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Anxiety? Perimenopause? Both? Overwhelming Physical Symptoms.

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wearykitty
wearykitty

So....I'll try to be brief. I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder last March, after suffering a panic attack while traveling for business. Since then, I've had a multitude of daily physical symptoms...dizziness/lightheadedness, body aches, headaches, insomnia, night sweats, increased body temperature, feeling weak in my limbs, general fatigue, shakiness....you name it, I've had it. I've just about worn out my welcome at my GP's office, I've been there so often....I've been to the emergency room four times, had an MRI, multiple ECGs, countless rounds of bloodwork, an upper endoscopy...everything comes back clear. So why do I feel so sick all the time? I did have my hormone levels checked, and my doctor confirmed that I'm at least perimenopausal (I'm 45 years old)....could all of these symptoms (and truly, they occur daily) be related to perimeopause? I've developed a serious issue wtih health anxiety due to all of this, because I can't accept that these symptoms are harmless...I'm convinced that something catastrophic is wrong with me. Help!!!

17 likes, 201 replies

201 Replies

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  • jeanne48621
    jeanne48621 wearykitty

    Posted

    Hi Weary Kitty, I also developed anxiety issues during my beginning peri years.  I would wake up in the middle of the night and feel like I had to walk around the house, which I did just to calm myself down.  My heart would race, I felt out of body like.  I worried all the time that it would happen.  Finally my dr put me on citalopram and it has worked like a charm.  It really took the edge off if that fight or flight feeling.  I was so bad one time at the dr office, while waiting for her to come in the room, full blown panic, I had to go to the restroom and splash my face continually with cold water.  I was drenched when she came into the room, but I didn't care.  I also developed ocular migraines during this time where your vision is like looking thru a straw.  Not too pleasant.  Had upper endoscopy due to problems swallowing also developed at this time.  All I can say is the citalopram and a few ativan here and there have helped me immensely.  Knock on wood, I  feel pretty good I feel like the panic is under control, and I am alot calmer.  So  Ask your dr about an anti-anxiety med.....It might do you a world of good.  Peace of mind is always a good thing.  God Bless...stay strong--Jeanne 
    • Toddpodd
      Toddpodd jeanne48621

      Posted

      Oh wow that's me too waking up in the night with heart pounding walking round my bedroom throwing the window open so I could feel the cold air on my face..I have also had to call 999 because my heart was pounding for far too long.  These attacks  seem to be more frequent.   Even getting on the trains in the morning now seems to be a chore as I fear these attacks.  One thing for sure is I am just so pleased to have  found this forum and reading all the similar feelings with other women helps me to feel better about things. Thank you!
  • Tracky
    Tracky wearykitty

    Posted

    I'm 47 and have experienced nearly the same symptoms as you. I get absolutely paranoid about every ache and pain, I get wierd heads, joint paint and suffer from generalised anxiety disorder. It's terrifying. I've been recommended serotonin to take as this can help with a better state of mind, helping with anxiety. Haven't taken it yet but I will do as hate worrying every time I have a pain between my shoulder blades. Latest one is pain under my left armpit when I eat!  It's good you've had everything checked though as my dr is good but wouldn't go to that degree.   The way I try and deal with it is to he rational, it's like convincing your brain you're ok!! Crazy I know. If I start getting anxious I ask myself questions eg if my back start to hurt can I make it worse by movement thus unlikely to be heart.....if I have a sore calf is it hot, red etc...no, unlikely to be a blood clot, shooting pains back of head, can I decrease pain by moving my neck etc etc etc keep your mind busy if you can, if you start feeling anxious go for a run round the block or house as it distracts your mind, start writing or do a quiz things that make it harder for the mind to think bad things as it will.  Normally it creeps up when you're relaxed and not feeling anxious at all and thats the real horrible one! 
    • millette73897
      millette73897 Tracky

      Posted

      Something you said triggered a thought, Tracky, about writing. Maybe journaling about symptoms and tracking them can help. It may drive some people to distraction, but could be comforting to others. Just writing on this blog has given me great comfort and a feeling that all is not lost and I am not a madwoman.
    • debbie12340
      debbie12340 Tracky

      Posted

      Hi Tracky,  I am suffering from anxiety it keeps coming back and I really hate it 😢 have been taking Magnesium which helped at first ? Please can you tell me about the serotonin you have been recommended to take ?  Have you tried it yet ?  Thank you very much.

      Debbie x

    • Tracky
      Tracky millette73897

      Posted

      Hi :-) HTP-5 it's called but not taken it yet im trying to boost the serotonin naturally but yet still feel but down, ages to get to sleep etc Here are some serotonin deficiency symptoms to watch out for:

      Low brain serotonin levels have been linked with a whole range of conditions, including

      low stress tolerance

      depression

      irritability

      poor concentration

      sleep problems

      PMS

      binge eating

      anxiety

      sensitivity to pain.  What's interedting if you crave sweet or carbohydrates for a mood boost it could also be because of low seretonin levels.

    • debbie12340
      debbie12340 Tracky

      Posted

      Hi Tracky

      I think your reply may have been for me ? I asked about the seratonin ? How do you boost it naturally please ?

      Thank you

      Debbie

    • kim94523
      kim94523 debbie12340

      Posted

      Debbie and Tracky... I have heard, read, experienced and been told by my doc that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI), which is what Prozac and all those family of drugs are, don't really help with anxiety.  What they do is cause a side effect that makes you feel tired and mellow which, in and of itself, helps with anxiety but eventually, you don't have that side effect anymore.  What does help with anxiety in my own experience is benzodiazepines.  You will hear a lot of people and doctors and stuff on the internet about how "bad" they are.  In my experience, they are easier to take as-needed than an anti-depressant, which you must take every day.  They also help with pain.  The one I take is Klonipin but valium and xanax are the same.  I am not a doctor but I have been on every anti-depressant that is out there since 1998:  Prozac, Effexor, Celexa, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta and the list goes on (if you are in the UK, they might be called other things but the class of drug is SSRI).  I have also been on SNRI (Seratonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), which interacted badly with my thyroid medication and caused me to have PVCs (Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are extra, abnormal heartbeats).  

      This is just my opinion... I support anyone who gets relief from ANYTHING.  If SSRIs help, then excellent!  There may have been a million reasons why they didn't for me (once I entered Peri).  I just wanted to tell you what I know from my own experience.

      Best of luck and hugs!!! 

    • arlene27752
      arlene27752 kim94523

      Posted

      Hi Kim, i agree with you benzodiazapines are the only thing that stops my horrible cold sweats but doctors in the UK are very reluctant to put you on these as they say they are so addictive but any relief is welcome when you feel so bad !!
    • superchu
      superchu kim94523

      Posted

      I'm in the US, and i'm a marriage and family therapist.  I had my twins in my early forties after years of infertility treatment.  I have to agree that aften my anixety really set in when I was 43-44, I started trying SSRI's.  I had been on them briefly when going through a divorce when I was 29, and they helped a lot and did not sedate me so much.  I could barely tolderate them at age 44.  They did take the edge off the irritability, but they made me tired and left me with no motivation.  I fell asleep more on them than without and got so little done.  I barely kept the house running and twins cared for.  Barely kept food in the fridge.  Poor husband has worked 45-50 hours a week and pulled my extra slack while I tried to figure it out.  even adjust my thyroid medicine didn't help.  Now I know it is periomenopause as cycles are getting irregular, bloating is terrible when I don't have a period, and am sweating and having insomnia.  I'm getting HRT no matter how many doctors it takes!

  • lisa215
    lisa215 wearykitty

    Edited

    Hello, I dont know if anyone is still following this discussion as I know it seems quite old now but here goes anyway.  Im 44 years old, Ive had a problem with a vertigo type illness for 2 years which the ENT specialist suggested could be due to a menopausal type thing.  I have daily unsteadiness and lightheadedness, I feel faint, I sweat, Im an emotional wreck, I have breast pain, IBS,my hair feels thinner, my skin is dull and dry, my periods are all over the place and I generally feel exhausted, weak and totally rubbish.  Sometimes I miss a period completely, other times theyre every 2-3 weeks, theyve become a lot lighter, not really like a proper period at all.  I went to see my GP who did some blood tests nd said that generally they were ok and told me to go home and relax! I suggested that my symptoms may be menopausal and he shrugged that off and told me that the hormonal profile that they did proved that I wasnt menopausal and that stress was causing my symptoms.  I left the GP surgery in tears and ended up sitting in my car for 2 hours sobbing like a child.  I am a carer for my Mum who has multiple health problems, I have a full time low paid job that is really stressful and leaves me exhausted at the end of every day. I sometimes crawl into bed at night hoping I wont wake up. Im at my wits end, Im so worried that Im ill and no one is listening and I worry what will happen to my Mum and Daughter if Im not here to look after them.  Any advice would be so appreciated,  Thank you for listening.
    • kerry91
      kerry91 lisa215

      Posted

      Hi Lisa,

      sorry you're suffering so much, take no notice of the doctor if you're feeling it then it's happening! you're not imagining this. You may well be stressed, but that's a symptom of the perimenopause not the cause of your problems. If you scout around on some of the old discussions here you'll see that there are a lot of things you can do to alleviate the symptoms. Personally (and I too suffer from IBS) I find diet makes a big difference. I eat a low carb, no sugar, no alcohol, no diary diet and I've reduced my symptoms by 90 % basically when my guts are out everything is out of whack. I read an article which stated that sugar wreaks havoc on the hormonal system; that's exactly what we don't need just now! Supplements (B vits, agnus castus, omega 3, vit E, evening primrose) and breathing techniques all help. Sure I get off days  but they're bearable now. Start looking after yourself, doctors will only prescribe meds. Believe me the natural approach works and it's good for your general health too!       

    • wearykitty
      wearykitty lisa215

      Edited

      hi lisa...so sorry that you're struggling. the daily lightheadedness/off-balance senstation has been my most persistent (and scary) symptom. like you, i was told it's due to anxiety and i've been encouraged by more than one doctor to take anti-depressants, but i'm convinced it's hormonal, so i've not followed that advice. i'll go days where the symptom eases up, only to have it return with a vengeance (like the past few days). it's so frustrating...and difficult to believe that it's not something deadly. i do my best to just ignore it, which works sometimes, but not always. i keep telling myself that this too shall pass, but sometimes a good cry is the only thing that makes me feel better....or a rant on this forum! take good care of yourself, and don't be afraid to try different remedies...what doesn't work for someone else may be the ticket for you...hugs xxoo
    • lisa215
      lisa215 wearykitty

      Posted

      Hello, thank you for taking the time to reply to my post.  Ive left the GP surgery with a prescription for anti depressants a couple of times as well and I too have resisted taking them, I spent almost 15 years on anti depressants during a very unhappy marriage and I managed to get myself free of them (and the marriage) 6 years ago and I dont want to go back to them. I get realy angry with doctors for not understanding how rotten all this makes us feel and it seems that even the female GPs at my surgery arent prepared to even entertain the fact that my symptoms may be menopausal because my hormone levels were within range, although from what I understand hormonal blood tests are pretty hit and miss anyway.  The balance disturbances scare me too as I often feel like Im going to fall over especially if Im standing and cooking or at work.  But all the doctors say is its stress and anxiety.  A good cry does help me too, it feels like someones released the pressure sometimes. I hope you find something that makes you feel better too.  Its nice to rant and Im so glad I found this forum.  Big hugs back xx
    • anxiousface
      anxiousface lisa215

      Posted

      hello lisa, I too have the balance/lightheaded feeling daily, this is the one peri symptom that i find the hardest.  I can be standing for only a short time and i feel i'm going to fall forward or faint which makes me feel anxious when im in a shop or at work.  I can even feel this way while washing up or making the tea. when i told my GP he just didnt acknowlege me.  My GP has no time for menopausal women so iv given up going to him and just struggle along.  I'm replying to your post cos i feel the same but sorry i have no magic answer for you.  I must say i'm better than i was and have a several good days through October but its back and iv been really dizzy off balance today at work.  i agree with you about our GPs they just dont know what to do with us but have no idea what a scary time we are going through and would just like a little reasurance and support but thats too much to ask for so we have to sort are selves out and come on this wonderful supportive forum and have a good old moan.  I try not to cry cos it gives me an horrendous headache. frownmoan. moan.  take care lisa and hope it gets easier. sending you a comforting hug x
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