hi Liz,

About 7 yrs. ago, I went through a (temporary) medically-induced menopause, for endometriosis. Within 48 hrs of the first injection, I was having hot flashes. Hooo boy! Was it me, or was it hot in here? ... ... For the most part, it was unpleasant, but tolerable -- anything was better than before. Probably what interfered with my life the most was the night sweats. That was a REAL problem.

At that time, there wasn't all the information about soy and phytoestrogens. What I did find helpful was Dong Quai (root) capsules. It didn't prevent the hot flashes from ever happening, but they definitely decreased in frequency and duration....... and the night sweats lessened too. Hopefully your symptoms are happening in response to the abrupt cessation of HRT, and will disappear as your body adjusts.

Evening Primrose Oil (also Borage Oil) is a source of gamma linoleic acid (GLA). Anecdotal reports suggest it's helpful and may have estrogen-like effects. On the other hand, for a lot less money, the body can manufacture its own GLA from linoleic acid, which is abundant in --- ta dah -- FLAX oil (and the ground, unheated seed)

The Meno supplement is derived from brown rice bran, I do believe. Rich in isoflavone and a small amount of linoleic acid. Similar to the soy isoflavones -- it just seems that most of the studies and research have focused on soy. Alfalfa is also rich in isoflavones and conveniently lowcarb ..

Speaking of lowcarb, the diet should also be helpful in preventing any blood sugar swings that could trigger hot flashes. Just make sure to get enough protein.

Here's an excellent site I came across in my search for information. http://www.menopause-online.com/index.html lots of REAL advice, not just doctorspeak for "HRT or nothing" -- there's up-to-date articles, naturopathy and accesss to Medline research.

Hope there's something helpful for you ..

Doreen