Loading
Cariapowered by CurioGet started

Is it a hot flash?

By Caria CommunityPublished 18 December 20201 min read

I get this feeling of intense warmth come over me from top to toe. I can have 2-4 of these a day. I don’t get the red flushed face, just get this overwhelmed feeling of being hot and it lasts only minutes. I was just wondering if these sweats are normal with perimenopause and if this is a hot flash? What do others’ hot flashes feel like?

– Natalie

Suggest a new topic

Community comments

76

Real experiences shared by the community, from the original discussion to today.

  • Taz5 years ago

    Oh yes. That’s it. Welcome to the club.

  • Sloan5 years ago

    Yup! ?? Mine are mostly in my lower half (especially hot feet), but when I get stressed I feel them head to toe.

  • Ari5 years ago

    Sounds like it. To me it feels like that, and I feel all sweaty for a minute. Black cohosh has helped, though.

    • Sam5 years ago

      Yes black cohosh appears to be working for me too. It took about 3-4 weeks of taking it before it kicked in but now it appears to be really helping. It could be a coincidence but I’ll keep at it and see.

  • Angie5 years ago

    I get a very similar feeling to you. I have often wondered the same thing myself. I come over hot for a few minutes then it’s gone. Not every day but fairly frequently.

  • Kay5 years ago

    Yes feel the same way

  • Jayne5 years ago

    That’s exactly how they feel, I find night sweats the worse as they wake me up. Wear layers & keep calm xx

  • Tonia5 years ago

    Oh my grarous you are one of us now! They can get more intense as you continue to progress through this stage of life.

  • Stacy5 years ago

    Yep that’s a hot flash. I’ve gotten nauseous and woozy when a bad one hits. Fortunately, these aren’t that frequent.

  • Sunny5 years ago

    the hot flashes, is like a fire in side your Body and you wood get really hot, walks are good and cold bath too

  • Tara5 years ago

    I’ve had them for 7 years now. They started out that way, but now they start with a horrible feeling of complete despair and end with sweating profusely. Nothing I’ve tried has worked. I’be now just started Climara. Fingers crossed.

    • Karen5 years ago

      The feeling of complete despair beforehand was unbearable. I have turned to HRT, for me activella works great. First I read the book “ Estrogen matters”, wow, game changer on my fears of the risks! This may not be very helpful, but if you’re on the fence, take a look at the book.

  • Kate5 years ago

    Oh I definitely experience these. I can be sitting and suddenly from under my breasts to my calves they are hot and damp. I don’t escape these night or day!!! Just trying to stay calm with them. I have a hand fan near me at all times. I tend to find somewhere cool and place my feet on cold floor/tiles which eases it for me. Big hugs you are not alone x

    • Safiya5 years ago

      Hi everyone Yes I’ve had hot sweats and that overwhelming feeling of despair that just comes over you during the day I’ve had mine for 6 years now and they are not showing any signs of going away I take evening primrose capsules along with vitamins and iron I am Normally a very confident person but this knocked me for six I try not to dwell on it too much on it and keep busy fresh air and walks really help My family are very supportive so I’m thankful for that Every time I ask my children I have 6 ! Is my face all sweaty they say no mummy it just looks like you’ve got moisturiser in?‍♀️ Stay positive and do what you can don’t worry about small things and look after yourself ❤️

  • Jen5 years ago

    When I first started having hot flashes in March I took Black Cohosh it helped me a lot. I didn’t have many hf, all of a sudden last week they came back and notting is helping ?

  • Carric5 years ago

    Welcome to the Hot Mess Club! Lol Nothing like being a hot mess all day! Your lucky it only happens a few times a day- mine are every hour to every minute of the day. I get sweaty wet and then cold from being so sweaty. It is so annoying!!

    • Kris5 years ago

      Same!! For EIGHT years so far.

    • Tammyreplying to Kris5 years ago

      Kris PLEASE SAY IT AINT SO 8 yrs ??????

    • Juliereplying to Tammy5 years ago

      Omg no! I’m only four months in and I can’t take much more. Hourly it seems and has ruined my sleep! I’ve always slept like a baby and now I wake hourly or more and have no relief really day or night. Is there anything we can take?

    • CINDYreplying to Julie5 years ago

      I feel ur pain i am over a yr in IT SUCKS!!

    • Katereplying to Julie5 years ago

      I know this may sound crazy, but maybe not. For my night hot flashes. First of course I have the bedroom at 67, and fans so I can have a blanket on me. But when a hot flash comes I get my feet out from under the blanket then I go right back to sleep. I also agree exercise in the evening helps a lot.

    • Gillianreplying to Kate4 years ago

      @Kate: Why keep the temperature so high at night? Maybe try turning down the heat? Seems like setting your thermostat lower at night could help. I think it’s generally recommended to turn the heat down at night anyway because the blankets trapping your body heat can keep you warm, and it might mean you wouldn’t have to run the fans to cool off the room to counter the heat being on so high (which would also probably save noticeably on your electric bill and contribute less CO2 to global warming — three birds with one stone ?)! I used to keep fans in the window pointed at the bed at night because of the hot flashes (sometimes up to six or eight a night), but realized at some point that it made it worse when the hot flash ended because the cool air blowing on my perspiration-sodden pj’s would Just make me shiver with the sudden cold, and then I’d pull on socks or a hoodie and an extra blanket, which would eventually make me too warm, leading to another hot flash, and so on. The cycle seemed like it was leading to *more* occurrences! So I moved the fan next to the bed instead so I could just turn it on when I woke in the middle of a hot flash, then turn it off when it was over, and it actually did cut down the number of times I’d wake in a miserable sweat. And psychologically, being able to turn the fan on when I needed it was an instant relief, which gave me a feeling like I had a little bit of control over the situation, and feeling less helpless cut down on my stress — at least at night. Anyway, just a thought.??‍♀️

    • Pazleyreplying to Kris5 years ago

      Oh my! I’ve had hot flashes going on 3 years and it’s horrible. My hot flashes are so weird too. I get warm on the back of my upper arms primarily and maybe my face. But most often I just start horribly sweating without feeling hot, it’s so embarrassing, my face is sweating and gets so red. I started on oral Estradiol last spring because I just couldn’t handle it anymore and that has helped me some but not completely.

    • Brandy4 years ago

      Awww someone who is like me. I’m 39 and have been doing this for 2 straight years now. I have stage 4 Melanoma and my treatments has caused adrenal insufficiency and what they thought was menopause, now isn’t. I go to the endocrinologist in January at MD Anderson Cancer Center and I’m so looking forward to this appointment. I hate it. I can’t even put on makeup anymore cause if I do anything I break in a sweat and it just runs down my face. Forget a bath or shower as soon as I get dried off, here comes the hot flash and it’s a never ending cycle.

  • Jo5 years ago

    Oh my.... yesssssss! I recently started talking a supplement called “MenoSense”. It immediately alleviated the severity of my hot flashes. That and yam root.

  • Sue5 years ago

    Ow yes I was like that during peri menopause, but now three years into the menopause, hot flushes are really bad. Welcome to the club

  • Oregon Natural Doc5 years ago

    Probably

  • Kristine5 years ago

    Thank you for asking this. I’ve been wondering the same thing. I’m in surgical menopause and it’s definitely overwhelming, and I’m not sure what is “normal”.

    • Jett5 years ago

      I had hourly sweats day and night until they put me on hrt

  • Jett5 years ago

    I had these between my operation and HRT. It wasn’t that my body and face got so hot. It wasn’t that my face turned bright red - it was the panic of not knowing when I was going to cool down again. I think it must be different when you are slowly loosing hormones rather than come to a more or less dead stop

  • Beth5 years ago

    I get like feeling like a little firework going off in my heart/chest & then the heat radiates out from there right through my body. I’m forever putting my cardy /jumper off & then back on. My last period was about 6 months ago. It took me a while to realise that these are hot flushes! I get them at least 7-10 times a day & a few times at night. They seem bearable at the moment, I just hope they don’t get any worse.

    • Melissa5 years ago

      Wow! I so relate to your description! I started getting these little hot flashes that start in my chest and seem to radiate out towards my extremities and head. They only last a minute maybe and I’m getting them several times a day. I’ve noticed that I can stop them if I cool off fast enough when I feel it coming (naked starfish or cool water on wrists in polite company.) I’m 44. I was feeling hot at work and kept asking everyone if it was just me and finally a coworker said yes, you are having hot flashes. That’s the first time it occurred to me that it could be that. I thought I was too young!!! I started paying attention more but then they went away for most of last year. But they’re back this last few weeks. My last period was 4-5 months ago. I’m still a bit in disbelief.

    • Elisabethreplying to Melissa5 years ago

      Naked starfish ? I do that too!

    • Ilknur5 years ago

      Same here. Last period is tad over 6 months ago. Just turned 45 and having the exact same feeling of wild fire inside, even in winter. Husband wants to put the fire on but I’m boiling inside so he puts a jumper on instead, while I sit in my bra to cool off.

    • Brigitte5 years ago

      I also get a feeling that starts in my chest and radiates out.

  • Al5 years ago

    I have found some relief by cutting out alcohol and then caffeine in every form. That means no chocolate too ?

    • Jennifer5 years ago

      Nooooooo can dooooo!!! Lol

    • Dianareplying to Jennifer5 years ago

      me neither

  • Billie5 years ago

    So I am 54 and last year I got my first one. Now I get them every few hours. Just intense heat and then sweaty back and arms legs then in a few minutes its gone and Im cold. I havent gotten the doom and gloom yet. I am becoming very irregular in my periods now. Missed my last one. I work out everyday try really hard to keep my weight down and meditate. I think what I eat now is becoming very critical so I try real hard to cut out sugar and no caffeine. That has helped.

  • Sharon topham5 years ago

    Mine are during my nighters sleep it wakes me up I have to keep tissues by my bed to wipe myself down nightmare

  • Clare5 years ago

    Yes, it’s like an internal heat you don’t feel hot to the touch. Mine happen mainly at night just as I go to bed too.

    • Julie5 years ago

      I actually am hot to the touch! My kids say how shocking it is that I’m that warm then I get cold after it fades

  • EmJay5 years ago

    Yes, I have hot flashes on the regular and they are very mild (only hairline gets sweaty so far). The only thing I can compare the heat invading you is when preparing for a CT scan and they inject you with a solution for the contrast to be clear. Not as intense though... for now.

  • I don’t eat nearly what I used to and never weighe5 years ago

    Even though it can be miserable having hot flashes I instantly feel relief knowing that I’m not alone that other six are experiencing the same kind of things I’m going through… Because women weren’t talking when I was younger I had no idea how this would feel and I just want to thank the other women for adding their comments to that we can help each other…

  • I don’t eat nearly what I used to and never weighe5 years ago

    Believe it or not hot tea helps me… I drink peach ginger in the morning and chamomile in the evening… I don’t know if the tea relaxing me helps with a hot flash or if it’s the actual hotness of the tea but it definitely helps… Thank you to all of the others comments… Also I always wear natural fibers like cotton

  • Laurel5 years ago

    My OB told me Evening Primrose Oil capsules, 1000 mg, 1-3x per day, depending, would help, and it really did!

  • Karen5 years ago

    Hi guys I have hot flashes throughout the day and they are horrible and at night they’re worse I need some kind of relief.

  • Tish5 years ago

    So again im only 41 and everyone one says im to young but for the last few years ive started just being hot ALL the time then id say about the last 6 months or so ill get extremely hot from my head all the way down to me feet start sweating panicy and then back to my normal hot temperature..... I hate this and if this is what’s happening its only goin to continue to get worse?!? Oooo some one help me. Im really glad i found this app though its answered every question and thing ive experienced in the past months and im definitely gonna try some of the suggestions ive come across thanks so much for this app

    • Paula5 years ago

      Your not too young chick I became peri menopausal when I was 42 and my GP just pushed it aside with a comment saying “well it is summer” grrrr so not a hot flush then. I struggled for a year then went back to see another GP with my partner and he really listened- made me feel relieved - I’ve just downloaded the app and some of the suggestions so far are great

  • Tina5 years ago

    I also get warm flush feelings just about every evening

  • Loni5 years ago

    This is my first time on this app and I’m so glad to find a community! This can all feel so isolating. About 4 months ago I started feeling very flushed in my face. It lasts a few minutes and subsides. Sometimes it happens multiples times a day and usually in the afternoon or early evening. Mostly it’s just my face but I’ve had episodes of feeling hot suddenly all over. Can anyone else relate to the facial flushing? I thought I was getting fevers given the way it made my face feel, but my temp never spikes to fever level. So many other symptoms too! Sheesh. I’ll be 42 in a few months.

    • Natalia5 years ago

      Yes! Facial flushing is awful, I’m always being asked “are you ok?” because my face is so red when I’m having a hot flush. It makes my cheeks feel like they are burning then as soon as the hot flash comes it’s gone just as quick.

    • Liesl4 years ago

      Definitely can relate! My face gets really red and super warm to the touch as well. I grab whatever is close by to fan myself. i swear my head feels like it’s going to pop.

  • Cheryl5 years ago

    Can a person have hot flashes for 20 years? I started at 40 and I’m 63 and still get them.

  • Natalia5 years ago

    My hot flushes start in my face! I can feel my face starting to go redder and redder! I then have an overwhelming feeling of heat radiate over me. I basically become a stripper in my own home, the quicker I can get my clothes off the quicker the hot flushes stop. Nighttime isn’t too bad but if I do have one I find it so difficult to get back to sleep.

  • Jane5 years ago

    Yes, I feel hot like this too, but along with it comes an unpleasant feeling that’s really hard to describe.... a combination of feeling anxious/ panicked/ flustered, and I can’t seem to stay still. The whole thing only lasts a few minutes but it’s such a relief when it subsides.

    • Brigitte5 years ago

      Jane - I get that too where I can’t seem to stay still. I get fidgety. Also feel an unwell sick feeling but no sweating.

  • Katy5 years ago

    Just downloaded this app as I believe I had my first true hot flash earlier today. I was at work & only had about 30 minutes left to my day. Had an overwhelming feeling like someone had ignited a furnace from my mid section upwards. It lasted approximately 20 minutes & I was shaky afterwards. I had a hysterectomy 2 years ago. They took my uterus, cervix, & right Fallopian tube. Left my ovaries. I’m 52, so I’m assuming this is the start of true menopause for me? Thankfully I have my yearly gyno appointment tomorrow!

    • Brigitte5 years ago

      My understanding is when estrogen drops, hot flashes can happen and adrenaline is released which is what makes you shaky.

  • Kathy5 years ago

    Been having that exact thing for about 10 years now. I wish there was something we could do about it.

  • Chas5 years ago

    I find that reducing alcohol intake really reduces my hot flushes. I generally only have them in the evenings and during the night - which disrupts my sleep a lot.

    • Rachel5 years ago

      Yep nighttime and finding them pretty disruptive. Might try might reducing alcohol.

  • Teresa5 years ago

    I have heard that sage tablets are good for flashes / night sweats any advice. X

    • Deb5 years ago

      Sage tablets work for me! And I also recommend red macca with menopause in general ... x

  • Elizabeth5 years ago

    I am 53 and have been going through peri menopause since 50. I was hoping to skate through perimenopause without hot flashes and was doing really well, other than an occasional night sweat, but in the last month hot flashes has come on like a steam engine... lol... that’s how they feel. They come on sudden and whoosh a wave of heat along w sweating takes over my body from my chest up to my face. Of course wearing this stinking mask doesn’t help. Any ideas on how to remedy them?

  • CiciB5 years ago

    Yup! Hot flash for sure. I find that if I catch it as it begins, I can control the intensity with a simple ice pack on the back of my neck. A long skinny gel one wrapped in a thin dish towel is my relief. I keep it on until I start feeling cold then when I remove it my temperature regulates. I even go to bed with one. Sometimes I get so hot at night that I wake up early AM and the gel pack is warm. LOL I just grab another and I’m back to sleep. I haven’t had a night sweat since I started using the frozen gel pack. You might also want to try different places on your body, the back of the neck might not be your ‘cooling’ spot, it could be across your chest under your breasts. Maybe your feet or back of your knees. It’s worth a try it’s been my relief for the last year.

  • Bleaka5 years ago

    Hi Ladies, the last few weeks I’ve been waking up with my whole body feel like it’s sweating and it wakes me out my sleep and I’ve been getting headaches more. Have any of you went through this as well. Im only 44 but my mom said she was 34 so I guessing I probably am. Embarrassing but until a year ago didn’t even know there was peri menopause.

  • Rach5 years ago

    54 now, the hot sweats are here on a night, keep me awake they seem to come on every time I move or go to the toilet . Now started with them during the day but dripping in sweat and have them every couple of hours. Over the past couple of years probably missed three periods but I have now missed the last two. Not sure what to take to help. Keep looking online , but I’m overwhelmed with advertisements and don’t know what I should get that I won’t be wasting my money on.

  • Edith5 years ago

    I am almost 14 months in and OMG!!!! These hot flashes are the worst !!! Mine come like contractions seems like every 5 minutes. I’m at work and all of a sudden here they come. I be soaking wet from top of my head all the way down. The patients be looking at me like what the hell is wrong with you. LOL And lets not talk about the night sweats. I have to get up in the middle of the night to change my tee shirt, panties and pillow cases. Then after that I am freezing.

  • Barb5 years ago

    I call it God’s cruel joke. (Why do women always have to be the ones to suffer endlessly?) I have had many years of hot flashes and I find that they often feel like a mini panic attack at the same time. Sometimes they just come out of nowhere. I am constantly peeling off layers then putting the layers back on. It’s very difficult to maintain body temp. At night I used to love to cuddle with my husband but now I just heat up like I’m on fire and have to roll over. Triggers for me are: *Caffeine *Alcohol *Sugar sometimes *Sudden change in temperature like drinking something cold or going outside *Anxiety I’m glad I found this app. Maybe some of the breathing exercises will help!!

  • Michigan5 years ago

    I’m struggling with this about 8 to 10 times a night and also during the day. I’m miserable

  • Re5 years ago

    I get hot and terribly sweaty at the smallest emotion, like “oh, did I leave my headphones downstairs? Do I have to quickly run downstairs to get them?” Don’t get me wrong, it is not the running downstairs that makes me sweat but the emotion. It is ridiculously! And it happens countless times a day.

  • Tedra4 years ago

    Yes girls I’m with on the hot flashes.they make me very sick I have to go to bed I have them off and all and all night and when they hit night they’re no sleep

  • Cj4 years ago

    I can laugh now, but, OH MY GOODNESS! I remember the very first time. I was on the tube and out of nowhere, this searing heat sensation came from the top of my head down to the rest of my body! When I say sweat….. Droplets appeared on my face, my back was soaking and trickling down the rest of my body. It was horrendous. That would happen to me at least 10 times a day. It got so bad, I stopped socialising and invested in some extremely good handheld fans (I have at least 5 now). Don’t leave the house without them. Ugh, it’s so hard being a woman! ?

  • jb4 years ago

    Went to my OBGYN today. I'm on HRT but still getting horrible hot flashes. She told me to take Relizen. She said it takes a month so praying it works...

  • Eleni4 years ago

    I get hot flashes at night. I would love to have one good night sleep without waking up and throwing my duvet off me to feel the cool air! Does any natural remedies work? I tried menopace night but it’s not working. Thanks

Join the discussion

Share what worked for you — comments are reviewed before they appear.