Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: KarineT on December 29, 2020, 09:10:50 PM
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Hi everyone,
I have just experienced a feeling of dread.
It started with a bit of anxiety, the for about 15 minutes I started shiverkng despite the fact that the heater's on. During the shivering I felt panicky. This is weird because I was feeling alright yesterday and most of today. This is a horrible feeling that makes me feel insecure every time it happens. I can't wait for this to go away and I hope that it eventually will.
If you have felt like this before it would be nice if you could share your experience.
Thanks
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Belle1, thanks for your reply. Have you experienced it before?
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What stage are you at in the menopause? I haven't had a period since January this year and it looks like I will be postmeno soon.
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I am not on HRT
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I used to get that feeling of dread then anxiety just before a hot flush/sweat hit caused by a sudden increase in adrenaline (apparently,) It could be that you are partway to getting them but not quite there yet. The shivering is an anxiety symptom so the feeling of dread maybe sets off anxiety which leads to the shivering feeling. You probably feel exhausted afterwards as the adrenaline drops again? Learn some breathing exercises to get you through the anxiety. There are lots of different techniques.
Taz x
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Hello Karine T
I'm sorry that you have had these horrible experiences. I often find that I feel better before a horrible surge, it all seems to be part of the hormonal roller-coaster unfortunately.
Wishing you well.
K.
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Yes. For instance I was feeling ok on Monday, apart from being spaced out. I had a bit of anxiety on and off on Tuesday but on Wednesday it was worse. Then there's the nausea, the uncertainty, the low mood and the negative thoughts that come along the way. For me, there's a high possibility that I'm now post meno. I don't know if age is relevant but I reached 50 in October 2020 and I haven't had a period since January 2020.
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If you are 12 months without periods then you are post-meno. Symptoms such as hot flushes, vaginal dryness, anxiety etc can begin to become a problem as your oestrogen levels continue to drop.
Taz x
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Kathleen and Taz2, thanks for your replies.
Taz2, I thought that the biggest drop in progesterone and oestrogen happens when a woman hits the menopause, i.e. when she has a last period, not 12 months later as the hormones should have started to adjust to a permanent low level and shouldn't carry on dropping in post meno. Well, I hope this is the case because I don't fancy another 5 to 10 years of this.
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Symptoms such as hot flushes can increase for up to two years following the last period. My neighbour of 78 hadn't has a period for 25 years and still has hot sweats every day. There is no way of knowing how each of us will be affected but HRT was the way forward for me although I never thought I'd need it!
My advice is not to think too far ahead in all of this but to see how your symptoms
develop now that you are entering post meno.
Taz x :hug:
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My neighbour of 78 hadn't has a period for 25 years and still has hot sweats every day.
Just what I wanted to hear - NOT!!!
>:(
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I get this too, makes me feel like I am going crazy. I get really hot sweats but also feel cold at the same time, comes on so randomly but every day I feel like this. Constantly feeling under the weather.
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My neighbour of 78 hadn't has a period for 25 years and still has hot sweats every day.
Just what I wanted to hear - NOT!!!
>:(
Sorry :'(. She just kept thinking they'd eventually stop so didn't try HRT. By the time she'd had enough at 65 she was unable to get HRT prescribed.
Taz x
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The strange thing with me is that I hardly get any hot flushes or night sweats. Only sometimes I will wake up during the night feeling a bit too warm but that's it.
On the other hand I get cold chills, horrible dizzy spells, anxious feelings and low mood, negative thinking joints/muscle aches, lethargy, tiredness. Not everyone gets hot flushes or the symptoms I have. Unfortunately, it's the luck of the draw Taz2, I'm surprised your neighbour is still suffering with hot flushes at 78. As for HRT, I believe it causes withdrawal bleeds and it's not meant to be taken forever. But I've always wondered what happens
when one stops taking it? Do the symptoms come back? Also are GPs willing to prescribe it indefinitely if one can't afford to go privately?
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Taz2, does this mean HRT is unsafe at 65?
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There seems to be reluctance to prescribe it for the first time at over 60 years of age. I think this is to do with stroke risk but I'm not certain. I'm still on it at 66 because I need it to keep my pelvic floor strong as I've had surgery for prolapses and lack of oestrogen is one of the causes of pelvic organ prolapse in some women. I also find the other benefits of HRT helpful.
If you are post meno then you can use a continuous HRT which, after the initial six months, shouldn't cause bleeding. The advice now is for HRT to be prescribed indefinitely. Low oestrogen causes the fatigue, muscle aches, lethargy and tiredness which is where HRT can help should you find that life gets miserable. Nowadays we understand the role much more in terms of our heart and bone health and also keeping the pelvic floor strong and functioning well. When you stop then symptoms may still be there but at least you will have had a break from them which is something my neighbour wishes she had done.
You may soon find yourself on an even keel though. Just see how you feel over the next few months. Make sure you've had the fatigue etc checked out though to make sure you are not lacking in iron or vitamin D and that your thyroid level is ok.
Taz x
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Thanks Taz2 for your reply.
Do you know if HRT causes side-effects? Why do some women experience withdrawal bleeding then? Is it caused by Utrogestan? Is there another progesterone that doesn't cause bleeding?
I'm definitely will get my thyroid checked because this can mimick menopause symptoms.
As for the emotional turmoil I'm going through at the moment, I used to have similar issues during my reproductive years but never like this.
Thanks
Karine
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As with most things HRT can cause side effects which usually settle over the first three months. Have you looked at the Treatments option at the top of the screen. Under Hormone Replacement Therapy it gives information you might find useful.
If you are post menopausal when you begin HRT you will not experience a withdrawal bleed because you will be on a continuous regime of oestrogen and progesterone. It is the stopping of the progesterone element in a sequential HRT which causes the withdrawal bleed each month. This is necessary if you are not post-menopausal in order to protect the lining of the womb from cancer. Some women get bleeding during the first six months of a continuous HRT and this is considered normal and should settle down.
It is worth reading up on it as much as possible so that you can make informed choices should you find the menopausal symptoms difficult to cope with. I never thought I would need HRT and soldiered on without for quite a while (a couple of years) before finally "giving in" and it was the best decision (for me and my family) that I made. Also I would not have been able to carry on my job efficiently for much longer while suffering the drenching sweats and lack of sleep let alone the anxiety and inability to make quick decisions.
Taz x
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Thanks Taz2 for the great advice. The ball is in my court now. But the menopause is terrible for every woman unless some of them have no symptoms. I heard that one can be symptomless in all 3 stages of the menopause and then, maybe 2 years later, the symptoms kick in. How strange?
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Yes been there done that. First time it happened called an ambulance. I had a power surge of adrenalin felt very peculiar and then had chest pain was shaking so cold could not get warm. Happened a few more times and i had a small episode of it recently 5 years on but knowing what it was it did not escalate into anything major. Actually been to er a few times with meno stuff when peri hit. I was on hrt for a few years gave me terrible migraines so i had to come off and the withdrawal from that was horrific as well. I tried five different types and they helped in some ways but then gave me awful new problems. And as i have had melanoma wanted to be med free. I think we just have to get through as best we can. There will be good days and really horrible days. It shocks me that some of us have such severe symptoms and others dont even know they have transitioned. Just wanted to say though you are not alone and not going crazy. So many weird and wonderful physical and mental symptoms are part of menopause. Thinking of you x
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Hi KarineT, I understand this is the 12th month since your last period? Unfortunately perimenopause is not the same as premenopause. Peri means around, so we still get some nasties after reaching menopause, but at least in my case they've been getting better with time. Hang in there and remember that knowledge is power, once you know things might get better, although this is a very personal experience, you can find coping mechanisms to ride out the storm. Good luck and keep us posted.
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Thanks Uptick for your reply.
Hopefully it won't last forever.
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Alua197, thanks as well. What stage are you at though? Have you started feeling better or is it the same? I don't seem to be getting too many physical symptoms apart from dizziness, chilling sensations, nausea and few aches & pains here and there. But it"s really the emotional side of things that's bothering me with the low mood and anxiety and also feeling weird, space out and uncomfortable in my head. Let's hope this will stop and that I will get back some kind of normality. I don't believe the menopause can turn someone into a permanent emotional wreck. Well, I hope not.