Hot Flash Assessment

How Hot Are You?

Most women in their 50s are not only older and wiser, but also hotter! Up to 80% of women experience hot flashes associated with menopause. They are most common during perimenopause and the first one to two years after menopause. While for most, hot flashes last two or three years or less, for some women, hot flashes may start as early as their 30s or extend through their 70s and beyond. Although variable, hot flashes generally occur every 2-4 hours. Despite the increase in skin temperature, there is no change in core body temperature.

Take our Hot Flash Assessment to see how hot you are!

Use the following scale to rate each of the statements below.
Rarely - 1 Occasionally - 2 Frequently - 3 All the time - 4

If you scored:

· 10-14 Points -
Hot flashes are making life hot, damp and uncomfortable. They are annoying but not unbearable. You’d like to try self-care lifestyle changes and supplements before considering prescription therapy.

· 15-24 Points -
It's likely that hot flashes are intense and occur often enough to cause disruption to your daily life and sleep. You don't want to live like this.

· 25-34 Points -
It's likely that hot flashes are intense and occur often enough to cause disruption to your daily life and sleep. You don't want to live like this.

· 35-40 Points -
Your hot flashes are intense and as regular as Old Faithful. They interfere with your daily life and/or cause major sleep disturbances at night. You want and need immediate relief.

Our Self-care and Prescription Recommendations

Get the essentials you need to manage your Menopause symptoms with our Menopause Essentials Collection.

ProCycle® Gold Menopause Formula
Vitamin E and B-complex vitamins have been shown to have a positive influence on managing hot flashes. Hot flashes may deplete the body of vitamins B and C, as well as magnesium and potassium so it is important for menopausal women to have adequate daily supply of these nutrients. ProCycle^® Gold is specially formulated by pharmacists with these and other vitamins and minerals shown to provide the nutritional support a woman needs for hormone balance during menopause and beyond.

Diet
A few simple dietary changes may help lessen the frequency and intensity of hot flashes. Spicy food (cayenne, ginger, pepper), acidic foods (pickles, citrus, tomatoes), hot drinks, caffeine (coffee, black tea, cola, chocolate), alcoholic drinks, including wine and beer, white sugar and hydrogenated or saturated fats (meat, margarine) have all been shown to trigger hot flashes in some women. Soy isoflavones are thought to help cool hot flashes.

Exercise
Exercise has been shown to decrease hot flashes by raising endorphine levels and lowering the amount of circulating FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone. Even 20 minutes three times a week can significantly reduce hot flashes.

Stress Reduction
Stress is another possible trigger for hot flashes. Deep breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques have helped many women cool their hot flashes.

Black Cohosh
Black Cohosh has a long history of use for relief of menstrual cramps and menopause in the United States. Studies show black cohosh can be effective in relieving hot flashes as well as depression and vaginal atrophy.

Saliva Hormone Testing
The best way to know if estrogen therapy may help cool hot flashes and how much is needed to rebalance your hormones is through hormone level testing. Ask your healthcare provider to enroll you in our Restore® Program. Saliva samples are collected in the privacy of your own home, and are mailed to our lab. A complete report is produced for your healthcare provider, including suggestions for low-dose individualized prescription therapy, should your test results indicate that it might be beneficial. Patients filling their prescriptions through Madison Pharmacy Associates qualify for FREE follow-up testing annually. This follow-up testing and on-going case management assures you that the prescription(s) you're taking are just right for you! Don't forget: You can find a Restore Program provider in your area online through RestoreMD.com, or by calling us toll-free at 800-558-7046.

Individualized Hormone Therapy
Estrogen replacement has been shown to be the most effective treatment for cooling hot flashes in up to 95 percent of women. Low dose options are available in oral medications, transdermal creams and patches. Hormone therapy should always be individualized based on a woman's unique hormone profile as determined through a saliva hormone test.