Hot flashes decrease/increase on Whole30...

[Tina L]

Hello.  I'm curious to hear from women who either experienced a decrease or increase in hot flashes during menopause while on Whole30.  I'm on my 12th day of W30.  I have noticed a positive side effect of no hot flashes for several days, and then out of nowhere I'll have a day where I have several.   Then it wil go back to none.  Before W30, I had them everyday.

I'm wondering if there's a reason behind this or if it's just my body changing.  Anybody else experience any of this?

Thank you.

[LadyLisbette]

When I started my current W30 on 12/1 I also eliminated coffee to see if it would help with hot flashes/cold flashes. So far there is a drastic decrease, and so at the end of the month, coffee will be my second re-intro (after champagne for New Year's!) to see what happens! How's it going for you since you last posted?

[2plus2]

I noticed the hot flashes are not as intense and my mood has improved tremendously.

[micah_erin76]

I'm on day 2 of my W30 and I am very happy to read this! I've had night sweats for several years, then the past 2 years I've had many hot flashes every day. I'm 41 and just had hormone levels checked. I'm very optimistic that I'll notice positive changes. 

[CaroHarNord]

This is one of the things I'm hoping for. A decrease in hot flashes. I'm on Day 3 of whole30 and am contemplating also giving up coffee on Whole30 as let's face it, I really don't enjoy my coffee without a bunch of foam or cream! I'll check back in and see how people are doing. Mine seem to be great some weeks and then terrible other weeks. So if i notice a difference I'll report back!

 

[LuckeeLindee]

I've actually had an increase in hot flashes despite taking Progesterone. I can't really understand why this is happening: no caffeine, no soy. Maybe its just natural swings and not related to W30. (I'm on Day 7).

[Leslie Beard]

On day 50 of my 60 day.. Mine have come back but no where near as intense. But I have to say I’m doing the 3 am wake up night sweat thing again not happy about that..  but I heard from a friend who said it took her a few months to feel better and now she doesn’t need thyroid medication!  She pretty much lives whole 30 all the time now. 

 

[beejay10]

I remember learning somewhere that body fat retains estrogen. Maybe as we draw energy from our fat stores, estrogen levels decrease -- or at least fluctuate and need time to rebalance (or find a better balance than before)? Leslie Beard's story about her friend, above, is hopeful.

[LilDawg]

I've had a hysterectomy but retained my ovaries. I haven't had an issue with hot flashes but I'm suddenly having terrible night sweats every night where I'm completely soaking my sheets. During the day, I'm cold all the time as well. I used to only have night sweats if I had a high carb dinner like pasta but I'm having them every night now since I started the Whole 30. I'm on day 9 so I'm hoping it will get better as I go along.

[samalope]

I have night sweats because of medication I am taking, and they basically stopped within the first week of Whole30.

[rusrach]

I've had no change at all in hot flashes, night sweats, or any of my other perimenopausal symptoms.

[socaldebbie]

I haven't had hot flashes in a few years now, but they seem to be starting back up. I'm completing day 5.

[AnnieCian]

Same here! I’m on day 6. They typically happen in the morning. 

[lifefoundonarun]

I am on day #29 and have had more hot flashes and night sweats during these 29 days, than I've had in the last 6 months.  I love what @beejay10 wrote above!  It makes sense to me

[Lorna from Canada]

@lifefoundonarun Imagine my surprise when, 3 years into full menopause, I had my very FIRST major hot flash around Day10!! I get the too hot thing all the time - blankets on and off, ditto sweaters but I had never previously had an actual hot flash until Day 10 - what a shocker! I do think it's not a coincidence that, as I was moving away from sugar burning and into fat burning, this happened. Clearly the hormone shift was coming from somewhere deep within my body. 

Fortunately, I only had one. I gained such a renewed sense of love and empathy for all those women who suffer from these all the time - what a dreadful experience.

 

[lifefoundonarun]

@Lorna from Canada that's so interesting!  Seems like mine are cooling off a bit, but it just makes a lot of sense with the hormones shifting during my whole30 and my body reacting to the shift like that.  I've always been a sensitive one when it comes to making dietary changes.  I have friends who suffer from them and I also have a lot of empathy for them, too.  It's miserable to just have your body light up with heat like that.  Thanks for sharing  

[suzee]

I am 5 years into menopause. I am 58 and on day 10 of Whole30. My hot flashes have increased. Before Whole30 I got two hot flashes at night that would wake me. Sometimes I would get one before bed. Now I am waking up at least 3 times at night and I also get several during the day. I am hoping this has something to do with the detoxing process and it will improve as I get further along. I will come back and let you know if it does.

[JAIN]

I know this is an older topic but I am very interested in experiences regarding hot flashes / concentration or memory / mood problems due to menopause and response to the Whole30 eating style. I very much hope that I am able to notice positive differences in myself when I start my Whole30 in June. I am also interested in those who have had a total hysterectomy. I have chosen this surgery and am awaiting a date (probably in July). Menopause symptoms very much affect my life - I am ~4 years in.

[Roblibbloom]

I finished whole 30 and feel really great! However my hot flashes did get worse midway. I think it is because soy is eliminated and soy is known to help with hot flashes. It is one of the first things I’ve added back and I am noticing I am I’m not waking up with night with sweats.

[Rebel Rose]

It is interesting to hear about the soy @Roblibbloomhelping hot flashes. I am 43 years old and never had a hot flash until my second week of whole 30. I am on day 20 now and get them quite often throughout the day. My concentration and memory has also been affected greatly. These are the parts of the Whole30program I am struggling with that feels like a negative impact on my body. I am left wondering if I am doing damage to my body.

 

[SugarcubeOD]

On 4/30/2021 at 10:26 PM, Rebel Rose said:

I am left wondering if I am doing damage to my body.

It would be hard to say that eating protein, veggies and fat is doing damage to your body and I'm not sure I've read anywhere that not eating soy is damaging to the body - it's possible that you're having hormonal changes and balancing due to the changes in your diet.  

 

[Charlo]

I am 61 years old and at least 6 years post menopause.  I am 100+ lbs. overweight and am on day 7 of Whole30.  I have been feeling pretty great except for the hot flashes the last 2 days.  I agree with thoughts of estrogen/hormone changes, but I wonder if a physician/nutritionist/pharmacist might be able to weigh in on this.

[SugarcubeOD]

18 hours ago, Charlo said:

I agree with thoughts of estrogen/hormone changes, but I wonder if a physician/nutritionist/pharmacist might be able to weigh in on this.

You would want to talk to your own physician/nutritionist/pharmacist. The moderators on the forum are volunteers and majority if not all of the members are just regular folks, not in the medical field.