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[SadLynda]

Well, its been a rough few days that is for sure.  If you have read my story (its on this bit somewhere) you will know I have had symptoms for a few years without knowing what they were, then treated myself with naturals and alternatives, now been to nurse had bloods and finally seeing a new GP on Wednesday.

I wont go into detail, but the last couple of days have been the lowest so far, I can only assume the symptoms are getting worse.  I have read snips around of how ladies have had help from HRT, AD's etc and right now I really dont care what I take to make me feel better than this.

Can I please have some shares on anxiety and what has helped?

(the good news is the DH has finally realised how bad things are and is more eager to help)

[jedigirl]

Anxiety? Could write a book on it   
Mine is a very physical beast, wake with heart thumping and feeling fearful for no particular reason. Usually feel quite swimmy/dizzy till late afternoon when it eases. Will sometimes retch with nausea on the worst days and need to deep breathe.Can convince myself quite easily that I have a hideous disease though I've had many tests and I'm "just" menopausal. Can have very down emotional days for no particular reason but can also be absolutely fine in the space of a day or two.
What has helped? I take Citalopram 10mg, have been offered higher dose if i need it but am happy mostly on low dose. Have a small stash of 5mg diazepam for emergency days which i usually half, haven't needed these for months but good to know they're there.. They help to relax and sleep on the worst days. Am also on HRT Oestrogel and Utrogestan but am reviewing doses of these at the moment.
Guided meditation has been my biggest natural help. There are lots of free apps if you have a tablet or pc.
Lots of women on here suffer from anxiety. The most helpful thing to know is you will have better days, some will be awful and some will be good but it will settle. Hugs xx

[SadLynda]

Thanks Jedigirl, its quite crippling just now.  I know I am not alone, and I have worked out which week it is at its worst too.

Just checked and Citalopram is a SSRI.  Wondered if the GP might look at that route with me, previously I did not want that but now I really dont care what they give me

[CLKD]

Initially ask for something to take 'as necessary' to help with any anxiety surges.  i.e. Valium.

Discuss a short-term course of an anti-depressant medication - it can take 10/14 days for them to kick in.

[SadLynda]

thanks CLKD - I think when I tell her what has been happening I wont need to ask   Thanks for the reminder of how long they take to kick in though, should be okay though as the first weeks of the month are usually my better ones.

Thanks Sparkle - sleep not happening really, so that wont help will it?  either too hot, on the loo and now have a painful insect bite too fgs.

[Briony]

Massive hug to you. It's hideous and scary, especially if it's 'not you' and affects every part of your life. I became someone I didn't recognise within months, and withdrew from real life. Someone once described it as feeling like you're a photo copy of your former self and I can relate to that. I found even tasks like shopping became a big ordeal.

The good news is that it can be managed, if not cured. For me, ADs, yoga, acupuncture and various nutritional supplements did nothing for my symptoms - even though there was a feel good factor as I did/took them. Others have had better results.   HRT was the only thing that got me stable enough to think rationally again. Even that took months rather than weeks. It's a sensitive topic as I know some people can't take it and others - for understandable reasons - won't. For me the decision was easy as being younger, I knew there were higher risks for me not taking it than taking it. I know for slightly older ladies, the risks are different.  What I will say is, if you do decide to try HRT, don't ever think of it as  'giving in' - it drives me mad when people use that term. Is taking iron 'giving in' if you have anaemia?! There are enough things in life we already beat ourselves up about without adding another daily guilt trip!

Above all, remember you're not alone, you're not crazy, it's your hormones at fault, not you. There's always someone here to listen, so keep talking xxxxx


 

[SadLynda]

Thank you Briony (again)

good job you cant all see me here

really fed up of it all.  I will update 'my story' after my GP visit with whatever I am prescribed and then add updates when there are some.  Funny how a few months back I was never going back to the GP again and now I cant wait to get there, mind you Dr Idiot is leaving the practice soon.

I will remember this is not my giving in, without this forum I would have thought so though

[jedigirl]

SadLynda
Have a good look at all the treatments listed on the site , it might help to have an idea of what you might be offered before you go. Hope you feel better soon, anxiety is the pits. Be kind to yourself and keep chatting. xxx
 

[CLKD]

Wish people would stop thinking that accepting treatment is 'giving in' - to WHAT exactly?  Research scientists spend hours/weeks/months finding medications which might work for people, which then have to go forward for various tests before NICE get hold of them.  It can take YEARS. 

Give yourself some slack, if you are hungry do you not eat? so why not try medication which has been recommended 

[Unhinged]

Hi SadLynda, I'm with you, really struggling. It's been one of the worst weeks yet.

I've been trying HRT for a couple of weeks or so, and although I've noticed a difference in number of flushes, I feel so spaced out, depressed and sleepy I've left it off today. I know you have to give it time to settle, but I've felt worse on it except for the initial few days when I did feel a bit better. I may try ADs next.

My anxiety started quite recently and I would describe it as 'general' with no obvious cause - well, that was until the last couple of weeks! Now, it has latched on to 'ANIMAL CRUELTY', I can't stop thinking about it, I keep bringing up thoughts of stories I heard of going back 10, 20 even 30 years, of bad things that happened to animals. They were real things that happened so it's not my mind making them up, but why am I going back in the past? It has become obsessive, I have cried for days and the lurching twisting grief in my stomach doubles me over. I am now obsessed even thinking of childhood pets (I'm 54!), and wondering if my parents treated them as well as they should. It's all destroying me and I think that even though it's hormones, I might need to get some help. I am an animal lover, always have been and I admit I have struggled always with the cruelty to them in this world, but it has become magnified, it's my first thought on waking and continuous throughout every day. No matter what I do, I cannot stop thinking about it. I hope you don't all think I am mad, maybe other animal lovers may understand a little bit?

But it is anxiety in capitals we are struggling with, however it manifests itself. I did have some health anxiety a while back, but that's gone, I no longer care, and if this current fixation doesn't pass, well I wouldn't want to live like this for years on end. So Lynda, you're not alone, and if I find something that helps I will be sure to share. In the meantime I hope it helps just a little to know that someone else feels so low.

Wishing you well, Unhinged - really unhinged now xx

[CLKD]

Unhinged: situations that were un-resolved can come back and bite us!  I haven't felt easy about the last few months when my dog was old  …… I can't remember the happier times at all.

[Unhinged]

Oh thankyou CLKD, how far are you going back? These are things that happened literally 20 or 30 years ago, and things I've barely thought of over the years, I don't understand why they've suddenly taken over my life x

[CLKD]

Oh years - I get a guilty lurch as I'm dropping off to sleep, then issues that I thought buried are there in my face!  More recently it's related to my pets and whether I cared for them properly …….. things I can't alter which I would like to change in order to make them 'better'.  Depression can cause similar issues.

[SadLynda]

Hi Unhinged, yes I understand - mine is also a fixation that is 'in my head' and not real.  I do understand the animal cruelty thing for you both though - making 'those' last decisions is always a tough call.

I dont know about hrt yet, but from what I have read it can take a while to stabalise things (fgs, I wrote that 3 times then and I still cant spell it) though I know I would not be able to cope if I felt any worse than i do just now.  Maybe you need to go back for extra help?

thanks for sharing your rotten feelings too - sorry to hear you are going through it too though.

[Unhinged]

I understand CLKD, I'm so sorry you experience similar, and I have the same thoughts, and it's too late, like you say, we can't alter things that happened no matter how much we wish we could change it, I'd give almost anything to change some things.  But apart from wishing I'd done better when I was very young, and wondering if I was good enough for my own pets, the worst thoughts are things I had nothing to do with - stories I heard of in other countries even. It doesn't make any sense to be knocking me for six now. How can we live like this?