Night Sweats

[DownOnTheFarm]

Just a FYI if anyone is having menopausal symptoms a glass or 2 of red wine before bed keeps me from having night sweats and helps me sleep. There are phytoestrogens in red wine. I've tried going without and I'm back to not sleeping and sweating half the night. Also some wines don't work--a cheap Franzia red didn't work, but everything else I've tried does.

[Bucko]

That's odd. Most reliable medical sources state that alcohol increases night sweats and interferes with sleep.

[DownOnTheFarm]

On a lot of topics reliable medical sources differ with their conclusions. Red wine has phytoestogens and phytoestogens help with menopausal symptoms. A study from Mayo Clinic also reports that red wine has a positive effect on breast tissue and white wine has a negative effect. Also all wines are good for bone density. I've done a lot of research on this because of surgical menopause and didn't want to go the synthetic hormone route. All I know is it works for me and I wouldn't be without my red wine. I didn't drink wine before my surgery.

[Bucko]

Sorry, but conventional medical wisdom states the opposite of what you are espousing.

Of major concern is that phytoestrogen supplements are over-the-counter drugs and women who do not find relief of menopausal symptoms with recommended dosages may simply up the dose of such ‘natural’ alternatives and achieve circulating concentrations of these compounds that may have deleterious effects on their health. Short-term dietary supplementation has been shown to have proliferative effects on breast tissue in premenopausal women with breast tumors.

Drinking can deplete your calcium reserves by raising your PTH levels (parathyroid hormone). PTH regulates your body's calcium and phosophoros levels. If someone drinks alcohol regularly, their PTH levels can remain elevated. That puts a strain on the body's calcium reserves. Since your bones are the major calcium reserve, drinking can cause you to lose calcium from your bones.

[hotwine]

Downonthefarm, you need to know that you're discussing health issues with an MD (one who also happens to be a wine judge).

[DownOnTheFarm]

Sorry, as usual the doctor's always right.

[winoweenie]

He's used them same big words for the last 6 years to describe cures for everthin' from in-grown toenails to hemmorroids. WW

[Bucko]

Nope -- if a patient believes it works for them, who am I to say it doesn't? I can only quote research. I have people who swear by copper bracelets and magnets in their shoes -- research says it is hokey pokey, but if they believe it....