The FastDay Forum

Not precisely a medical condition, I suppose, but I wondered whether anyone's noticed an effect on hot flushes as a result of doing the 5:2? More or less hot flushes? No difference?

I've seen several posts about the difficulty of losing weight post-menopause but nothing directly about this. I get awful hot flushes and don't take HRT or any other medication. I was rather hoping that fasting might make a difference (no basis for hope, just general optimism!) but I'm not sure, after 3 months of 5:2, that it has.

[carorees]

Hi shachat

I have found my hot flushes easing but whether that is just due to the passing of time or because of 5:2 I don't know! I've been having them for 5 years so far and and first they were really, really bad but they did ease up in severity after about 6 months and then were tolerable during the day but still ghastly at night. In the last few months they have improved further and this coincides with starting 5:2 so, who knows!

Hi Shachet,
I Too have been suffering hot flushes for 18months, they got better and then returned in full force a month or so before I started 5:2.
Unfortunately they have not improved, and have maybe worsened since I started, but it is all such guesswork isn't it, as who knows what was going to happen anyway.
I'm taking some herbal treatment but not really having any relief.
My family just think it's hysterical watching me take my cardigan on and off every little while!

I've been getting them for about 10 years now - keep hoping they'll go away with time, but no such luck yet.

The worst is sitting in a work-related meeting and suddenly going all hot and red and sweaty. I can just see people looking at me, wondering, "What did we say?!"

[carorees]

My family just think it's hysterical watching me take my cardigan on and off every little while!

Cardigans...an essential item for the menopausal woman! And scarves...very good for rapid temperature adjustment!

On my 6th fast at the moment, and have suddenly realised that, on fast days, I don't have the usual hot flushes!

Mine seem to be intermittent, I had thought they were on the increase again as the weather was warming up, now I am wondering if it is to do with the fact I have done 5:2 since the beginning of the year but due to a couple of consecutive holidays havent done it for a few weeks. Feeling very disappointed with myself and I am sure I have put weight back on and havent yet summoned up the courage to get back on the scales. If I can convince myself it will stop them I think that would be enough motivation to keep going

Five years into them for me too. Cardigan and scarf on.. Off... On.... Of.... Mmmm not sure if it is 5:2 or age but they change. Have them for a month or two then none for a month or two.

Someone told me you could have them for 10years so I have been positive and thinking only 5ish years to go.... Are you telling me it could be more?

Doing it the natural way. No meds.
Oh well. Part of being a woman!!!

[wildmissus]

I've had night sweats for the last 4 years and I've certainly not been flinging the duvet off recently. Not sure if it's related to 5:2 or not.

Mine come and go and I can't find any pattern. Sadly I haven't noticed much difference since beginning 5 2. Night times are worse at the moment and early evening this week (mind you OH keeps turning the heating up as we are in a cold spell for May).
I'm hoping they don't last for 10 years but the plus side is I too have a lovely collection of scarves!

Your comment about the scarf collection made me chuckle, Queen56!!!

Re the 10 years - I hate to be the bearer of gloom and doom, but my mum's in her 80s and still gets hot flushes. Hence my wild hope that 5:2 might help.

Something interesting though - I've just started using something called a Ladycare magnet which sits against the pelvis (attached to the underwear) and is meant to help with hot flushes (they claim all sorts of other benefits as well, including weight loss).

All I can tell you is that I've been wearing it for about 10 days now and my hot flushes seem to have reduced. Due to magnet? Or 5:2? Placebo effect? Who knows?!

My hot flushes seem to have got worse since I started 5:2.

No difference. They seem to go in phases. Came off HRT in the summer of 2006 and still getting them, although they are less intense and don't last as long. I always carry a pretty fan in case of emergencies.

I had at least five years of hot flushes and now I do go hot at times but nothing like it was. A friend told me that they seem to come and go in waves but mine have definitely improved at least 95% to what they were but that is just passage of time.
However, I did find that when I ate more carefully (there was no 5:2 then) and cut down on rubbish that they were a bit easier.