Hot flashes

They're back. :(

I'm not sure I posted about this before, but I had looked up old wives' tales for dealing with hot flashes. I read that apple cider vinegar helps. Well, I have a little history with ACV - my now 18-year-old son had really horrendous warts. I wish I had taken "before" pictures, they were SO bad! We took him to the dermatologist who sentenced, I mean recommended he get freeze treatments. Won't take more than 12 weeks or so, he said. The poor kid was subjected to this and it didn't seem to be helping AT ALL. He had at least 20 warts on his hands, one that was a whole cluster of them growing up under his thumbnail, and the Dr. kept saying we couldn't see improvement yet because it was SO deep in there that it had to draw it up to the surface. Not to worry, he said, it IS getting better!

Only it didn't, and even the little ones went away at first and then CAME BACK. Poor guy was so miserable and he could not play his band instrument or even do his homework, so after a month past the time they assured us would be "IT", we quit.

I looked up old wives' tales on that, too, and found advice saying to use ACV. So I bought some of the organic, raw stuff and he just used a cotton ball to wipe it on before bedtime, no washing it off. Honestly he forgot most nights, maybe he did it twice or three times a week.

After a month or so I asked him how he was doing and he said they were GONE. Sure enough, they were! And they have not been back, not even a tony bit, in over a year.

I'm sure the doctor would say he got just enough freeze treatments to keep working, but if so, I would say he is full of crap. I believe the ACV worked, and I would certainly try it FIRST next time.

All that to say, I decided to try it for the hot flashes. I used the organic raw stuff I had, although in retrospect it may not have been the best idea while on chemo. I used the Bragg's brand and mixed up their "energy drink" on the label - 1 T vinegar to 1 T honey (I was not allowed honey, so I used the equivalent in stevia; I also tried 100% maple syrup) and a cup of water. Actually I doubled it and used 2 T each and 2 cups of water, twice a day. I really like the taste - it grew on me, and was refreshing as a glass of lemonade. I looked forward to it.

Somehow I stopped using it though, don't know why, I think I ran out of the vinegar. BUT I can tell you I didn't have hot flashes during the time I was taking it regularly.

I can't say for 100% certain that it works against hot flashes, but I can for 100% certain say that I didn't have hot flashes while I was taking it!

Tomorrow I will go buy some more vinegar, because I had forgotten how horrible these are.