What do I do about my cat in heat?

I've had a cat for the past 8 years - since she was a kitten. I tried to do the responsible thing and get her spayed when she was just a few months old, but she had a bad reaction to the anesthetic and the vet couldn't do the surgery. So I've just dealt with it every time she goes into heat. For the past couple of days she's having one that is particularly intense, and is driving everybody crazy. She screams all night and keeps everyone awake, insists on being right on top of someone every second of the day, and every time I open a door she runs in and hides somewhere. (I've had to pull her out of the back corner of my closet at least a dozen times over the past couple of days). Is there anything I can do to make her more comfortable, and keep the rest of us from going insane, until this pes? And while we're on the subject, I've noticed that she doesn't go into heat as often as she used to. Is that because she's getting old? Do cats eventually go through menopause?