Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: Claireylou on September 23, 2013, 06:56:34 AM
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Good morning ladies, can anyone help please ?
Last night in bed I suddenly woke with the most horrible feeling. My heartbeat whooshing in my ears and my head felt like it was so full of pressure it would explode. I thought I was having a stroke or heart attack or something. It took me a long time to calm myself down but eventually I did. It didn't last more than a minute or two. When I woke up this morning it's left me with this awful sickly headache. I didn't have a proper period last month (only two light days then a day of spotting. This month I'm not due for another week but I've got some brown spotting already. Could this all be connected do you think? It's frightened the life out of me :(
Thanks for listening,
Claire xxx
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Sounds like oyu had a panic/aniety attack go see your GP he can sort that out asap
YOU ARE FINE OK its just this thing we call meno xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Hi Suzi thank you very much for replying. It's a scary journey that's for sure xxx
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oooh that sounds scary!
I used to have similar episodes but strangely only on the short periods of time I was taking anti-depressants for PND
Remembering these episodes has put me off asking for some ADs for my low-level-but-annoying anxiety which is affecting me nowadays, was going to bite the bullet and try them again to see if they worked this time, because they never seemed to back then.......
I used to wake up in the night with exactly the same symptoms as you described, very scary!
I could never work out what brought them on so suddenly ???
Did you have a bad dream before it or anything claireylou?
Anyhoo - hope it was a one-off xxxx
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Hi there Clovie,
I wasn't having a bad dream as far as I can remember. I can remember feeling very very warm though. Mini night sweat maybe xxx ?
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I started these episodes after I had major surgery about 17 months ago and I was convinced I was dying (dramatic I know) and blamed the surgery, when anybody told me it was anxiety I was convinced this was more than that I was absolutely terrified it went on for sometime but gradually decreased. I didn't feel like I had any dreams but like you felt warm just before. I think it made things worse because it is the middle of the night and I got up and there is nothing to distract you. Mine have decreased now but I still get them occasionally had a couple over the last couple of weeks and like you I have missed a couple of periods. I started to take magnesium supplements which I felt helped but again could be coincidence. I know how terrified you must feel but it is good to know that other ladies get them and you are not on your own.
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Thank you for your kind words. It does make me feel a bit better knowing I'm not alone. Can I just ask if yours left you with a sickly woolly head the following day ? I just feel like curling up at the mo xxx
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Here is a some good info about Adrenal surges, its a bit hefty but well worth getting stuck into.
My night time adrenal surges and night panics worsened after major surgery with complications, took quite a few years to get over.
http://www.drlam.com/articles/adrenal_fatigue_related_conditions.asp
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Hi Silverlady. Very interesting article, thank you.
It's good to know that it's probably nothing too serious xxx
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Clairylou
For the whole of the next day I can only describe like a hangover still feeling a bit jittery and shaky and shook up a bit hard to describe, I do find this only happens when I am asleep even if I have a nap on the sofa, but the feelings through the day I wonder if they are not as extreme because we have things to do to distract us. Everything is worse at night and because it wakes you up with a shock it seems worse. I know that before I wake up it feels like I have something rushing through the body and my heart is racing and I am conscious of it but still asleep if that makes sense.
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Hi Jo,
Yes a hangover is exactly how I'd describe the way I'm feeling at the moment. And the feeling of something whooshing through the body just before is how it happened to me.
Phew, I'm relieved to know this has happened to others. Wouldn't wish it on any of you but I don't feel so alone or scared xxx
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Post surgery stress syndrome certainly exists jo61, just not recognised so much. My Doctor did say that this was probably what happened to me though.
http://autoimmunity.co.uk/depression/postop.php
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hi clareylou :)
maybe it COULD have been a one-off night sweat or a bad flush which woke you up??
It's funny (not funny hilarious - funny weird ;D) how you've described feeling like something whooshing around before sounds EXACTLY like my very first hot flush episode.
I was sitting watching TV and I felt whoosh like I was going to faint for a second then went hot. Wow, I really thought I was having a stroke or something at the time! :o
I have a history of fainting occasionally as I have low blood pressure so I thought I was going to keel over, that in itself would have scared me silly because fainting with low blood pressure happens when you stand from lying down or sitting usually ;D
I do hope it was just a one off for you, nice that we can all chat about stuff like this on here xx :) :) :)
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Clairylou
When I told you I had this after surgery it is interesting that I had no period for 6 months then they returned and the sleep thing subsided ,now again I have missed 2 periods and my night thing has returned but this time Im not as scared and I just go back to sleep, but initially I was terrified so if it does keep happening to you keep posting. I remember looking on this site and did not find anyone that seem to have these symptoms or as I thought then not as extreme which terrified me more . So if we keep posting no matter , we could be helping someone else especially at 4 o clock in the morning when it happens to them . I hope it doesnt happen to you again keep us informed .
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Thank you ladies. I'm overwhelmed with the level of support I find on here. Does seem strange that after a very short very light period last month I've had moments of overheating during the day, anxiety levels through the roof, mild night sweats and now this awful feeling last night.
Beginning to think that it's all hormone related :(
Claire xxx
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Silverlady Thankyou, I am amazed how you give us these fantastic links so interesting ,going off topic I have also read there is a connection with the need for estrogen post surgery so obviously if it is lowered in menopause it takes a longer time to recover. I have been in a desperate state since surgery, I have just got myself together and now I have to face the same surgery asap don't know if I can do it .I am not in a physical or mental state to cope with it yet.
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You are right jo61 for the need for estrogen after surgery during menopause, especially, hysterectomy etc,
Stress and surgery deplete estrogen.
I don't what your surgery was for, but I think its always wise to see you doctor if you are due another op and explain how unwell you are feeling at the prospect of more surgery.
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Low blood sugar? This can cause sudden anxiety surges >:( ........ how is your diet generally?
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Hi there CLKD,
My diet is very healthy because I have ibs-c. Although since I started on this journey my appetite has decreased quite a bit. No interest in food at all.
Best wishes
Claire xxx
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Have you thought about grazing? It worked for me. Meant that I wasn't liable to sudden dips in blood sugar, I had to learn to eat before my body felt hungry ::) ............
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CLKD that sounds interesting. What sort of things would you suggest I graze on ? Xxx
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Hi claireylou
The symptoms you describe could be due to your fluctuating hormones - which they will be doing if you have missed a period. Have you read the article on the peri-menopause on this site?
It's here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/article-perils-of-the-perimenopause.php
You may have experienced a sudden fall in progesterone and maybe oestrogen which could make you feel like this.
The hangover feeling, woolly head and sickly headache happened to me increasingly as I was leading up to menopause and always was 3 days or so before a period. I also got this feeling when I was on a particualr HRT type, when I stopped the progesterone part. It was horrible - and often developed into a migraine but hangover is the best way to describe it. Also intolerance of light and sound. The headache wasn't always bad but all the other symptoms were there.
Also leading up to peri I used to get sudden episodes of extreme low blood sugar and other friends have reported this - again I think this is linked to sudden fall in progesterone too. For me it didn't happen at night but I can imagine it would make you feel very weird if it did - so as CLKD says also keep your blood sugar levels up at this time and eat low GI foods - ones that release energy slowly.
Hope this helps
Hurdity x
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I graze on:
bananas
dried fruits and nuts
small cartons of dry corn flakes/the sugary ones with the Tiger ::)/cocopops (handy whilst travelling)
Dextrose tablets
Rich T -type biscuits
Breakfast bars ..........
Pots of Ambrosia rice pudding
the trick for me is to eat before my body feels hungry. The idea is not to eat more than you would usually do but spread the food across 24 hours, yep: even in the night. When you get up for a bathroom visit, have a dry biscuit before going back to sleep.
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Hi Hurdity,
Another very informative post from you, thank you. I'll have a read of that link for sure. It does seem to be hormonal because when I woke this morning I've started the brown spotting. My blooming head feels like a pressure cooker. Im quite scared to be honest.
Many thanks,
Claire xxx
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CLKD,
Sound advice, thank you. Will do a little shop for my "graze" stuff tomorrow ;D xxx
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It can be scarey this meno lark >:( ............ :hug: