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Is it possible for an 83 year old women to start experiencing hot flashes/night sweats when never having this in the past

By March 27, 2009 - 6:12am
 
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or is this most likely linked to something else?

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EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I am almost 86 yr old woman, way past menopause, had not symptoms as I was on hrt for 17 years and quit over 10 yrs ago, couple years I was getting routinely night sweats doctor could find no reason though I do take hbp meds, suddenly that stopped but recently I am getting hot flashes which I never really had before due to taking the hrt meds, what could this be?

October 1, 2019 - 8:33am
HERWriter Guide (reply to Anonymous)

Hello Anon

Unfortunately, hot flashes can be experienced in the 70s and 80s.

Some reasons are a high caffeine intake and other medications. Hormonal changes that come after menopause (and despite previous experience with HRT) could also be a culprit.

It's interesting you mention high blood pressure, because this condition is linked to hot flashes in women, irrespective of age or menopausal status.

How is your blood pressure now?

Susan

October 1, 2019 - 5:33pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

My mother has hot flashed and will be 87 sept. 1year. has congestive heart failure, copd, restless leg syndrome, neuropathy hands-feet. What should we do?

July 2, 2015 - 7:17am

Hi, Deborah! We're so glad you found Empowher. Let's see what we can find out for you.

From your question, I am assuming that you went through natural menopause many years ago, but had an easy transition, never feeling the hot flashes or night sweats then, correct?

May I ask if you take any HRT (hormone replacement therapy)? If so, have you recently changed anything about it? (Starting it, stopping it, a change in kind or dosage?)

Have you been ill recently?

Have you recently started or stopped another medication (other than HRT)?

How long has this been happening, and how often?

Do you have any other medical conditions that you deal with, such as high blood pressure or diabetes or thyroid?

Have you started any new vitamins or supplements (like niacin) recently?

In general, when a woman suffers hot flashes or night sweats, she is dealing with changing levels in her hormones, specifically estrogen. Here's a page that tells how these temperature changes in the body happen:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/cause-hot-flash.htm

But there are other things that can cause hot flashes, such as lifestyle and medications. Something is affecting your hypothalamus, the part of your brain that regulates your temperature (and other things like appetite and sleep cycles).

Here are some things that can trigger hot flashes in many women:
-- alcohol
-- caffeine
-- diet pills
-- spicy food or hot food
-- hot tubs or saunas or hot showers
-- hot beds or hot rooms or hot weather
--smoking

One study I found noted that about 10 percent of older people (men and women) experience hot flashes or night sweats, and that they commonly also have some of the following symptoms:

nighttime: fever, muscle cramps, numbness in the hands or feet, vision problems, or hearing loss.

daytime: fever, restless legs, lightheadedness, bone pain or diabetes.

Are any of these true for you?

The difference for you, of course, is that this has just started recently. That's what makes me think that perhaps there has been a recent change in something that is affecting you in this way. Please get back to us with a little more info if this is helpful. And it might be a good idea just to call your doctor's office and talk to the nurse there to report these symptoms. If there is a drug interaction going on, for instance, they might be able to figure it out quickly.

March 27, 2009 - 8:46am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Diane Porter)

In my situation I had a tear in the rotator cuff of my shoulder and started taking Ibuprofen 400 m daily for pain and I am having night sweats, wake up with my bedclothes and hair soaking wet. Haven't had hot flashes for 20 yrs. A doctor doesn't have a clue why?

August 6, 2017 - 8:04am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

I too have a tear in my rotator cuff, & took 1 tab at night to help me sleep. I experienced night sweats also, plus it raised my blood pressure! I went into 6 weeks of physical therapy, and am now pain free.

September 8, 2017 - 9:01am
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