Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Dennylou48 on August 11, 2016, 04:43:01 PM
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Hi I'm really struggling with this issue while going through this horrible hormone stuff, I feel if I give up I will turn to alcohol or something cos I can't cope with out them, I smoke roll ups and between 5-8 a day, have terrible panic and anxiety since it started 3 years ago. I have seen no period for 3 months and just hoping I'm am coming to the end cos along with all the other symptoms I get, it seems to me to be getting worse, I am on no medication for this except lansoprazole for acid reflux which only happened with menopause too. Does anyone else still smoke on here or am I the only one.
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If smoking calms you right now, then stick with it! It's a bit like dieting - deny yourself and cravings will start.
I think you will find ladies here who do, it's not something I ever tried after someone warned me that I might be :sick02: so why bother ::)
Have you spoken to your GP about your anxiety? Mine has prescribed beta-blockas to take daily and an emergency pill if panic attacks take over. Without which ……….. :-\ :sigh: - so it can be managed. Some ladies use yoga/pilates, swim, brisk walks …….. my periods came and went over 2-3 years from 1999 (I think).
Acid reflux is common at peri- - as oestrogen levels drop, apparently muscles become lax which includes the diaphragm, i.e. those inside in the digestive tract which then leads to reflux . I have to take my evening medication well B4 going to bed, certain foods I can eat early in the day but not in the evening ……. maybe have a look at your diet to see if an adjustment would ease symptoms? Rennies R my go-to remedy, it might take 3/4 within an hour but they do the trick: the drug you have been prescribed can in fact, make matters worse ::).
I think that smoking can aggravate reflux :-\.
Now: call me old fashioned but a Chest Consultant I worked with many years ago always asked smokers whether they woke in the night for a fag. He maintained and it seemed 'right' at the time, that if a person is truly addicted, the body would wake them several times during the night. I know that some people leap out of bed and the first thing they do is light up, but those people got out at what I would call a reasonable time, i.e. 7.00 a.m. or later.
Browse round.
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However.....giving up smoking ( over a period of time of course) is probably the best thing you can do in terms of your future health.
Have a look at what it say about diet and lifestyle, including smoking on this site:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/diet.php
I realise if you have been smoking for a long time giving up will be very difficult but it would be better to try to work on giving up smoking and perhaps consider HRT or even this combined with an AD (if HRT alone doesn't work) - than to use smoking as a way of alleviating anxiety.
I did not get any real menopausal symptoms that I was aware of - or that bothered me (despite crying a lot and getting bad headaches!) until my periods has stopped for several months (and several others have reported this too), so this could explain why your symptoms are beginning to get worse now. When flushes and sweats got really bad - and didn't respond to what I thought had been working (herbal treatments and diet) - I then started HRT and have never looked back.
I am sure there are groups that you could join, and maybe get medical help to start you off. Do have a serious think about this and try one step at a time ....
Hurdity x
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I gave up the ciggies 3 years ago, and now vape instead. It was the less of 2 evils, but without SOMETHING I would have lost it big style by now! I'm now on 11mg liquid which is pretty darned low, so I'm hoping to step off completely at some point. Maybe go and get yourself a wee vape pen and give it a go? I can give you advice on how to switch from the fags to vaping so that you don't get 'vapers throat'. It happens to all of us smokers when we try to switch, and there is a knack to it!😉
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I was a heavy smoker and gave up cold turkey at the time they told me I was peri
I nearly caved in about 8 months later at a BBQ but a friend lent me her brand new E cig and I've been vaping since
8 a day isn't heavy smoking and roll ups I've heard are much better than tailor made, do you use a filter ?
I've been cigarette free since sept 2012
Annie x
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I do. I don't think I will very much longer though. I smoke anywhere from 3 to 15 per day, depending on....I dont know what it depends on, I just know it varies and even smoking seems tied to my cycle. I guess a normal day is about 5-6. I only smoke outside when I'm home, so if the weather is bad or I'm out and about, I don't smoke and I really don't miss it. As soon as it feels right, I plan to drop them, but right now it's my only vice. I don't take alcohol, caffeine, drugs, or anything so I don't feel terribly guilty over the smoking. But it's undeniable that it ages people faster, so that's my main motivation for dropping cigs all together.
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I have a friend who really, really wanted to give up smoking, but found it incredibly difficult. He went to a hypnotherapist. I don't know how many sessions he needed, but not only was it successful, he discovered in the process he wanted to write, which he did. Eventually, he wrote as a full time job, following considerable success. Some of his work has been televised. You can't be made to give up smoking through hypnotherapy, if you are half hearted and I'm not suggesting you will discover you want to write..............well you might find something you want to do. Worth a thought?
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I know how you feel I am a smoker and it's my emotional crutch too...since I've got bad insomnia I sadly smoke more as I'm all alone in the back room til 3 or 4 am very lonely and upset and without a ciggy I'd lose the plot..I don't drink but doctors don't give you credit for never drinking even though the health risks are massive..I've just posted about if to start on a patch or pill hrt because of being a smoker and one is safer..so less guilt right now you've enough to cope with...when life improves you might be in a better frame of mind to try to cut down I hope I will but for now no way...x
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Dennylou48, you are definitely not what anyone would call a heavy smoker so I would not give yourself any added stress at a time like this. I think it would be much worse and far more dangerous to your health if you were a heavy drinker.
If I were you, I would look at the transdermal route for HRT because it is much more effective and hopefully will help with your anxiety.
Good luck!
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Hi Dennylou48,
I gave up ciggies in September 2010. I smoked about 20+ rolls up a day (with filters). I was on HRT & the same time & the 2 combined, was my crutch. I never thought I could give up for good but I managed it.
I started a thread at the time about the plusses & minuses as I saw it, have a look at the link below & it may help you.
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,8252.0.html
Don't beat yourself up over a few roll ups a day but if you did kick the habit you will feel so much better - & what an achievement.
Good luck.
Cazi xx
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Some people decide when they want a ciggie the most, i.e. after a meal and find that if they alter that particular habit, they can give up that particular fag. It is what suits the person in order to enable ;-).
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Thank you for all your advise, I'm in such a dilemma, with hrt, as I got some saying no don't do it and others saying it's the best thing ever. I am rubbish at making decisions 😩 I do use a filter and very rarely smoke in the evenings, I only smoke in the garden not in my house. I hate feeling so shit everyday and aching all the time. Hormone drop is giving me real bad fuzzy head feelings which is so scared. I worry about everything I wish I could go back to the bubbly happy person I was before. I do have a vase which gave me a sore throat so was put off that. Let me know what the knack is. Thank you xx
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Making decisions can become difficult as we age. Meno fuggggg >:( ::)
Don't try to do everything at the same time. As a smoker then maybe try to ease any meno symptoms first. That way you can focus on 1 thing at a time ;)
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Take HRT if you are offered it.
Don't focus too much on giving up the fags at the moment, you are dealing with enough at the moment so don't add more problems to the pile.
Take one day at a time, it is not a race & be kind to yourself. Keep posting & we will try to help you through it.
Cazi xx
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I smoke, also roll-ups with a filter and A rated papers which drop the nicotine and tar a bit.
The GP would prefer me to stop now I'm on HRT but I told her I have too much stress in my life right now and she was ok with that. My BP is fine. I smoke about 15 to 20 a day which is way too much, I need to half that really.
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I have the patches at home just sitting there looking at me everyday but I can't bring myself to put them on, I have not had a period for over 3 months and it's all so confusing, will my periods start again, I suppose the scary part is the not knowing how I will react to it.
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I can highly recommend Vaping. My husband smoked 30 a day for 55 years and started vaping 10 months ago. The improvement in his health is amazing. He looks better, his skin is better, his breathing, his energy absolutely everything. They have proved that they are 95% safer than cigarettes.
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Hi I'm new to the forum but wanted to reply as I was a smoker as well. I had to give them up a month ago as these symptoms are too hard core smoking made my heart really race and make my bp go skyrocketing. I'm on a bp med before this started happening. I've smoke for many years I'll be 40 in Oct been going through this since I was 34 women in my family all have started this journey early. My question for you smokers are have you noticed that with heart palps and racing and bp spikes already with peri itself has smoking not effected any of you as it has me? Everybody tells me it's in my head smoking will raise hr well I know better because smoking will raise it but not drastically like it's started to do mine. I can check pulse before and it will be 79bpm smoke half a cig and it be 112 bpm seems to high to me just from 4 draws off a cig.if the change has effected you this way how did you get through it and do u still smoke?
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I am an ex-smoker, with 30 years of smoking on the clock. I gave up and that is when all my symptoms started, for some time I blamed giving up smoking on making me so ill, stopping me sleeping and all the other horrors. It was some time before I realised it was peri I was dealing with.
As a person with a very addictive personality I now have addictions to my art and buying paint, and to health food etc - which though I still spend far too much, my health is far better for it.
Also the last 9 months on AD's has made me feel better than I have for years. I never thought I could give up smoking and I used to be a heavy smoker too, but I did it.. the vape things were not around then, so now when I need something its usually a green tea ::)
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When my symptoms were at their worst, yes, I felt my heart rate change with each cigarette. The obvious answer is to quit, and I did stop smoking for days at a time. I should have quit completely during that time, but I know this is weird, if I could smoke a cigarette and feel ok then it was reassuring to me that I was fine. So I kept trying a cigarette now and then just to see how it affected me. It's so backwards that it's embarassing to type that on the forum, but it's true. I tend to ignore my subtle symptoms until they get unbearable, and if smoking makes me feel a little off it's my little sign that I may be in for a rough day or two. I have always had low BP so I'm not sure about BP spikes, but I gave up caffeine during that time as well. And truth be told, even when I wasn't smoking for several days at a time, I still felt terrible, it just didn't directly follow a smoke.
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Thanks ladies for replying I did that too stop a few days then smoke and it was def making it all worse the palpations. I really think I'm in the worst of this as the last 13 months has been unbearable and no breaks one thing back to back. My Dr won't prescribe anything says peri is hard to pinpoint with blood results but if I'm still having a cycle no hrt says raises cancer risk.im actually been wanting a cigarette but it scares me to death the racing heart and flip flops that is worse after smoking so I don't bother with picking them back up
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I think I'd try a different GP if I were you.
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Angl - if what your GP told you he/she is way out of line. Are you in the UK? Have a browse round the Forum, make notes, change your GP. Is there a Nurse in your Practice?
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She is a nurse practitioner who should I see to help me? A gyno? New md? New NP
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I stopped smoking 5 years ago on Valentine's Day as a gift to myself. I'd smoked for 32 years and was a heavy smoker who never ever thought I'd be able to stop. I was peri-menopausal & decided I wanted to stop before I hit 50. I just made it!
What I did was go on a Money Saving Web site & they had a stop smoking forum & I got so much support before stopping it was incredible. I asked & got an appointment with a cessation nurse - some one who is trained in it & she was brilliant. I started on Champix prior to seeing this nurse & hit problems with it - strong, weird dreams & panic attacks. I managed to stop the cigs and really feel I cheated as it wasn't that hard. I think I'd reached the stage where I really needed to & did have a lot of on-line support, but the biggie was the cessation nurse - who was so knowledgable about the type of addict you are - she works out what will suit you & tailors a programme to you. One piece of advice sticks in my head & that was get rid of everything - all the ashtrays, packets of ciggies, cig papers - everything - chuck it out. Have a planned stop day & just stop for an hour & then two & then three. Don't say I won't smoke again - too scary. But then it's, 'I won't smoke today', it did it for me.
Good luck - it is actually easier than you think if you just use all the tricks that the cessation nurse gives you & get some on-line support.
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She is a nurse practitioner who should I see to help me? A gyno? New md? New NP
I'd definitely see a doctor not a nurse. I'm not sure where the boundaries sit on whether you need a gynae person or not. Are you in the US? That might help those that know more than me advise you.
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You're not the only one; I smoke around 5-7 ciggies a day, mainly after something to eat or with a glass of wine. I'm 48 and have been smoking since I was 16; I'm quite fit and don't have a cough or anything (yet) and I walk everywhere and go running at the weekends. I'm not advocating smoking; some people are susceptible to smoking related illnesses but while it's not affecting me I ain't quitting. I've been on HRT for around 9 months and finally settled on Femoston 2/10. Good luck and don't beat yourself up xx
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The most important thing is not to be too hard on yourself about it, how about cutting down. My best friend smokes around 5 or less a day (she is 59) and her doctor said its not too bad at that level, although if she could cut it down to 2/3 that would be better.
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Angl : "My Dr won't prescribe … " if you saw a Nurse Practitioner then make an appt. to see a GP? Let us know how you get on, you may need to ask for a referral to a Menopause Clinic if the Surgery are over-all reluctant to prescribe.
My Dad gave up smoking roll ups suddenly, it was a week B4 anyone noticed, gosh he was peeved ;D
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I'm in the us sorry for late response I been struggling with all these symptom. I'm still not smoking and I don't even crave one now. Hope all is well
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Well done, Anglfrmhvn69! That's brilliant! ;)
As CLKD says, if you can get to see another MD or can manage to access an appointment with a Gyno. who covers Menopause, that would be your best bet. You shouldn't have to suffer on, and it helps if you can be armed with the latest info. regarding HRT and it's safety. Anyone who dismisses HRT out of hand as 'being too much of a cancer risk' isn't up to date and is probably still influenced by the WHI study, which has been proven to be flawed (older population starting HRT for the first time, oral combined HRT).
Print off anything you need to support your choice, take it with you and have a good browse around here to see what type of HRT you may be interested in. Hystersisters is also a good forum based in US, although the ladies there have of course had hysterectomies. I suggest it though as they have comprehensive information on all the many types of HRT available in the US (you have much more choice than we do in the UK)!
Good luck! :)