Ladies over 40, is this normal/ordinary few-years-postmenopausal stuff?

Question

Say you're trying to go to sleep in a reasonably cool room, and you wake back up because you're hot, uncover, get cold, cover up again, and finally go to sleep, only to wake up feeling chilled under the same covers.

This happens to me a lot and is seriously getting on my nerves.

Answer 1

This is a sympton of postmenopause. Some women start it early like 38 or before, others won't see it till well in the 60's and can still have a baby naturally-no drugs.
If you can try to stick to no-hormone therapy. The hormones for the symptons cause cancer. Take hold of the fact -- once the menopausal thing is over 2-4 years--cancer risk will go down tremendously for all of your reproducing body parts.
I would try herbs, add soy to my diet, and try to deal with it naturally. This is really only a temporary "part of natural life" that affects all women sooner or later.

Answer 2

Any time after 40, and for quite a few younger than that, what you describe can be part of the perimenopause, sometimes called the premenopause. This can last for several years before the "real thing."

A good source of information on this is the Power Surge website. A "power surge" is another way of describing a "hot flash."
http://www.power-surge.com

However, since there are other conditions that can cause hot flushes and the sensation of chills, the prudent thing to do is to have a physical exam to rule out other causes. At the same time, your hormone levels can be checked.

I hope you and your nerves feel better soon.