Perimenopause or Anxiety or ???

I know this was posted sometime ago but I am having a similar experience as you . How are you now ?

I have all these symptoms. Are you feeling any better

Hi ,

I am sufffering from bad anxiety , especially at night and on waking.  I am terribly tired and have brain fog too.  wondering if it is hormone related, i am 47 .  How are things for you now ?  i wonder if HRT woould help,  but i am also worried about the risks. I live in somerset.

hi everyone i am 55yrs and have suffered anxety for 25yrs i have recently been suffering shaking dizziness light headed i went to a&e blood pressure fine ecg fine had blood test fine , i do not smoke or drink and try to exercise as much as possible i get sudden tiredness and have no to rest in 10 years maybe more i have not had a full nights sleep and wakeup on the hour every hour i may get 3hrs on and off but never a full session any one else feel this look forward to reply.

I thought it was just me. I'm 45. It's gotten to the point where I hate going to sleep cause I know I'm gonna wake up in a fog. I thought I was DYING!!!

Hi Julie! Im just wondering how did u get diagnosed as perimenopausal?  My Doctors are giving me grief as nothing is showing up in my blood tests!  Oh by the way I have all the symptoms that you are all saying too!!! ITS AWFUL! 

Hi Sharni

if your still having regular periods the FSH blood test will come back normal, it doesnt mean your not in peri menopause ..

it happened to me years ago..

the hormones are too erractic .. up and down in early peri.. they give the result as you are on that day blood taken..

its not until you only have about 3-4 periods a year that the FSH blood test will state menopausal..

the home testing kits  menopause sticks were good, as you can monitor it yourself at different times of month..

i did this after a normal FSH blood test.. i got about 5 menopause sticks for a few £ on ebay and they then stated positive for menopause ..

my Doc back then said i was in peri and the symtoms were true, but the FSH ( follicle stimulating hormones ) were to erractic for a true test result.

jay xx

HI Sharni,

I was not diagnosed for permenopause however, I described my symptoms as well as the fact that I have been skipping my period for about 2.5 years now and the last time I had my period was like 7 months ago.

You might want to have a hormone levels check up. I don't know much about this. Others might be able to help you a little better. I just thought I let you know whatever info. I have.

Hope it helps. 

cheers

misha

 

Hi julie, just read your post on ladycare magnet, I've looked on boots web site most of the reviews are great I'm going to buy one asap give it a go thanks for your input , will post my verdict soon

Hi Jayne, love love love all your post until I read your list of symptoms I thought I was dieing and the dr just couldn't find what was doing it I have probably every one at one point or another and maybe a couple not listed lol I am 48 next month and it's a struggle I feel horrible all the time and I'm on bioidentical hormornecream but wondering why it's not making the waves as I call them ( when I feel the worse but know it's gonna pass) less intense or go away . Having a really hard time feel like I'm the only one going through this this bad very very depressed about it . Like wanna crawl in my closet and live there bad 😢??😫Any advice ?

April

Hi April and all others

I'm 49 not taking anything but I have all those symptoms. I'm scared some days to go out in case I don't come back. I cry. A lot.

I thought I was the only one.

Thank you all for posting your thoughts. X

No sweetheart you aren't by yourself. I am right there with you. I'm 47. Mine is a mixture of things that sent me spiraling with anxiety. Perimenopause, doc checked my estrogen levels, which are low. That will def. Make ya feel like you are going crazy. Pluses I have to take iron due to anemia, another anxiety trigger(low iron). I quit smoking 3 months ago which causes withdrawls. So drink ya some green tea it contains l-theanine which calms anxiety. Just knowing the reasoning behind the panic, anxiety and mood, helps me battle it. I do not take anything either.

Hi Washington. Not alone. I feel like I can go insane at times. Worried I will have a mental breakdown and have to go to mental hospital which makes my panic worse. I too tested positive for low estrogen which in return my doc said I was in perimenopause. My period come around the same time, but they are heavy and only lasting a couple days. I also tested positive for iron deficiency, which can also aggravate anxiety. On top of that I quit smoking 4 months ago. Just knowing what this is helps me cope, but some days I just don't know. If some one would just convince me I won't have a nervous breakdown going through this, I can breathe better. Good luck, lots of love and support. Hugs.

April, I don't even leave the house anymore because my anxiety has gotten so bad. I have an anxiety disorder already and my medication quit working and since then it's been horrible. I was already having some symptoms while I was on it, but didn't think anything of it. I don't sleep good, I have gastritis, nauseous, headaches, bad tremor that I wake up with every morning and lasts almighty all day, losing weight, I've started back having pms pelvic pain and back pain like when I was a teenager. I have anywhere from a 20 to 26 day cycle. I get bad a week before my period. Is there anything I can do?

I feel your pain sweet girl, this stinks ! I started eating a cleaner diet and walking 20 mins a day and came off bioidentical hormones ( weren't helping anyways and gave me breast pain ) dr told me to try estroven weight management it has really helped!! 12 pounds down though I was even gonna dwell on weight just need to feel better. I am still pretty regular with having a period though the are closer together and worse cramps lighter bleeding . I was having more good days then bad until my period . Seems weird but first week after period is worse symptom wise feeling internal shakes headaches nauseous cramping a little panic attacks and scared again like what if this is something else ughhhhhhh I'm really having a hard 3 days right now and feel like I can't talk about it which my family they are tired of hearing it !😭

Hi April,

Reading your post helped. I have all those things, too. Never seem to know what each day will be like. I couldn't sleep at all for two nights straight, then took a sleeping pill, overslept, and didn't take my estradiol pill until around noon. Awful mistake! Thought I was going to die... continual heart palpitations and head rushes, I was really scared. I would have thought after taking it my body would have calmed down, but it seems,to take several hours or even a couple days when I've missed a dose, to calm down and I'll be sick as a dog. I'm trying to come off of these onto bioidenticals and wrking with a pharmacist. Wish I'd never starred those and waited for the bios, but I was desperate at the time to try anything. I can't seem to find anyone whose suffered from such severe symptoms except on these message boards, which helps me feel like, No, something major isn't wrong with me, and I'm not the only one.

I'm so sorry April. I'm 46 and in same boat. Last 7 mos hve been very rough. Ar you feeling any better now, since your post was a few mos ago?

I know your post was over a year ago. Was wondering how you ladycare worked for you. Just got mine

I know your reply was a year ago. How well did the lady care work for you

Hi April, what did you change your diet to? I don't need to lose any weight. I'm under weight now because of the gastritis. I'm so tired of this. Almost 2 years of horrible anxiety is long enough. I had anxiety issues before, but I've read if you have anxiety before peri menopause that it gets worse.

I know how you feel Chris, I'm so scared I'm going to end up in the hospital again and they terrify me. They want to treat you with drugs just to put a band aid on it and not treat the actual problem. Is your anxiety daily? Mine is everyday. I don't go anywhere but to doctors and I get so nervous going there.

I totally feel the same. I hate to be alone or go to the store alone. I do work and it is hard to get through some days. I would say the anxiety, IBS, nausea, dizziness and head sensations 24/7 are the worst. I never feel normal. I cry too hoping this will end. I feel for anyone else going through this. It does help to talk to people. I do not want or like other people to suffer but I feel more normal when I read these posts. I do not know anyone personally who has had anything other than hot flashes and heart palps. So at first I thought I must be really sick. I have Hashimotos thyroiditis and IBS now which are autoimmune disorders and caused by the dancing hormones. I hope you are feeling better. I do take hormones, 27mg of effexor and thyroid meds but still feel awful most of the time but at least I can somewhat function. I have become somewhat of a recluse and used to be social. Not anymore I am too scared and never feel good enough to want to be with anyone other than my family. Good luck to you and I hope things have eased up for you.

I'm so sorry you are going through all this crap. This forum has helped ease my mind some. I also have been told I will be having a procedure to test for chrohns or celiac disease due to inflammation in my small intestine that no one could see till they had me swallow a camera pill and watch it for 8 hours. I also was very social. Now I just prefer to stay home or be very quiet when I do go away. I used to drive home 13 hours to see family all by myself and now I cringe at the thought. Thank god for an understanding husband because not only does he deal

With this with me I also have not an ounce of sex drive. Think it for worse when they put me on estrogen. My joints get so stiff and sore and these allergies and sinuses have never been so bad. I'm gonna try my hand at essential oils and see what happens. Keep in touch.

Wow I know exactly how you feel! So glad to find this group!

This group had helped me so much. Even if just the fact that I'm not crazy like I feel. Everyone else is oh these hot flashes. While I'm over here like to many things to mention 😂😂. Just talk to us on here. So many good things

Thank you and yes, thank God for our men.! My boyfriend rubs my head and neck most evenings to relax me. He has been patient too. I agree the sex drive really drops. It also took me several months to adjust to the estrogen and thyroid meds. I had weak and painful joints to the point I had a hard time moving. I think the worst thing was the mood swings (depression mainly) while getting used to the cyclical hormones, but now has subsided unless the bowels act up. Then the anxiety is raging.

I agree sometimes it may help or be better to find ways to heal ourselves. I have essential oils (eucalyptus and peppermint) and have added them to lotion and just place a couple dabs on my neck. I want to get some neroli oil which is orange blossom oil. Its pretty expensive but the smell is amazing.

I actually booked a 10 day trip out west before this all started. We leave this Monday and Death valley is one place my family and I will be going (what was i thinking). I did not want to disappoint my kids by canceling. Planes also freak me out and I will not be scheduling any more plane trips again until I feel 100%.

The one thing I think is interesting is mine all started on December 24 2016. I was under a lot of stress from family, ex husband and had a friend recovering from surgery at my house. My sister believes the stress brought it all on. But I think it would have come eventually because I had two severe dizzy episodes in November and early December after one sip of wine. Also my allergies were so severe before this (I needed shots every day) Now almost nothing.

It is interesting how our bodies react and change to peri. I agree about the driving far too. I will suck it up and fly before having a panic attack on a freeway. I also think the men I know have been more supportive to me than women who have gone through meno with little or no symptoms. I have been told to "deal with it" or "just ignore it" by other women that are not close friends but just co-workers. I wish I could ignore this, but it doesn't work that way. I feel like most doctors do not get it either and I guess its because unless they can perform a test that produces some result they think its all in your head. Hope each day gets better for you!

I hope you can manage to feel good at some point during the day. I look forward to evenings where I can veg on the couch while my boyfiend just caresses my head. I fall asleep when he does it and I can imagine I feel normal again.

I also changed my diet. No alcohol, gluten, fried or spicy foods and low sugar content. No magnesium supplemens or raw cabbage. When something sends my bowels in an uproar and I get ill with anxiety I drink smart water because I will have continuous bowel movements and get dehydrated. I eat healthy and natural and take no vitamins. They were not helping and made my bowels worse. I do take digestive advantage probiotic and fortify probiotic depending if I am more constipated or diahrrea. The probiotics have worked tremendously. Hope this helps

Hi Jaylee

I have been going rebought this the past few years ... I see your post was awhile back and wonder how our doing now ...I'm praying that being put on Hormion will help me ... I hardly eat and I have gained a whole person it feels like and my life has been taken away ..

Hi April

How are you doing? I too fedl horrible all the time. No i feel likke I am the only one going through it this bad. So no you arent alone, but i hope you re feeling better after 11 months.

It's bizarre, but I'm actually relieved to hear someone say that you can still have periods and go through this mess. I just had blood drawn today, so I won't know the results of my hormone panel until sometime this week. Judging by everything that everyone here has shared, I have to be experiencing some level of hormone loss. To get the ball rolling, my doctor put me on a low dosage estrogen pack. I'm at the point where I will have difficulty functioning at work if I don't get this corrected soon, so I'm willing to try HRT. I have seen every one of my doctors and am going back to visit my psychiatrist and counselor this next week. I'm keeping them abreast just in case it isn't hormones and possibly my SSRI "Pooping out." I doubt it, though. I've never experienced this level of panic before, not even when I had an episode after one of my medicines quit working. 

You are not alone. I did switch from oral HRT to the patch and my depression and severe anxiety diminished. I do get anxiety surges and ill after a bowel movement. I feel alone and do not want to talk about it to friends or family. Everyone I know only had or has hot flashes. Most of my doctors are at Cleveland Clinic and are all perplexed at my symptoms. Eliminating alcohol, gluten, dairy and processed foods has helped. Symptoms have gotten better I never feel normal. Mindfulness and sound therapy is something that works along with Yoga and meditation. Stay Strong and don't give up!

Michelle,

How have you been doing. The last time I message you I was very sick.

I just wanted to give you a few tips that have helped me since December. I have used mindfulness, Yoga, meditation and diet change to help me over the past year. I was also changed to the hormone patch which has been amazing and took my depression and most anxiety away.

I take one day at a time and although never feel normal I have improved so much since last year. Last thing I have learned to tell people no and put myself first. 

I hope you are doing better as well.

April,

I feel like this exactly. It is truly awful. I am in bed need to be working and taking care of things! I am so sensitive cant eat much or I have trouble with stomach for days. Low iron and on tablets and anxiety all the time. This is is so awful. I am 44 almost 45 cant imagine going through this for years. Also sensitive to light now and had ocular migraine couldnt see for a few minutes the other day. I feel like i need sunglasses on all the time. It's ridiculous!

what cream are you on?

Hi Washingt , me too just turn 46 and i got all kinds of peri syptoms , there are days i get scared to leave the house , thank God for this group on this forum it helps me to have less anxiety and a trip to ER .