Can Coconut Oil Alleviate Hot Flashes?: A Personal Experiment

 

 

      

      On July 27, 2015 at 12 P.M., "a day and time that will live in infamy", I had one of the most dramatic experiences of my life – my Menopausal phase of life, that is. I discovered the positive effects of Coconut oil on hot flashes, (and several other symptoms associated with both Menopause AND Fibroids).

About 8 hours prior.....

 

     Around 2:30 A.M.,I'd finally gotten home from a long stressful night, and my frustration was over the top. As I tried to eat and relax before going to bed, my flashes were fiercely coming in waves every 20 or 30 minutes! All I could do was pace up and down my apartment with a damp cloth in hand and continuously wipe myself down. I couldn't even finish my late dinner/early breakfast because every time I would sit down to take a few bites, I would begin sweating. I felt as though I had an incinerator inside of my body, and the profuse sweating was unbearable. I was exhausted and miserable. Intense and constant hot flashes during the day, with night sweats that left me swimming in my bed,  anxiety, insomnia,  low physical  energy level, and mental fogginess ( which began to get out of control to the point where it was affecting my job performance). I was in a state of all-around low.

      Out of frustration, I got on the computer and feverishly searched for some herbal remedy to this Menopausal heat/tidal wave. I began to search for “natural things to cure hot flashes”. However, I soon realized that I should be looking for “natural things to balance hormones”. After all, the hot flashes were symptoms. I needed to get to the source, which centered on the thyroid gland. This gland regulates the release of various hormones in the body. In the case of Uterine Fibroids and Menopause, the production of estrogen is too much, or too little. After a few moments, a surprising result appeared with over six hundred, thousand results – Coconut oil. It seemed to be the 'Go-to Guy' to make a body feel good.

 

Noted benefits of Coconut oil for symptoms of Menoupause included:

• Support of healthy thyroid function – many women with Uterine Fibroids and those going through Menoupause frequently suffer with hypo/hyperthyroidism.
• High Lauric acid and MCFA (medium chain fatty acids) content helps boost metabolism – the fat from Coconut oil is used by the cells for energy, as opposed to being deposited on our bellies and thighs.
• Used as a natural personal lubricant that won’t disturb vaginal flora (Vitamin E oil works well, too)
• Facilitates weight loss due to ability to regulate blood sugar levels.
• Improves sleep when taken daily.
• Increases absorption of Calcium and Magnesium (which is important in maintaining bone strength, and maintaining metabolic functions as estrogen levels drop during Menopause).
• The 'good' fats in coconut oil have been found to help with depression and anxiety (a classic trait of Menopause, sometimes indicating the possible onset of Adrenal Fatigue)
• Increases circulation.
• Increases mental alertness when taken daily.
  (partial list courtesy of http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/)

       I was sold on Coconut oil (and still sweating), and luckily all I had to do was walk into the bathroom and grab my Extra Virgin, Unrefined, Organic Coconut oil off of the counter. I had already been using this stuff for my body, hair and teeth (oil pulling, natural toothpaste). But, I guess since I didn't cook with it I didn't make any connections with benefits from taking Coconut oil internally.

      I took one healthy teaspoon, and went to bed at 5 A.M. When I arose at 12 P.M., I was like a Phoenix, reborn, brighter and better than ever! Actually, I felt like my 'old' self again.  I sat up in bed, and looked around. The first thing I noticed was that I had on the same T-shirt that I put on when going to bed. Also, my sheets were the same. I came to realize with a smile on my face that I didn't move out of my bed at all during the course of my slumber.....and the fact that I had even slept through the night for (roughly) seven hours straight was a miracle in and of itself. I had no night sweats during the course of the night! I was comfortable and cool, and completely overjoyed. So much so, that I ran to call my Dad to tell him about it. Of course, calling one's Father to discuss symptoms of Menopause is not the norm. But both my Mom and Dad have been with me on my journey with healing my Uterine Fibroids, and, since the onset of Perimenopause within the last two years, they've come to know about the additional changes my body is going through. I must say, they have been a great support.

      From the time I had awakened until about 6 hours later, I noticed that I hadn't had 1 hot flash. It wasn't until I went to meet a friend around 7:30 P.M. that I felt one swell up. It wasn't as intense as those the morning before, and I had moderate perspiration. There were 3 more during the course of the rest of the evening, all moderate with a bit of beading on my brow. Once I arrived home, I located a small note pad and began making documentations. I decided to do a personal, thirty-day experiment in taking the Coconut oil to see some longer-term, consistent effects.

      This is my third attempt (by the way) in having to resort to something (different) to alleviate my hot flashes. The first time they occurred, I used Iodine, or more specifically, Liquid Kelp. That worked fine, and the flashes dissipated, to the point of disappearing. After a few months of freedom from the profuse sweating, the flashes started again, and were fast and furious both day and night. Vitamin D3 did the trick the second time. Several months went by, and I noticed something happening around February of 2015. However, the frequency and intensity built up slowly, and lingered at that pace until May.....then they started again.....and were hitting fast, and furiously, from May until the referenced date above, July 27. 2015.

 A Personal Experiment with Coconut Oil

Hypothesis: Can Coconut Oil Diminish/Alleviate Hot Flashes?

Patient Profile – Female, Age 48, diagnosed with Uterine Fibroids (since 2011), and experiencing Perimenopausal symptoms to include hot flashes/night sweats.

Additional symptoms suffered: Insomnia, anxiety, lack of mental stamina and alertness, fatigue, high cortisol levels.

Experiment dates: July 27, 2015 to August 27, 2015 (and weekly notations through December 31, 2015.

Resource used: Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Unrefined

                                                            
                                                     Experiment Log

July 27, 2015: Took 1 tsp. of Coconut oil at 5 A.M., awoke at 12 P.M.

Results:

• I was able to sleep through the night for the first time in weeks.
• There were no feelings of hot flashes for up to seven hours. Three hot flashes recorded after seven hours, with less intensity and moderate sweating (didn't have to run to a bathroom, strip and wipe myself down).
• Experienced 3 to 5 hot flashes before going to bed by 1:30 A. M., all spaced out with frequency of one to two per hour, or less.
   

July 28, 2015:

• I began regimen of taking Coconut oil in the morning before leaving for work, and doing it consistently between 930 A.M. And 10 A.M. Everyday.
• I slept soundly through the night a second time. By about 5:30 A.M. I began to feel warm. I pulled the covers back, and did deep breathing exercises as I sat up in bed. The sweating was moderate, but I didn't have to change night clothes. I was able to return to sleep for another 3 hours.
• Feelings of excitement and high energy as I headed to work. I felt as though a weight had been lifted from my body.
• I gauged the intensity of hot flashes while at work, and they were mild, and passed quickly. During a 5 hour period at work, I had experienced 3 to 4 hot flashes.
• Frequency and severity of hot flashes seemed to dissipate quickly (48-hours since first table-spoon).
• Feelings of normalcy began to settle in.

July 30, 2015 – August 5, 2015

• During this time period, I recorded noticing that I wasn't in a mental funk, and that I hadn't been anxious like before. It occurred to me while I was driving in traffic. I wasn't stressing, although I knew I would be late for work. I was calm, no heart palpitations, it was wonderful!
• In addition, several co-workers noticed I wasn't breaking out into hot flashes while working as I had done prior to taking the Coconut oil. It was to the point where some of them even noticed that I wasn't running to the walk-in freezer to cool off, or hiding in an empty dining room to disrobe and dry off in front of an air conditioning vent. When the co-workers and Management started making comments, I knew the Coconut oil was kicking butt with the hot flashes.
• At this time, my overall outlook was more positive, and I just felt really good. I also began telling other women in forums and within my Social Media circles of the results I had been getting from the Coconut oil. I informed them of my thirty-day experiment, and suggested to those who were still complaining of hot flashes to try the oil for at least 7 days (I am currently coordinating research to get feedback from other women who have tried Coconut oil for hot flashes/Menopause symptoms. If this works for enough people, more research can be done, and Coconut oil may be used formally in the healing process for Menopausal AND Uterine Fibroid symptoms).

August 6 to August 18:

• During this time period, my documentation becomes pretty scanty. Why? Because all I have recorded is that I am not having any more hot flashes. It has come to the point that I can barely tell when I'm having a flash. Due to the constant temperature changes at work, I seem to go in and out of hot and cold patches. If I think I'm having a flash, I just verify with the people around me, and ask “Are you hot too? Or, is it just me?' As a matter of fact, my sweating reduced so much, that I noticed I was barely sweating at all, especially on active nights. I thought it to be so funny - everyone else around me would sweat, but my sweat glands seemed to dry up (by comparison).
• My mood was up, energy levels were high, the World was a beautiful place , and I was able to enjoy it fully, again.

August 19 – August 31, 2015:

• I continued to enjoy complete comfort, and went for days without having a semblance of a hot flash. During this period, I reduced the amount of Coconut oil taken daily from 1 tsp. to half of a teaspoon.
• On August 23, I was able to actually feel a hot flash come about, but it was a slight warming sensation that lasted less than a minute. I did not even perspire. Two nights later, I felt the same right before dawn. It was more obvious, as I was sleeping in an air conditioned room. The same thing happened: I sat up in bed, just waited, and the flash went away in less than a minute (I timed it). I didn't even do any deep breathing, it disappeared to quickly.

September, 2015 – I had no extraordinary occurrences of hot flashes to document. The frequency of a hot flash was down to one, every-so-often. They came so infrequently, that I forgot about them.

October, 2015 – No notations of symptoms made. Hot flashes have left the building, and I am sleeping longer than 5 hours. There is also noticeable increase in libido, and decrease in vaginal dryness.

November, 2015 – No notations of hot flash symptoms made, still feeling good, still sleeping more than 5 hours. However, bed mate is running from me because I can't seem to get enough sex. I must admit that I have not felt like this in over a year. Its as if my hormones are out of control!

December 31, 2015 – No notations of hot flash symptoms made, except to commit to taking half of a teaspoon of oil every morn, as I go forward in the New Year (I may also have to replace my bed mate if he fails to keep up!).

January 26, 2016 – Before, and up to the time I've made this post, I have only recorded 3 hot flashes within the last 2 weeks, with all three occurring at or around dawn. They were all mild, lasted less than a minute, and there wasn't even a hint of perspiration.

***Bed Mate update – After suggesting drinking green smoothies in the morn to my mate, over the last three weeks, things have been lookin' up! :)

                                                         Conclusion

       Based on the evidence from my personal, thirty-day trial of taking Coconut oil to diminish/alleviate hot flashes, the hypothetical is affirmed: Coconut oil does work to improve hot flash symptoms of Menopause, and has shown to improve other related symptoms, as well.

(Disclaimer: This blog and the contents therein are meant for informational purposes only, and does not claim to diagnose or cure any medical affliction. The information is subjective to the author and her experiences. Before you take Coconut oil, please consult your Doctor or Medical Professional. This blog takes no responsibility for the actions of any readers.)

Happy Health!

 

K