Women Glow...again

Back in July 2015 I wrote the blog post Women Glow - https://wp.me/p4zBAs-c5 in which I talked about the night sweats I was having. I eventually worked out that the blood sugar was dropping whilst I slept and this was causing me to sweat profusely overnight. It wasn't uncommon for me to have to get changed 4 times, which lead to very interrupted sleep and a feeling of constantly being dirty and smelly. Neither of which I was.

Fast forward 3 years and now I have the problem of glowing quite profusely in the day time. It started back in 2017, initially I put it down to having gained so much weight in the previous 12 months but now having lost 3 stone (42lbs / 19.051kg) and the sweat is still pouring from me - if not worse I have to admit it's not the weight causing the issue. I personally believe that this is probably the start of the menopause, I'll be 45 next week so I'm in the right ball park. I can't tell you the state of my periods as having been on cerazette for many years they haven't paid me a visit since Christmas Day 2015. I am loath to come off the pill to find out because a) I will be an emotional mess, b) I could start fainting multiple times a day risking injury and c) periods for me are horrifically painful. The last time I came off the pill back in 2011 I had a period every 20 days. Gee that was fun, so you can see why I am not keen to experiment. Although I know at some point I am going to have to, just to know what is going on.

There is nothing that I can put my finger on that makes these sweats / hot flushes worse. I literally sweat from my knees to the roots of my hair. My face at times will go bright red. The heat I generate is quite exceptional for someone who has spent their life complaining they are cold. I had my reading glasses on top of my head the other day whilst a flush was happening. I moved my glasses to use them and both lenses were steamed up with condensation. I can't lie the flushes are making me miserable.

They seem to get worse when I am exposed to heat - which is massive pain in the arse especially when my go to pain relief is using a hot water bottle. I am using one at the moment and the sweat is pouring off me. I have lost count the number of times I have had a shower, got dressed dried my hair - the heat has triggered a hot flush and I have ended up having to change all my clothes because I am wringing wet, down to my knickers. I know it's an attractive picture I paint. Some days after spending ages sorting out my hair I have sweat so much its become a curly mop so I just have to tie it up in  a hair band. I don't have the energy to wash it and style it again. I really hate it as it leaves me feeling dirty and smelly. Jay assures me I am neither but I feel so unclean and when you don't have the energy to wash again - and what's the point the heat will just trigger another round of sweating? It can start to really get you down.

You may think I am being melodramatic but when the sweat is dripping off the hair on the back of your head  making it look like you've run a marathon or its dripping from your top lip, you'll understand. This isn't a pleasant glow on a warm day this is full on looking like I have taken a shower in my clothes. All my life I have barely sweat and now I am making up for 40 plus years of being bone dry. 

I have raised the subject of the menopause with my consultant and my gp. Both have laughed and tell me I am too young. I think this is due to EDS, unless people check my date of birth they forget that the person sat in front of them is not in their 30's but is now rapidly approaching her 50's - lets face it folks from next Thursday I am halfway there. Back in 2015 I had a blood test that showed I was producing luteinizing hormone. Unfortunately due to having a CSF leak it wasn't investigated further. This showed that my ovaries were not working at all which is premature ovarian failure. At the time it was when all my bloods were strange raised prolactin, low cortisol etc etc. I have no idea if it has been tested since. 

I know the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for sweating but I doubt that this has just suddenly decided to go awry. It is more likely given my age that this is the perimenopause or the menopause. But as the NHS now no longer tests for this how the fXXk will I ever know?

As a precaution I have bought a load of supplements - sage leaf, red clover and black cohosh and if these help at all I will report back here. If they don't I bought myself a pack of 12 flannels that I will make damp and put in the freezer - these will be my emergency cool down packs as keeping the fridge door open to cool down is a waste of electric and a risk of food poisoning! 

My other go to is to have a fan going whilst I  get my hair dried to try and relieve the sweating and dry it up before my hair gets frizzy. I hope to god the supplements help as I am on the verge of melting into a puddle.