HOT FLASHES anyone? #sleeplessandsweatyiniowa

I am a 48 yr woman who officially started the keto protocol on Sunday, looking to shed 10 lbs. and eat cleaner permanently. I have been surgically menopausal for 1.5 yrs now (and am 2yrs post breast cancer) and normally have occasional, mild hot flashes. This has ramped up SIGNIFICANTLY over the last 3-4 days, to the point where I am ripping clothing off, dripping in sweat and last night I swear I had 20 while trying to sleep!  Did not sleep at all! Grrrr.... Anyway, is this just coincidental with the diet, or could it be related to the diet? And if related, WHEN WILL IT GET BETTER?!?!  lol   

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    • Badmojomn
    • badmojomn
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I have surges of warmth I call them. It can play with hormones awhile. Especially at night. Keep the bedroom cooler than normal. 

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    • Badmojomn
    • badmojomn
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I would personally get checked out if it happens to much longer. Could be something totally different than keto. In fact I wouldn't tell me doc I was on keto just that I was eating less carbs if they ask.... 

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    • Joanna
    • Joanna
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Poor you, it certainly brought mine back (i’m 56) but they have settled again & I feel more clear headed than I have for a very long time! Calm too. As badmojomn said, keep cool at night. I am now in wk 7 so looking back they’d settled by 4 weeks. 🌷

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    • sjglascock
    • 48yo mom, former physician assistant, 2 yrs out from breast cancer
    • sjglascock
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Joanna oh dear! Four weeks? I barely made it though a football game tonight! 😂

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    • Joanna
    • Joanna
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    sjglascock that’s just me.... hope yours are gone very soon 👍🏻

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    • Badmojomn
    • badmojomn
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Healthfulpersuite is just going to post a podcast on how Keto messes with hormones at first and they may get worse before they get better. This could be why the hot flashes, but not sure. I'll be listening to that podcast. 

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    • Badmojomn
    • badmojomn
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view
    • sjglascock
    • 48yo mom, former physician assistant, 2 yrs out from breast cancer
    • sjglascock
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    badmojomn Will check that out. Thanks! It seems like they are letting up a bit. Had only 8 really bad ones yesterday. But today only about 3 so far. Yay!

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    • Badmojomn
    • badmojomn
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    sjglascock Without to much Tmi, I haven't had a cycle in 6 years due to ablation, and let's just say I had to visit the nearest feminine products recently 😡  But after reading and listening to podcasts, this happens. 

    Like 1
  • Joanna 

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  • hot flashes will happen on whatever eating plan you do, it's part of the curse. :P I was already having hot flashes before starting keto. After a few weeks in as I started dropping weight, fat holds estrogen, they almost disappeared. Due to the estrogen release. BUT, that only happened while dropping that initial weight. Once everything settled in they did come back but much less intense then before I started keto. I still have warm flushes but not the sweating, up at night wave of anxiety like before starting keto. So it does help but not going to stop menopause altogether. unfortunately. 

    Like 1
  • carolmotsinger I am 71, haven't had a hot flash for 20 yrs, it seems wrong to have so many now

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    • Candisf
    • Candisf
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I have been experiencing this (been on the keto diet for less than a week, although I have been eating low carb for weeks).  I am 56 and haven't had any menopause related hot flashes regularly in a long time.  I feel like I have a furnace inside of me.  I figured it was the diet & came on here to see if anyone is having the same symptoms.  I am wondering if anyone has tied it to anything in particular, thinking it might be coffee.

    Like 2
  • Candisf 

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    • Joanna
    • Joanna
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Candisf hi sorry to hear you’re suffering too. I have 2-3 coffees before 1pm & focus on getting my water, the ‘power surges’ stopped at 4 wks and haven’t come back, so no I didn’t do anything about them.

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    • sjglascock
    • 48yo mom, former physician assistant, 2 yrs out from breast cancer
    • sjglascock
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Candisf  So sorry you are a victim of this as well. Mine have become variable now. Some days a lot, and some days few. But when they hit they are big time! The worst is when they hit all night long and I get such little sleep.  Now with it becoming colder here I dress in many layers, so I have to lots to take off when they hit! It's like a sad strip show!  lol

    Like 3
  • Joanna 

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  • deloresawarren 

    today fuctional medicine dr treated my hot flashes, I have a staph infection.  I am taking thymus support herbs.  I’ll See how it goes with the hot flashes

    Like 1
    • Joanna
    • Joanna
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    sjglascock 😂🤣😂🤣 so sorry ~ that that strip takes me back to a couple of years ago! I used to jump up strip down and stand outside our front door ( where I kept a sweeping brush to sweep any leaves & stop me getting bored....) then come in and get redressed and have to huddle under a blanket because then you’re freezing. .... oh joy. Hug 🤗 

    Like 2
  • Joanna  LOL! yes! I get up grab my housecoat  because I'm cold and let the dogs out, by the time they want back in I've dropped it and go topless to the door to let them back in. lol. It's still dark out so hopefully I'm not flashing the neighbors.  

    Like 2
    • Badmojomn
    • badmojomn
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I am experiencing flushing at times in my feet 5-6 months in! Sometimes my feet feel like I'm in a hot bath. Also finding I'm wide awake at odd hours in the night or at least feeling like sometimes 5-6 hrs of sleep is enough. I decided to take a friends advise and purchase tryptophan to help me stay sleeping through midnight. It appears to be helping. I'm up at 3 am but went to bed at 8 pm.  I don't want to get into "sleeping pills". I haven't done my research much on tryptophan, but I saw great reviews. It's the strangest phenomenon I have been experiencing though. And the flare up hot flush in my feet. I was listening to lavida low carb keto podcast and one of the narrators is a doctor - he stated some will find they can manage on 5-6. I beg to differ the " can manage " as I feel a great need for a nap around lunch time or earlier, but I appear surprisingly wide awake at times after 5ish hours of sleep. Sensitivity to cold at times and flushing of the upper half of my body is starting back up. Must be hormonal or thyroid. 😕

    Like 1
    • jhilliscpa
    • CPA, Cancer survivor, Disabled withsevere chronic pain, autonomic nerve disorder, Nash
    • jhilliscpa
    • 6 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I use a cold gel pack behind my neck at night or at times I feel too warm.  It helps stabilize my temp flux

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  • Candisf  I am 55  & I havent had a hot flush or flash in about a year..Ive been on the keto diet for 4 days.. last night I slept with the fan on..& today ive been experiencing them off & on..I am happy to see its not just me, but it is disturbing enough that I took to the internet to search....oh & it cant be the coffee, bcuz I havent drank coffee in about a year either...Very Curious Now..but obviously the metabolic change from carb burning to fat burning Has Something to do with this & I wonder if any Men are having a similiar experience

    Like 1
  • I read that estrogen is stored in fat so as we start to break down the fat and burn it as fuel the estrogen is released. This causes different reactions depending on whether you still produce it or not. For me it stopped the hot flashes, some people restart their periods. Then as the  stored estrogen is used up you will balance out again. But hopefully, being on a better way of eating your balance will be better than before. Like I started having hot flashes again but way less severe, all my menopause symptoms were less than before starting. 

    Like 2
  • carolmotsinger ..Thanks that makes sense..I also found today that sum men experience the hot flashes as well 😄

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