A pilot study from the Mayo clinic, led by Dr. Pruthi, finds that adding flaxseed to the diet can reduce hot flashes in postmenopausal women who do not take estrogen replacements. The findings were published in the Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology.

Hormone replacement therapy was commonly prescribed for hot flashes, but side effects and health concerns, including increased risk of cancer, have reduced their use. The researchers involved in this study looked at variety of herbal and dietary supplements including vitamin E, black cohosh and soy, but none decreased the frequency or severity of hot flashes other than the flaxseed.

The 29 participants did not want to take HRT due to a perceived increased risk of breast cancer. Most of them completed the six-week flaxseed trial, which involved eating 40 g of crushed flaxseed daily.

The frequency of hot flashes among the women decreased 50 percent over six weeks. Flaxseed contains lignans and omega-3 fatty acids. Lignans have weak estrogen characteristics. Dr. Pruthi cautions that this was a pilot study and further study in a large, randomized placebo-controlled study may not turn out such results.

Hormone Replacement Therapy is a controversial treatment for the sometimes severe symptoms of menopause which include hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats and weakened bones. There's been ongoing debates about the safety of such treatments, because HRT has, in some studies, been shown to increase a woman's risk of heart attacks and breast cancer. Yet some feel that these findings have been exaggerated and the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks. In fact, there's even a type of HRT designed to fight breast cancer.

So what's my point here? It's this: If you're considering HRT, it's important to make an informed choice. Here's an article that sums up the issue of HRT, and as always, talk to your doctor about risks before taking any medication

Are those mini-tropical vacations, aka hot flashes, getting unbearable? Many women have made the decision not to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to reduce hot flashes since news came out stating that women who took HRT were slightly more likely to develop certain illnesses such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and stroke compared with those who didn't take HRT. So what are the options to those unbearable night sweats and those red-faced moments in public that have you fanning your face? Take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and read on.

Certain herbs and supplements such as black cohosh, red clover, and soy products may help relieve hot flashes in some women. However, research in this area has only just begun and the effectiveness and safety of these products have not been proven. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is currently conducting research on these products to examine their ability to reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes. Further research is also needed to determine if these products are safe to take for long periods of time. Acupuncture is another CAM therapy that women have tried and some have found relief. But acupuncture has also not been proven to be helpful with hot flashes at this point.

Overall, the research on acupuncture and hot flashes has not been of very good quality to date and further research is underway to determine if acupuncture might be helpful. Certain relaxation and breathing techniques may be helpful in reducing the severity and frequency of hot flashes. Both the relaxation response technique and a breathing technique that involves slow, deep breathing called paced respiration have been shown in small research studies to be helpful. So keep taking those slow deep breaths. When added with meditation time or yoga it can become quite fun, relaxing, healthy, and can get rid of some of those unwanted mini-tropical vacations.

Chemotherapy causes nausea, weakness and hair loss. Certainly challenging enough to manage during cancer treatment. Add to that hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and cold flashes, a clammy feeling, sporadic rapid heart beat, irritability, mood swings, sudden tears, insomnia, fatigue, feelings of anxiety, dread, apprehension, difficulty concentrating, disorientation and mental confusion, and you have chemo-induced menopause. For premenopausal women who are diagnosed with cancer, chemo-induced menopause comes quickly, without warning. There are no years of perimenopause, where symptoms of menopause begin to ease their way, wispy and whispery, into a woman’s consciousness, signaling change is ahead. No, with chemo-induced menopause, a woman is pushed into a dive off a cliff, praying on the way down she can remember form and have the ability to swim.

Sue Richards blogs personal perspective and experience at My Menopause Blog, on how to punctuate life without a period. Her daily life is simple and rich, a complexity of moments she weaves into a story of continuum worth telling. From hot flashes to life stages, men and menopause, menopause fashion and menopause news, Richards is authentic at all times, sharing inherent confusion and insight into one of the most significant stations in the journey of a woman's life. My Menopause blog, in being all about the menopause phases, of transition and transformation, in all the quirky moments of getting from here to there, and hot flashes in between, is a welcome respite and repose, an oasis of charm in wit and wisdom for women.

 Minnie Pauz offers Minnie Moments and humor replacement therapy - her version of HRT. Power Surge, in its 13th year online, is a warm and caring community for women in menopause. Power Surge was created by Alice Lotto Stamm, better known by the online persona, "Dearest," a name given her by a friend who installed her first AOL software.

Women are intuitive in knowing it's best not to travel alone, and building community leads to healing. The station after menopause is an arrival into the mystical circle of wisewomen, the gatekeepers of community. The journey through menopause a challenge in time of life changes. For chemo-induced menopause, a challenge of life changes defying the natural designs of time.