Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: KAH on May 12, 2018, 12:22:07 PM
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Not sure if this is in the right section or not, so apologies if it isn't!!
I've had a weird head all week, on Thursday I woke up but couldn't open my eyelids, I was telling myself to open my eyes but they just wouldn't, it was very strange! All that day I had an absolutely awful headache and felt very very sick. Yesterday I felt a bit better with just a background headache but still quite sicky.
Then this morning I didn't feel too bad, but was opening a tin of tuna for my dogs, it hadn't quite opened enough so I went to put the tin opener back in to do it but could not for the life of me work out how to use it!!! It's the same one I've had for years and I use it every day! My husband had to come & do it in the end.
I must admit it has freaked me out. I've got severe health anxiety anyway and have got so much going on at the moment that I'm worried about, a brain tumour being one of them (for various other reasons!).
Am I getting myself in a state over nothing again or is this something that needs looking into?? I'm the first to admit that I've worried about literally everything over the last 8 years and everything's turned out to be nothing but not had something like this before so that's why I'm worrying so much.
Thanks in advance xx
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Hi KAH,
The part about not being able to open your eyelids seems like you may have experienced 'sleep paralysis'. It was talked about not long ago on here and is a sleep disorder that can occur at times of stress, grief etc. It's nothing to worry about but it is scary when it happens. Or, due to the headache and feeling sick it could possibly be a migraine? My friend gets bad migraines and even loses the ability to speak when she has a severe one.
The can opener is possibly just because you're worrying but I can understand how that freaked you out! I have things like this happen. Only last weekend I went to pay with my card that is a connect one and she asked me if it was connect and I said 'oh I don't know' and then she told me it was and I said 'oh fancy that, I never knew it was' then a few hours later I realised that of course I know it is a connect one and use it nearly every day. When I told my daughter she just laughed at me but I do have a lot of instances like that where I totally go blank about stuff. Even my daughter's best friend who I have known since they were age 3...one day I saw her and said to my daughter 'there's.....and I could not for the life of me remember her name! These things do freak you out but I think it's a bit of meno brain.
I too suffer from health anxiety so I can understand your concerns.
If it continues to happen then go to the GP but try to forget it and move on. x
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Hi KAH,
The part about not being able to open your eyelids seems like you may have experienced 'sleep paralysis'. It was talked about not long ago on here and is a sleep disorder that can occur at times of stress, grief etc. It's nothing to worry about but it is scary when it happens. Or, due to the headache and feeling sick it could possibly be a migraine? My friend gets bad migraines and even loses the ability to speak when she has a severe one.
The can opener is possibly just because you're worrying but I can understand how that freaked you out! I have things like this happen. Only last weekend I went to pay with my card that is a connect one and she asked me if it was connect and I said 'oh I don't know' and then she told me it was and I said 'oh fancy that, I never knew it was' then a few hours later I realised that of course I know it is a connect one and use it nearly every day. When I told my daughter she just laughed at me but I do have a lot of instances like that where I totally go blank about stuff. Even my daughter's best friend who I have known since they were age 3...one day I saw her and said to my daughter 'there's.....and I could not for the life of me remember her name! These things do freak you out but I think it's a bit of meno brain.
I too suffer from health anxiety so I can understand your concerns.
If it continues to happen then go to the GP but try to forget it and move on. x
Thank you so much for replying, you have reassured me some. I think it's because I have so many other health things going on (and most if not all are probably nothing!), that I just don't have a clear mind and every little thing is freaking me out. I'm literally at breaking point with my anxiety at the moment, I can't carry on this way, I'm literally driving myself (and my poor husband!) crazy.
Thanks again, I will try to put it to the back of my mind xxx
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Oh I have my moments too! Looked at the taps here - couldn't remember which was hot and which was cold. We had been to Mum's, her taps are the opposite way ::)
Stood in front of the fridge, wondering - actually, I wanted the dish washer. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em ;)
My head feels 'weird' when I'm over tired or if I've missed a dose of medication.
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I'm at it again. Contactless card not connect!
I also went through a phase of typing a completely different word to the one I meant!
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When I was a secretary if a word was typed incorrectly in the morning, it stayed that way every time that day ::)
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I think the brain goes a bit wierd during menopause!
A song came on the radio recently, which the DJ described as a “new release 2 weeks agoâ€. I was absolutely convinced it was at least a decade old, but the Dj was right. It wasn't even a cover version. It really upset me for a few days.
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I can't remember if I've opened my bowels/not so have to try to remember to tick the calendar.
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KAH, that sounds like a migraine. Do you have a history of migraines? Some of the symptoms can be very strange and one of them is the brain shutting down, numbness, tingling in legs and a whole host of other symptoms that you may not attribute to a migraine.
Are you on HRT or any hormone medication?
Quite a few of us on here are migraine suffers, myself included, and mine only started once my oestrogen levels tanked.
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KAH, that sounds like a migraine. Do you have a history of migraines? Some of the symptoms can be very strange and one of them is the brain shutting down, numbness, tingling in legs and a whole host of other symptoms that you may not attribute to a migraine.
Are you on HRT or any hormone medication?
Quite a few of us on here are migraine suffers, myself included, and mine only started once my oestrogen levels tanked.
I don't think I've ever had one to be honest (that I know of anyway!!). I get a lot of headaches, usually for a few weeks at a time then nothing for a month or more then they come back for a few more weeks etc.
I'm still peri so no HRT or other medications. I've felt truely terrible this month inparticular though and it feels hormonal so something is definately going on with me!
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R your headaches painful enough to take pain relief?
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KAH, when in your cycle do you get headaches/feel bad? Migraines often come in clusters like that.
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KAH, when in your cycle do you get headaches/feel bad? Migraines often come in clusters like that.
I've not been keeping a close enough eye on them Mary, I'll start to keep a diary I think and see if there's a pattern. The really bad day last week when my head was excruciating and I felt sick was the same say my period started.
Sometimes I take co-codamol but if I can manage without then I do as I hate taking medication, although thinking about it, I have been taking a lot more tablets than I used to lately. I find the 4head sticks give some relief x
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That does sound like hormonal migraines. I started getting silent migraines in the lead up to the menopause and they were always just before a period when oestrogen is at its lowest.
As you say, keep a diary but you probably need to look into topping up your oestrogen levels.
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That does sound like hormonal migraines. I started getting silent migraines in the lead up to the menopause and they were always just before a period when oestrogen is at its lowest.
As you say, keep a diary but you probably need to look into topping up your oestrogen levels.
You got me thinking about when my headaches come and I particularly remember one headache that came on so quickly it literally felt like I'd been shot in the head! I remember the date as my daughter was going on a residential trip, just checked and it was 2 days before my period started! I'm thinking there must be a link there! Will defo keep an eye on it.
Does your eye sight go funny with migraines? Mine recently is extremely blurry, like I have to keep blinking to try to get a better look, does that sound familiar? And also feeling a bit drunk, not dizzy as such but a bit off-balance?
This is going to sound like a silly question but I have no idea about HRT or other hormone medications, how do you top up your levels?
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I don't think I've ever had one to be honest (that I know of anyway!!). I get a lot of headaches, usually for a few weeks at a time then nothing for a month or more then they come back for a few more weeks etc.
I'm still peri so no HRT or other medications. I've felt truely terrible this month inparticular though and it feels hormonal so something is definately going on with me!
I started to get migraines for the first time before I was even peri-menopausal - it was the couple of years leading up to peri. I had no idea they were migraines until about 5 years ago as I had never had them before - I just thought they were horrible 3 day headaches. Mine used to come on just before my period. The symptoms were feeling sick, light and sound aversion/sensitivity,extreme fatigue, carb cravings, horrible foggy head, light-headed. Face numbness sometimes and then eventually it would be that my whole skull was sensitive so I couldn't sleep very well unless lying on my back because of the pressure! They would wake me in the night - a constant needling headache.
I put up with them for well over 10 years - and then this year someone told me about Sumatriptan which stops them in their tracks - amazing magic pills. The difficulty is knowing when a normal headache is going to become migraine as you can't take too many of these tabs per month. They will be less bad for you than cocodamol I'm sure.
If you keep a diary and see if there is a pattern to them perhpas the Sumatriptan might help. I can usually tell with mine as they start to come on in the night - the needling slight headache that wakes me and makes me restless. Perhaps you might be able to, if they are migraines.
If you get another one or more and there is no hormonal pattern do consult your doc just to make sure all is well.
What are your periods doing in terms of frequency?
Hope this helps :)
Hurdity x
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I don't think I've ever had one to be honest (that I know of anyway!!). I get a lot of headaches, usually for a few weeks at a time then nothing for a month or more then they come back for a few more weeks etc.
I'm still peri so no HRT or other medications. I've felt truely terrible this month inparticular though and it feels hormonal so something is definately going on with me!
I started to get migraines for the first time before I was even peri-menopausal - it was the couple of years leading up to peri. I had no idea they were migraines until about 5 years ago as I had never had them before - I just thought they were horrible 3 day headaches. Mine used to come on just before my period. The symptoms were feeling sick, light and sound aversion/sensitivity,extreme fatigue, carb cravings, horrible foggy head, light-headed. Face numbness sometimes and then eventually it would be that my whole skull was sensitive so I couldn't sleep very well unless lying on my back because of the pressure! They would wake me in the night - a constant needling headache.
I put up with them for well over 10 years - and then this year someone told me about Sumatriptan which stops them in their tracks - amazing magic pills. The difficulty is knowing when a normal headache is going to become migraine as you can't take too many of these tabs per month. They will be less bad for you than cocodamol I'm sure.
If you keep a diary and see if there is a pattern to them perhpas the Sumatriptan might help. I can usually tell with mine as they start to come on in the night - the needling slight headache that wakes me and makes me restless. Perhaps you might be able to, if they are migraines.
If you get another one or more and there is no hormonal pattern do consult your doc just to make sure all is well.
What are your periods doing in terms of frequency?
Hope this helps :)
Hurdity x
My periods are fairly regular, although last month I was a week late but otherwise they're usually more or less on time. And your symptoms sound very similar to how I feel, today I've been very sensitive to how bright it's been and still feeling sicky too.
I will definitely keep a diary from now on, thank you for your reply x
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Hey ladies, I didn't want to start a new post as it's still related to this one, but was just wondering if anyone takes anything for nausea, feel so so sick today 🤢, it starts the minute I wake up and is there more or less all day. Less headaches today but still the sickness persists. Not sure now if it's my anxiety causing it or hormonal stuff or even something else. My heads spinning!!
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Don't worry KAH. Nausea is very common and yes, it's hormonal. I get it a lot. Reminds me of the nausea I had in pregnancy. I have found taking an anti histamine tablet works for me. Give it a try.
I do think what you experienced was a migraine. I get them similar to how Hurdity described. I used to think they were sinus headaches until I read up more on here. I get them before my period.
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Don't worry KAH. Nausea is very common and yes, it's hormonal. I get it a lot. Reminds me of the nausea I had in pregnancy. I have found taking an anti histamine tablet works for me. Give it a try.
I do think what you experienced was a migraine. I get them similar to how Hurdity described. I used to think they were sinus headaches until I read up more on here. I get them before my period.
That's exactly what its like, morning sickness that stays all day!
I too have been putting them down to sinuses, I'll have a read up I think so I'm a bit more informed. Thanks very much x
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There is loads about hormonal migraines on here. Put it in search box. We used to have a member called Elizabethrose who gave excellent info on migraines. See if you can find them. It was reading on here that made me realise mine were hormonal migraines.
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There is loads about hormonal migraines on here. Put it in search box. We used to have a member called Elizabethrose who gave excellent info on migraines. See if you can find them. It was reading on here that made me realise mine were hormonal migraines.
Thank you, will do. Did your migraines last a fair few days? I very rarely have a headache that doesn't last at least a few days ☹️
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KAH, Elizabethrose was very knowledgeable on all things migraine so it is well worth reading her posts. I'm afraid they can go on for 72 hours or more.
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KAH, Elizabethrose was very knowledgeable on all things migraine so it is well worth reading her posts. I'm afraid they can go on for 72 hours or more.
I'll have a read this evening. Thank you xx
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There is loads about hormonal migraines on here. Put it in search box. We used to have a member called Elizabethrose who gave excellent info on migraines. See if you can find them. It was reading on here that made me realise mine were hormonal migraines.
Thank you, will do. Did your migraines last a fair few days? I very rarely have a headache that doesn't last at least a few days ☹️
Yes they last about 3 days.