- What causes night sweats, and how are they linked with hot flushes?
Night sweats are probably hot flushes with the bedclothes on. Flushing and sweating attacks tend to go hand in hand and peak in the years after menopause. The sweating sensation usually takes longer to subside than flushes do.
- Will my hot flushes return with a vengeance if I stop HRT too soon?
HRT does not seem to affect the duration of hot flushes. If you stop HRT, and you are still in the flushing phase after menopause, your flushes will return. Every woman on HRT for control of hot flushes reaches a point where she wonders if it’s time to take a break and see how her body responds. Going off HRT may indicate that the phase of flushes is over or, if not, it will remind you of why you started on HRT in the first place. After a while, of course, the flushes will subside normally — just as they would if you had no HRT.
- I’m told many women give up HRT after a year or two. Why would they do that?
For a variety of reasons, such as bleeding, a dislike of being on medication for an extended time, and concerns about the long-term possibility of increased risks of breast and endometrial cancers.
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