Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: ladyunlaoised on May 08, 2017, 08:07:29 AM
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HI Girls,
I'm struggling at the moment with high anxiety levels, I'm 55 years old, on HRT - Femeston 2/10 mg. A lot going on at the minute in personal life - heading for a messy divorce in the coming weeks which has left me so unsure of myself & so unhappy - I keep getting panic attacks and I can't seem to live in the here & now - I worry constantly about what tomorrow will bring. It's getting me down so much - I feel so low most times.
My question is are there any self help meditation apps or mindfulness app's out there that can help me? Or has anyone suggestions.
Thanks in advance :-X
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Medication to ease your through the next 2 years! It takes time and energy to learn to relax as well as finding time to practice. Been there etc. (not the divorce but other stuff) ...... some ADs help anxiety, Betablockas can be useful, Rescue Remedy helps some people, or an 'as necessary' drug to take when anxiety takes over.
Sorry to hear that your marriage hasn't worked. Always difficult, one has to mourn what was, what might have been - counselling might help too.
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I second CLKD's suggestion and I've been horribly resistant to taking medication in the past! I hope to start Mirtazipine shortly and a few ladies at MM have had good success with it.
I'm so sorry you're going through all this at such a difficult time in your life. I can't imagine anyone who WOULDN'T be anxious! We're here to support you whenever you need us.
Hugs,
Tempest xxxx
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Once the anxiety has been eased then look into other types of relaxation therapies. I had a tape years ago which was useful but not recommended whilst driving - wonder why ::)
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Hi Ladyunlaoised sorry for the hard times you are going through. Start the medication it will ease the anxiety and time will heal you.
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Hi :bighug:
Medication can help, sometimes we need a little help. If only for a short time.
x
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Thanks girls for the replies. Maybe medication is the first step forward, I don't like being reliant on them too much but the anxiety and my mind being full of questions and thoughts of the future is so very hard & daunting !!!! Just can't seem to switch and calm my mind down :-\
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I have an emergency pill (xanax) I break it in half when the anxiety gets too much, it works fairly quick and is ok now and again. I find rescue remedy sometimes helps when those horrid feeling start, takes the edge off. Hope you feel better soon x
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when my anxiety got out of hand three years ago I fought the idea of medication, I felt I ought to be able to sort myself out. Eventually I trotted along to see the doc and agreed to try the lowest possible dose of a medication for anxiety and even then I cut it in half ::).
To cut a long story short that was 18 months ago and I am still on a low dose (but not quite as low as I started with) and it has become a friend to me and improved quality of life a lot of the time for myself and my family. Every day is not perfect but the other day I asked my husband if things were generally better and he said they are.
Sometimes I have a wobble and want to get off it but if I reduce the dose I soon realise why I take it, after all if I had a limp I might use a stick for balance. Well my brain has a limp and needs help to balance.
Hope that helps :)
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I think when I have op in two weeks time ( bowel, bladder and pelvic floor repair) I will have to go down the medication route, I really can't cope with feeling fine one evening and the next morning In a state of panic. Dizzy, nauseous, and downright petrified, this August it will be five years since my hysterectomy, please tell me this horror can't last much longer. I'm 53 and I feel 83 :'( :'(. I have an emergency pill(xanax)which I break in half when I find I really can't cope. The dizzyness is truly the worst feeling ever, it terrifies me
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Yammy1
I know the feeling one day feEling ok & the next feeling like you want to escape from this hell. When you get dizzy do you also feel like you are detached? I sometimes do & get a blurry eye, this anxiety is awful i wishad it would bugger off :'(
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Yes Dee46, It's the worst,scariest feeling ever. Because I fell and banged the back of my head 3 weeks ago I'm worried sick, although I didn't pass out or vomit at the time the last couple of days where the bump is ( much smaller than it was) is stinging me, Logically it's probably healing but as you can imagine i'm thinking the worst. I know I keep going on about this but i'm really scared
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It is awful i just feel like I am looking on at the world but not really in it, oh no Yammy that is not good I gather the dizziness caused you to have the fall? I overthink everything now, I am sure your head is healing but it is easy to think it should be better by now! I feel like that everyday with this anxiety will it ever end!
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Oh Dee46 it really is awful, isn't it. It takes over all my thoughts, I just want the old pre meno me back :'(, I'm terrified I did damage when I fell even though I've been fine up until a couple of days ago, It's probably vertigo but my head won't believe it, I'm too scared to go to doc in case she sends me to hospital, I really have a fear of hospitals, my stomach is shaking and turning as i type :'(
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:thankyou: BJ!
Relaxation therapy can be useful, as can swimming and yoga.
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Well bit the bullet this morning and went to doc, she examined my head where I bumped, did some balance tests and took blood pressure, she is happy enough that I didn't do major damage when I fell. She said I have fluid in my right ear (which I get a lot)and that's probably causing the dizziness and prescribed stemitil for vertigo. Hopefully this will help me calm down a bit
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Original poster, I'm really struggling with anxiety at the moment, but mine is about my palpitations. I saw my dad die of a heart attack so it's a difficult issue for me....
but the anxiety must be hormonal because it's been very sudden in the last 8 weeks, along with a chaotic cycle and burning face (my dad died 8 years ago).
A few people have mentioned Rescue Remedy and I think it's debated whether it works, but it honestly has been my experience that it really helps with anxiety. It's got something in it called Rock Rose which is apparently good for terror. It's been helping me, there must be something in it.
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Yammy1......stemetil is wonderful, lol. I have had a lifelong vomit phobia and my doctor allows me to carry stemetil at all times, he knows I won't abuse it. But it works. It's also good for dizziness as you know and it really calms you down when you're having a hard time. That's my experience anyway. :-) I usually break mine in half though and try that first, because of course it's still a drug and I might not need all of it. Hope you feel better soon :-)
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Thanks Girls for the replies to my post, I've an appointment with my Doctor this afternoon regarding anxiety levels and I'm going to ask him for something to get me through this. I just need something to ease the anxiety and hopefully get me through the emotional and difficult times ahead. I'll keep you posted.!!
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.... and breath! Ask for something daily for the next couple of weeks then on an 'as necessary' basis. Because I know that the emergency pill works I don't need to take it unless anxiety grounds me. The betabloakcs help too.
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Rosanna [now I have an ear worm ;D] - I have emitophobia too, :'( we have a thread here somewhere - it's what floors me when anxiety hits.
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Stemitil really has helped, i took it for the first couple of days, now I take one just if needed. but I have a months supply so will keep it handy just in case. My anxiety has levelled a bit and I started keeping a chart of how I'm feeling, I made a list of symptoms ie, palps, exhaustion, aches, flushes etc. and if bad I put a red Y next to it or green if it's bearable, I have morning afternoon and evening on chart, I know it will take a few months to see if there's a pattern, which I'm sure there will be because of hormones. It's on the computer so easy to fill in every evening. Will let you know in time how it goes.
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Do let us know and make sure that you eat little and often ;-)
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Will do :o
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Hi ladies I have been going through meno since 2012ish no period for 3 years, I think I have been quite lucky compared to some poor ladies on here,but I still get a few bad days after my usual period date where I have palps,foggy head that feeling of being detached from my own body,my neck and head feel like they are going to explode it manly happens late afternoon was told it is hormone related.the unfortunate thing there is no end date with this bloody meno just have to ride it through :)but good luck to everyone cus I think the palpations and head stuff is one of the most worrying of all the symptomsxx
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Eat mid-afternoon for 3 weeks to see whether the symptoms go? could be low blood sugar.
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HI Girls,
Just to let you know I paid a visit yesterday to my GP and told him about my high anxiety levels and panic attacks, had a good chat with him regarding my state of mind, anxiety and stress due to being at the start of a probably "messy" divorce procedure. He was very sympathetic which brought on the flood gates of tears on my end :'( He prescribed a low dose of Xanax 250 mg and told me it's ok to take these as sometimes a body needs help to get through difficult stages.
I came away a little bit lighter and let's hope medication will help.
Laois
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OH! hang onto that GP ::) - is the Xanax 'as necessary'? I'm sure that you will find it useful.
Why would the divorce need to be 'messy' :-\. - sometimes Solicitors push for stuff which causes un-necessary upheaval between two already un-happy people. Friends decided to divorce, sorted out everything between them and then presented a Solicitor with what was required. They were told that the same Solicitor couldn't handle both sides and "don't you want X, Y, Z?" - nope. But it was obvious that the profession is geared towards ......... :-X
:bighug: - keep posting!
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CLKD, Messy as in "O/H" isn't the easiest person to communicate with, living under the one roof separately for over 4 years and my mental health can't take it anymore, no communication at all now... nasty words thrown at me and house is the only asset between us and he doesn't plan on moving on at all ... so thus "messy", for my own mental health it has gotten too much and so anxiety levels are pretty peaked.
My friends keep telling me I need to move on & out from the "toxic" situation and I've put the wheels in motion. I know it'll be harder before I see "light at the end of the tunnel" but I know it needs to be done. Found myself .. "loosing myself" as in getting subdued and hiding myself away which is not me ... I've a good backup of friends which is good but I know I've got to go through it to get to the other side.
Laois
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Hard work especially if one doesn't want to move on! Hopefully your friends will remain supportive, do any have a 'roof' you could shelter under? Renting is SO expensive around here ...... even harder in a tourist area ::).
Little steps. Half a day at a time ;) ....... we are here to listen! :tulips:
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Thanks so much CLKD for your kind words xx I'm hoping to rent a little cottage shortly ... just waiting from word from Landlord to let me know when current tenants are vacating .... hoping for the end of this month or beginning of June, I know .. Rent's are high here in Ireland too but I think this could be in my price range (just) and it'll help with stress and anxiety .. hopefully ..
Laois
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Keep us up-2-date 'cos I'm nosy ;D. Do you have a lot to move?
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I sure will keep you up to date my dear xx Oh I've so much to move ..... 33 years living in the same house and as you can imagine how women hoard and collect things ::) Needless to say I haven't put one thing into a box yet as I don't want to temp fate and have this move fall through ... it's probably the superstitious Irish in me ;D
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Stuff is why we aren't moving - yet. ::)
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ladyunlaoised glad you went to doc and got a sympathetic ear, I find the xanax a great comfort, I actually break it in half and it works quite quickly which is an added bonus. I only have to take it now and again so I can't see myself becoming reliant on it. I too have a great doc, she really listens. hope your move goes smoothly and as I live in Ireland too and although thankfully I'm happily married I know from friends experience how slow and messy divorce can be here. Sending you hugs and best wishes x
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Yes CLKD, "stuff" will always be in our lives but "yet" being the operative word (fingers crossed & anything else I can cross too! ::) )
Thanks Yammy, Xanax works quite quickly I've fround although only taking them since Tuesday, my doctor said as it's a low enough dose level, not to be afraid to take 2 or three in the first few days if required, anything to get me through and aid the anxiety is very welcome here at the minute.
Laois