Hot Flash Hell
A Gynecologist’s Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Hot Flashes Are Not Something to "Tough Out”!
Almost 80% of women experience hot flashes and contrary to popular belief, those flashes typically last 7 to 10 years. The impact on work, sleep, sexuality, and quality of life is irrefutable. Even if you are willing to spend years dressing in layers and being exhausted, what is now appreciated is that the impact of hot flashes goes far beyond the misery of feeling like you are in a sauna. There is scientific evidence that hot flashes increase the risk of developing heart disease and other serious medical conditions. So, it’s not just about quality of life, it’s about length of life.
Hot Flash Hell: A gynecologist’s guide to turning down the heat, will walk you through everything you need to know about what to expect, how to know if you are in perimenopause or menopause, and all of your options to alleviate those all day, all night surges of heat. Follow Francey, a 49-year-old perimenopausal woman, who almost loses her job from her inability to function, as she explores lifestyle, hormonal and non-hormonal options to ultimately find a solution. There is even a guide to the use of cannabis including why it helps and what kind helps the most!
5-Star Reviews
“Love this. Very very important. Would recommend to any woman 40 years and older. Best to read before menopause starts.”
“I’ve already recommended it to several friends and would like my doctor to read this as well. The book has both excellent information with specific studies and true factual information as well as a fun light-hearted relatable storyline throughout. Highly recommend this book to anyone going through periomenopause and/or menopause who want to determine their best course of action. Thank you for writing this!”
“This Book is About ME. Dr. Streicher is a problem solver. This book is practical yet entertaining- really funny - like this quote, “The only thing that is predictable is that your period generally arrives as you get on a plane wearing white and carrying no tampons.” So true! My friends are starting to read this book & everyone’s reaction is the same - Dr. Streicher is writing about me! She knows me! And she gets the point across in an amusing, easy to understand way. Dr. Streicher has an uncanny ability to discuss what your gynecologist won’t (or has no time to) & to provide REAL solutions. A simple game plan can make all the difference & provide such relief- so, it’s a no brainer to see what the expert has to say & be thoroughly entertained along the way.”
“Much More Than Hot Flashes…This is the third book I bought on menopause and really wish it had been my first. It was so comprehensive, but also readable and funny. It was also clear that I was getting advice from a real expert who treats menopausal women every day. Not to mention, I expected to find options for treating my hot flashes, but came away with so much more. I wasn’t surprised there was a connection between my hot flashes, brain fog, insomnia, and weight gain, but I had no idea that hot flashes were also associated with heart disease. Before I read this I was ambivalent about what I wanted to do but now I feel fully informed”
“Not only is this book a guide that I will be turning to for the foreseeable future for guidance in menopause, but she adds the character of Francey who at times is my alter ego. Questions I've had around hormone therapy, herbal therapy and now cannabis are answered. My tool-kit is filled with several strategies to use during this new stage of life. I plan on sending copies to my high school girlfriends!”
Table of Contents
PART 1: THE COLD FACTS ABOUT HOT FLASHES
Chapter 1
Could It Be Perimenopause? Menopause? Some Other Pause?
Years before estrogen production completely shuts down, hormone levels start to fluctuate wildly during that special time of life known as perimenopause.
Chapter 2
Is It Menopause or Midlife?
In a perfect world, an alert would pop up on your phone announcing, “You are now in perimenopause,” followed at the appropriate time by “You are now leaving perimenopause and entering menopause.”
Chapter 3
Hot Flash Facts
Pretty much anything can trigger a hot flash, including nothing.
Chapter 4
Think Your Hot Flashes Can’t Kill You? Think Again!
There is an abundance of scientific evidence that hot flashes increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and other serious medical conditions.
Chapter 5
Are Your Hot Flashes Making You Fat? Foggy? Forgetful?
Why hot flashes make you gain weight and forget why you walked into the room.
Chapter 6
Hot Flashes Shouldn’t Be Work
From the C-suite to the factory, women either drop out of the labor force or underperform because of fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and impaired memory.
PART 2: MAKE THEM GO AWAY
Chapter 7
Dressing in Layers and Other Strategies
What about putting out the fire with yoga, exercise, acupuncture, or a cooling device?
Chapter 8
Herbs, Botanicals, and Wishful Thinking
Lots of herbs have been touted as giving relief for flashes. Unfortunately, most, have been shown not to work beyond an initial placebo effect.
Chapter 9
Can Cannabis Cool You Down?
Women are smoking it, drinking it, infusing it in oil, and putting it not only on their avocado toast but also on their vulva and in their vagina.
Chapter 10
A Trip to the Pharmacy for Nonhormonal Help
After spending a month's salary on all manner of herbs, spices, and products and still waking up every hour on the hour, you may want to think about going the prescription route.
Chapter 11
Estrogen, Of Historical Interest
The best-selling 1960s book Feminine Forever promised a fountain of sexual, mental, and physical youth to women who treated the “disease” of menopause with estrogen therapy.
Chapter 12
Estrogen Options
When it comes to estrogen, you can take a pill, put it on your skin, or place it in your vagina … and, yes, it makes a difference which you choose.
Chapter 13
Protecting Your Uterus
No uterus? No need to read this chapter.
Chapter 14
Estrogen Is Not Poison
Most women with hot flashes avoid estrogen out of fear that it is risky. But is it?
Chapter 15
Compounded Hormone Therapy: Buyer Beware
A multibillion-dollar industry was launched by an actress and supported by women who were desperate to feel better.