Ibs or perimenopause

Thanks Karen that does help.. poxy anxiety getting the better of me again. Hope you're coping with it all now.. x

I suffer with health anxiety to, it's a awful thing but I started CBT therapy last week and I must say after just one session I feel loads better, second session tomorrow. Take care I know it's hard but you will get there in the end xx

Hi Julie I've been the same as you. I'm also on beta blockers and HRT patches but I've started CBT for my health anxiety and I must admit it's settled down a lot this week, first time in about 10 monthes. So just taking one beta blocker a day instead of two and three xx

Hi Karen, sorry to hear that, what a nightmare! Do you have panic attacks? Mine have stopped thanks to the betablockers but i still get bad anxiety each time i have palpitations like tonight, out of nowhere, scares me to death.do you take anything else for your anxiety? Ive started with cbt, had 1 session tuesday, had a good tuesday and today, not needed a diazepam till the palpitations n fear kicked im tonight. So disappointed cos id done well using the mindfulness techniques, living in the moment, keeping busy to stop anxious thoughts, positive thinking. I take the sertraline at night, am always anxious in the morning then till about 2pm then it lifts through the afternoon and i feel quite normal by the evening. So really disappointing tonight after having a good couple of days. I have big hoped fir the CBT, its helped so far but just need to conquer this fear when i get palpitations. Theyre being investigated....i had 2 normal ECGs, the last one showed slight anomoly to do with the atria but doctor said she didnt understand it!! Had a holter monitor on for 3 days...no palps to record! Palps increased when i went up to 100 sertraline so doc advised me to come down to 75 and got another ECG on 21st to make sure meds not affecting heart rhythm. How has the meno affected you? It helps to hear similar stories, anything that helps reduce our anxiety is good! x

Hi julie and Karen, thanks so much for your comments it does help to know you're not alone. Unfortunately cbt didn't work for me but I'm seeing a neuropsychologist tomorrow to see if that helps as I have ms too.

I also seem to be burping a lot lol and sometimes my tummy makes strange noises like nobody's business do you both get this too.. by the way I'm on the mini pill so my periods have been irregular ( really really heavy one last summer tho ) but hit and miss at mo.. I asked doc to do blood test to see if I'm in perimenopause but he says it's not very accurate at my age ( 43) but that I could be going through it.

Ps you're right health anxiety is a horrible thing to go through and I know that anxiety alone can also make you nauseas too so ibs on top can make it difficult to say what's what lol

Best wishes to you both tho and thanks again keep up the cbt, obv works for you. X

Ps I swear by meditation and mindfullness plus I'm on 100mg sertraline too abdcthe odd beta blocker x

Thanks Sharon, i am glad you have the meds now and your docs not made you wait till 14 mths after periods stopped to test for meno and prescribe. At xnas i got to the stage of looping panic attacks even through the night, i was hardly sleeping for days on end. The BBs have sorted that and soon got my sleep pattern back, but its just the palps now that throw me into this state of intense fear. Yes i have had the burping priblem for 2 yrs, the last year almost daily. Tested to rule out allsorts, so i guess its ibs, but no follow up so i just buy gaviscon. Yes my stomach can be very loud!

Hi Julie yes I have panick attacks but like you with the beta blockers I'm fine. I'm not on any other meds as they set my stomach reflux off real bad. I haven't had a period for 10 years but the menapause only started about 2 years ago and what a nightmare it's been. It's what as set my health anxiety and panick attacks off. I get really bad hot flushes day and night and dizziness. I am on HRT patches and they have helped but I'm hoping the CBT we'll work better for me. Take care x

Hi julie, oh yes I've been on ad for years but only recently gone over to sertraline and beta blockers, I still need to get advice from my doc with regards to ibs and menopause but I remember him saying before when I suggested that I may be going through it that the blood test isn't accurate at my age.. and my tummy can be loud too even if I haven't eaten much. Have you tried charcoal tabs? And quick question please, do your ibs symptoms last for days at a time as this is the longest bout I've had ( 5 days and now have the diarrreah :-( sorry too much info lol ) in the past it's only lasted a day or two.

I don't have lots of palps tho like you so I do feel for you x

Hi Karen, yes its harder than Id ever imagined. The worst part is doctors not being able to say its all menopause related, so we end up with loads of testing, waiting for results, increasing anxiety. Do you get palpitations too? X

Hi Sharon, i guess when my stomach first started playing up it was now and then, till it became almost constant. Yes it can last days at a time especially since having all this anxiety.And id go between normal, diarrhoea and constipated. I notice it flares up when im extra anxious, especially the burping. Not tried charcoal yet, i tend to glug gaviscon or a cheaper supermarket brand. If you ve had all the tests like me its more than likely ibs and stress/meno related. Have you seen your doc about this episode or have you already been diagnosed ibs? X

Hi julie,

No it's not been confirmed about the ibs I'm hoping to see him tomorrow about this episode. I'm a very nervous and anxious person anyway and the last 6 mths have been particularly bad so I'm hoping its ibs related to the stress I'm currently going through but thank u x

Yes I do get them but not much now I'm on beta blockers x

I found the betablockers helped reduce the frequency of palps but since ive been taking sertraline antidepressant and hrt patch im getting more, but i think either of those meds can cause palps in some people x

Hi Sharon, I sympathise, stress is awful and can cause so many symptoms including ibs. Even my palps...i know rhey are nore than likely anxiety and hormone related due to menopause but it still freaks me out when i have them! I need it confirmed that theyre harmless to be able to get rid of this heart related health anxiety. So i know how you feel, you just need reassurance that its ibs x

When i went to the doc about my stomach he did a range of blood and poo tests to rule out other causes and said if they come back normal i can call it ibs. All were ok so i take it its ibs and accept it. I try to avoid bread, too much sugar, caffein, but even foods that are good for me like babanas, baked potatoes irritate but i eat them anyway cos i dont know what id eat otherwise! Small regular snacks so stomachs not empty for a long time and no eating after teatime helps. If im daft n have a binge on sugary stuff like i did last night it'll irritate it, also i got palps last night after eating too much sugar which might just be coincidence, but i was lying down, bit of indigestion as usual and palps started. I often find when my stomachs bad n im burping a lot im more likely to have palpitations, something to do with the vagus nerve being stimulated possibly? X

Hi julie,

Thanks fir the above info and it may be worth asking for the poo tests but I'm always having my bloods taken anyway because I have ms and need regular bloods taken because of the medication in on, and bowel problems does come with ms anyway so it's hard to know what's what lol but yes you're right stress is a pig because it can cause all sorts ( the brain is a powerful thing )

At least you seem to recognise the triggers for your ibs and that must be half the battle. Then of course you have the hormones too, oh it's hard being a woman isn't it x

Certainly is! Who knew itd be this hard? X

Indeed julie indeed :-) x