Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: SadLynda on August 16, 2015, 11:34:02 AM
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Starting to bore myself here with repeating my lunacy, so thought I would start my own thread then I can link back to it. Also to share for others - that if/when things improve I may be of some help.
I first noticed not being myself three years ago after I gave up smoking, so I put everything down to that. After four weeks without sleep I visited the GP who more or less laughed me out of the surgery and said to come back when it was 8 weeks or 3 months when it was 'something to worry about' >:( I did and he was no help again, I sat outside the surgery in my car and cried for an hour. Around the same time I started with gum problems as my dentist told me I had gingivitis which convinced me all my teeth would fall out soon, and I started with pain to the gums that was unbareable, after many many doctor and dentist visits i was referred to the dental hospital who after many tests told me it was all in my head.
I changed GP, complained there about the previous GP - but having waited so long (about a year) before I went again my poor memory did not realise it was the same GP, who had also moved to new surgery. This of course did me no favors at all. Even though I did say I still did not sleep, was up all night on the toilet and cried all the time he did nothing. I did not go again till the beginning of this year with a chest infection, no mention was made of my other issues.
This year has been awful. I have just written my symptoms down there are 13 of them, from Insomnia to recurrant thrush... etc etc.
Like many here I changed from a confident woman into a blubbering jelly.
I joined this forum about two weeks ago. It was suggested by CLKD that I make an appointment with the practice nurse which I have done and my appointment is tomorrow. Not sure if I can talk then, but I have got my list done to show her, I am having bloods taken ready for a referral to the well woman clinic.
Lastly, I have spent the last month or so on supplements, vitamins etc - night sweats are better, I dont cry 'every day'.. but that is about it really.
I will keep my updates to this thread.
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:( Hope you feel MUCH better soon and that you can get some competent help. Can't believe that the GP laughed at you... >:(
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Hello Honey
I too had times like that when my Peri meno journey started.
My motto, be kind to yourself always, delegate or dump tasks that seem too much just now. One hour at a time, day or more if you can manage it. Sleep when you can, it may be by day not night, ok if you don't work, or catch up at the weekends.
We are all here to help you through this time and I for one have found the forum so valuable.
Hugs Mrs January xxxxx
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Thanks all, I hope I didnt really come across as so glum? I love it here, and am really grateful for this forum and all the lovely ladies on it.
I do try to take care, like all of us though probably do not get enough rest.
Grangravy, thank you so much for telling me about the withdrawal and meno symptoms, no wonder I was ga ga. and about the 'burning mouth' syndrome, they all said I was just 'barking' my family all think I am barking too as a result as my Dad took me to the dental hospital, and seemed very embarrassed by it all.
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^ this
I agree with sparkle ((hug)) :)
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thank you lovely ladies :-* I am not alone though with the 'lessthanperfect' GP though >:(
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I would like to clone my GP, bottle him and send him round to you all :)
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WHOOPS! what chance of a GP moving to the Surgery that you decided to change to :o !
Thanks for sharing. It does get better ;)! but can be Trial and Error finding a GP with Staff who are menopause knowledgable!
Sore gums can be a problem. I can't eat jam, sometimes bananas burn my mouth and tongue immediately and I have to spit out the food :-X. The reason I had implants for gaps is because gums need teeth to work on. Without chewing action against teeth gums receded which means the teeth become lose and eventually :-X :o. Maintaining good gum health is as important as good tooth care ;-).
SadLynda - hand your list to the GP and ask her to prioritise it. 'so that we don't miss anything that can be death with' ……… and 'I hope that I can come and discuss the various symptoms until I begin to feel better' ……..
Let us know how you get on!
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Really feel for you sadlynda! Its all too truely menopause hormones!! When im having a bad spell, my tongue is so sore and i can feel cuts on it that disappear next day....how odd is that?!! It does help to know what the cause is and that its not something more serious. This forum will be of great help and support to you. Stooth x
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Hi, SadLynda, I want to say again 'Thank you' for the supportive posts you gave to me recently ('Feel like I am going mad'). It is so frustrating when medical professionals don't listen! >:( I, like you, haven't been feeling 'myself' for quite some time (probably early forties) and also have a long list of symptoms - can't make decisions, mind goes 'blank', incontinence, insomnia etc etc ...... Today, I have yet another case of thrush - supposed to be seeing gp this evening about ADs. We are only meant to ask about one symptom per appointment (I would need MANY appointments!). I do empathise with you on all of this & agree that the ladies on this forum have been fantastic with their support & advice. I hope everything goes well today with the nurse - the practice nurse at our surgery got me an appointment to see a gynaecologist (female) last summer at another clinic so that I am now in the 'system' - I can ask my gp to refer me back to her now for gynae problems (I did so again in June & have scan this Weds). :bighug: x
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'it helps to talk' …...
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MadBoss, I have thrush (again) too.
Just back from taking my bloods to the hospital. Good appointment with practice nurse, she listed all my woes (I had written down) and has taken blood tests for everything, just in case... Made me an appointment with the nice lady GP for next Wednesday, and made my day by telling me the nasty GP is leaving next month - I dont think she likes him so much either. The GP I am seeing has an interest in menopause so should be very good, hurray :)
I cant tell you how much better I feel just by having someone to listen. Seems she is quite concerned about all the symptoms and the stress I am under with the daughter (who has pre-natal depression) and wants to get me well enough to deal with that.
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So point the GP in this direction too ! When I subscribed to MM Magazine after reading it I handed it to the Practice Nurses.
MadBoss - what did your GP suggest ….. :-\
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Hi, SadLynda, I'm so pleased that the appointment with the practice nurse went so well & that you will be seeing a much more supportive GP. It makes all the difference to be able have someone there to listen instead of feeling like you are banging your head against a brick wall! :). CLKD - my GP has switched my AD's to a stronger, SSRI type & I am having my thyroid & hormone levels tested. I have an ultrasound scan tomorrow with regard to the proposed endometrial ablation but the consultant (whom I am due to see again on 7th Sept) is well aware of the bladder issues. I will mention about it tomorrow as I have to drink 1 1/2 pints of water beforehand which is going to be problematic! X
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Hi Sweetie,
I just want to add some weight to your (((HUGS))) here. Thank you for posting on my new thread, and I am here to hold your hand too.
I'm going to get that darn Mirena removed today, decision made.
I want to let you ladies know that WRT 'thrush' I would recommend you take this:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/vitamins-supplements/acidophilus/#so=sort_topseller&totalNumRecs=31
It was recommended by my homeopath and it's so effective and of course natural, which is always a good thing.
Vicki.x.
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good luck Vicki, thanks for the recommendation for thrush treatment x
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LIVE yoghurt eaten and applied can ease thrush …….. one pot in the fridge to eat regularly i.e. 3+ times a day: and applied in bed using a tampon as high up as possible, then rest ;) - try for 5 days and then see how the itchiness is.
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Well, here goes.. back from GP and almost 'over' my pity party now.. okay, I am not - actually sitting in floods of tears wondering what to do next.
The good news is all my blood tests were fine, and of course no problems with my hormones either ::) But, I am the right age (her words) and with the right symptoms (bare in mind, they are all on screen infront of her as given to the nurse).
Deciding that the bladder issue's were the worst I am to go for a bladder scan, I am to phone up in two days and then wait weeks for the appointment, and more weeks for the results - then............ we can start looking at treatments. HRT, she is not really fond of but 'if I insist' it is my choice, so I have an entire rain forest of information she printed out for me to show me all about HRT and all about 'Alternatives to HRT'.
I then told her my anxiety is about as bad as it can get, so she has give me '20' Propranolol to try. Chemist told me to just start at one a day and see how it goes, and that it can take 3 weeks for any results.
Looks to me like I have to wait till the results before I can go any further, as she wants to rule out any nasties with the bladder, which is fair enough but as I have been like this for over 3 years now I would say its doubtful. Having said that, at one a day I am looking at 20 days before needing 'something' to help with the anxiety, either more beta blockers or something else.
I have put out a local appeal to see if there is a GP in my area who gives a ***t. Maybe my own fault here as I should not have gone in with the attitude that she may have some sort of concern for how I was feeling. I will know better next time.
Considering the private option, or at least my mother is - I just managed to phone her with update before the tears, but I think even she is starting to see behind the front I put on now.
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Hi SadLynda, sorry to hear it didn't go as well as you hoped, I do hope you get your scans quickly. That's the trouble with hormone blood tests, as they fluctuate so much readings don't really help so much, and you have all the symptoms. I'm not sure why she can't start you on HRT if you wanted if you are presenting with all the symptoms, and as you say it's been 3 years with the bladder, but obviously I'm not a doc. At least you have the Propranolol to try, it may see you through until you get some 'proper' help.
No, you're right, they just don't care, I think the only time you get 'good service' is when you pay to go private - it's all wrong! x
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Hi SadLynda
Sorry I can't remember where you are in menopause eg re periods etc and whether you have other meno symptoms? In terms of your blood tests of course Unhinged is right - if you are peri-menopausal one test doesn't mean a lot and it also depends on where in your cycle it was taken.
Do ask for a print-out of your blood tests and especially look at what your hormone readings were ( despite their unreliability) out of interest ie the FSH and the estradiol - you can phone up too and ask them.
It is good to look at your bladder and be checked properly, but if you have dryness etc and you know you are peri-menopausal (from periods and/or flushes especially) - then something like Vaigfem should be prescribed, even while waiting for your specialist appointment.
You absolutely should not have to go to a private doctor and no GP should be saying they will only give you HRT "if you insist" and should make sure they are up to date with all the information at least on this site.
Not sure what the Prop...does but doesn't sound like a menopausal treatment...
Depending on your answer to some of the above I really would go to another doc!
Hurdity x
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Propranolol stops anxiety surges. I take 40mg at night and it has helped for several years.
As for 'if you insist' >:(. :bang:. At a time when a lady feels vulnerable and shaken by symptoms one expects support, not the Spanish Inquisition :-\
I would be ringing to say , that as these symptoms are long-term for the last 3 years without anything more serious presenting, that I would like treatment for vaginal symptoms this week …….
……… and would also be ringing the Dept to which you have been referred for the bladder scan to see what the actual waiting list is likely to be: also if you are able, offer yourself for a cancellation appt. at short notice? and make sure you have someone to drive you there and back.
:bighug:
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Thank you :thankyou:
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Sorry you've not had a great experience today lynda.....don't really have any suggestions apart from multi vits, fish oil, vit e, d, bs,....someone has suggested whey powder for amino acids in the brain aparently boosting serotonin so have sent for some....fingers crossed....if it helps will let you all know .....hugs xxx
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Thanks TV. I have been on the vitamins and supplements a while :(
just an update. I had a long email convo with my yoga/acupuncture guy last night - being a bloke I wasnt going to mention this to him, but was so desperate last night I have. He has been great, very supportive and helpful and I will be starting a course of acupuncture for the anxiety and insomnia next week. I know some of you will not believe in this, but he cured my sciatica, back pain and hip pain so that is good enough for me to try.
i have posted about this now so I can update and it may be of some use to others to if it helps.
Still booking my bladder scan and hoping to then start the hrt after that, I am not 'that' conventional. Took the beta blocker last night, felt okay but did nothing to help me sleep, though that might have been the stress of the whole day.
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Beta blockers keep me awake so I take mine in the morning after breakfast. I only take 10mg as I find anything stronger just makes me feel very washed out.
I found acupuncture very helpful for arthritis in my knees. I had it done by a physiotherapist on the NHS so it's a recognised form of treatement.
I really hope it helps you, please let us know.
It's always great to hear if alternatives work.
Honeybun
X
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So sorry to hear you feel unsupported by your GP.
Sounds to me like you need HRT. It really is the key to the insomnia and anxiety.
I now see Nick Panay who is brilliant. He understands exactly about the menopause and never makes you feel it is anything other than hormones. He is a leading expert in hormones and has a realistic view of HRT. Get your hormones sorted and you will be fine.
Take care
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funny isn't it, BBs help me go to sleep if I am wired and jittery, and I only need 5mg morning and evening.
Good luck finding a treatment regime to help you sadLynda
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Sadlynda - did you get any info about your actual hormone levels from the doc?
From what I've read, acupuncture (using pressure points) won't work as such for menopause symptoms ( ie oestrogen deficiency) but can have a therapeutic value (the actual process - relaxation and needles) - for those who wish to use it. There was a brief mention of it here on this thread: http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,28940.msg457620.html#msg457620
Hope your bladder results come back OK and you get the treatment you need to improve - without encountering further unhelpful resistance from the medical profession!
Hurdity x
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Hy Sadlynda - I hope accupuncture is helpful for you, I have a treatment once a month and it has certainly helped me. Because it treats the body as a whole I can't tell you that it 'fixed' specifics or whether it is the accupuncture, change in diet and extra excercise I am doing, but I feel a whole lot better generally. Sleep, appetite, heavy bleeding has diminished, skin issues and energy levels. Not 'perfect' but better - accupuncture cannot directly 'add' hormones, of course, but it can balance them, in that way, there are less ups and downs of levels and I believe that is why it has helped me. Helping me adjust to the hormone levels changing.
I also have a less than helpful GP which I have avoided since my last visit a few months ago - wishing you well with the needles :)
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thanks for info on acupuncture, thats great to hear.
It is my intention to have the acupuncture mostly for the anxiety and insomnia, until the results of the bladder scan come in and I get to go back and probably insist on hrt then if I have to. I do believe my hormones need a little help ;)
First appointment made for Tuesday. Had a good yoga class last night, all geared up to help with anxiety - must be good as its at least 48 hours since the last flood of tears ::)
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So.................... i spend ten mins on the phone trying to make appointment for bladder scan, waiting in queue as I am 'number 9' in queue. Only to find my GP has not filled in the paperwork and they are awaiting a fax from them with the Clinical information of 'why' they requested the scan >:( :angryfire: :bang:
Rang GP, no idea what I was talking about - after explanation, they 'hope' to sort it out today, if not will be next week. :(
(they didnt open till 1pm, thats why I just did it)
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Glad the yoga was good SadLynda - something I've never done as I don't think I could be still for that long when awake - but I find Pilates - and any of my exercise classes always make me feel good - in different ways - even if exhausting sometimes. I am a great believer in any form of relaxation therapy as a means to de-stress the mind and help cope with all that life throws at one - at this stage of life! I just don't do it myself though - except when it's really hot and sunny and I lie outside - so that's not very often :)
Hurdity x
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Been a while since I updated, so here goes.
I changed my GP, as I was so angry over my visit and lack of concern, not seen the new one yet as only just had the bladder scan this week, all was well but results to gp to discuss further possible test or treatment.
I just had my 4th lot of acupuncture and I am doing very well so far. Also had a bit of a change of diet at his recommendation, and to help with the drop in mood I eat little and often. I also started doing more cooking so I am eating far less processed food in general, not that I had much but not even any biscuits or crisps now. No caffine either.
I am sleeping much better at night, and have more good days than bad. So far so good.