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[Lynda07]

Hi everyone,

First off I've read a lot of posts on here and realise I'm not the only one to suffer from health anxiety (or anxiety in general).

I just wondered how many hot sweats could be considered "normal" - mine had eased with taking sage tablets (or so I thought) but the past 6 weeks they have come back with a vengence. Probably 6 in the night and about 12 in the day. The problem is - I am so anxious - I have started to wonder if this is more than normal and if it may be related to something more sinister (even though I am a 52 year old woman whose periods have all but stopped so they kind of have to be menopausal hot flushes!)

Do any of you think it's normal to be even more anxious during the menopause? I must be driving my husband mad. I went to the Dr with a pain (no other symptoms) and she said she could feel my liver! I like a drink but would not consider myself a problem drinker by any means but this has thrown me into a massive, over the top panic (even though blood tests were normal - I'm waiting for a scan). I am constantly - constantly - looking on Google and over Christmas must have had a dozen life threatening illness based on the enlarged liver - I feel so bad I feel I can't even make plans for the future as I feel sure I won't be here.

My mum is also really poorly and that is stressing me out but again - disproportionately - I feel I can't breathe, have aches and pains, weird sensations - I keep telling myself to calm down but am fighting a losing battle. I've been anxious/OCD all my life but this is off the scale.

Sorry - I just needed to get that off my chest x

[babyjane]

Hello there, many ladies here have reported different levels of anxiety related to the menopause and hormones.  Sometimes it is just caused by hormonal upheaval but if it is something that is chronic for you (as mine is also) then the upheaval of menopause can make it worse or bring it to a head.

this time last year I went to the GP and asked for help and for 12 months I have been taking a low dose anti depressant and a low dose beta blocker for anxiety and I have also had a year's psychotherapy and realise that this has been with me all my life but the menopause brought it all out.  I am feeling better now although it can still be there at times of stress.

If it has been with you all your life then it may well have gone up a gear with the hormonal upheaval you are experiencing.  you are certainly not alone with this.

[nearly50]

Lynda07, I think it is totally normal to be more anxious at this time, I've convinced myself of all sorts of ludicrous things over the past couple of years and I used to be vaguely sensible! After every panic I look back and think how daft I was, but then start on a new worry. Last year I was 100% convinced it was my last Christmas and told no-one how I felt, wish I had found this forum then.

Touch wood, I've not felt the same sort of anxiety for the past few weeks, you could maybe keep a mood diary to remind yourself that the anxiety does pass.

[CLKD]

You sound 'within normal limits' from where I'm sitting ;-).

I have for years taken Betablockas as well as an emergency drug to stop anxiety surges.  I have found in recent months that adding an extra 5mg of AD has eased symptoms remarkably!  (I added the AD to stop dark thoughts when a friend died)

[Lynda07]

Thank you everyone for replying - just hearing I am not along makes me feel better. I don't have any friends I can talk to about this - they just would not get it!

babyjane/CLKD - to make matters worse I have an absolute fear of medication. I almost died many years back during a D&C that went wrong (my bowel was punctured) and I was on so many drugs that made me feel so ill/hallucinate etc - I have never been so scared - and am now petrified of not drugs particularly but side effects - another thing that probably drives my ever patient husband mad as he thinks there are probably drugs out there that can help me.

Sparkle - that is a good point - the Dr only said she could feel my liver, she didn't actually say it was enlarged. I just went from pain to liver cancer and death in one easy step in my mind.

nearly50 that sounds so like me. I just can not seem a future for myself because of all my supposed illnesses and can't seem to feel happy or relaxed as I'm so wound up.

Thank you again, it makes me feel better that I can perhaps come on here and "talk" when things are getting really bad.
xx

[CLKD]

Side effects can certainly be dreadful, I've had problems with some anti-depressants and anti-biotics over the years   [what's a 'biotic' by the way  ].  Medication is improving all the while.

What support is your Mum getting?

[Yammy1]

hi Lynda07. your right this site is really helpful, as you said just knowing your not alone makes it easier to bare. I too have suffered with health anxiety ( with me it' s anxiety to do with my heart). I've had tests that said my heart is fine and i'm grand for a few weeks then anxiety rears it's ugly head and i convince myself that the doctors must have missed something. I am going on holiday on Monday (lanzarote) and I am extra anxious and wishing it was over already  , It's mind boggling what hormones can do and how unstable they can make you feel. but we just have to soldier on and  realise it hasn't killed us yet, hope you feel better soon x

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

I've always said I don't have much health anxiety but something happened over Christmas that has made me think again.
My daughter was visiting and on boxing day I felt my  mood dip and I cried and told her how I felt. She wondered if I am suffering from a depressive illness along with the menopause and of course that had occurred to me as well. Although I've never been concerned about any physical symptoms I constantly fret about my mental and emotional state. I even get anxious about being anxious! My bowels respond when I get myself into a state and that sets me worrying about my Ulcerative Colitis returning so I worry about that too.

So yes, I do have health anxiety plus relationship anxiety because I worry about how my state of mind will impact on my family.

On a slightly lighter note I was thinking earlier that I will be on edge all day tomorrow fretting about going to a party that we've been invited to. The stupid thing is we have already said we can't make it because my husband's hip is still too painful, so why am I worrying about doing something that I won't be doing?

I honestly think I'm going mad sometimes.

Take care ladies.

K.

[CLKD]

Kathleen - if you feel depressed then visit your GP.  It may be hormone related but do think about an 8-12 months course of ADs, which can ease symptoms and allow you to see the wood for the trees.  Gut is my weak point, the moment there's any upheaval or raised voices, the churning begins.    Don't even suggest motorway driving when the churning is present  !

Probably by morning your brain will have accepted that the party ain't happening and your gut will have settled.  What are you doing instead? The body gets into a state of 'high alert' and can take a while to 'come down'.  I would think your thought pattern is totally normal …….

[mandy43]

I totally understand how you feel, as i am going through the same thing.  One thing I can reassure you of, hopefully, is your liver problem.  My brother died of liver failure and his liver blood tests were what they called 'deranged'.  You would not get normal blood results if there was a problem with your liver, so I do hope that helps!  As for the scan, they probably just want to cover themselves to make sure nothing has been missed.  Your liver can always be felt if you are a thin person... if you're carrying weight then it's not normally possible, unless it is enlarged. Hope that all helps.  The ladies on here are wonderful and will help you every step of the way, they always did when I posted.  I haven't posted in ages, mainly due to the fact i am going through such a bad time that I wouldn't know where to start.  Good luck with it all and I'm confident you will be fine xx

[Silly]

Don't worry Lynda07, my default is always terminal these days, nothing's ever 'just' anymore.  I realised I'd completely lost the plot when I nearly gave up buying my usual three boxes of hair colour on the basis I might not be around long enough to use them.  How ridiculous is that!!!

S x

  made me smile though.  I'm glad I aren't alone like it.  If I go on a long journey I always say where my banking things are hidden    they don't take notice though

[Lynda07]

Thank you again to everyone who has replied. I can see from reading them and the other posts on the forum how much support there is here and I hope I can give that to some of you at times as well as just take it. And to Mandy43 - thanks for the reassuring post about my liver. You say you've not posted for a while as you're going through a bad time - if I can help just by listening I will.

CLKD - mum is in hospital - she's 79 with COPD - she will have a care package when she comes home - it's just I know how poorly she is and I'm just waiting for that one call giving me bad news - I can't relax, can't find any joy in anything as I'm just on edge all the time.

Yammy1 - I hope you manage to enjoy your holiday, I really do.

Sending you all a big hug and wishing us all a Happy 2017! Sounds like we deserve it! xx

[Yammy1]

Lynda07, really hope your Mam pulls through, my 92 year old dad ended up in hospital on Christmas Day with pneumonia, but thankfully he was discharged yesterday and is doing ok. It's a stressful time of the year at the best of times, hopefully we will all have a better stress free 2017 x