Perimenopause or Anxiety or ???

I'm sure my doctors wrote that I'm a crazy hypochondriac! 

Even the cardiologist, a young Indian woman, told me I need to have mindfullness and I'll get better. Well Karma is a bitch, look me up when you're 50 lady!

These doctors don't understand. Only certain ones that have the right knowledge about it. It's really sad what we have to go through. It torments your life. I know mine is. It's all I think about. I've prayed so much for God to lead me.

It's all I can think about too, when you aren't feeling right it's so hard for anything else to be right in your life. I've been totally consumed with it. My life is going to doctors and having tests. This week has been really hard, I've really felt like I was going to die a few days. I'm really lucky I don't have to work, I don't know how I'd be able to do it.

Suzanne how did rheumatologist appointment go. I was having good week and did a bunch on Thursday and that haven't slept well so this last few days been rough. I am fortunate that I don't work either but I love used to be such a go getter. Hold you get to feeling better

I see him on Tuesday. It's been really rough this week. I feel just dreadful. It's 3:47 in the AM. I'm so tired but it's so hard too sleep, everything hurts and I feel totally flu like. Every position hurts my shoulder. Maybe it is more than peri?

My shoulder and arm kicked in bad yesterday afternoon. I finally put heating pad on it and it helped some. Another anxiety night. They are coming more frequently again so sorry to hear that your flu like again. I dealt with that for almost a year. Now it's my sinuses that are so messed up. Let me know how doctor goes. I don't think all our messages are going through. I have to search

My email to see if there's a response.

I can't help but thinking that my symptoms are just so severe that it's got to be more than just peri. When you would have the flu feelings, how bad were you? I mean, I feel really horrible. I was shaking again too. 

I was going to go to Mayo then found out my insurance doesn't cover it. My husband still wants me to go, he's so tired of me being sick all the time too. I've had to so many tests done here, especially when I was in the hospital before I had my gallbladder removed. Common sense tells me that they would've seen something with all the mri's, xrays, ct scans. But still in the back of my mind I keep thinking that hormones can't make someone feel this awful..

I think you may have silent migraine caused by hormone changes, look it up. When I get this I feel like I'm dying. The head fog is so bad I can't complete a simple task and just want to be alone away from everything.

There is no severe pain with this just tingling and very odd feeling. Lots of different symptoms with this, upset stomach, head fog, shallow breathing, food cravings, nausea, pale complexion, I feel like somebody has sucked the life out me.

I was diagnosed with this 2 years ago and didn't believe it was a migraine as I'd had them years ago and they was vision disturbance and pain but these are something else.

I'm 49, fit, not a wimp, ran marathons, but I've been convinced I have a terrible illness so many times through menopause over the last few years. I'm still here and touch wood feeling ok right now. I never take that feeling forgranted anymore, I cherish it. Hope you're ok. Cath. X

Girl the flu symptoms were awful!!i didn't get out of the chair, I had awful anxiety and hurt. My sister also mentioned I should go to Mayo Clinic. I'm like you I had so many tests done one would think if there was something they would find. Unfortunately doctor now adays don't care just send ya to another doctor. And these doctors that specialize in woman things don't want to hear about it either. Hot flashes hot flashes that's all I freaking hear!! And don't tell them you read it on the internet cuz they will freak out. I don't read stuff unless it is from Mayo Clinic or sometimes web MD. I brought up reading this forum and my doctor said these woman got issues!!! Yeah we got issues. Issues no one knows anything about!!! My husband doesn't say much anymore cuz I push to be a little more active but it's hard. I can't lose a pound. I am more active now than I was 6 months ago and gaining more weight now than when I laid around all the time. I can lose 5 and gain 8. It's so frustrating. But I have no energy to work out. You should try mayo!! I seriously am thinking about it. Right now is my husbands busy time of work so it will be a bit. But heck maybe they can do something

Well if I do, maybe balancing the hormones will help?

With migraines that is.

 

Michelle, the only thing holding me back from going to Mayo is they don't accept my insurance. I've already spent of ten grand trying to get better. If hrt doesn't help me, I guess I don't have an option though.

I know, I don't even get typical hot flashes, Although my sister said hers began right before her period stopped when she was around 54.  So I'm sure that's something to look forward to as well. The flu feeling is the worse, and not being able to breathe, and the shoulder pain. The only thing giving me some saving grace is the fact that the last two months everything seemed to lessen around ovulation. If it were some awful illness that wouldn't happen, right???????

I've had internal shaking, thought must be MS or parkinsons, twitching face and eyes, freezing shivering when it's not cold, brain fog where I feel like cotton wool fills my brain and I can't think, it passed through and then I think it's all over. I think balancing the hormones helps everything. Out of desperation I did guided meditation on you tube a lot. They have healing ones, calming ones and even hormone Balancing ones. It seemed to help a lot.

Lots of fresh air even if I felt really awful, walk somewhere pretty, sunshine helps and it beats crying in bed.

Clean food, loads of veg and half a vitamin every other day ( I'm scared of anything making me worse and thought a bit of extra won't over do it)

Are you still having periods?

Yes, I'm still very regular. I'm 52.

Did you take anything to help with balancing your hormones?

I was doing meditation. Will look for something to heal and balance.

I've been eating very clean and live in Florida on the water and spend lots of time in the sun. It's not helping!

This morning I was googling Parkinson's. The problem is, everything you google could be exactly what you have. Anything from cancer to anxiety.

I've had so many tests to rule things out. Wish someone would just say 'YES, this is all hormonal'

Oh I tried ashwaghanda too, only half a tablet, not the full dose pukka organic it seemed to help too.

Yes that must account for something!!! It's got to be hormonal than. I don't have any of that so for me I can't tell when things help or. Not. How long you been having the flu like symptoms. I know I've read so many posts that y'all that still have periods off and on been struggling for years. I pray mine don't last that long. Been over a year and a half without the period so I guess mine should be full menopause now. I go to doctor tomorrow and having her check my levels again. She gonna argue insurance isn't probably gonna pay but I'm gonna tell her do it anyway. I know

How you feel about spending money on all these tests. My gyno checked hormones 2 weeks after surgery and 6 months later he said they wouldn't change!!!! I would love to go to his office and make him cry like he did me when I questioned him about what was happening. They just don't understand anymore that each persons body is different.

I've been feeling really awful since August.

If I ever get over this and really figure out what it is, especially if it's hormones, I plan on making a big packet of information and handing it out to each one of the ignorant doctors I've dealt with. First is my concierge doc who I paid big bucks for, then old GYN, endocrinologist, cardiologist, hematologist, GI docs, and quite a number of nurses and PA's, and everyone else who hasn't got a clue.

Well I started feeling flu like symptoms about 2 weeks before Christmas 2015. March 2016 my son got married and I had all I could do to stomach through the whole ordeal. (Didn't help that her parents where awful!! ) Flu symptoms, bloat and severe constipation that not even medicine would help(only made my stomach worse) and bad anxiety and felt like I was floating and headaches. Went to er after wedding and was told that I was fortunate that I wasn't throwing up the stool cuz I was backed up to my small intestine. April through July was just as rough but was starting to deal better with severe constipation. Anxiety and mood and fatigue still so bad. I have to say I would get a day or 2 that wasn't so bad but as I would start to get better through the day I noticed the anxiety at night got worse. So bad that my husband is over the road November Thru January that I had my sister either stay with me or I would go to her house. Anxiety was so bad at night I freaked out and you know

That only makes it even worse 😳😳😳. I have to say since February things are slowly getting better. Still very fatigued and occasionally have to use my nausea meds, still dealing with acid reflux but started a new med and is helping a bit with the bloat and short breath. But that I only got cuz they gave me another EDG. I'll come to Florida for vacation and we can write it together😂😂. I just wanna look at my doctors and ask just what they learned in school and when did they stop teaching listening to the patient because everyone is different.

Suzanne, do you not sleep well? Do you wake up with anxiety really bad in the morning? I have headaches and nausea also. I'm 46 and had a blood spot test done and it said my levels of hormones were in range for "premenopausal" woman. That's what I wanted to know is was I in peri menopause!!! I have the inner shakes that are horrible. I don't go anywhere because I feel so nauseous and anxious except doctor visits. My psychiatrist wants to put me on an antipsychotic called Zyprexa. I'm totally against it. My Paxil quit working in July of 2015 and Im still taking it because I can't get off of it. I started having some issues before this happened and I'm wondering if it was the beginning of peri menopause. It's funnny because I'm not worried about anything, but my body shakes and gets restless and I feel like I have to get up and walk or I'll go crazy. What are all your symptoms? I'm still having a basically regular menstrual cycle. It's usually every 26 days sometimes 25 then one time it was 20.

Tonia, 

I SO understand. Switching primary care docs bc current one doesn't seem to care or thinks I'm a hypochondriac and worry wort. Finally after month of waiting, I got in to see a neurologist, who spent about 10 minutes with me, asked me to touch my nose with my finger, tested my knee reflexes, then said, you don't have MS or Parkinsons, you're having panic attacks, and prescribed an addictive anti-anxiety drug, which I don't want to take. No thank you! That could make things much worse. I was so disheartened. How could I be having panic attacks with all these bizarre symptoms and when I feel like I have the flu? Really? And other than general life stresses, I'm not upset about anything. So it's like back to square 1, because all the other docs were referring to a neurologist bc they didn't know what to tell me...next will be gynecologist. This is all so frustrating. Today a little better, but starting to have some more frequent head rush and faint feelings and sick feelings. I never know what to expect in a day and am getting to point where I'm reluctant to make too many commitments because I don't know how I'll be feeling. Have missed alot of work, parenting an energetic youngster has been a big challenge, and little things get on my every last nerve much easier.

I've had the internal shaking, too, Cathy, and sounds like a lot of our fellow sisters on here have, too. Either just a general feeling of shaking inside that's strange, or sometimes it feels like my brain itself is shaking. Very unsettling. I don't like it by try to just allow it to do it's thing, and focus on something else. I've cleaned out junk drawers, etc. to get my mind off how I feel and that has seemed to help. Or even just get down on the floor and start doing pushups or leg lifts or anything physical to distract me.

Hi Suzanne,

I get the internal shakes, too, pressure/tightness around my head and the nausea. I'm also 46. So sick of it. Been 8 mos. now. Some symptoms started later. I never know how to plan things either bc I don' tknow how I will feel from day to day. I am taking bio-identicals, which I totally believe in, and I had a few days where I started to feel normal, then this weirdness again and another ER visit. But I was coming off the pill, synthetic HRT and using the bio-identical creme at the same time, at the advice of the pharmacy, to wean off the pill form. Think that's when the strange shaking started, when I tried to just stop taking the pills, as they told me. (Why do they tell women that, or any doctor, to just "stop taking" a chemical substance, your body has to come off those things slowly!!) You would've thought I was coming off cocaine (althought I've never done any type of recreational drugs so I wouldn't know) the side effects were sooo bad. I thought I was going to die several times. Had constant head rushes and heart palps ongoing like every sec. Very scary. All bc I took the advice of doctor or pharmacist. Some ladies can just stop I hear, but my sisters, don't do it and put yourself through that, come off slowly!

I would stay away from the psychotic stuff. Those are hard-core addictive drugs but doctors don't tell you that. I once took something years ago on an as-needed basis, then just stopped, bc that's what the all-knowing dr. told me to do, and I almost died. Was in hospital two days. Got advice online and came off it myself over a long period of time. It's frustrating to say least that doctors want to chalk this all up to anxiety or stress issues. I have been having a period every three or four months. I understand the restless feeling. Or feeling all wound up and not able to relax. Or breathing cut off and barely able to breathe. 

Cathy, my eyes started twitching (both of them and upper and lower lids), did it for nearly two mos., then finally stopped. I thought maybe it was my job bc I do a lot of computer work. Had my eyes checked, the eye dr. said that's just nerves.

Hi Cathy,

What do you mean by head fog? I get head rush feelings, a very strange feeling in my head, like a cramp or sensation that lasts just a second or so and it feels like I'm going to just pass right out. Is that what you have, or do you just mean you don't feel present or able to concentrate? I also get the tingling feelings -- on my scalp, ears, neck, face, chin, or hot and cold sensations. Sometimes it feels like my ear canals are really hot. I've heard lots of women say they feel a burning like sensation in various places. Like a year or so ago, I would notice that one ear would feel really hot out of nowhere, and I'd look in the mirror, and it would be beet red. I wonder now if that was peri stuff starting. I'm 46. NO ONE ever told me these things could happen! Debilitating things! My mom had a hysterectomy in her 30s then was put on hormones, so she didn't have a classic peri/meno experience, and my older sister, who is six years old, says she is not yet peri.

I would like to know --- has anyone had a LESSENING or IMPROVEMENT of any of these symptoms? Did they go away? Get better? It would be so nice to have some hope that we could all live a normal life and have ourselves back again. Not to mention how our families are suffering, too from us not feeling well, not able to do as much and just being miserable, not present, etc.

What did they prescribe??? I have 1 mg clonazapam and only took when anxiety got real

Bad. For awhile I did take every couple

Days but now I take very seldom. Day time anxiety is so much better but the night is awful a couple times a day.

Hi Michelle.in on 0.5 mg of clonazepam, I use mine at night to sleep, I sleep pretty well but daytime my anxiety is high during this menopause, maybe I can take a little during the day, might help get me through menpause a little easier.

Hi Julie,

When I'm experiencing a migraine it's a tingling sensation on top of my head, or the feeling of a tight helmet around the top of my head. Mentally I feel very detached and odd, it really feels like I can't think straight or concentrate on anything. Dizzy and very shallow breathing. I get the burning ear thing too! Thanks for letting me know! Years ago I'd have thought I may have an ear infection now I think it could be the bloody menopause!

The internal shaking used to be much worse about 2 years ago. I'm 49 now. The anxiety isn't as bad generally either. After flying a lot all of my life I got flight phobia, would get random panick attacks in the Mall, I'd think crazy things like there would be a terrorist attack and I'd have to leave. That's all calmed down a lot.

My periods are erratic, I've had 2 seriously heavy Ones 6 months apart that have been uncontrollable heavy and made me ill and weak. I'm 52kg. I've always been 56-58 but have lost weight through peri. This worried me too and convinced me even more that I had something terrible.

I'm feeling pretty good right now. I look paler and thinner than I used to and I try to ear loads of clean food and good oils to keep my weight up, I exercise sensibly as I think I may have over done it in the past.

Do you take anything? It good advice to distract yourself. How often do you get the head pain? I get the odd sharp pain to the side of my head too but that doesn't seem to be connected to the migraine.

Xxx

Hi Suzanne, If it reassures you it's been a couple of years since the first tremors when I was convinced I had Parkinson's or MS and it's not got any worse if anything better as time has passed. The migraine thing got worse.

Menopause up to now has been a really tough ride, I feel a bit better for a while and then some other weird and usually very unpleasant symptom comes along or comes back that I think has passed.

I've been obsessed with alternative therapies but don't really stick with them long enough as if I have a bad day I worry they are making things worse and stop.

It seems that different things work for different people. And like you, if a doctor (I've seen neuro, gasric, countless GP's had tests) showed some empathy and gave some reassurance it would have helped a lot. A few months ago I crumbled and asked for HRT, thinking I couldn't feel

any worse but they wouldn't give it to me because of increased risk of stroke with migraine.

Are your emotions up and down and do you over think things and get paranoid? I do some days, I have to fight these irrational thoughts away. It's like something that hasn't bothered me for weeks pops up and knaws away at me! It's mad. But today is ok, thank goodness.

I hope you're having a good day too in your Florida sun. Xxxx

I've been very ill since August, and yes, I'm constantly googling symptoms. My illness is ALL I can think of when I'm feeling so poorly. I can't even take a tylenol without stressing about side effects. 

I saw the rheumatologist yesterday, he's an older Irish man who worked at Mayo Clinic for over 30 years. He looked over all of my tests and labs and examined me and thinks there is nothing wrong with me either. He suggested trying antidepressants. So I made an appt with a psychiatrist for tomorrow. My GP had prescribed Lexapro last month but I never picked it up from the pharmacy. I just don't want to take pills! When I saw the GYN on Monday she said I should go on birth control pills to even out my hormones. But I don't want to take pills! I'm so scared of bad side effects, although I'm desparate at this point.

I just heard from the doctor in Tampa who deals with bioidenticals. He looked at my labs and said my estrogen is too high and I'm producing no progesterone. He also said my thyroid is off and looks like I have Hashimoto's (I've been on Synthroid since teenager). He believes in treating the thyroid with T3 and T4, which synthroid doesn't do. 

So I have two routes to go: Do I treat the symptoms of peri and take the antidepressants? Or do I treat the hormones and hope that helps with the symptoms? Doing bioidenticals makes me feel a bit safer than taking bc pills.

I'm not sure about side effects of bioidenticals but bc pills def have side effects like migraines and strokes. 

I'm so tired of going round and round, and I'm very very tired of feeling like complete death every day. And I'm extremely tired of thinking about it 24 hours a day! This week was my ovulating week and I was supposed to be feeling better. So far no luck.

 

Do you ever feel like you have the flu and feel like you're coming down with something?

Yes Tonia, I feel like I have the flu all the time. In the last three months only during ovulation have I felt a bit better which lasts only about 5 days. Today should be exactly ovulation time and interestingly enough I started spotting with some brown streaking. Feeling a little relief from the flu feelings today.

My body is always feeling like it's being squeezed, so out of sorts. The frozen shoulder has been very painful, hard to find a comfortable position to sleep when I can sleep. I've been having those internal shakes for days too.

I'm seeing this new doctor next week. He wants to change my thyroid medication and also put me on bioidenticals. It would be soooooo great if all this works and I'm back to my old self.  It's hard for me to believe that hormones can wreak this much havoc on one's body, but maybe the hormones cause the anxiety and depression, and then we get symptoms from those two things, so not the hormones per se. I was trying to decide which to treat, so think I'm going to start with the hormones and see what happens. I can always resort to antidepressants later if the hormones don't work. 

One thing I know is, I've seen every doctor and had many tests, sometimes multiple times. This has all got to be hormonal or severe depression because nothing else shows up.

But do you feel depressed when you are feeling physically better? I think it's really hard to feel happy when you feel like you've got flu.

I showed so much estrogen on both tests they were convinced I was pregnant.

I'm not saying the antidepressants won't help, they do help some people a lot but if this is hormonal and you were ok mentally before and haven't had any big life changes recently it seems to point to the hormones and illness making you feel bad rather than the depression making you physically ill. X

When I have those few better days I do NOT feel depressed, so thank you for reminding me of that. I agree, when you feel like crap it's hard to be jolly. My husband says that it's got to be hormonal because I cry so much, but I try to tell him it's because I don't feel well and it's been so long and really getting to the end of my rope. He also says that I have no interest in sex. I was like, would you if you felt like you had a bad flu?

My estrogen is very high too. This new doc said I have barely any progesterone at all. The high estrogen probably accounts for the huge cysts in my breasts, cysts on ovaries, and the new spotting I'm having today as well.  

Thanks for writing to me, you helped me confirm I'm doing the right thing. Now just hope the bios are good and work! I still have my sample of Lo Loestrin birth control pills if not, just want that to be more of a last resort. 

Does anything help the flu feeling? Did you tell your doctor you were feeling flu like? What kind of doctor did you see. Do you not sleep well and wake up early and feel anxious and nauseous? I have had a bad headache, neck ache all down my shoulders for most of the day. Do you get the chills? My anxiety is really bad. What kind of tests did you have done? Did you have a saliva test, and if so, how long did you have to do the saliva test?

Cath, have you had the flu like symptoms too? Are you in menopause or peri menopause? Has anything helped? I'm 46 and I still have a regular menstrual cycle, but it only last about 3 days on a 20- mostly 25-26 day cycle. I have, excuse the

blatant wording, but after my ovulation a milky white discharge that I don't remember having. I've also started having some pain when I'm on my cycle, which I didn't use to.

Hi Yes I've had an upset stomach on and off for the last few years. Lost weight. Had internal and external tremors and odd eye twitches. Silent migraine episodes which have been the worst thing. Nausea Tingling head, tight band around the head, and yes a feeling of dreadful full blown flu and headfog. I've been convinced I have some awful illness but it passes and I feel ok then. The anxiety was worse for me about 3 years ago, I'm 49 now and in menopause although I still bleed erratically and twice it's been so heavy it floored me and took weeks to recover. Having seen so many docs and felt fobbed off I do try different alternative remedies but I'm not good at sticking to them as if I have a bad day I worry they may make me worse half of s good multi bit helps sometimes and aswaghanda seemed to help.

Reading different people get relief from herbs etc but you gotta know what the imbalance is before you take stuff i.e. If you need more or less estrogen or progesterone. You can get tests off Amazon like pregnancy tests to tell you if you're on the menopause, they are cheap. X

I've seen every kind of doctor. Have had every kind of MRI, CT scans, X-rays, numerous bloodwork. Nothing found.

Nothing helps the flu Feelings. I have all those other symptoms too. Nothing has helped. Taking iron helped some symptoms like eye flashes.

I have not had a saliva test. This new doc is ordering more bloodwork. Will see what he does when I go there. He doesn't believe in synthroid but treats with armour thyroid and goes by symptoms.

Have you had a vaginal ultrasound? CA125 blood test?

Suzanne, if you're that low on progesterone, using the bios should help tremendously. No wonder you're crying, etc. When are you starting them? I would date the day you start and note your symptoms. If you take the progresterone at night, it can help you sleep better too. Let us know how it works and hang in!!!

I'm seeing the new doc at the end of next week. Hopefully I can get the bios right away. The GYN had put me on oral progesterone last month but I only took them for about 6 days. The first 4 nights I slept well, 5th day seemed to have side effects like I was up every half hour to go to the bathroom. And I started losing my appetite. So I stopped taking them. Probably should've kept them up. I think I'll feel more comfortable with a cream though.

I will definitely keep my diary going every day of symptoms. Hopefully my journey can help someone else. Please everyone pray that this is my answer and I start getting well again.

I wish you all the very best with this Suzanne. It seems to make sense somebody looking at your particular imbalance and giving you custom made hormone adjustments instead of one size fits all. Maybe the progesterone tablet was a little too strong or it should be built up slower.

I'm going to try this if you have a positive response. Xx

I also tried the lexapro and it made things worse. I am not depressed just tired of feeling the way I have been. I think it's more I'm frustrated that doctors don't want to listen. I had my hormones tested Monday. Been on birth control than after 3 months went to estrodiol. After about 5 months she sent me to a compound center and they put me on a estrogen cream and 100mg of progesterone. I felt great for first 3 days than anxiety at night kicked in horribly and I quit. Well compound center called today. I had my regular doctor check my levels again. Not sure how they can prescribe correctly when they hadn't checked levels in like 6 months. Pharmacist got crabby with me when I told her progesterone made me so angry and hateful. Made me so tired but she just went off and said your estrogen is finally in range but with progesterone low it has to balance each other out. She's gonna put it in a cream with my estrogen now. I'm scared to try because of what the pill made me feel like but I'm gonna try just to see if I can get a bit of life's activity back. Can't lose weight and just so exhausted. Have you had any issues with sinuses??? Mine have never been so bad as the past year and a half. Read some on it but not a lot.

Hi Michelle, I had really bad sinus a lot but cutting dairy has helped with that so much. I missed it at first being a huge cheese fan but I just have rice or almond milk now. The odd time I'll have a small amount like if something is cooked in butter in a restaurant. Milk and mucous are connected.

Try upping vitamin C, having loads of lemon squeezed in water and anything else high in C to fight infection and cutting out/back on dairy and see if it helps, it's worth a go.

Yes, I had a vaginal ultrasound and they found a cyst on my ovary. Which is nothing new.

I will try more vitamin C and lemon water. I'm not a big dairy person. I'm also thinking some of it is coming from my sleep machine. I tried it again the other night and now I'm messed again.

Hi Cindy how has the clonazepam worked for you? Do you take every day? I had a bad experience with loorazepam after I just stopped taking it due to side effects on a doctor's advice and am afraid of taking it. These drugs are addictive but we are not told effects?

For me things seem to get worse at night, lately with the tremor feelings and insomnia. Hope you are doing Ok.

Hi Julie. I have taken Clonazepam for years and it works. I had mono a few years back and had it way too long, 6 months. I had my 3 year old and I fought the sleep that desease does to you, so I condioned my body how not to sleep. They tried a lot of things on me but this one works best. It helps me sleep. I take one a night, can take up to 2 but I try not to take only the one. Now with menopause things tend to worry me more so I should probably take more than one but I just hate to do that.I take it around 9 every night so by 10 or so I'm ready for sleep. I have insomnia issues BIG TIME too. I do take a bp pill too but with menopause I decided to take an OTC pill and I've only taken that a week so hopefully it'll give me energy, the hot flashes seem a lot less or less strong, so that is a good thing especially at night when I need that sleep. My fatigue is so bad in the daytime, that's why I decided to give the OTC pill a try instead of a prescription from the Dr. I was told by at least 5 people now that the OTC can't hurt me, might make me have a little higher bp and palpitaions but those can go with coffee or menopause too, so whatever I need my alertness back and my life back, I hate feeling so tired all the time, all day! I take a multi vitamin, D3 and b12, the b12 is mainly for now my BMS, burning mouth syndrome thing I have too, could be menopause too I read somewhere and on this site too. Keep me posted on if you get to try the clonazepam, it calms you down and you sleep good, well for me it does. My anxiety is sky high it helps that at night for sure!

Forgot to say I'm still taking the clonazepam with the OTC pill too! But if the OTC helps me with everything, I will come down with the clonazepam. Never stop the pill just like that though. I was given Citalopram and I couldn't handle that pill at all but each person is different. Good luck and let me know what you find best for you!

Thank you that is so helpful. What us OTC? For energy, maca is good, guarana, ginseng, niacin and green veggie drinks.

Have you noticed any side effects of the clonazepam?

Over the counter. Clonazepam just helps me sleep and less anxiety when I use it just before bed.

Does it help with anxiety or physical symptoms the next day, too?

Neurologist said all my troublesome symptoms are panic attacks, but I am not overly stressed about anything, and having a hard time believing that nauseu, head pressure, flu-like feeling, pass out feeling, etc etc that go on intermittently all day and night, intenal tremor, weird breathing issues, heart palps and asthma-like symptoms are from a 24-7 panic attack???

Julie, just got back from an appt with a psychiatrist. When I sat down she turned a little fan on and excused herself saying she's was having a hot flash! Lol!! Perfect

She agreed that my symptoms are perimeno, but she's concerned about the severity. She suggested checking for Lyme and EBV. She thought it was a good idea to see the hormone guy (tomorrow) and try and regulate my hormones and thyroid. While anxiety and depression can go along with peri she doesn't think that's my problem. She said anxiety starts in childhood and I would know it if I had it that bad. She said klonopin caused early dementia, so those of you on it, be careful.

Nice to have some validation that being so sick is not just in my head as so many docs have made me feel. Just need to find out if it is indeed just peri giving me all the problems. So, bioidenticals, armour thyroid, EBV and Lyme, and if all else fails hello Cleveland Clinic or Mayo.

I was hoping my 'good week during ovulation' was going to happen but instead I started spotting on day 14 and into the 8th day still spotting and never got much relief from the flu feeling and breathing and frozen shoulder pain. There were a few days I really wanted to just die. Ughhhh

Also, there were times I couldn't stop shaking as well. Really awful. Wish I knew someone that was as severe and got better after meno or with hrt.

Oh man, I'm so sorry.

Also what a great confirmation with the doctor having a hot flash, plus being so understnading and validating of your concerns! 

What is EBV?? Do you mean Epstein Barr virus?

As I'm sitting at work at my computer, getting this bad pressure in bridge of nose area, along with the sick, naseous, I could pass out kind of feeling and weird breathing thing that seems to accompany this. Just out of nowhere. But have had all the tests, seen two ENTs who say no sinus problems. But many on here have said they've had new, really bad sinus stuff pop up in peri out of nowhere. Wish I could tell when I was ovulating but no clue where my cycle is. Finally had another period after 4 mos., than another in 2 wks, then some spotting yesterday.

P.S. Suzanne, meant to ask you also, what does Mayo do? I've seen several others mention it on here, like as another option. Is that like the clinic that you go to when no one has answers? If so, I think those are only in the big cities and I live in a rural area. I have noticed, though, on some blood tests, like from an ER visit, where the Mayo clinic was mentioned. Maybe that was on the Lyme's test, I'm not sure.

It comes and goes with me. Usually its only at night, when I lay down to go to sleep, but have noticed it coming in earlier in the evening. It is unsettling and I don't like it! But try to ignore it. I've read its nervous system related. Also that it could be related to adrenals, along with the body flushing stuff. I'm trying to get an ultrasound and CT (most definiative) of adrenals and abdomen area to rule anything out.

One night when my little son slept with me, he said my whole body was "vibrating" in the night. That really freaked me out. I thought only I could feel it. I try to tell myself, this will pass and it came to pass, not stay. Or I say a prayer, say All is Well, or sing Safe Am I, that my mother used to sing to me and I sing to my son. Goes like this:

Safe am I,

Safe am I,

In the hollow of His hand.

Sheltered or, Sheltered or'

In His love forever more.

No ill can harm me,

No foe alarm me,

For He keeps both day and night...

Safe am I, so Safe am I,

In the hollow of His hand.

I hope that helps comfort you!!!

Hugs

Yes, Ebstein Barr Virus.

Mayo is indeed a big hospital that you go to for a diagnosis. They have doc appts set up one after the other and then they confer with one another. The big and best one is in Rochester Minnesota. I've heard Cleveland Clinic is good too, not sure but I think they have one down here in FL. Mayo doesn't take my insurance though. Bummer. Need to check with Cleveland clinic. It's in my back pocket anyway.

Pray that this doc tomorrow is my answer!!

Sorry about your sinuses. I have a great friend who is the best ENT doc if you want a second opinion.

Sure, where is he? I am in Missouri though but maybe could work with him by phone? How can I reach him? Have Blue Cross/Anthem insurance. 

Hi Suzanne I haven't read all of your posts detailing your symptoms but just wanted to say that I used to get the internal shaking and lots of severe symptoms too many to mention but I've been on tibolone HRT for over a year and some of the symptoms have gone or are much less severe

I still have symptoms like balance problems, stuff sore neck, anxiety but I can cope much better

Lots of love to you xx

Thanks Brenda! I'm seeing the hormone doc today. My progesterone is practically non-existant which is probably why I'm so estrogen dominant. I'm hoping what he gives me will start helping me to get some quality of life back. It's been a hellish 8 months! 

How long did it take for the hrt to kick in?

I know I couldn't work. I can barely function sometimes.

I've had a vaginal ultrasound and I have a cyst on one of my ovaries. Not sure about the blood test. What is it for?

What is tibolone HRT? My progesterone is low and they're starting me low because she said it could cause anxiety at the start of using it. Did you have that problem? Also estradiol to put on my vagina. How long did it take to see the effects?

He's here in Sarasota. You'd probably have to come here and see him.