[karilann]

I'm pretty sure we have discussed this before, but.....
I am 54 and pretty sure my menopause has begun (sigh) with feelings of being really hot...scanty periods etc...

But I've noticed my M.S. symptoms seem to get worse when I have a rough time with the menopause symptoms. I used to get night sweats and they are not so much a problem for me right now as the hot flashes. I'm concerned as to whether I should talk to my doc about some menopause help to alleviate the worsening of the M.S. symptoms.

Any advise?

[SallyC]

Some Docs say that taking estrogen during menopause is good for your MS? I went thru menopause in early 40s and was ok with the MS during that period.

Get one of those little battery fans. DH got one for me..LOL.

[Blessings2You]

I have no idea when I had menopause--I assume I did, but I had a partial hysterectomy at 44, and was diagnosed with MS at 55. I never had night sweats or hot flashes, but I've had what I called "warm spells". I still do, and I'm 62. Menopause? MS? Who knows?

My thermostat doesn't work. I'll half wake up in the night and peel off all the blankets, then get cold and put them back on. I can be shivering when it's 72 in the house or fanning myself to cool off when it's 65. And it can turn on a dime.

It makes sense that menopausal issues would mess with MS symptoms, as everything else does--stress, illness, etc.

[Mariel]

I too had no typical menopause symptoms (no night sweats or hot flashes). Doctors wanted to treat me for Menopause when I had symptoms which are due to MS and/or Porphyria, so I tried progesterone cream, and had bad reactions each time. But a person who does not have Porphyria might do well with a progesterone cream from "wild yams."
There are several brands on the market at health food stores. I would not try this unless I my symptoms were severe, because I don't take drugs until I MUST. So many unexpected side effects.

[Sparky10]

My hot flashes were eliminated almost overnight by drinking soy milk. Hope I'm explaining this properly, but this is what I understand:

Soy contains isoflavins (isoflavinoids?) that mimic estrogen, which is what your body is missing during menopause.

I had no idea how much to take so I decided to start out drinking 3 small glasses a day. The 1st day I experienced the usual hot flashes. The 2nd day I noticed a lessening. After a few more days they stopped entirely. Slowly I drank less and less soy milk.

This was all experimental, and my own experience.

Eventually, after maybe 3 months, I stopped the milk and experienced no more hot flashes.

I hope you find something that works for you!

[lrryan]

Originally Posted by Sparky10

My hot flashes were eliminated almost overnight by drinking soy milk. Hope I'm explaining this properly, but this is what I understand:

Soy contains isoflavins (isoflavinoids?) that mimic estrogen, which is what your body is missing during menopause.

I had no idea how much to take so I decided to start out drinking 3 small glasses a day. The 1st day I experienced the usual hot flashes. The 2nd day I noticed a lessening. After a few more days they stopped entirely. Slowly I drank less and less soy milk.

This was all experimental, and my own experience.

Eventually, after maybe 3 months, I stopped the milk and experienced no more hot flashes.

I hope you find something that works for you!

That is interesting--I've been peri-menopausal for 10 years now and still experience hot flashes pretty regularly. Night is worst. I will try it. Thank you!