Surprising Info About Hot Flashes

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]Well, it's Wednesday and we got the one and only Dr. MJ Collier in the building to answer all of your medical questions.

[00:00:05]Dr. Collier, good morning. We are happy to have you.

[00:00:08]>> Good morning, Ricky Smiley.

[00:00:11]What's the situation with the deep fried Alfredo's and the brat? Thank you, Ricky, for the opportunity to bring health care information to the listeners of the Ricky Smiley Morning Show. How are you this morning?

[00:00:22]>> Man, blessed and highly favored, man.

[00:00:24]Cold is gone. I fought it off, treated the symptoms, and I feel great.

[00:00:30]>> Well, absolutely. That's what we want to hear, my friend. So, Ricky, our topic this morning is vasomotor symptoms or hot flashes in women. Yes, it's getting hot in here.

[00:00:40]Perimenopause is now recognized as a symptomatic time that has onset before actual menopause. Now, menopause is defined as a woman not having a menstrual cycle for at least 1 year.

[00:00:50]>> Uh-huh.

[00:00:50]>> Now, for many years, and as long as I've been practicing medicine, Ricky, we've have been told hot flashes were a temporary nuisance >> [clears throat] >> lasting no more than a few years. So, they did a study. They just completed a study called the SWAN study, S W A N study, on women's health across the nation.

[00:01:08]>> Finally.

[00:01:08]>> This study included Asian, African-American, Latino, and white women, which revised this understanding completely. The study tracked women across the menopausal transition from early to late menopause. The purpose was to study the duration of the symptoms, particularly hot flashes, and how long they actually last. And, Ricky, the results were amazing.

[00:01:30]In Asian women, the the symptoms will last at least 5 years. In white women, the hot flashes persist for approximately 7 years. In Latino women, about 8 years. But, in black women, 10-plus years. That that is absolutely incredible. And one of the reasons that, you know, you can have uh in those symptoms for so long, it causes other problems. So, there are clinical consequences that exceed well beyond just not feeling comfortable, just having problems with sweating and and having difficulty sleeping. So, severity and duration of vasomotor symptoms of hot flashes are independently associated with increased cardiovascular risk, heart attack, strokes, and dementia. So, we know that black women are predisposed to those disease states >> [music] >> again due to the inflammation. The inflammation causing those symptoms.

[00:02:17]They disproportionately affect black [music] women. So, the menopausal transition for this population just a brief inconvenience but prolonged physiologic stress states with measurable downstream morbidity. That's not good. Best treatment options, of course, especially pharmaceuticals react differently. Different medications >> [music] >> react differently in different racial setups. So, black women may respond to a medicine different than a white woman or an Asian woman. We We have realized this. That's called pharmacokinetics.

[00:02:47][music] So, there's a drug called Paxil that's actually for anxiety and depression.

[00:02:52]It's the only medication that's non-hormonal that was approved for vasomotor symptoms prior to that, but they it demonstrated clearly that it [music] worked differently in women across different genetic spectrums. So, also other characteristics, women who smoke, women with comorbid diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, women that were skinny or women that were obese. So, you got different responses to that. [music] So, the traditional and the best therapy, of course, is hormonal replacement with estrogen. But, women often cite breast cancer and other cancers as a deterrent. They don't want to take that risk or they are susceptible to that because of their genetic structure, so they can't take estrogen. So, they got two new class two new drugs in this new class that will work with that specifically and they respond and treat the symptoms of hot flashes and problems with sleep. So, there we have it, Ricky. So, this is affecting and always will affect any woman you know, as they age they'll get to it, but it starts younger than we thought and it lasts longer than we thought.

[00:03:51]>> All right, let's go to the phones. You You're on with Dr. Collier. Good morning.

[00:03:55]>> Hi. I was calling because the question I had is my grandmother is 80 years old and she was diagnosed with IBD, which is um inflammatory bowel disease.

[00:04:09]And um at the age of 80, I was trying to see is there anything that she can do far as like natural type remedies because she is on a lot of different medication and the symptoms that she's having is that she's losing a lot of weight.

[00:04:28]>> She's having difficulty digesting the food and absorbing the calories cuz it's running right through her basically. Her primary symptom is probably diarrhea.

[00:04:35]So, with that diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease, uh there are newer treatments that are available. They are biologics that treat those symptoms. Every other commercial you're watching, if you're watching any of the basketball finals, is about these type of drugs. They are very effective, but at age 80, I would want to start with something natural as well. So, the problem is inflammation of the of the colon large intestines. I would start off with probiotics.

[00:05:01]Probiotics, God's gift to GI health that will calm down inflammation. And also, I would add an omega-3 oil, either vitamin D or flaxseed oil or even olive oil.

[00:05:10]Very good. A teaspoon of olive oil every day will help calm down that gut. So, I would be, you know, concerned about giving that kind of medication to an 80-year-old as well uh because it lowers the immune system function. So, it makes you more susceptible to diseases. And if you she's already made it to 80, she's got other things that are you know, basically controlled or she wouldn't be 80 years old. But, you know, at that point she's at high risk for pneumonia.

[00:05:34]I have had several patients pass recently from pneumonia that are in that age group. So, it's out there and it continues to be a risk factor. So, natural things, omega-3 fish oil and probiotics will give her some GI benefit.

[00:05:47]>> All right, real quick. You're on with Dr. Collier. Good morning.

[00:05:49]>> Yes, I have a a pain in my lower back and I want to know um what's going on with my lower back.

[00:05:56]>> Okay, number one complaint of most people by the time they're in their fourth decade is low back pain. Number one complaint at doctor's offices for African-American women.

[00:06:05]You have what I call the black woman blessing. And that's a uh uh uh uh prominent buttocks and thighs. And what that prominent buttock does is sway your back and put stress on your lower back.

[00:06:16]So, you have to be very conscientious about doing range of motion exercises to keep that back straight. You need to sleep on your back with some support in your lumbar area. And it doesn't have to be anything more glorified than a towel folded in half and then rolled into a tube. You put that under your back and sleep on your back. If you sleep on your sides, your the sides of your hips will rock and torque your lower back causing stress. Then, you go from one side to the other seeking comfort and you can't sleep so you become I'm chronically sleep deprived which makes you ornery and angry and then you got low back pain, too. So, that's just a hard hard situation to be in.

[00:06:52]But again, I call it the black woman's blessing. But hips and thighs.

[00:06:56]>> So, Dr. Collier, what about the what about the pellets? Uh what about the uh cuz we were in here the women were talking about >> Oh, yeah.

[00:07:02]>> What what >> Oh, the pellet is is is the greatest treatment going. That is hormonal replacement therapy and it is natural and so you can women can get the uh the pellet. I do the pellet here in my office and it is uh amazingly enough, I I have probably an equal number of men and women get it.

[00:07:18]Men get it for other reason Yes, but there are what I call there's menopause for women, there's manopause for men.

[00:07:25]So, men go through hormonal changes, too. I was having hot flashes last night. I wasn't sure whether it was due to red wine or whether uh I'm just sitting in the bed fanning. And I told my wife, I said, "Look, I can't sleep."

[00:07:36]I had to throw the cover off, you know, so it can happen. It can happen. So, yeah, but uh pelleting uh is something that I highly recommend. It is It is It's not as as quiet as it has been. It was a well-kept secret. That technology has been around since the '60s, Brett.

[00:07:51]>> Wow.

[00:07:51]>> But, we didn't hear about it. You know, but with the onset of the internet and things like that, now people are learning about it and and the conversation's being had in beauty shops and women are talking to each other, "Do you know about the pellet?" The first time I had a patient that came to me with it, it was a man.

[00:08:05]>> Hold on. Hold on.

[00:08:06]>> looking amazingly good, all right?

[00:08:07]>> Hold that th- Hold that thought. All that uh more your uh more your uh your uh your your your questions and more your answers coming up with the one and only Dr. MJ Collier on the other side.

[00:08:19]It's Wake Up in the Morning Show. Then, we're going straight to the calls.

[00:08:22]>> We were talking about uh bioidentical hormone replacement. I freeze. Go ahead.

[00:08:26]>> No, we were talking about pellets and and how to use them and, you know, how they work. Are they efficient?

[00:08:32]They They get put in your butt or something, right?

[00:08:35]>> They get put in your in your uh butt above the sitting area. It's a minor surgical procedure. It takes about 15 minutes, and there's no recovery time. I mean, you you lay on the table, I put them in, you get right up, and you go about your business. The only thing you can't do, it has a dressing on it that's like a Saran wrap, and it's water-resistant, not waterproof. So, you can take a shower, you can't take a bath, can't go in the ocean, can't go to the beach for a week. After that, you good. And uh this is the greatest therapy going. It is the therapy is actually called bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, but it's done with [music] pellets. Each pellet is about the size of a grain of rice, and uh I put as few as one pellet in people, I put as many as 14. Uh it just depends on uh you know, what you need. And uh so, it replaces whatever your neurohormonal needs are. It is the fountain of youth.

[00:09:22]This is the greatest therapy going. And so, everybody that knows about it wants it. Everybody's got it. Uh you know, don't want to ever come off of it, and you don't. Once you've been on it, you stay on it until you're 90 years old at the same dose. The dose never changes.

[00:09:34]>> All right.

[00:09:35]>> I heard it's from a plant source.

[00:09:36][music] Is that true? Like, cuz that makes me want to do it cuz healthier, maybe.

[00:09:40]>> Yes. Yes. But, it's still estrogen. Uh it it can be estrogen. Doesn't have to be estrogen. It depends on what your needs are. But, uh yeah, but the pellet is a great, highly recommended. I have uh I've gotten the pellets myself. And my wife has gotten them as well. And so, it's a fountain of youth, no doubt.

[00:09:55]People that are tired People see me They say, "Dr. Collier, you aging backwards."

[00:09:58]I say, "Yeah, Benjamin Button."

[00:09:59]But, that [laughter] I had to give that pellet real credit for it.

[00:10:03]>> I got a couple of pellets that'll get you into your nineties.

[00:10:06]>> Broderick, Broderick, Mr. Collier. Excuse me. Broderick, calm down.

[00:10:09]>> Hey.

[00:10:10]>> [laughter] >> Got him.

[00:10:12]Got real quiet.

[00:10:16]Go ahead, doc. Go ahead, Dr. Collier.

[00:10:17]>> Uh yo, what up, Dr. Collier? Good morning.

[00:10:19]>> So, my son has severe eczema, and he has been on Dupixent and other shots. I'm going to go ahead and ask the doctor, what are some other options that are non-steroidal or either biologic that can help his skin?

[00:10:32]>> Okay, there are some non-steroidal skin products that because steroids can make black skin uh white It can lighten it up. And you get you know, those patches with no pigmentation. And once that happens, it is incapable of being pigmented. So, he'll always have those light spots. So, that's why I don't like to use steroidal creams in African-Americans. There are non-steroidal options. But again, the problem is usually from inside out. He needs to have blood allergy testing to see what he's allergic to. Often times, it's a food product. But, the blood allergy test tests you for uh you know, grasses, pollen, trees, everything that's in the area that you live in. It also tests you for indoor allergies and outdoor allergies, everything from dogs and cats to milk and peanuts. So, it is incredible how once you become aware of what that is because it doesn't require you You don't have to break out in hives or anything. But, it just be causing a allergic reaction that makes your skin manifest itself as itchy itchy eczema.

[00:11:25]So, don't put Vaseline on it. That makes it look better, but it's really uh makes it more inflamed. Uh keep the skin well moisturized, use some vitamin E as [music] an epsilon oil uh on it to keep it moisturized and then a nonsteroidal uh anti-inflammatory and then a probiotic. Probiotics I recommend under any circumstances that helps so much with eczema symptoms.

[00:11:46]>> All right, gentlemen. Dr. Carley, good morning.

[00:11:48]>> Yes, my question is how do I handle my sciatica issues after doing the chiropractor and other methods? Is there anything like holistic alternative?

[00:12:01]>> Uh, yeah, acupuncture works real good.

[00:12:03]There are some uh electrostimulations that can handle it as well. Uh, maintaining a good body weight is key.

[00:12:10]Every 10 lbs you lose, you take 40 lbs of pressure off your lower back and knees. So, very important that you uh in decent shape and then range of motion exercises on a regular basis. I have found that exercises like yoga and tai chi can change your whole sciatica life.

[00:12:27]But, sciatica and low back pain is chronic. It's a curse and you need to do, you know, those things that necessary to keep your back as strong as possible. The last The last option is surgical. Most people don't benefit long-term from the surgery. And once you have had the surgery, now you're married to the doctor that did it because nobody else will want to touch your back after it's been operated on by somebody else.

[00:12:49]So, you don't want surgery. And they have found long-term studies that physical therapy uh gives a longer better outcome under those circumstances.

[00:12:58]>> Oh, that's good information, Dr. Carley.

[00:13:00]Let everybody know how you could be reached real quick.

[00:13:02]>> Ricky, tonight tonight tonight, Facebook live, Instagram live. Go to AskDrMJ on all social media and tune in because tonight our special guest, Don Warner, executive director of MJ Holistic Society, will be talking about autoimmune diseases and myasthenia gravis, lupus, Sjogren's syndrome, and all of those things that disproportionately affect African Americans. Log on to subscribe to my YouTube channel AskDrMJ tonight, 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. And go to my official website, lifebodynaturals.com, where you will find information on various supplements. Follow me at Ask Dr. MJ on all social media platforms, and remember, these are the opinions of Dr. MJ Collier, not those of Ricky Smiley, the Ricky Smiley Morning Show cast, or E Production Crew. Stick Stay. Don't you dare go away. You're listening to Dr. MJ on the Ricky Smiley Morning Show.