When I had my stroke 13 months ago I had to stop using HRT patches. I suffer from stroke fatigue but also hot flushes & sleeplessness at night. I can fall asleep through the day due to the stroke but wake up many times in the night ( too hot). I've persevered with fans & 'cold' pillows. I've tried not napping through the day ( doesn't help me sleep at night & in fact makes both my cognitive post-stroke issues & the stroke fatigue worse).
I assume there must be many ladies, like me, trying to deal with both post stroke and menopausal issues at the same time. Are there herbal remedies that are safe to take for stroke patients? Do any of you have any suggestions? The meds I am on for stroke are rivaroxaban & atorvastatin. I asked my GP but they didn't know.
Hi Fiona. I was on HRT tablets (Premarin) when I had my stroke. I had been on it for 27 yrs due to a hysterectomy in my 30's. I was 65 when I had my stroke and they said that the HRT was the reason I had one as I was fit and healthy, non s moker, non drinker and not overweight or stressed. Apparently your chances of having a stroke over the age of 65 on HRT are 1 in 10. I was immediately taken off it cold turkey so you can image the outcome! Dealing with a stroke is bad enough but coping with being taken off HRT without weaning off was horrendous.
There are a lot of herbal remedies which react with statins and BP tablets etc. My Practice Nurse suggested I try Red Clover as this wouldn't re-act with what I was on. At that time, I was on Clopidogrel (on aspirin now), Rosuvastatin (no longer taking statins) and Perondpril BP tablets. I am now 2 and a half yrs post stroke so midway through menopause. My GP said it would take 5 yrs :( I still get the odd hot flush but other than that, everything seems to have settled down nicely. I found filling hot water botttles with ice cold water helped me a lot and wet flannels at the ready if I got the dreaded night sweats.
I have never used patches so I'm afraid I don't know how these will react with herbals but your chemist will tell you. They won't sell you it if it will cause problems but you have to be honest with them obviously about what you take ;) I didn't bother with the Red Clover myself but some people say it does help. Worth a try if you can take it. Good luck!
Hi, thanks for replying. I have also been cold turkey since the stroke & I often think the symptoms of both become muddled. The HRT patches were great, seemed to suit me, but stopped as soon as I had the stroke. I'll look into the red clover. My stroke was due to atrial fibrillation, at 56. I still get palpitations, had various monitors but nothing showing - I wonder if menopause related rather than stroke - who knows! I'll just be grateful to be on the other side of all this. I have the bedroom window open even when the wind is blowing a hoolie. I just would love to have a full night of sleep. All the best to you :)