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[JayJay22]

Hi all,

Hope everyone is keeping well.

New to the forum and new to everything menopausal. I am 51 and haven’t had a period for over 2 years so was quite happy thinking I was sailing through the menopause without any symptoms  roll on a week ago and I woke with the worst feeling of anxiety I have ever had, chest pain, pins and needles in face and hands, shakes etc honestly thought I was having a heart attack 
Spoke to doctor and mentioned menopause so tomorrow I’m off for blood tests and have an appointment for next Tuesday.
Did anyone else have these feelings of sheer panic? I just don’t feel myself at all and start thinking I am going die and leave my 2 young boys. Hoping once results come back I can get on the road to recovery.

Thanks for reading xx

[jaypo]

Hi there and welcome to the forum.
Yes to all of your symptoms,anxiety and low mood were my worst,health anxiety being the major one.
As your oestrogen diminishes,you may find many things changing,not just the usual but heightened allergies,reflux nausea,I'm not saying you WILL get these but don't worry if you do,is what I mean.
If you have a meno savvy Dr at your surgery I'd ask to speak to them as so many Drs still don't have a clue. Do look around the forum and you'll find most of your symptoms here 😊

[CLKD]

   browse round.  Make notes. Do read 'the bladder issues' and vaginal atrophy threads 4warned is 4armed ;-)

[JayJay22]

Hi there and welcome to the forum.
Yes to all of your symptoms,anxiety and low mood were my worst,health anxiety being the major one.
As your oestrogen diminishes,you may find many things changing,not just the usual but heightened allergies,reflux nausea,I'm not saying you WILL get these but don't worry if you do,is what I mean.
If you have a meno savvy Dr at your surgery I'd ask to speak to them as so many Drs still don't have a clue. Do look around the forum and you'll find most of your symptoms here 😊

Thank you for replying, nice to know I’m not alone with these feelings.
How are you feeling now? I’m hoping once I start treatment I get back to feeling some kind of normal 

[JayJay22]

  browse round.  Make notes. Do read 'the bladder issues' and vaginal atrophy threads 4warned is 4armed ;-)

Thank you, think I have a lot of reading to do 

[jaypo]

I'm not too bad these days,no hrt though,still suffer with HA unfortunately 

[CLKD]

Health anxiety can drag a person down  .  Anticipatory anxiety floors me at times  .  Twice in recent days DH and I have been out and about and Ive been fine - go figure 

[jaypo]

That's me too clkd,it's never as bad as we fear but yet we still ALWAYS fear it   

[CLKD]

Yep.  There is no logic! 

[CB73]

Hi JayJay22
I felt like I had to reply to your post as I too am suffering with extremely high anxiety and have been for the last few months.
I'm 51 too, not sure where I am  in the menopause transition as I haven't had periods for a few years due to having an ablation procedure in 2018. I too hoped I'd managed to sail through menopause symptom free, then it hit me like a tonne of bricks back in July. I had very physical anxiety symptoms, pins and needles in my hands, hot sweats, racing heart. I have been an OCD/anxiety sufferer all my life, but the last 15 - 20 years or so it has been very well controlled. I'd faced and overcome a lot of my irrational fears, yet none of that mattered in July. Everything was back with a vengeance, I just couldn't understand it! I did also experience a lot of hot flushes and night sweats as well as insomnia, all of which have now eased but the anxiety remains.

I haven't tried hrt yet, I'm worried about making it worse as I know it's a bit of a minefield and trial and error before you get the right balance. Some days/weeks are better than others and so I'm just not sure I'm up to dabbling with my hormones. At the moment, I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and use my CBT techniques along with some counselling sessions through work. I've also increased my dose of AD which has helped a little to calm down the sheer panic, but my mind is still doing somersaults with the OCD looping thoughts.
 
You are not alone, as I'm sure you'll see from this forum. I've found it to be a godsend these past few months. Anxiety really is the worst symptom in my opinion.

 

[CLKD]

I have been an OCD/anxiety sufferer all my life, but the last 15 - 20 years or so it has been very well controlled.

I'd faced and overcome a lot of my irrational fears, yet none of that mattered in July.

Everything was back with a vengeance, I just couldn't understand it! I did also experience a lot of hot flushes and night sweats as well as insomnia, all of which have now eased but the anxiety remains.


When I find myself washing hands too often I make a list and tick off when I need to put them under the tap.  If I notice that I'm going to the tap too often ...... would this work with checking doors, windows, locking up etc.?  Becoming organised .  Logical or irrational, knowing that may not stop the actions or the whizz in the head space. 

Could you try something for the anxiety CB73?  As well as the AD?

[JayJay22]

Hi JayJay22
I felt like I had to reply to your post as I too am suffering with extremely high anxiety and have been for the last few months.
I'm 51 too, not sure where I am  in the menopause transition as I haven't had periods for a few years due to having an ablation procedure in 2018. I too hoped I'd managed to sail through menopause symptom free, then it hit me like a tonne of bricks back in July. I had very physical anxiety symptoms, pins and needles in my hands, hot sweats, racing heart. I have been an OCD/anxiety sufferer all my life, but the last 15 - 20 years or so it has been very well controlled. I'd faced and overcome a lot of my irrational fears, yet none of that mattered in July. Everything was back with a vengeance, I just couldn't understand it! I did also experience a lot of hot flushes and night sweats as well as insomnia, all of which have now eased but the anxiety remains.

I haven't tried hrt yet, I'm worried about making it worse as I know it's a bit of a minefield and trial and error before you get the right balance. Some days/weeks are better than others and so I'm just not sure I'm up to dabbling with my hormones. At the moment, I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and use my CBT techniques along with some counselling sessions through work. I've also increased my dose of AD which has helped a little to calm down the sheer panic, but my mind is still doing somersaults with the OCD looping thoughts.
 
You are not alone, as I'm sure you'll see from this forum. I've found it to be a godsend these past few months. Anxiety really is the worst symptom in my opinion.

We sound very much alike, the anxiety is horrendous isn’t it. I’m also suffering with a bit of reflux which was always controlled by omeprazole until now  I take citalopram for anxiety anyway but it’s not doing anything at the moment. I’m having bloods done on Friday and seeing doctor Tuesday to discuss HRT hopefully 🤞 will let you know how I get on.

[CB73]

I have been an OCD/anxiety sufferer all my life, but the last 15 - 20 years or so it has been very well controlled.

I'd faced and overcome a lot of my irrational fears, yet none of that mattered in July.

Everything was back with a vengeance, I just couldn't understand it! I did also experience a lot of hot flushes and night sweats as well as insomnia, all of which have now eased but the anxiety remains.


When I find myself washing hands too often I make a list and tick off when I need to put them under the tap.  If I notice that I'm going to the tap too often ...... would this work with checking doors, windows, locking up etc.?  Becoming organised .  Logical or irrational, knowing that may not stop the actions or the whizz in the head space. 

Could you try something for the anxiety CB73?  As well as the AD?

Hi CLKD - My OCD is very much in my head, I don't have physical compulsions, more thoughts based ones. Previously my AD has been just what I need to calm my thoughts and break the cycle, but at the moment it just can't keep up with the hormone fluctuations. I occasionally take diazepam when it's really bad, I'd prefer a beta blocker but my GP won't prescribe them as I'm asthmatic.

[CB73]

Hi JayJay22
I felt like I had to reply to your post as I too am suffering with extremely high anxiety and have been for the last few months.
I'm 51 too, not sure where I am  in the menopause transition as I haven't had periods for a few years due to having an ablation procedure in 2018. I too hoped I'd managed to sail through menopause symptom free, then it hit me like a tonne of bricks back in July. I had very physical anxiety symptoms, pins and needles in my hands, hot sweats, racing heart. I have been an OCD/anxiety sufferer all my life, but the last 15 - 20 years or so it has been very well controlled. I'd faced and overcome a lot of my irrational fears, yet none of that mattered in July. Everything was back with a vengeance, I just couldn't understand it! I did also experience a lot of hot flushes and night sweats as well as insomnia, all of which have now eased but the anxiety remains.

I haven't tried hrt yet, I'm worried about making it worse as I know it's a bit of a minefield and trial and error before you get the right balance. Some days/weeks are better than others and so I'm just not sure I'm up to dabbling with my hormones. At the moment, I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and use my CBT techniques along with some counselling sessions through work. I've also increased my dose of AD which has helped a little to calm down the sheer panic, but my mind is still doing somersaults with the OCD looping thoughts.
 
You are not alone, as I'm sure you'll see from this forum. I've found it to be a godsend these past few months. Anxiety really is the worst symptom in my opinion.

We sound very much alike, the anxiety is horrendous isn’t it. I’m also suffering with a bit of reflux which was always controlled by omeprazole until now  I take citalopram for anxiety anyway but it’s not doing anything at the moment. I’m having bloods done on Friday and seeing doctor Tuesday to discuss HRT hopefully 🤞 will let you know how I get on.

Hi JayJay - It does seem to be a common problem, I've read quite a few times on this forum that ADs struggle to be effective against our rapidly changing hormones. Take comfort in the fact we're not alone. Hope all goes well at the Drs x