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[nelliedee]

Hi everyone
Havent been here for a while. I will be 51 this summer and symptoms are off the scale. 3 yrs ago I found this site when I was having a meltdown and it was a saviour. I have been peri for yonks and cannot take hrt so have had to find other ways to help myself. Exercise was/is my main help as anxiety is my top symptom. I have had strange periods for about 4 yrs and the last 6 to 8 months they are swung from heavy clots (15 large clots in a 2 hr period with gushing) to normal-ish very early cycles. Had a scan and all was ok. But its my emotions and omg they have been off the scale again. The day before a period I see such extreme tension I can hardly leave the house and by day 5 of my period I am clinically depressed, by day 7-8 I am sort of back to normal. The past 3 episodes have sent me back to GP and also hospital in the middle of the night needing vallium !!! I have started back on propranolol as I cannot take AD'S and have taken vallium twice over the weekend, only 2mg but I just needed some restbite as this would not abate. I have been laid up for 9 days with labaryntitis/MAV/bppv they really don't know which one it is but my headaches have been migraineous and last for 3-4 days. Vertigo with sickness, vile vile and extremely depressing as I couldn't move for days. I am dreading my next period as they seem to be coming every 3 weeks lately and its the emotionally symptoms I cant handle. I have spent over 2 yrs getting along with life and fully understand and manage anxiety but my good god this spell has sent me scurrying off to the hospital again at midnight, begging hubby to stay home from work to sit with me and popping a few vallium again. I am under extra pressure as my mum has cancer and I am looking after her but my hormonal dips are so extreme. I have told the GP I can predict exactly what days I will feel totally irrational and that they subside within a day or so.

[Mrs January]

Hi there honey

I don't have all the answers for you and i know others will. My moto is always take one hour, day at a  time and manage just that day at a  time. You have illness too and stress with your mum.....There is a website called Glasgow Steps they have some good relaxation exercises which may help you ...Avoid all alcohol, caffeine ( It helps me) I only drink herbal teas, eat well if to can, try to get good sleep too.

Keep posting on here we will all help you.

Hugs

Mrs January xx

[rosebud57]

Totally sympathise.  The last 2 years of peri were the worst for me, periods especially. Mine was more 'crushing fatigue' at the start of a period than mood swings.  The only comfort I can give is that the symptoms reached a peak just before my periods stopped for good.  Hopefully you are not too far off.  Might be an idea to ask your doc for a hormone test so you know exactly where you are.

Good luck.

[honorsmum]

That sounds awful, Everyonesmum - horrendous.

Have you seen a specialist, or is it your GP you deal with?
It sounds like you could use some expert help.
Have you tried alternative therapies, like acupuncture, reflexology etc? Anything that might help with the anxiety would be good.

I hope you can find help somewhere - you clearly can't go on as you are.x

[CLKD]

Hysterectomy? 

That depression relating to periods can be so sudden.  OK 1 moment then completely flat out  ……..

[nelliedee]

Hi girls
Thanks for your replies
I started doing muscle relaxation again a few months ago as I suspected hormones were dipping but it really doesn't help on the period week at all. Have been battling a migraine again all day today and my vertigo is present again. Nothing seems to clear it off completely so I am in and out of bed or lying in a darkened room trying to help it shift. I listen to relaxation sounds at bedtime, I do visualization relaxation, deep breathing ect but I am all over the place. I will ask gp for a blood test, can it show how far towards meno we are?
Not taken any valium today as it scares the pants off me, always has and only take it as an absolutely last resort. Taking propranolol 3 times a day and it will hopefully work as a migraine preventative and for anxiety. Just need a bit of time for it to start doing its magic I suppose, started it yesterday.
Never thought I would find myself back in this hole again as I thought I had the anxiety all worked out !!! Just shows you how powerful these hormones are xx

[nelliedee]

Clkd
I am not sure a hysterectomy would sort the hormone fluctuations x

[CLKD]

How much propranolol are you taking each time?  I have 40mg at night to ward off anxiety surges and an AD. 

Valium is OK!!!! 2mg is nothing!  I took 5mg on an 'as necessary' basis for years ……….. because I knew it worked I didn't need to rely on it and took it the night before an event as well as that morning if necessary.  Knowing that it would work for me helped enormously. 

You need to put those few days 'aside' ! so that you can rest and not have the added commitments.  That will take pressure off a bit.

What support are you getting for your Mum?  Does she live close by, have you been in touch with MacMillan Nurses?

[Hurdity]

Hi everyone's mum

Sorry to  hear about this and especially about your mum - and it must be very difficult to cope with this when your hormones and moods are going up and down.

You probably said in the past why you can't take HRT but is it absolutely definite eg maybe breast cancer gene in the family? If you can't then in terms of the heavy bleeding has the doctor suggested anything for this - I know it won't help the mood swings, but something like the Mirena coil releases progestogen directly to the uterus and lessens the bleeding - so at least you won't have this to worry about.

The only thing is once your periods naturally stop completely, and your oestrogen falls, it's not a good idea to have Mirena without additional oestrogen as it can over thin the lining but maybe in the short term this would help?

Have you thought of one of the contraceptive pills to regulate your cycle - several have suggested Qlara recently - which would reduce the bleeding and probably level out the fluctuations so that you didn't experience such extreme mood swings? Maybe you can't have this for the same reason re HRT?

I sympathise re the migraines - I only started getting these when peri-menopausal - 3 day ones but no aura - and I still get them now and again, not nearly so severe now and not as bad as yours sound, but persistent and nagging because of the crushing fatigue and not sleeping. I do find exercise helps too and I drag myself out for a walk sometimes even when I don't feel like it when I'm having one of these.

Otherwise I can only suggest mindful/relaxation techniques to help cope with the anxiety - there is a site "nomorepanic" http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/ that someone suggested on here a while back that might have some techniques.

Sorry I can't help further.

Hurdity x

[Kathleen]

Hello everyones mum.

I can't add to the advice given by the other ladies but I wanted to send you hugs.

I too have been amazed at the effect changing hormones has had on me and I sympathise with your situation.

Take care and I hope you see improvement soon.

K.

[nelliedee]

Thanks girls
Mum lives with us and is still mobile, lost lots of weight but otherwise still a tough cookie
No help as she would be mortified and at the moment we do not need it. I am having counselling at my gp surgery to come to grips with my feelings at this time.
I love vallium as it works for me but I use it very very sparingly. I use it when I get anxiety that makes me feel rigid and agitated. The propranolol is low dose, 10 mg 3 times a day, this regime worked for me 3 years ago. Waiting to see gp this week if I can secure an appoint for thurs and it maybe increased
I have a horrid sick feeling, have had it all day but feel it maybe abating tonight.
I did manage a 10 min walk yesterday, slowly but I did manage it and felt better for it. Today however I have been hit by the migraine and my vertigo is back (always seems to hit with the migraine) therefore walking has proven impossible. I hope tomorrow brings a day I can walk as it rids me of some of my anxiety. Have cooked dinner tonight and am proud of the fact I am not totally unable to help indoors.
Rosebud I hope you are right and that my periods are coming to an end as its them that seem to be making my symptoms extreme.
Honorsmum I am under gp care at the min. I saw a specialist last year when I had bppv and I think that is also back but it doesn't worry me as I know exercises will cure it. The daily dizzy/vertigo that I now have seems to start when I get a migraine which is most days at the moment. feels like ive been living in hell

[nelliedee]

Over the last 2 months I have had a strange feeling over my pubic area, it feels like its tingling, almost stinging !! Anyone else experienced this? xx

[CLKD]

Maybe up the Propranolol when you have spoken with your GP.  I would mention the dizziness etc. and ask for a call back from the GP.  Vertigo is debilitating!

[nelliedee]

Went to bed at 830 feeling ok-ish and started to have panic feelings but managed to nod off. have woken at 230 this morning and am crying and have woken hubby to tell him he needs to stay home from work and be with me as I feel unsafe !!!! do I need to take the vallium for a few days continuously, do I need 5 mg, do I need it 3 times a day if so then its too early to have 1 now as there wont be enough hours in the day cos I have got up too early. I am not sure if I am hormonal, having a breakdown due to stress from my journey with mum. I just don't know. I am so scared of taking vallium to much as it may stop working for me after a while and then what would I do?
If its hormones then why am I still getting this extreme feeling, periods of panic on day 10-11 of my cycle? These panic episode have lasted now almost 2 weeks, usually they would have abated and I would be heading into my normal feeling time.
It seems to come in waves and gps say only take vallium for a day or so which is scaring the pants off me and so I take it maybe once. If I knew vallium was ok to use frequently I would be a happy bunny as I wouldn't worry anymore as I just need relief. I would like my husband to stay off work for a week or so to be with me but he is self employed and has already lost a few days last week and we cant afford it, more pressure.
Cant take hrt due to breast cancer, mum, aunt and cousin and I have many cysts in both breasts.
Cant take AD'S as had a reaction to them 3 yrs ago which left me with dystonia
Periods have been heavy for years with lots of clots. clots ramped up a few months back so I had scan which was all clear. Periods are now not as heavy, just normal loss, cycle becoming shorter over 3 years, currently 21-24 days and this last period lasted 9-10 days which is a 1st.
I am/have been waiting for a lift in my feelings which is what usually happens by day 7-8 of my cycle but this lift isn't happening and that is what is keeping me in the loop. Maybe its because I had a long bleed!!
Has anyone on here taken propranolol for anxiety if so what dosage?
If this is hormones then surely vallium will be no good long term cos the hormones will be playing up for more than a few days....
clkd, I will be speaking with gp today as it seems I am back to where I was on sunday. I am so sorry to be sounding like poor me poor me, I am usually strong and calm these days.
Thanks for the link no more panic, I was on there on sun, brilliant site and will pop on there now xx

[nelliedee]

went on no more panic but came off as things on there started to panic me. Have selectively read things on there over the years. Havent taken any vallium yet. Have been walking around my kitchen (its a very large one) trying to rid myself of some of this adrenaline and it is working. Wondering if I am having hormonal surges and that's why they are so powerful. I really do feel this is hormonal because I strongly feel that my sleep would have been affected leading up to this if I was depressed and my sleep was perfectly fine, no problems. Got problems now with early waking but that has been a part of peri for me. its now almost 5 and I feel ok for hubby to go to work. he will be up in a min and will be so relieved, I love him so much poor man don't know if he is coming or going x