Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: TropicalVon69 on November 02, 2014, 08:57:48 AM
-
Dose anyone else feel like their heart is shrivelling up....maybe its due to this constant anxiety.......woke up this morning at 6 with anxiety...tried to walk it off in the house, went back to bed and now waking after 8 it feels even worse.......its my daughters 9th birthday on Wed and cant even focus on that......taking my dad shopping today and the thought fills me with dread ads not working...just want to scream....I have diazepam but need to drive...dont know how muh longer I can take this to be honest
-
Hi Tropicalvon
You poor thing, just wanted to send you a big hug.
This anxiety thing is just awful isn't it. Definitely the worst symptom of this meno journey. I am like you, waking in the night with heart racing and terrible anxiety. Have read that it can be due to a drop in blood sugar during the night so for last few days I have had a banana ( don't laugh) before I go to bed with a camomile tea and a couple of Kalms. Early days but It does seem to be helping.
Sometimes like you I feel life is just so overwhelming and things that I used to do without even thinking are just a real effort.
I don't think there are any magical solutions to all this I just wanted you to know that you're not alone. Am sure there will be other lovely ladies willing to share their experiences too.
Take care
W xx
-
Hello - I just wanted to let you know that I've woken up this morning with terrible anxiety as well - heart racing and feels like it could almost develop into a panic attack (overall sorts of things from deadlines at work, to having to tidy up the house which is like a bomb site, to how on earth am I going to manage Christmas!) I'm afraid I don't know anything about Diazepam but hopefully others on this forum will and can help......I know it's not the same but I did use sleeping tablets quite a bit at one stage and honestly found that they made me feel worse the next day. Does anyone out there know whether HRT helps with anxiety? You are not alone.
-
Hi Westie......yeah banana at bedtime did make me lol...I did have weetabix before bed last night and a banana at 6 this morning.but didnt seem to help......worry about my daughters and the effect Im having on them...I used to take them out all the time and now we seem ti have an unhappy household which is messy...(used to be organised) and Im either anxious or crying....Hi MM...I'm also worried about doing Christmas and worried about my teenage daughter as shes quite withdrawn.....right now I feel like a total failure as a mum and no dads on the scene to help.....youngests dad died and eldests dad is an alcoholic.....thanks for the replies...it means so much to know other women understand
-
MM would love to know if Hrt would help too but still have periods and dont know if will be prescribed it :'( XXX
-
I am 100% sure this is due to hormones. I know this as I have had patches of it - not all the time and not related to life events or outside stresses.
Typical scenario for me when it happens is that I wake at 5am in a pool of sweat, get up feel panic stricken, full of adrenaline and have an urgent need to use the bathroom for bowels. Now not many talk about this but I think it should be mentioned, as I have a friend who also gets this in perimenopause and we have supported each other. It can be very difficult to manage in situations such as holidays or if you have morning appointments. It isn't IBS- it is related to adrenaline surges caused by drops in oestrogen which are most pronounced in the early morning between 5 and 6am.
Balancing blood sugars does help. I have a sugar monitor and keep a check on levels anyway as I like to make sure I'm not going diabetic.
I know it is hormonal as sometimes it disappears altogether and I don't feel at all anxious. On a bad day it can render me close to a toilet all morning which is very hard to cope with. I had this on an early morning flight last year when I had to rush to catch it. I woke up knowing it was going to be a bad day and it was.
These are the symptoms of menopause that are rarely talked about. This is why this forum is vital.
-
Machair - that is really interesting! I definitely get all the symptoms you describe. I am taking oestrogel and Utrogestan and really hoping that it will improve. Is there anything we can do about the blood sugars - I wonder if that would help?
-
I have CFS/ME and I have to make sure I don't use glucose to keep going when I am in a relapse so balancing blood sugars are key. It also helps with the fight or flight symptoms we see in menopause. You have to eat enough protein. Almonds going to bed are good because they help with this. I think the best place to get help for this issue is in the article here.http://alexbarton.co.uk/nutrition-and-cfsme/
I know this article is for patients with ME, but a dysfunctional autonomic nervous system occurs in the disease and the symptoms can be similar to what we see in menopause.
I have a blood glucose monitor and I check my levels every so often to make sure they are rock steady. It is quite interesting to do this as you can see the effect on the glucose of eating certain foods, and it can help to aim for a steady normal level day and night and to avoid the morning panic as levels fall at dawn. This can result in panic which on top of menopause anxiety from hormonal drops is dreadful.
-
Thanks for your input Machair.....doea anyone know if you can buy hrt treatment anywhere?
-
Hello ladies.
I am another one who feels that anxiety is the worst symptom of the menopause. I also get the early morning surge of adrenalin and my bowels are always affected. The last few weeks I've been feeling brighter and calmer but today I'm on edge again, the only possible reason is hormones.
TropicalVon I am sure HRT would be available to you even though you are still having periods. There are many knowledgeable ladies on this site who can advise you but if I were you I would definately make an appointment with your GP.
Take care, you are not alone.
K.
-
Hi...I have an appointment on thursday but not sure if I can wait that long to be honest....the doc did hormone tests in June which were normal but did a home test kit and said menopausal a couple of weeks ago.....Thanks Kathleen some all of us, I am just at the end of my tether and only been a few months...God please help us :'( XXX
-
Hi Tropical. There is no reason why you couldn't be prescribed HRT while still having periods. I started HRT at age 53 while still having fairly regular ones. I agree with Kathleen that you should ask your GP if you feel this would help you.
Taz x
-
get up feel panic stricken, full of adrenaline and have an urgent need to use the bathroom for bowels. Now not many talk about this but I think it should be mentioned, as I have a friend who also gets this in perimenopause and we have supported each other. It can be very difficult to manage in situations such as holidays or if you have morning appointments. It isn't IBS- it is related to adrenaline surges caused by drops in oestrogen which are most pronounced in the early morning between 5 and 6am.
These are the symptoms of menopause that are rarely talked about. This is why this forum is vital.
I am so glad to read this, if you know what I mean. I am like this a lot, not just first thing in the morning. I feel very edgy and jittery, like an adrenalin rush and I need to go to the toilet, then I start to calm down. Is this really perimenopause? I would love it to be but haven't read anything about it online.
-
Machair - I'll print the nutritional advice at the link you've given - really helpful, thanks so much.
-
To be of more help have a look on Amazon at the book Menopause For Dummies and use the "search inside" feature. Type in Adrenaline and look at page 35 in the box. This section explains the biology behind the symptoms. It is incredible and exactly what we are suffering from and why.
I did buy the book but I let it go as I am not keen on most of it - the bit I read on page 35 was all I needed to feel normal and the wonderful ladies on here helped too!
-
Hi TropicalVon
I don't really have any great advice for you but reading your post made me feel so sorry for you. This anxiety is awful when it gets hold of you I know that much. The Christmas thing fills me with dread too and the anxiety makes me put things off but because I do that I feel even more anxious as the event or other events are going to happen anyway. Try not to worry about your teenage daughter, seeming withdrawn is part of the changes that they go through. I'm sure that you're a brilliant Mum but you're not Superwoman, you're human and you have your own changes to contend with.
I really hope that you get on well at the doctors this week but just try to deal with one day at a time for now and be easy on yourself. Lots of luck x
-
Hi tropical von..
Just wanted to say ,im in a similar situation as you,As well as suffering with severe anxiety most of my life,my 22 yr old daughters dad is dead (drugs)my nearly 15 yr old son is going the same way..(alcohol and drugs)my daughter went off the rails during her teenage yrs and my son is going through very turbulent times especially as he is now waking up to the reality of his dads situation and is starting to realise that unfortunately he doesnt come much into the eqaution coz booze and drugs will always always come first . im doing everything i can to try and keep him on track..which is hard when life feels like some kind of hellish joke half the time lately lol..i havnt exactly been model parent ,but ive always kept my family togeather and loved my kids more than anything in the world and thankfully dispite all the ups and downs they absaloutely know that .Im sure yours do too :-)
We do our best under sometimes ludicrously stressful and emotionally painful circumstances that i feel is not often recognised
Why can us women not pat ourselves on the back for all that we do and take on?instead of punishing ourselves for never being enough.No wonder we have panic attacks!
Am just posting in recognition to you and sending a hug your way x
-
I have just realised that i think i have just posted this to the wrong person on the wrong thread!!...now i know its really time to get myself sectioned ..ahh well ...sentiment is still there!...sorry!!x
-
Thanks Carol for your reassurance and positivity and judt wish this meno would go away :o...not feeling in control of of your body and mind is hellish as I'm sure you all feel....TabbyCat, I feel heartfelt sympathy for you, I feel it's difficult to deal with the anger from these situations and the frustration and although you seem to have more on your plate than I do, the emotions are the still the same...wishing you strength, peace and love and hoping God will help us all through this hopefully short and confusing time :foryou:
-
Not atall Tabby, youre in the right place XXX
-
aww thankyou ..im losing track of posts and threads trying to post on a 5 inch screen ..rediculas as theres a monitor downstairs but im too knackered to sit up straight to use it ;D . i think its all relative and subjective really..?everyones difficulties are personal to them ..im just feeling more defeated than usual by mine lately..i think ypu probably completely get that!i
wish you a safe and and as smooth a journey as possible with as little nasty anxiety as possible..i wonder if you have heard of EFT ?i find it amazing for anxiety..might be worth a look up if you havnt already x
-
Thanks Tabbycat...no sure where I'd find a practitioner though XXX
-
Well the brilliant thing is ,you dont need one von :-)
for some reason im unable to copy and paste a link to you here but if you type in www.emofree.com it will take you to the founders web site and you can have a read..there is also tons of stuff on you tube that can show you the basics.
This isnt bunkum or anything,therapist use it on war veterans for PTSD and it works .ive managed to get rid of minor pain,anxiety etc and am always blown away by the results.
Very much worth looking into atleast ;-) x
-
ps ,dont take any notice of anything that includes buying anything from anywhere on anyone lol you just need to learn the basic concept which is and should always be free and off ya go :-) x
-
Thanks so much Tabbycat...totally befuddled today but will have a look when feeling better XXX
-
I dont know if this helps but i took hrt for 3 months- for sweats not anxiety, becUse of a hair loss issue i decided against hrt, but what i did notice was that whilst on it, I slept like a baby and my mind would just switch off and that my heart didnt pound and i didnt feel anxious- if my hair had stayed on my head I would have carried on!!
-
Thats interesting Karin........and such a shame you had this side effect.....hope you find something to help...will see doc today and hoping for some positive outcome ....hope youre all having a good day ladies...yesterday was a nightmare for me...daughters birthday and party and felt deranged all day lol...maybe the full moon!!!!
-
Children's parties are enough to make anyone feel deranged at the best of times ;D
I'm feeling anxious today thanks to teenage daughter and work. I told you teenage girls can be difficult. It makes me feel better chatting on here though and I know that it will pass.
Good luck at the doctors today, let us know how you get on x
-
Feeling your teenage pains Carol lol...my 17 year old daughter went to Edinburgh abd stayed in a hotel with friend for the first time last night, though she text this am to say she was ok.....thanks...no joy at docs really.....not willing to give me hormones as periods are regular but gave me venlafaxine/Effexor instead but terrified they will make me worse to be honest...hope your anxiety is better X
-
At least your daughter did text. It's hard to let them go and get on but we have to don't we? My daughter is 18 and think that she knows everything, she's always been like that. I love her with all my heart but she is very testing!
Sorry to hear about the docs. I don't know anything about what you've been prescribed so can't help you with that. Maybe someone on here has some experience they can share with you? I don't take HRT myself but I know that there are some women on here who take it and are still having periods so don't be fobbed off, you shouldn't have to put up with feeling like you do. Hope your day gets better x
-
Thanks Carol, yeah I am happy that she at least text to say she was fine...same here, I love my children always but yeah but at moments its difficult. Thanks, I think I've tried all the docs at my practice but none forthcoming >:(...have started a thread on venlafaxine so hopefully someone will pop on with info.....hope youre having a better day too X