1. Community
  2. Women's health
  3. Menopause

my long list of symptoms

Posted , 25 users are following.

brimbo67
brimbo67

I've probably said most of this before, but thought it might reassure someone that their symptoms are probably menopausal & will pass eventually! There are so many, (physical, emotional, mental) it's a shock to the unsuspecting victim lol!  (& actually no joke) So....

bloating, mood swings, aching joints, insomnia, itching, memory loss, headaches, spots, dry skin, constipation, diahorrea, thinning hair, exhaustion, thyroid fluctuations, painful bones, itchy boobs, loss of bladder control, bladder irritation, diffficulty concentrating, panic attacks, palpitations, racing heart, uncontrollable tremors, twitches & spasms, anxiety, fear, dread, depression, suicidal thoughts, mania, confusion, acid reflux, lump in throat, difficulty swallowing, sore tongue, hot flushes, feeling cold, nausea, vertigo, swimming head, blurred dimmed vision, unable to get the right word, fuzzy detatched feeling in head, faintness, off-balance, sinus/ear trouble, weight loss, chest pains/heaviness, difficulty breathing, strong body odour, painful tight neck/jaw, clenching teeth, irregular/missed periods, flooding, clotting, spotting, food allergies, tingling/dead extremities, bad dreams, stomach/gut pain, low immune system, anger, over-emotional, memory flashbacks, dry painful eyes, sagging skin, loss of elasticity, loss of muscle, eye bags, grey hair, wrinkling.

Most of this has happened in the last 6 months & quite suddenly (I started my DREADFUL periods at 10 & turned 47 recently). My ovaries failed & my body went into shock.. literally thought I was having a complete breakdown & going out of my mind! Wanted someone to put me out of my misery sad sad

I have been reassured by sites like this, & recently by a new doctor who recognises all this as hormonal symptoms. I am pleased to say that some of these symptoms have stopped & some aren't as severe as they were so I can tell you that this too will pass. You will be ok again. You are not going mad. And you are not alone. I can cook & do housework again, and am eating bacon & eggs every morning, something I've never done haha! 

I know I'm not out of the woods yet, & I do have my crashes, (still can't go out on my own because of the swimmy, disconnected feeling) & this could go on for a while but I have lots of hope, we all go through this change, some worse than others, but we do come out the other side, & stronger!!

As for reccommending remedies, we are all different. hrt works for many, I havn't used it yet, anti-depressants work for some, haven't used those either (yet!) the beta blockers, anti-reflux, st john's wort made me worse. Couldn't stomach the B complex, or menopace, (think it was the iodine, made anxiety & heart racing worse!). So just taking oil of evening primrose & starflower, cod liver oil, vitamin D (from the docs) & paracetemol. 

Gave up coffee, chocolate, sugar, dairy, was already gluten-free. Using organic soya milk, flax, sweet potatoes (for phyto estrogens). Going to get some magnesium and calcium too. 

I hope this is helpful to someone, I know I was helped by ladies on this forum when I was desperate xxxxxxx

13 likes, 81 replies

81 Replies

Prev Next
  • sharcerv52408
    sharcerv52408 brimbo67

    Posted

    You hit on just about every symptom I get. I'm like you and can't tolerate a lot of meds. Yes, this too will pass for all of us.
    • brimbo67
      brimbo67 sharcerv52408

      Posted

      wow. I can hardly believe that so many women suffer so miserably. Before this I never heard of such a thing! I just thought my periods would eventually stop & i wouldn't look young anymore haha. What a reality check! xxx
  • Sandy07
    Sandy07 brimbo67

    Posted

    Thanks Brimbo. I'm having a low day today and those, what on earth is wrong with me? feelings

    i think I can identify with 3/4 of those symptoms, plus a few extras of my own, such as painful feet and ankles

    glad im not alone but just wish we could all get through this a bit more easily.

    what a nightmare it all is xx

    • brimbo67
      brimbo67 Sandy07

      Posted

      You're right Mooma, it is all a nightmare. I'm so sorry that you're suffering too. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. 

      I stayed with a friend recently, a retired nurse, & she told me she didn't really get any symptoms!! Same with another friend. 

      As my Dr said 'You're one of the unlucky ones in that it's so acute, but you will get through it. It will stop being this aweful.'

      Do you use HRT? I haven't, but I'm not ruling it out. xxx

    • Sandy07
      Sandy07 brimbo67

      Posted

      No I havnt succumbed to the HRT yet, but it's getting close. The Dr said I can try it if I want it and acknowledged that meno can cause the joint and muscle aches and pains. I'm giving the natural progesterone a try first. We will see. I'm quite bad at the moment but I noticed yesterday those sharp little pains you get when you ovulate, so I'm guessing it's another hormonal shift! Problem is when you don't have any periods to tie it in to it's really difficult to keep track. I'm giving it a couple of months and then I may go down the HRT route. Xx
  • deborah73991
    deborah73991 brimbo67

    Posted

    Hi

    Thank you for sharing, I have many of your symptoms thankfully not the depression/suicidal thoughts & only a little anxiety over all these symptoms but feel better knowing others have same/similar symptoms. I thought I had some illness/chronic fatigue  etc so feel reassured. I too have switched to soya milk, using flax seeds, vit 6, just started on Magnesium, drinking organic beetroot juice. Will try eating more sweet potatoes too.

    Pleased to hear you are getting through this & some of your symptoms are lessening.

    Keep a positive attitude. x x

    • brimbo67
      brimbo67 deborah73991

      Posted

      Thank you!

      My worst things at the moment are this blooming feeling of unreality...totally foggy head, disorientation....and the racing heart, feeling depressed/anxious.

      But, as I said some things have stopped....like the severe panic attacks, uncontrollable tremors, jerking awake from sleep, confusion/mania, acid reflux, lump in throat/difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, dry eyes, sore tongue, loss of balance, tingling/dead extremities, body odour, weight loss, itching.

      Have to keep reminding myself that I'm nowhere near as 'ill' as I have been. It helps smile

  • tbaby
    tbaby brimbo67

    Posted

    Thank you for sharing. I really glad that I joined this site. It is very helpful, because of people like you!
    • brimbo67
      brimbo67 tbaby

      Posted

      Hi, thank you for your kind reply. So glad to be of help, i think this the most aweful thing I've ever experienced! Wouldn't want to go through it alone. xxx
  • BellaRubia
    BellaRubia brimbo67

    Posted

    I loved that :D and I COMPLETELY, UTTERLY, AGREE! I could not make a more complete list myself and YES, I am much improved, so ladies, even though tough, it will pass. Just hang in there, try to do the right things to yourself and give time to your body to adjust!

    I am thinking about printing it and bringing to my doctors, lol.

    Happy for you, Brimbo!

    Xx

    • trudy77450
      trudy77450 BellaRubia

      Posted

      Hi Bella ,can i ask how old you are and when your last period was im 53 and no bleed for 3 years apart from i came off the hrt. I just want to feel better now i had enough 4 years is along time to suffer 

      xx

    • BellaRubia
      BellaRubia trudy77450

      Posted

      Hi, Trudy.  I was 48 when I skipped my first period and the gates of hell were opened, lol. It is one year after that, and I still have a kind regular period. First 4 months were terrible and than things started improving. I still feel something here and there and that is very related to my period. 

      I do not think I understood your question but it is general consense here that whenever you come out of HRT, it is like experiencing peri again :S - if it is that your question.  I try to eat better, exercise and take vitamins and fish oil.  No progesterone cream, no HRT, at least for now... :D 

  • Beetle1965
    Beetle1965 brimbo67

    Posted

    THANK YOU smile  I have experienced all of these things to one degree but they are subsiding now.  The only difference is that my GP has not said these symptoms are due to menopause and I am still very anxious there is something else wrong.

    I had a strange period and FSH levels were tested - I was phoned up and told I had a high FSH that suggests I have been menopausal for ages - despite having periods.  I have been back and forth to the doctor asking questions and only told that I am probably menopausal and might get another period or might not, to check FSH again to confirm and come and talk about HRT.

    In the past 5 weeks my symptoms have levelled a bit and I have done similar to you and introduced soy, flax and upped vitamin B's and D and added magnesium.  I plan to see a medical herbalist to try a mix of herbs to support my adrenals, thyroid and hormones and take it from there.

    I still cant shake the fact the GP has said these symptoms arenet menopause - I said, so I haven't had menopausal symptoms and he didn't answer.  I have had a warm face and red skin, not a flush as it hangs around - he deemed this a flush!

    On the whole I feel totally unsupported but reading your words gives me some confidence in myself

    I had the FSH blood test again today along with Full blood count - I sincerely hope the GP doesn't drop another bombshell of something else 'breaking'.

    Its horrible to have a crash like this, really upsets the entire system and like you, I had no idea.  Good to hear you are feeling a bit better.  Are you still having bleeding?  Or has everything just stopped?

    • brimbo67
      brimbo67 Beetle1965

      Posted

      Hi there

      My FSH was 76 (in the post menopausal range) 5 months ago. I haven't had it tested since. I missed a period last August, then 'crashed' September. Since then bleeding has just been weird, 2 days, or flooding, then 6 days (haven't had a 6 day period for years) or dark discharge during the month, now nothing again. Apparently you can have eggless periods.

      I feel that levels have been dropping naturally and slowly over the last 7 years, looking back now, & with all this new information, I recognise peri symptoms. But nothing prepared me for this hell.

      I too have had that hotness, lasts for hours.....i guess it's just hormones too.

      What's difficult is the fact that I have a 10 year old daughter, (the other 4 children are grown up & left home) & it's been very difficult for her too. Which is why I'm now considering HRT in the hope of getting back to some normality. I'm not convinced though.  rolleyes

       

    • Beetle1965
      Beetle1965 brimbo67

      Posted

      Yes, it must be hard to balance things and give your daughter energy when you have none sad

      It is hard to tell whether HRT is a good option for me or not - what if it took away all the small irritating symptoms?  My main issue is the anxiety and the GP didn't sound confident that HRT would address this, but it might.

      I really think this whole experience is trial and error, which when you feel so all over the place is challenging in itself isn't it?

      I am having a 'period' now and it's the same as the one that sent me to the doctor, almost flooding for one day then it switches off and spots, it's 'not right' - your description of 'eggless' sounds about right - so hormones are still doing their thing I guess.

      Whether I go the route of phytoestrogens or HRT I think it will take some months to trial and error either - quite frankly I feel so 'over it' I can't find the energy to even decide ha

      Taking it day by day at the moment

    • Beetle1965
      Beetle1965

      Posted

      Out of interest did the doctor explain the sudden 'failing' of ovaries or is this another way of saying menopause has been reached because of no eggs?  It's a bit baffling to me that sudden cessation happens but I can relate to the notion the body is in shock.  Mine has felt like the life has been drained out on some days - not recently, but I almost passed out or started to shake and skin changed overnight in the past year- shock is a good word.
    • brimbo67
      brimbo67 Beetle1965

      Posted

      The doc didn't explain the failing thing. It can just happen. Yes, I've nearly passed out before, very scary. I even felt like I nearly died once....still don't really understand what happened. But I'm now determined to get through this & really live again! Just walking up to Lidl & getting some shopping will be a start! x
    • BellaRubia
      BellaRubia Beetle1965

      Posted

      Beetle, do not expect them to acknowledge your symptoms.  But if you were tested for everything and your results say you are health, so it is what it is...  The fact your period seams different (darker, thicker, flooding, far apart, longer, etc) is a confirmation by itself. My doctors never confirmed, too.  Well in fact my physician, after putting me on a holter because of my irregular heatbeat, kind said I should be close to menopause but when I came back with the other symptoms he asked me if I were depressed (?!) because he could not find any physical reason for that and my hormones were in normal range even though my periods were erractic.  My gyno is a younger lady, does not acknowledge anything but offered me HRT (?!).  I have had very few hot flashes, and I am not depressive, the two things they agree more is related to menopause. Hormone tests are not reliable - as you saw by yourself. They are unable to tell if you are going to have another period or not, too.

      Do not stress yourself about their confirmation, just be sure your tests say you are healthy.

      :D

Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.