Perimenopause or Anxiety or ???

My friend runs trips from US to Italy and the last three times she flew she passed out. She said she was laying in the plane aisle saying 'I'm dying, I'm dying' in Italian. This perimeno stuff is just awful. I get angry when I hear women being upset about hot flashes and that's the only thing. I'd be grateful if it were just that. But my luck I'm sure I'll end up with those too along with the 100 other symptoms!

I'd take hot flashes any day compared to anxiety, gastritis, nausea, heart palpitations, waking up at 4 am nauseous and my heart flying. I have no life anymore except for doctor visits. I feel so bad everyday, oh and the flu -like symptoms too. I have anxiety as it is. This just makes it worse. Just got HRT CREAM. DOES ANYONE ELSE USE ESTRIOL AND PROGESTERONE CREAM ? I accidentally used two doses at one time and my anxiety and nausea was through the roof!! I didn't realize it until I called my compounding pharmacist.

Hi Tonia,

I couldn't find the post you mentioned.

I sooo understand. It seems when I lay down and go to sleep is when these shaking feelings come hard, to the point I feel like I will pass out and just die. 

You have to give the hormones time to build up in your system and work. Yes, in the bio-identicals, they are a combination of estrogens, progesterone and maybe testosterone. 

How awful for that to happen and be so far from home.

I would be so happy just to have hot flashes, too!!

I have good news...went to a Gyn and she wrote a script to give me more progesterone. Only been getting total of 60mg for the day, and she doubled it. I have been reading, and my intuition has been telling me, that maybe my prob isn't too little estrogen, but too little progesterone.

She said she'd test my levels but I'd have to totally come off of what I'm on, then test a couple times. I said no way. But she said she could pretty much tell me what my hormones were doing in perimenopause -- going up and down. And she said (and confirmed) that in peri, the PROGESTERONE

Shoot, hit wrong button and post went through before I was finished. As I was saying, the Gyn said it's the PROGESTERONE that drops first in peri, NOT the estrogen. In meno, the estrogen drops. So that confirmed what I've been reading and I was OVERJOYED that a doctor listened to me and was open to bios and willing to send in a new script for me. I will get it in a few days and she said she makes no promises, but give it 30 days and call her back.

I cried I was so grateful. She said some women have their last period, and go into meno with no symptoms, most have hot flashes, irritability, moodiness, brain fog, etc., and about 10 percent (like all us on here) have crazy, debilitating symtoms.

Before the dr. came in, the nurse, who was asking me questions about why I was there, etc. was disbelieving of my symptoms being related to peri. And when I shared that this forum is the only thing helping me keep my sanity, she said unless it's a WebMD site or something like that it's not legit and "anyone can say anything." That was so discouraging to me. I thought, really? Women just get on here and post **** to make up just for the heck of it? Like we aren't busy and don't have a jillion other things to do? 

So when the dr. came in and validated everything I was saying, I felt so much better. She said, 'There's nothing wrong with you; you're 46 is all.'

So that's my good news. I'm so looking forward to trying the new script.

Yayyy Julie! That's great news! What is she going to prescribe?

My doc said my progesterone was too low and that I'm estrogen dominant BUT that my estrogen just looks high because the prog is so low. That's why he added in estrogen to my cream.

Gosh, back in the 90s when I got hit with Lyme Disease I wouldn't have figured out what was wrong with me had it not been for a listserve online. And same for now. If it wasn't for this forum I would've still been thinking I was dying. Doctors just had no clue!

Yes, tay! She is doubling the progesterone. Doc who wrote orig script stopped taking my insurance, and it's really hard to find a doc who is open to bios. There are more naturopaths/functional docs popping up, but they don't take insurance and are $300-400 for an office visit.

You had Lymes?? Omgosh. How'd you find out and how'd you get over that? What is listserve? I've had 2 tic panel tests, both negative. I asked a neurologist for the test, he said, "Let's not get into any of that 'crazy' stuff." And just handed me a script for an anti anxiety drug. What's crazy is living like this for nearly a year and having no answers and whats logical is turning over every stone until you GET answers.

Progesterone balances estrogen so if progesterone is low, that makes us estrogen dominant, which is not a good thing.

I believe you're going to start seeing results before long. How much progesterone did you say you've got in cream? 100mg

That was supposed to say Yes, yay! Otherwise sounds like a line from the Little Rascals..."O'tay!" Ha

A listserve was very much like the forum we have now, just a very early crude version in the early 90s.

I thought I had what looked like a mosquito bite on my neck, then got the bullseye rash and had affected my knees. I did test positive. But if I would've listened to doctors I would not have been treated properly. Support on the web pointed me in the direction of a Lyme Literate Doctor.

Yes, 100mg progesterone in my cream and 200mg oral per night. I've been using eye cream twice a day for the first week, so in all getting 400mg of prog.

I think I read that low estrogen causes joint pains (frozen shoulder) so I wonder why I have this if I'm estrogen dominate?

How is your progesterone cream working. I'm on them from a compounding pharmacy also. Estrodiol seems to be doing fine but shortly after starting progesterone I developed severe indigestion, diarrhea and felt horrible. Ended up in hospital started looking at what was new in my system and progesterone was the only thing. Did some research and read awful things l was experiencing. Have not used since. Read it took some women months to get over the issue. Feel like I have gobs backwards with my menopause symptoms. Never had such horrid pain

Hi Michelle, when I started the oral progesterone I had diahrrea for a day, it was strange like leaking out and I couldn't control it. I asked the doc if that was normal and they told me it wasn't a side effect. It seemed to clear up though, only lasting a day. The cream I'm on has estrogen/progesterone/testosterone. I haven't had any problems on that so far.

Every now and then I have to run to the bathroom but I no longer have a gall bladder and thought it was due to that.

You're on a synthetic estrogen?

I tried the pill and it gave me horrible night anxiety and breast soreness. So they moved me to a cream. 2 days after starting the progesterone I was sick as in flu sick again diarrhea for 3 weeks. Got admitted to hospital and didn't use for 3 days diarrhea went away. Still having some indigestion but went back on the progesterone when I got home and in 2 days pain was so awful from indigestion I was doubled over. Only thing new to using is the progesterone. I looked up side effects and yes all this is part of the side effects. Read another forum woman have had issues for 6 months after using. I have mine compounded. Going back tomorrow to see what they wanna do. Glad yours is not giving u issues.

So you get sick from the cream too???

Wondering if you should try a different compounding pharmacy?

Yes ma'am. The cream is worse than the pill. So when I go back I'm thinking that I might need to try the pill in a Lower dose because I asked her why my breasts hurt taking the pill and the cream and she said it would be a to high of a dose.

I've called another compound pharmacy and they said that yes the symptoms I am having can happen. Some people just can't handle progesterone

😞

I sure hope I don't develop any! Scary

Gosh, hope that gets better for you Michelle! Progesterone should have good, balancing, effects. Maybe try a different form or less?

I hope you don't either. It was awful. I couldn't believe the pain. My progesterone is low so I was hoping to get everything balanced and feeling better but no such luck. Waiting for the GI doctor to call to swallow a camera and see what going on. I pray this tells us something

Thank you Julie. I hope something gives pretty soon. Ready to have more than 1 or 2 good days in a week

I'm just on estriol and progesterone. I am estrogen dominant. I took a double dose of progesterone last time by accident and was extremely nauseous and anxious for two days. I'm starting out at the bottom with the cream.

Hi Michelle -- did you find out anything??

I've been on double the progesterone (100 mg/day) for three weeks now. My doc told me to call her in a month to report how I felt. I didn't notice much difference at first, other than increased saliva and a different taste in my mouth (like a lot of saliva). It wasn't a bad taste, was a good taste. I looked up increased saliva production, it says is a sign of increased hormones or early pregnancy (lol, not using any birth control, but I'm 46 and no period again for going on three months).

Though I've still had a couple of bad nights (why do the symptoms, like anxiety and insomnia, always seem to be worse at night??) and watching the pollen counts like a hawk bc of all the allergy probs all this has caused, I have been having more good, mostly functional days where I am not totally debilitated. I did notice some new nausea pop up the second or third day I took the new script with increased progesterone,and my chest becoming real sore, which I always thought estrogen was the culprit for that). And I have been spacing out the dose a little more. I was making so much saliva, it was like, gee, am I going to start slobbering? lol, so I skipped a dose or took half a dose, and it was fine and seemed to diminish.

I also learned about some new things I am going to try, like real therapeutic essentials oils for a variety of things, and supergreen/probiotic/spirulina powder from dr axe online.

I hope everyone is doing OK. Thinking and praying for you all!

 

I remember thinking that same thing Michelle --- one day just saying, 'Can I just get a couple good days in a month?' it was so bad. That was about the time I changed from Estradiol only to Estradiol/Estriol 50/50 instead of 80/20 blend and I started to have a few better days.

I was wondering if anyone has the 'falling or dropping sensation'?? Or head rushes? They are kind of similar. But the falling sensations seems to happen most at night when I lay down to go to bed, and head rushes when I am sitting still looking at my phone or working at computer. I wondered if the sensations could be related to blood pressure. Each time I'm at the doctor's they say my bp checks fine, or on the low side, but this primarily happens at night.

I think stress can make things worse, too. Had a stressful day last week with how much work I had and deadlines but not enought time to get it done, and had a worse night then with the panicky, shaky, uncomfortable feelings. I do not like those!

I have those falling feelings and also brain shifts sometimes that make me nauseous, and a swirly, dizzy feeling in head sometimes. It is not pleasant at all....

Are your days staying steadier switching your estrodiol??? I get the tingling a lot in my head. I also get where I can't hardly look at my phone or computer. Have to push myself some days. I'm thankful that I don't have to work. I would love to get a part time job just to get out of the house but with all this going on I don't know if I could do it. So hard to understand and extremely frustrating when people say eel what's wrong with you.

The night anxiety sucks. Here lately it's been awful again. See my gyno in 2 weeks think she needs to check hormones again. I hate that you are having allergy issues but thankful that you said you have these issues. Mine have been off the charts since my hysterectomy. I've never had ear problems and sinus issues. They are awful now. Definitely a roller coaster ride

So wish I didn't have to work but have a very responsible job in community where I work day and night it seems, plus single mom of one youngster. It's tough. Really struggle with mornings and getting up. Sent you a separate post with update, but thinking low cortisol causing that, and also putting pieces together to suspect low bp also causing stuff (i.e. the head rushes, nausea, dizziness, shaking, etc). I've heard alot that the hormone fluctuations can mess with your blood pressure. 

May be do to low blood pressure? I have been reading up a lot and nausea, dizzy feeling, dropping or falling feeling and head rushes (assuming same feeling as brain shifts you mentioned), can be results of that.

Your first response was deleted. Yes hormones have messed with my blood pressure. Mostly my heart rate goes hi and low. Cardiologist done lots of tests and all looks good. Now to get the stomach issues taken care of. Finally was able to swallow a camera that they recorded for 8 hours going through my GI tract. Found inflammation in small intestines now waiting for procedure to check for chrohns and celiac disease.

Some times I think I should push myself to get back to work. I used to be able to handle high stress job and kids and now it seems I have all I can to handle myself. Hopefully this will all just work itself out. Going on 2 years have good weeks and bad weeks. Fatigue sucks. Makes everything else hard to deal with. Rest is so important but when it doesn't come easily it's hard to manage

Jen, that can be from the low blood pressure. Getting up slowly, or getting your blood pumping with a brisk walk can help. I sure understand bc I've all this a lot. Also have your zinc/copper levels checked.

That is a lot of progesterone. Have you had any adverse reactions to it? How are you sleeping? Is the Lyme still affecting you or was that a long time ago? What did you do to treat it?

I have started taking my bio creams cyclically, as the body uses them, versus every day, which is counterintuitive to the body. So I used Biest every day, twice a day, and progesterone days 12-26 of cycle. If you don't know when your cycle is or periods have been off or non-existent, use first day of the month as day one. I'm 47. If you're older, I've heard of women using the progesterone on days 5-26.

Sorry Julie I haven't been on in awhile. Kinda in a to myself mode for awile. I'm off all hormones still having all the awful symptoms but my mood and tiredness is a bit better. Not sure where to go next. Just checking in on you