How Long Will My Hot Flashes Last?

A decisive answer to this unfortunately would require a crystal ball; and I don’t have one!  You might get some guidance from your family history; the pattern of menopause is often similar in mothers and daughters, and to some extent in sisters. 
Some women get hot flashes as an early indicator of menopause, some never do.  In some women, they last for weeks, in others, months.  In some, they can- believe it or not- last years.  But that’s where the bad news ends. 
Hot flashes, or flushes, when they do occur are the result of a sudden decline in estrogen levels.  Among its many effects, estrogen stimulates receptors in cells that line blood vessels, and helps regulate blood flow.  If the loss of that supervisory influence does result in hot flushes, it can be replaced in a number of ways.  There are many commercially available hormone replacement preparations and in general, short term use of these for symptom control is both safe and reasonable, although only your doctor can say in your personal case.  Bioidentical hormones may be safer still.