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Perimenopause or Anxiety or ???

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carlacupcake
carlacupcake

Hi everyone,

I recently joined this, my first ever forum, in the hope of gaining knowledge and sharing experiences on the strange symptoms I have been experiencing the last few weeks.

My first post focused on Anxiety and the possibility of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It has recently been brought to my attention, there is a possibility my symptoms could be hormone related. Something I never actually considered.

Brief list of symptoms...

Fatigue (groggy and heavy type tiredness)

Brain Fog

Feeling detached and 'spaced out'

Weak and Shaky

Jelly Legs

Weak Fingers and Toes

Sensitive to light and sound

Sometimes feels like I have flu or a bad virus (even though I know I don't)

Light Headed

Light Dizziness

Easily tired out

Occasional Palpitations

Frequent urination (occasionally)

Anxious (more so than usual)

Brief History...

I have had anxiety issues, on and off, for many years and also hormone induced migraines. This year the migraines are definitely worse and so too is the anxiety. I had an 8 day brutal migraine early/mid September, followed by 8 days of severe brain fog/dull fuzzy head. I haven't been the same since. I'm also wondering if my symptoms are migraine related? I've had 2 full blood tests done and 2 urine samples taken. All came back normal/clear and healthy. I've also been to see an ENT consultant who ruled out an inner ear virus. He also checked my throat and balance. I had a full eye examination last week and my eyes are in great shape. I have an MRI booked next week and also an appointment to get an ECG recorder fitted for 48 hours.

My symptoms are so broad and general, it could be a number of things... I have even considered CFS. Now I'm thinking it could be hormone related? I feel more anxious not knowing what this is!

Is anybody experiencing anything similar?

Any replies/advice would be greatly appreciated x

27 likes, 1424 replies

1424 Replies

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  • anneporter
    anneporter carlacupcake

    Posted

    Hi, I am on holiday in France, so not really contributing much to anything at the minute as I just want to chill, but I just had to confirm what someone else had said.  I used to have spells every day of feeling hot and faint, really awful feeling, just out of the blue.  I started taking vit B and multivit and also a supplement of magnesium and zinc, after reading Jayneejay's reply and these spells have (touch wood!) almost completely disappeared.  So good, so unbelievably good!
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay anneporter

      Posted

      Hi Anne 😃

      enjoy your hols... glad B6 working for you too ...

      hooe you have a fab holiday..ENJOY 

      speak soon

      Jay xxx

  • nancy0925
    nancy0925 carlacupcake

    Posted

    Hi Carla, I too am having all the same symptoms as you except for frequent urination. I have gone to the hospital several times thinking I was having a heart attack but all tests come back normal. I thought I was going crazy but realized I've had a few symptoms going back a few years. When I turned 51 last Sept my periods went wacky. I've missed a month here or there which I've never done so I believe it to be hormonal. The anxiety is the worse part. I've left work in ambulance a couple months ago with bad anxiety attack. It's embarrassing and I feel like I don't want to leave my home. I try to manage it but its hard.The fatique is annoying too. Just hsppy to know I'm not alone in this....
  • nancy0925
    nancy0925 carlacupcake

    Posted

    Hi Carla, I too am having all the same symptoms as you except for frequent urination. I have gone to the hospital several times thinking I was having a heart attack but all tests come back normal. I thought I was going crazy but realized I've had a few symptoms going back a few years. When I turned 51 last Sept my periods went wacky. I've missed a month here or there which I've never done so I believe it to be hormonal. The anxiety is the worse part. I've left work in ambulance a couple months ago with bad anxiety attack. It's embarrassing and I feel like I don't want to leave my home. I try to manage it but its hard.The fatique is annoying too. Just hsppy to know I'm not alone in this....
    • carlacupcake
      carlacupcake nancy0925

      Posted

      Hi Nancy

      How are you getting on with your symptoms now? I'm thinking of coming back as a man next time!! x

  • gillmm
    gillmm carlacupcake

    Posted

    Have you been tested for coeliac disease? It has weird effects not just on the digestion but also on the nervous system, so can cause brain fog/depression. It causes fatigue in the long term.

    If you want to be tested for coeliac disease make sure you eat plenty of gluten (i.e. wheat) before the test or it won't work.

    If you are diagnosed, then treatment is simply a gluten free diet which can have miraculous results! See coeliac UK website for more information. Coeliac disease is more common than was previously thought, and so most people who have it are not diagnosed. Don't start the diet without getting the test or it won't work!

    For anxiety I can recommend high doses of vitamin B for at least a month - discuss with your GP or just and buy from chemist in the form of multivitamins.

    • Blessed_Mimi
      Blessed_Mimi gillmm

      Posted

      Hi Gillmm

      No I have not been tested for coeliac disease. I have went to a ENT for allergies and she said I wasnt allergic to anything...which I know that I have allergies. I also took an antihistimine before I took the test which did not help my results lol. What specialist do I see for this? Ive been to so many doctors they have all just written me off as panic attacks...which is very funny when they dont see an increase in blood pressure when Im in the office. My doctors are the kind that dont want you to ask for anything or tell them what you think. They want to be the one in control and sometimes they put us through unnecessary testings. Im taking b-6 and a b complex now...make me feel funny but Im going to stick it out for a while. Do you have the coeliac disease? what are the symptoms of this? Have a blessed day !

    • carlacupcake
      carlacupcake gillmm

      Posted

      Hi gillmm

      Are you still active on this forum? Apologies for not responding earlier - I'm only just picking up messages from months ago. Thanks for the info in coeliacs. How are you getting on? x

  • sharcerv52408
    sharcerv52408 carlacupcake

    Posted

    I can identify with most of the symptoms you've listed above. I am sorry that you are going through these symptoms but there is comfort in knowing that you are not alone and that you know that you're not "going crazy." Lol! 

    The symptoms that really get me is the weak and jelly legs feeling. I am nervous about going outside too sometimes for fear that I may lose my balance in the street or something. I also have digestive problems too. It is distressing to go to the doctor and all they want to do is give you medication or they simply can't help you. I am considering going to have my symptoms evauluated at a HRT clinic. Sometimes they are able to run tests that the doctors don't. Hope this helps!

    • jayneejay
      jayneejay sharcerv52408

      Posted

      hello Sharcerv

      I am year nine of peri, and experienced many things along the journey, i havent gone down the HRT route as abit risky for me.. but I can say for jelly legs etc and  bodily weakness and feelings of anxiety and dread of leaving house etc etc... try 150mg daily of Vit B6 its a must for us peri and post meno ladies, I been taking since April and feel fantastic, and other ladies have tried too and said the same to me... even if you have HRT its good too... also VitB12 helpful, amongst many others... I was rock bottom before I took B6 didnt know what was happening to me, but wow what a difference its made.. 😀 all the best 

      Jayx 

    • sharcerv52408
      sharcerv52408 jayneejay

      Posted

      Thanks for the insight. I recently started taking Geritol. Can I take the vitamin B6 and B12 along with the Geritol?
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay sharcerv52408

      Posted

      hi Sharcerv

      i see Geritol only has 2mg of B6 so not nearly enough for peri matters, i take 150mg a day... also Geritol has 6.7m mcg of b12 so very very low on the ones we need most ... 

      Jarrows B12 is 5000mcg so you can see the difference... 

      i have posted lots about B6 and it says for peri and meno that 100mg to 300mg daily for peri and meno.. i take the mid one, 150mg B6 my tabs are Benerva 300mg by Bayer from the farmacia and i split mine...

      good luck Jay xx

    • sharcerv52408
      sharcerv52408 jayneejay

      Posted

      Okay thank you! I hope this will help. I feel like a zombie sometimes. To top it all off, my 1 year old still does not sleep through the night. :-(
    • debbie12340
      debbie12340 jayneejay

      Posted

      Hi jayneejay,

      So pleased to find this forum, having read your reply I can really relate,  I'm 48 and feel like I've had so many  of the same symptoms for about 8 years,  gotfed up of being told your too young to be perimenopausal ?? Really interested to know how VIT B6 has helped you please ?

      Thank you

    • jayneejay
      jayneejay debbie12340

      Posted

      Hi debs

      Yes it has helped no end..

      Anxiety went, feelings of doom went, aches went. 

      I am post meno now aged 50 had a 10 year peri so research all the time. 

      I had natural no hrt

      Treat yourself to a good Mega B 100 complex time release holland and barret it must have 100mg B 6 in it

      Also a B 12 like Jarrows 5000mcg 

      Jay x

    • jayneejay
      jayneejay debbie12340

      Posted

      Debs 

      Try a Vit E 400iu capsule daily too.

      Everyone needs B-vitamins for good health. Without them we can suffer from a variety of serious ailments.

      For a woman going through perimenopause, B-vitamins can be essential for effectively managing symptoms.   

      Adrenal fatigue, for example, is a common secondary condition for many women going through perimenopause.

      B-vitamins support healthy adrenal function, along with calming and maintaining a healthy nervous system.

      Many women also suffer with mood swings during perimenopause. Both B12 and B6 vitamins aid in the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, a key brain chemical needed to stabilize moods and promote feelings of wellness and contentment.

      For women who suffer with brain fog, and memory issues in perimenopause, low levels of B6 could be part of the problem. Depression, confusion, and an inability to concentrate are all associated with B6 deficiency.

      Vertigo, dizziness, and heart palpitations are also common complaints from women going through perimenopause. All of these symptoms have been associated with (among other things) a B12 deficiency. Vitamin B6 can also help with stubborn weight gain in perimenopause.

      It is key in the breakdown and utilization of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in our diet, and is necessary for a healthy metabolism - both which can help manage weight.

    • debbie12340
      debbie12340 jayneejay

      Posted

      Hi jayneejay,

      Thanks so much for your reply 🙏😘  I really want to try a get rid of the anxiety feelings so I will be definitely getting some of these tablets,  I just hope they work for me.  Can I ask if the symptoms start to go once you actually get to Menopause ?   Take care xx

    • debbie12340
      debbie12340 jayneejay

      Posted

      Dear Jay,

      Thank you very much 🙏 that's so kind of you to give me all this information.

      I have all the symptoms you mention which as you know are all awful !  One final question what dose of the B vitsshould I get and is there a particular brand you would recommend please ?

      Many thanks x

    • jayneejay
      jayneejay debbie12340

      Posted

      Hi Debbie 

      i first started peri at 40 .. 

      i took rainforest maca capsules in the beginning and still do ..

      they were great and are still.

      long story short..

      periods seem to get less each year ..but very gradual for me ..

      the last three were periods i did not recognise 😢

      Blasting  migraines before for 4 days ( hormonal ) felt so sick and just awful.

      ( they were the final ones wasnt like that before ) 

      thats when my anxiety kicked in near the end of them.. Infact worse six months after the last one ..

      anyway i took 150mg B6 ( i live in Spain ) 

      and B12 5000mcg 

      funny as my doc ten years ago gave me vit B6 on prescription for early peri but i didnt really bother with it then as the benefits were not explained ..

      So years later after much research - after i started taking mine i felt uplighted in ten days to two weeks .

      energy up, anxiety gone..

      now i am 13 months post meno, i do take other supplements too.

      calcium and vit D ( bone health) Natecal 

      Solgar Chelated Magnesium

      Vit B 

      Vit B12 

      Menapol Plus x 2 daily 

      Rainforest Food Maca 

      and others

      i feel fine most days...

      still get a blip.. 

      I dont think we will ever feel like we did before .. But we arent the same after 

      Menopause as hormones are depleted and then balanced and settled as mimimal.

      but being positive and accepting of it helps and being kind to yourself .

      Share how you feel so people and loved one understand it .

      jay xx

       

    • jayneejay
      jayneejay

      Posted

      vit E info 

      i take one capsule 400iu daily ..

      Vitamin E

      This is an important vitamin to consider at the menopause.

      Over many years clinical studies have shown its effect on reducing hot flushes.

      Vitamin E is also helpful for vaginal dryness and one study showed that just 400iu taken daily for between 1 and 4 months helped 50 percent of the women given supplemental vitamin E.

      Although most women fear breast cancer, our biggest killer is heart disease. There is now such a wealth of information on the beneficial effects of nutrition on heart disease and unfortunately HRT has been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

      A study published in the Lancet showed that 2000 patients with arteriosclerosis (fatty deposits in the arteries) had a 75 percent reduction in their risk of heart attack when given vitamin E.

      At the time, researchers claimed that vitamin E was even more effective than aspirin in reducing heart attacks.

        

    • debbie12340
      debbie12340 jayneejay

      Posted

      Dear Jay,

      You have been so kind in your replies 😊🙏 I am so very grateful for all the advice and information you have given me.

      I am 48 and have been having symptoms for at least 7 - 8 years so I am really preying that my periods will soon be over and that I can start to feel better again.  It fells like a never ending nightmare though doesn't it ? Lovely to know you new feel better out the other side of it.

      Many thanks and take care sweetheart x

       

    • jayneejay
      jayneejay debbie12340

      Posted

      Hi Debbie 

      well .. You should be nearing the end soon hun..

      in my last two years ( periods) i had 3 periods in 2012.. Two in 2013 ..

      and none after 😃

      just keep yourself as well as you can with supplement boosts..

      when your normal pre - peri your hormones spike up at ovulation ..

      when your early peri your hormones will be charted as a fuzzy mess .. Just erractic ..

      and post menopause they are charted as two straight lines..

      low but stable 😃 yippeeeee

      take care hun

      jay xx

       

    • debbie12340
      debbie12340 jayneejay

      Posted

      Dear Jay,

      I am really looking forward to being two straight lines then smile x low but stable sounds amazing smile

      Thank you sweetie x

    • Sandy07
      Sandy07 debbie12340

      Posted

      Hi Debbie , my symptoms started at about the same time as yours, I will be 50 next week and haven't had a period for almost 5 months so hoping I will see the light at the end of the tunnel soon. When my symptoms started I didn't connect them with peri but it's only looking back now that I can see that this had been going on for a number of years. Xx
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