{"id":1134,"date":"2019-05-18T09:03:43","date_gmt":"2019-05-18T13:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.driventosurvive.org\/?page_id=1134"},"modified":"2019-05-18T09:05:33","modified_gmt":"2019-05-18T13:05:33","slug":"relief-for-hot-flashes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.driventosurvive.org\/index.php\/shelleys-shortcuts\/relief-for-hot-flashes\/","title":{"rendered":"Relief for Hot Flashes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Hot flashes!\u00a0 Or as I like to think of them, a little piece of hell on earth.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure why they are so prevalent during and after breast cancer.\u00a0 It is as though every treatment and pill should have the caution, \u201cwill definitely result in menopause\u201d.\u00a0 I know I didn\u2019t expect to rocket into that condition after pretty much my first chemo infusion, at the tender age of 45.\u00a0 And I didn\u2019t expect it to be permanent.\u00a0 But there I was, bald, nauseous, cranky, and sweating like Niagara Falls had sprouted out of my head.\u00a0 I truly didn\u2019t understand what was happening to me.\u00a0 And I didn\u2019t know how to attack or treat it.\u00a0 But through methods of trial and error, I am finally coming to a happy co-existence with the mother of all side effects.\u00a0 Here are a few things that have worked for me:<\/p>\n

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Ice packs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Lots and lots of ice packs.\u00a0 You can buy ice packs you fill yourself, and fancy ones that contain a gel that you can freeze again and again.\u00a0 You can shop for them at Walmart, your local pharmacy, or on Amazon.\u00a0 Really you can\u2019t go wrong, just look around and see what works for you.<\/p>\n

Now, me, I\u2019m all about the nontraditional. \u00a0Also, I never have fancy gadgets around when I need them.\u00a0 So here a few other ideas:<\/p>\n

Ziplock-type bags make an amazing on-the-go ice pack.\u00a0 Just fill and go.\u00a0 I have bummed ice from restaurants, from hotel ice-makers, and friends\u2019 freezers.\u00a0 Plus you can also find bags, even when far from home.\u00a0 I now keep a few in my suitcase so that I always have them handy.<\/p>\n

If you have ever mail-ordered meat or other frozen foods, you have seen the cheap ice packs that they include in the box to keep your purchase at a cold temperature.\u00a0 Why are you throwing them away?\u00a0 Pop those babies in the freezer, and you will always have instant relief at your fingertips FOR FREE.I will warn you, these puppies freeze up hard as a rock, so when first take one out, don\u2019t just go slamming it into your forehead.\u00a0 But lay it against your neck or where ever the heat is the worst and let it cool you off.\u00a0 I also recommend that you put it in a Ziplock-type bag.\u00a0 Because, you know, it\u2019s free, so who knows if it will leak?\u00a0 I have used these over and over without a problem, but I always err on the side of having a dry pillow.<\/p>\n

Shelley\u2019s hack:\u00a0 Ice-packs of any kind are really uncomfortable against your skin, so wrap it in a towel.\u00a0 I find that thin dishtowels work the best.<\/p>\n

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Fans<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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This may seem obvious.\u00a0 But fans are your new best friend.\u00a0 Have them everywhere.\u00a0 I have one on my desk at work, and I sleep with two fans and a ceiling fan every night.\u00a0 The air just has to keep moving for me.But by far my favorite fan is my portable fan.\u00a0 This baby is a workhorse.\u00a0 It has three speeds, which rival any normal fan, and has a rechargeable battery.\u00a0 So no carrying around extra AA batteries.\u00a0 It can also run from a usb cable plugged into a computer or phone charger.\u00a0 And, bonus!\u00a0 The battery can be used in a pinch to charge a phone or other mobile device.\u00a0 Where has this fan been all my life????<\/p>\n

Disclaimer:\u00a0 Seriously, I don\u2019t sell these or have any vested interest.\u00a0 I just love this product.<\/p>\n

Here is a link to where you can order.\u00a0 There are other brands and versions available that you might find of interest, so just do a search.\u00a0 This product is just the one that has worked well for me.<\/p>\n

Opolar personal fan on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

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Cooling towels<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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If you have ever visited Disney World or another theme park, you have seen these towels.\u00a0 Really, it is a microfiber scarf.\u00a0 Cooling towels are amazing.\u00a0 You wet one down, tie it around your neck, and it\u2019s like a breath of cold air to your body, no wonder what the outside temperature is.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t even matter how cold the water is that you use.\u00a0 I have used warm water from a water bottle in a pinch.\u00a0 It still cools the inferno that is your body.\u00a0 Indoors, outdoors, anywhere you are flashing.\u00a0 These towels are the best.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t even remember what brand mine is anymore, but here is one to give you an idea of what they are like.\u00a0 They are sold at most retailers, and from numerous more on-line marketplaces, just put Google to the search!<\/p>\n

Cooling towels<\/a><\/p>\n

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Discuss options with your doctor<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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There are certain antidepressants and supplements that might be a good fit for you.\u00a0 I\u2019m not discussing them here because I am not a doctor and I don\u2019t give that advice.\u00a0\u00a0 But discuss your symptoms with your oncologist or family doctor and see if there is a medicinal solution that would work for you.<\/p>\n

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Find your triggers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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The best advice I can give you is to find your triggers.\u00a0 At first, my symptoms seemed random.\u00a0 Which is as frustrating as you might imagine since it makes it impossible to prepare for.\u00a0 But over the last few years, I have recognized certain triggers that seem to spark my hot flashes.<\/p>\n

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Heat.\u00a0 Apparently hot breeds hot.\u00a0 When the weather is hot and I am outside for an extended period, my hot flashes go crazy.\u00a0 I live in Florida, so this is not something that I can just avoid.\u00a0 But I do my best to minimize the effects.\u00a0 I try to space out my time in the heat with time indoors to let my body cool off.\u00a0 I carry my personal fan with me to start a breeze going as soon as possible.\u00a0 I have been known to wet a paper napkin with ice water and dab my face and neck to counter the flare.\u00a0 I wear a hat and sunglasses to keep my face shielded, and I look for shade everywhere.\u00a0 I have learned that it is better to take a time-out and cool off, than to keep suffering and stressing out my body.<\/p>\n

Stress\/anxiety \u2013 Speaking of stress.\u00a0 When I am under pressure and I start letting it take control of me, my hot flashes shoot up in response.\u00a0 Sometimes my hot flashes trigger my anxiety, and sometimes my anxiety triggers my hot flashes.\u00a0 It\u2019s like a fun party game, you never know exactly what you are going to get.\u00a0 Unfortunately, we undergo stress in life, but I am learning that avoiding unnecessary stress helps keep those pesky hot flashes under control.\u00a0 Things like being organized, having to do lists and reminders to keep me on task, and making time for mindfulness and meditation keeps me calmer, dare I say zen, in a world of chaos.But when the stress breaks through, I am learning to step back, recognize it for what it is, know the effect it is going to have on my body, and consciously make the decision to step away from the stress and just work the problem as calmly and rationally as I can.\u00a0 I find drinking a cold bottle of water helps, as does just walking and stretching.\u00a0 If necessary, I meditate for a few minutes.\u00a0 This is not my natural state, and so it is still a work in progress. But I have had success with this technique.\u00a0 I honestly wish I had learned this long before having cancer, that I don\u2019t have to let stress rule me.<\/p>\n

Overactivity \u2013 I often have hot flashes just before going out anywhere.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s a combination of running around, going in and out of a hot shower, using a blow dryer or hot curling iron, and just the mental activity of preparing for whatever the day holds.\u00a0 I have learned to leave myself a few minutes to sit or lie down in front of the fan.\u00a0 When I get in the car, I blast the A\/C on myself until my body calms down.\u00a0 If necessary, I put on soothing music.\u00a0 Eventually, I get calm and my body cools off.<\/p>\n

Excitement \u2013 Apparently stress and excitement have similar effects on my body.\u00a0 When I get excited, I immediately start to have hot flashes.\u00a0 Like, great, now even good things have bad consequences.\u00a0 But I\u2019m not going to let it get to me.\u00a0 Depending on the circumstances, I can pull back a little, have a cold drink, maybe have a little fan and the hot flashes will run their course.\u00a0 But honestly, in this case, I will often just let them run wild because I have had way too many tears in my life, and if a hot flash is my punishment for being happy?\u00a0 Well, come to mama.The thing to remember about hot flashes is that they are going to happen.\u00a0 The way to cope is to find solutions that work for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Hot flashes!\u00a0 Or as I like to think of them, a little piece of hell on earth.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure why they are so prevalent during and after breast cancer.\u00a0 It is as though every treatment and pill should have the caution, \u201cwill definitely result in menopause\u201d.\u00a0 I know\u2026 Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":916,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.driventosurvive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1134"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.driventosurvive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.driventosurvive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.driventosurvive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.driventosurvive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1134"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.driventosurvive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1204,"href":"https:\/\/www.driventosurvive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1134\/revisions\/1204"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.driventosurvive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.driventosurvive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}