

Seconding Taz's reference to antidepressants. They are often prescribed for hot flushes for women who cannot take hrt.

I sailed through menopause on citalopram until I came off for a year, after which I had symptoms which could only be fixed with hrt, and going back on citalopram was too late to sort it!

The problem with ssris is that they can be hell to get off later, if you wish to do so. They have lots of hormonal impacts e.g. initial spotting but GP'S never seem to mention this, weirdly. But they stopped my menopausal symptoms for years!

[Sadie49]

Thanks guys! I think this dreaded curse will be with me till the end! If only our local surgeries had MP clinics it would be so much more helpful. As it is, most surgeries have Dr. less than half my age and normally look stuff up in medical journals to find out possible helps!

There was an interview done in 2016/17 on TV with a woman who had been having MP symptoms for 10 years and she was in her 60's. She told the presenter she could have as many as 10 flushes a day accompanied by panic attacks on a bad day! I thought try doubling that, losing your confidence to go out of the house totally, develop "issues" down below, mood swings, depression, poor skin quality, binge eating/drinking or none and on and on....

Us girls have so much to deal with then there are the husbands and families who just shake their heads and nod..."here she goes again...!!" lol! 

At least we are all mad together!

Sadie xx