How to best deal with menopause hot flashes?
Hot flashes are one of the most common — and frustrating — symptoms of menopause. For some, they’re short-lived; for others, they can disrupt daily life and sleep for years. Across Reddit’s menopause communities, women have shared what really works — from medical treatments to simple cooling tricks that make life easier.
Why do hot flashes happen?
Hot flashes and night sweats, also called vasomotor symptoms, affect around 80% of women during menopause. As oestrogen levels fall, the body’s thermostat becomes more sensitive to small changes in temperature, triggering waves of heat, sweating, and sometimes palpitations.
According to the r/Menopause Wiki, about half of women experience hot flashes for longer than 8–10 years, and some continue for 20 years or more. Persistent symptoms can affect sleep and long-term health, so finding an effective approach matters.
What Reddit users say helps most
1. Hormone therapy and medical options
Many Redditors said HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) made the biggest difference.
"HRT knocked most of mine out. I still get a few mild ones every now and again though."
— DamnGoodMarmalade, r/Menopause
Several users in r/Perimenopause mentioned Fezolinetant (Veozah), a newer non-hormonal medicine.
Others reported benefits from gabapentin, SSRIs, or low-dose birth control."There’s a new non-hormonal medication called Veozah, which is very effective at treating hot flashes."
— leftylibra, r/Perimenopause
For many, hormone therapy provided near-total relief:"After 6 months of nothing really working I started the pill… No more hot flashes, no night sweats."
— [deleted], r/Menopause
"Estrogen gel and progesterone pills took care of this for me."
— Chromatic_Chameleon, r/Menopause
2. Cooling tricks for day and night
Fans, cold packs, and breathable bedding came up again and again.
"I was never without ice water. It was a lifesaver for me. Oh, and fans."
— Brensters63, r/Menopause
"I use multiple ice packs and cycle through them… hold those to my chest."
— StaticCloud, r/Menopause
Others shared creative ideas like:
- Cooling neck wraps and bamboo bedding (LegalList6813, r/Menopause)
- Neck fans and cold sprays (mascara2midnite, r/Menopause)
- Sleeping on a leather couch to stay cool (IllEstablishment1750, r/Menopause)
From r/MenopauseMavens:
"Cold shower before bed, linen sheets, sleep naked with a fan going near the bed."
— DWwithaFlameThrower, r/MenopauseMavens
3. Lifestyle and diet changes
Reducing alcohol, caffeine, and sugar was one of the most consistent patterns.
"I cut out caffeine and alcohol for a solid month. That helped more than anything."
— uncommonchaos, r/Perimenopause
"I let myself have sugar and alcohol for a few days… the hot flashes came roaring back!"
— jujupeas, r/Menopause
Others noticed improvement after adopting healthier routines:
Soy and plant-based diets were also praised:"When I exercise and eat well, most of my symptoms retreat."
— pocketdynamo727, r/Menopause
"Drinking soy did wonders for me. Not one hot flash since I started."
— brigstan, r/Perimenopause
"I went completely plant based about two and a half months ago and have not had one hot flash since."
— Ok-Prune-3952, r/Menopause
4. Supplements and herbal remedies
Results were mixed, but the most mentioned included black cohosh, chasteberry (vitex), magnesium glycinate, and evening primrose oil.
"Black Cohosh, pound water, magnesium."
— sepstolm, r/Menopause
"Chasteberry is great for hot flashes. And a cooling blanket will help a bunch!"
— LegalList6813, r/Menopause
"Evening primrose oil."
— DearDelivery9607, r/Perimenopause
"DIM and/or black cohosh helped a lot for me. Also cut down alcohol, caffeine, and sugar."
— Teddy_Funsisco, r/MenopauseMavens
A few noted success with alternative supplements such as French pine bark extract (Golden_Mandala, r/MenopauseMavens) or wild yam salves (Reiki-Raker, r/MenopauseMavens).
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5. Natural and alternative therapies
Some users shared positive experiences with acupuncture, CBT, Chinese herbal formulas, or hypnosis.
"I saw an acupuncturist and took herbs he gave me for a year. Completely got rid of my hot flashes."
— yarrow268, r/MenopauseMavens
"I take a Chinese herbal formula called the Sleep Remedy for Physical Tranquility… works very well indeed."
— WyrddSister, r/Menopause
"Cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnosis both helped reduce night sweats." — leftylibra, r/Menopause Wiki summary
In summary
From r/Menopause to r/MenopauseMavens and r/Perimenopause, thousands of women agree there’s no single fix — but a combination of cooling habits, lifestyle changes, and medical support can make life far more manageable.
As one user put it:
"You can’t always stop the flash — but you can be ready for it." — GiftToTheUniverse, r/Menopause
