I'm not suffering from hot flushes

My body thermostat has been faulty for about 5 years now. It's definitely worse in the evening and during the night (though severity, frequency and even the sensation of the flushes varies from time to time).
I'm another one who throws the duvet off regularly throughout the night. The other (physical) symptoms have almost put an end to what was previously a very healthy sex life, too, and to be honest, I don't think DH understands that it's outside my control.

Oh, and my 82-year-old mum tells me that she still gets hot flushes now and then, so any naïve thoughts I started out with of this just being a passing 'stage' in life have been well and truly scuppered.

While the menopause is different for everyone, I suspect that there is a silent majority who go through hell with it, and I am totally fed up of reading in magazines and newspapers about how this can be such a wonderful stage of life for (an implied majority of) women. Apparently, our sex lives can be better then ever, with the risk of pregnancy gone. Well speaking personally, all I can say is that it's a load of b***ocks! Grrr.

The writers are probably all on HRT. I wasn't allowed to take it.

Natural fibres only, too. Put me within a yard of a piece of polyester and I break out in a sweat. I'm absolutely fine during the day as long as I wear wool, cotton or silk, I can see why so many women wear linen now.

I've noticed something rather strange over the last couple of years: about 10 seconds before a hot flush strikes, I often notice that I feel the perfect temperature - this is strange because under normal circumstances I would never give any thought to my temperature unless I was uncomfortably hot or cold!
I can't decide if thinking about my temperature is enough to bring on a hot flush, or if this strange sudden awareness is all part and parcel of it.

Is it just me?

Having had thermal 'ablation' (? think that is the right word ) due to very heavy periods when I was in my early 50s I have not had any since. I have not noticed any obvious signs of 'the change' and being sixty now I assume I have been through it. Lucky for me not having these problems but I have had other health related troubles.

I sometimes, not too often, feel cold, quite cold, about a couple of minutes before a hot flush. Apparently my mother used to as well.
So there I am merrily putting on layers. Only for me to have to shed all those clothes and more, a few minutes later.

But it doesnt happen often enough for me to know whether I am cold, just because I am cold. Or because there is a hot flush arriving shortly.

I have become very sensitive to temperature in general.
I need a spread of clothes for whatever degree temperature it is. Gaps in my wardrobe have taken on a whole new meaning.

I find I leave cardigans all over the house, so that I can put one on top of another for cold moments, or lose the lot. I am wearing four layers right now and yes, this means that I shall probably be boiling by bed time. It did take me a while to realise that I had cold days as well as hot nights.

The faulty thermostat analogy is a very good one, for me.

I can relate to that, janerowena. Four or more layers one minute, one (or even none) the next! My evenings just fly by with the non-stop dressing and undressing

janerowena I am exactly like that as well, with the cardis (and ankle-warmers as well, for me!) yet I sailed through the menopause 12 years ago with the minimum of symptoms.

Perhaps the 'faulty temperature regulator' is just an age thing...?

Maybe. I started to get swollen ankles in the heat too, a couple of years ago. I have never had that before.

Oh the joy of gransnet! This thread rivals the one of vaginal atrophy in telling it like to really is. Many thanks MamaCaz 10.01.15 at 17.22 - I'm in total agreement with you in your irritation at those magazine articles that tell us how wonderful it'll be, how our sex lives will improve because we can no longer get pregnant.

I have been lucky and hardly had any hot sweaty moments other than at night. I'm almost 20 years from my last period but still find I begin to glow just as I'm dropping off to sleep. The duvet is on and off with boring frequency. If I've been eating chocolate, it's particularly bad. I confess, this hasn't deterred my evening chocolate habit one jot. there are limits aren't there!

Quite. I too have no problems with heat as such during the day, cold is more of a problem. Chocolate, cream and more than one glass of red wine all ensure a night the devil would be proud to inflict. If nothing else I have got rid of my chocolate habit and saved myself a fortune. I am down to 4 squares a night now.

The state of our bed in the morning is something else. we have to have several thin layers of duvet because DBH is a chilly mortal. Even he however cannot always cope with all the layers I pile onto him as I sleep. Separate beds have been hinted at! The swedes use separate duvets on the same bed, I am thinking we may trial that for a while.