Hot Flash Havoc

By Heidi Houston –

Like many a first time film makers, I became passionate about a subject, in this case Menopause. I knew that a documentary needed to be made about a subject that is misrepresented, misconstrued by many and just taboo to talk about because women don’t want other people thinking that they are getting old.

The media has really done a job on convincing women that they are only viable if they look like a 30 year old. Women need to know that they are just beginning what may be the most important years of their lives – they have wisdom, beauty, experience and freedom as they begin their Second Act.

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I had a little different experience with menopause as I let a doctor put me unknowingly into early menopause and my life became “Hell”. I spent three years going to 6 doctors and a woman’s clinic trying to find answers to symptoms that are not normally associated with menopause. The doctor’s all wanted to put me on a different medication and not one of them ever looked at me as a whole woman and how the symptoms interrelated.

I finally went to a lecture at a health symposium and heard a wonderful doctor speak about menopause and why women know nothing and doctors know nothing. She started listing the many symptoms that are not normally associated with menopause like mine; chronic joint pain, depression, headaches, dry eyes, no energy and heart palpitations and how doctors were just giving women prescriptions for each symptom instead of looking at what was causing the symptoms…Menopause.

Some women are on as many as 11 different medications for menopausal symptoms. So as I was searching for answers over these three years, my quality of life was miserable, my children hated me and most of my office was quitting.

After the lecture, I asked this doctor why no one had any answers and why every doctor wanted to treat me with a different medication. She said it was because women and doctors don’t know this information primarily because the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) a government study was misinforming everyone on the hormone portion of the study. So I asked her what needed to be done. She said, “Someone needs to make a documentary.” I said, “I will make a documentary if you will see me next week.” She first said she was booked four months out. She took a closer look at me and said “Oh dear you are in real distress.” and she caved and set up an appointment for me the following week.

That appointment and HRT treatments changed my life and within 10 days my joint pain of three years was gone, no more heart palpitations, headaches gone, my energy was back, I was sleeping all night and I felt like the woman I had been 4 years previous. I really knew that these changes were important when my 13 year old son said to me. “Mom I don’t know where you have been, but I am glad you are back.” Right then and there I knew I had to make this documentary.

We set out to get information out to women in an entertaining, humorous and serious way, so that women can become they own health care advocate. Also we wanted them to seek out doctors that specialize in this important time of their life because this is our Second Act and we still have a lot to accomplish and do not want to end up in nursing homes as we age. Women need to have the answers to staying vertical, alert and sexual into our 80’s and 90’s and this movie informs women of choices.

The award winning film, HOT FLASH HAVOC, which has been called “VITAL and ENLIGHTENING” by the Los Angeles Times, “Entertaining… Laugh-Out-Loud Funny… and The First Film to Address the Issue of Menopause Head On” by NBC Health News, and “A Must See for Every Woman” by the Society For Women’s Health Research in Washington, D.C., has been seen by thousands of women and men during its limited theatrical release, and now, through online distribution and with your help, it has the potential to reach millions.

We got sponsors and showed the film through women’s health organizations and hospitals through special events and film festivals across the US. We won the national AASECT award for best film, from counselors, experts and therapists. We produced this film with no funds from pharmaceutical companies only through private individuals that were interested in women’s health. We opened DVD sales on our site and are just now opening worldwide with digital streaming that we control.

We post research information on our site to keep women informed and list the worldwide experts that participated. So Visit WWW.HOTFLASHHAVOC.COM to buy DVD or rent the film.

Heidi Houston, Executive Producer

HOT FLASH HAVOC

www.hotflashhavoc.com

Streaming now online or Buy the DVD

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