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[KazziCas]

I have been beside myself with worry since New Year. I was 53 in December, and have not had a period for two years. I have always been a reasonable confident person and reckon that I handle stress pretty well, but this - what I term "mental pause" is driving me mad. I think I have been saved by you lovely, intelligent and considerate women on here. My mother died at 47 with heart problems, her brother died of heart problems and their farther also. So there is a bit of history in my family. So you can imagine what I thought on January 2nd when a I woke up with chest pain and left arm pain. It has been intermittent since then and I'm telling myself it is my hiatus hernia, or something else, but the Heart Attack theory always drowns these others out. I use the gym 3 Times a week and jog on average 3 miles a week. I play hockey and ride horses, and guess what - no pain whilst I'm doing all this, I'm not breathless nor do I sweat excessively, so why am I convinced I have heart problems? Is this Mentalpause anxiety? I'm due at GP's on Wednesday, so we'll see. Thank you all so much for being there. 

[babyjane]

Hello, glad you decided to join us  .  It could well be mental pause anxiety.  My father had his first heart attack when he was 58.  when I turned 57 I had a helluva time convinced I would have a heart attack when I was 58 as I take after him in a lot of ways.  I even told my GP how I was feeling although I showed no signs and am not at risk.  I worried and stressed myself out until I was having chest pains from the stress.  The mind can certainly dictate what the body does.

Since I turned 59 (60 this year) and have not had a heart attack I am fine, I haven't even thought about it.

It certainly is a mental time of life and not something to go through alone.  It is lovely to read others experiences on these boards, very reassuring as there if often someone with the same thing that has been worrying you.   

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome to MM KazziCas
The meno does mess with our heads!! Even the most rational and sorted women find they become anxious over the most trivial things.
Get the GP to check everything - peace of mind is very important. Palpitations are a common meno symptom but I have found they are better since I started taking Magnesium. Pain in the chest could well be stomach acid - another thing that tends to flare up when meno hits.
If you have heart conditions in the family then some regular monitoring is probably a good idea and will also give you that peace of mind you need.   You are not going mad.  DG x

[Kathleen]

 Hello KazziCas and welcome to the forum.

You've come to the right place for help and support and many ladies suffer health anxiety as well as all the other varieties of course. Menopause is not for cissies that's for sure.

Take care and keep posting.

K.

[CLKD]

 

Maybe take a note of your symptoms and worries with you to the appt.?  Some ladies find keeping a mood/food/symptom diary useful.

Browse round.  Make notes!

As oestrogen levels drop so muscles may become lax = aches and pains.  It is also common for ladies to develop hiatus hernia which can cause indigestion-type symptoms. 

As oestrogen levels drop the body becomes dry, inside and out! 

[Hurdity]

Hello KazziCas

  from me too!

Sorry to hear about the heart problems in your family but as you probably realise - lifestyle factors play a huge part in whether you would be susceptible even with genetic pre-disposition. Sounds like you are doing the right things by keeping fit and also I presume you are attending to other areas of your health to reduce your own risk - ie eating healthy low fat diet, no smoking, minimal alcohol, low salt and of course keeping to healthy BMI.

As you are two years post-menopause - your oestrogen levels overall will be at their lowest they will go (they still fluctuate a wee bit but not significantly) - and low oestrogen can cause anxiety and mood.  Are you suffering from hot flushes and sweats also? The good news is that taking HRT will help protect your heart for longer - in fact it is recommended for all women who reach menopause before the average age of menopause which is around 51 - and provides benefits to women after this age.

Good idea to go to the doctor to get checked out, especially in view of your family history - but if all is clear why not think about HRT, for anxiety as well as your heart?

 "Mental pause" anxiety - that's an interesting perspective 

Let us know how you get on

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

There are patches rather than by mouth options if that would make any difference?

[Yammy1]

I know this is an old thread but I was just wondering how you are KazziCas, I too have been having chest pain the past while and it really has me terrified. My stomach is burning too, even though I take lanzaprol daily. But this Chet pain is really really scaring me.