Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: jenster on March 02, 2015, 04:36:27 PM
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I don't know about everyone else who is 46 and feeling this peri-menopause thing - but I am losing my mind. I have been to the cardiologist, my general practitioner, the neurologist and been cleared of everything after MRI thinking I had MS or Parkinsons - I have been to ER many many times with heart palpitations thinking this is it.... I have forced my general doctor to draw blood every time I feel weird and so far nothing - but every day I wake up feeling shakey, tired, weak, foggy, irritable, weak, sometimes trembling inside my skin, sore joints - heart palpitations, can't sleep great, hair is thinning and the list goes on and on -
I feel like I am not myself and I wake up every morning praying I will feel better... does anyone have advice or feel like this as well and is there an end in sight!
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Yep - many feel like you do, it's probably 'within normal limits', particularly as your GP has gone through all the investigative routes.
How is your diet? If the body is hungry it can cause adrenaline surges = anxiety. Have a look at what you eat and when.
Exercise can help.
There are medications that can ease anxiety, have a chat with your GP.
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It is horrible and sounds normal to what we are all suffering on here! Are you on any meds at all ? Eating often really does help, x
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Yep most US know what you are feeling all to well,you are not going mad !
The feelings are real. Have you mentioned to your doctor that it might be linked to hormones?
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I have mentioned to my doctor on many occasions to check my hormone levels and when he does - he's days they are fine and then says I have anxiety and sends me off with ativan!
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You know Dazned, I rememebrr my GP saying to me "these feelings are real," eh I know I'm feeling them!
She was trying to be nice by letting me know I wasn't going mad ;D
Jenster the old anixety eh now there's a new one! ;D
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Unfortunately checking hormones levels are really a lottery,depending on where you are in your cycle so not much use usually,that's why most doctors go on symptoms instead. Ask to be referred to a gynecologist or find where your nearest woman's/ menopause clinic is if you feel your not being heard. Start keeping a health diary write everything down so you can see if a pattern emerges ,it will help .
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CLKD ...or anyone can you tell me how hunger can lead to adrenaline surges please as I'm quite guilty of not always eating when I m not feeling good :-\
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CLKD ...or anyone can you tell me how hunger can lead to adrenaline surges please as I'm quite guilty of not always eating when I m not feeling good :-\
Your.blood sugar drops and your body sends out cortisol (the stress hormone) in response, to stop you passing out! That's why they describe it as being "hangry" - angry when you're hungry!
I need to eat every couple of hours since peri started, otherwise I start to feel horrendous.
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'hangry' is a word in the news this week - never heard of it ::)
I was advised by NAPS to eat carbohydrates every 3 hours even though the night 24/7. So having biscuits by the bed - my puppy learned that there was a biscuit to be had once she'd been out to pee at 3.00 a.m. ;D - bananas and other slow release foods and try to eat before the body is hungry. I didn't keep to meal 'times' for years which was difficult when visiting his family in particular >:( :-X so I got to taking my own food ……… if it bothered them TUFF!
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Thanks for that Honorsmum and CLKD knew you always tell people to eat but now I understand the importance of it will try to better ;)
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It took me MONTHS to realise that I needed to remember to eat before my body was hungry. I would forget when I felt well until the next dip + nausea = anxiety. DH would be saying 'eat, eat, eat' but I felt too ill :'( :-\ ………. I don't recognise hunger feelings.
Having nibbles to hand: always eat breakfast - then keep dried fruits and nuts; Dextrose tablets; bananas; porridge, chocolate …… great standbys. Make sure that you have comfort food once a day. Our Grandparents were right, they ate stodge which filled their bellies, there wasn't money to buy much else. Meat with potatoes and 2 veg., usually home grown or fresh from the greengrocer. Puddings made with farm milk/cream, delivered daily - free range eggs, meat from the butcher …… very few 'ready' meals ………. so Yorkshire pudding as a starter with gravy to fill you up; meat/poultry/rabbit - roasted, stewed; cold, made into soups …….. and those Spotted Dick-type sponge puddings with custard made from scratch :-*
Soups are a good filler. Beans on toast is highly under-rated. Poached egg on toast.
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Hi Jenster,
I can so associate with the problems you are having. I too have had numerous bloods taken, heart checks and when I became so desperate and convinced I had MS or the likes my doctor sent me to see the Neurologist (this was my second visit). My anxiety was through the roof with almost every waking minute spent worrying they were missing something. I was finding it so hard to believe that with so many symptoms I was not on death's door! Anything sinister was ruled out and the Neurologist suggested I should see the Physiotherapist. I was very dubious, to say the least, but I had my appointment last week and found it very interesting. She said that she has seen numerous woman of 'my age', all being sent to her by this particular Neurologist, all with similar symptoms. The problem they think is caused by Hyperventilation Syndrome. She monitered me as I sat beside here and she commented that I was breathing far quicker than I should have been and I was also breathing wrong! I know I have hyperventilated during a panic attack, but this 'wrong breathing' was effecting my health. She sent me off with a load of information, exercises and a follow up appointment. Physiotherapy for Hyperventilation has a website which is quite interesting. I'm not saying this will be the answer to all my symptoms but I shall give it a go. I do think a lot of my symptoms are definately hormone based, but if I can learn to breathe better, then become calmer, I may not panic and worry quite so much. Health anxiety is a truly horrible time consuming thing, and the constant worry is such a vicious circle. Take care x
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Interesting aspect - :thankyou:
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holidaylover - I cannot thank you enough for all of that information. I do feel like I am breathing to hard or like I can feel my pulse more then I used to pumping in my neck - I will look into what you suggested. Anything helps, this am I was nervous to get out of bed that I told my husband and I just started crying - I didn't want to add any more pressure to his world so I haven't been talking about it. He made me feel a lot better - but it is just hard not feeling yourself... especially with a 12 and 15 year old at home who need me. Thank you again - I so appreciate it.
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DELEGATE ? ::) they are old enough to do chores ………. ;)
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Jenster, you're welcome. You'll be like me and really willing to try anything just to find an answer to your problems. The tingly feelings are horrible, and there's nothing worse, when you are desperate for answers, for the doctor to send you off with a prescription for antidepressants, assuring you that they will make you feel better. I came away with the prescription, but never took a tablet. (I always have horrible reactions to tablets like this). My hormones were also checked and deemed normal and the menopause was never mentioned again. The physio (who is a lady of menopausal age) really had an understanding nature and even disclosed that she too sometimes gets tingly feet. Falling estrogen levels can cause all these weird symptoms, but unfortunately they are not the ones at the forefront in the general discussion of menopause by GPs. She had a really calm nature and admitted that she just assumed her tingling was 'her age' and didn't want to trouble her doctor. I only wish I had this disposition, but I'm afraid I'm of the nature that the slightest headache could be a tumour, so I suppose just programmed to have anxiety. x (Like so many of us).
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Hello jenster.
Just wanted to send you hugs and to let you know that so many of us feel the way you do.
After a relatively good patch I feel awful again and it is most definitely hormonal. I think anyone with children would sympathise with you and understand how challenging life can be for us parents.
I'm sorry I don't have a magic wand but I do wish you well and hope you take comfort from the fact that you and your family are not alone on this journey.
Take care.
K.
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Hi Jenster
Quite a few of us have been right where you are now and I just wanted to say that it will pass. Eat well, every 3 hrs and take little steps each day to overcome something. The kids will be fine and so will you. Keep posting as we can all give tips on what helped us. For me it is bananas, grapes and ginger biscuits. Can you go out for a gentle walk? xx
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Hi everybody great post, can totally relate, had heart check, fibroid check, suffering from headaches now, cant go back to dr and tell them Im afraid of stroke/brain tumour but I am x
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I cannot thank all of you enough for just listening to me - it is so horrible not to feel good! I am so glad I am not alone and that in itself is helping me deal! 8)
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So have that talk with the children? Delegate ! ;)
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Jenster, my heart goes out to you as I too spent two years being told I had possible MS and therefore know how frightening it is. The 'not knowing' is worse. Like you, my symptoms were not the ones we stereo typically associate with the menopause - at the time I had no flushes (still don't), anxiety nor dryness. I had terrible back pain, tingling extremities, dizziness, hideous fatigue, crawling sensations and palpitations. I saw so many consultants and had numerous MRIs and each time I got another 'normal' result, the more anxious and self doubting I became. Luckily a switched on new neurologist immediately said 'peri menopause' and, though I am far from my old self still, things have got much easier. HRT helped, though this forum - and switching GPs - was by far the best medicine!
I really hope you find relief soon too x