Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: KarineT on June 17, 2021, 12:49:05 PM
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Hello,
Has any of you ever felt overwhelmed with the horrible feeling that things are going to get out of control? Do you feel scared, insecure and low at the same time?
I used to also ecperience these feelings when I was still having my periods but I think the menopause is exacerbating everything.
What's your experience?
Thanks
Karine
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Yes I’m like that right now. I’m scared of everything even though there is nothing to be scared of. I’m in a state of panic which comes and goes, bag of nerves. Peri is awful. Trying to get the HRT in and right is a constant battle? Are you taking HRT?
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Hi Floo36,
Thanks for your reply.
I don't think I'm still peri as I haven't had a period for 16 months now.
I used to have similar experiences during my reproductive years but I think the menopayuse is making things worse. Sometimes I get the impression I'm going crazy. I can only imagine that all this is due to low oestrogen rather than fluctuation. In postmeno, I don't think hormones fluctuate that mucb, if at all.
I'm not on HRT.
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Fairly similar and, coupled with insomnia, my worst symptoms. I know you don't want to take hrt but I would urge ypu to reconsider. It obviously depends how bad you are but quality of life is important. If you're bad enough you need anti anxiety meds you could be better on hrt.
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Although the hormonal fluctuations of peri change once you are post meno the continuing loss of oestrogen makes symptoms such as anxiety, panic and low mood increase in lots of women. Why not give HRT a try? Youve been feeling unlike yourself for a while now and quality of life is so important. If it doesn't help you can always stop using it but you may find it makes you feel much better. You are young and need to be enjoying life.
Taz x :hug:
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Thanks everyone for your reples.
I will never undrstand why a single hormone such as oestrogen has the capacity to cause so much trouble. I am hopjng that the anxiety & low mood will not last forever. Why shouldn't things settle eventually? I know a lady who reached the menopause at 51. She told me that, at the age of 55, she no longer has emotional/psychological symptoms. Physical symptoms such as VA might be permanent but I don't think emotional ones are.
Mine at mild to moderate but they seem to be persistent and at times they make me feel orried, strange and isolated. I cannot see a change in intensity though. It might be because my oestrogen has not yet reached its lowest level. I did a blood test in February this year and it was 586 pmol. It's bound to go down even more. I think the lowest in postmeno is around 100pmol. I'm hoping that it will resolve and that I won't need HRT after all.
The problem with the menopause is that it's very uncertain and we don't know what will happen until we get there.
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*worried
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Other 'single item' deficiencies are just as bad. Look how bad you can be with B12, D or iron deficiencies (plus many others, these are just the more common ones). Your body never gets used to other deficiencies so I'm not sure why it should get used to oestrogen deficiency. I would hate for you to look back in 10 years time, still feeling awful, and wish you'd spent the time living your best life. I come from a different perspective as I felt so bad life was hardly worth living but I just don't see the point in suffering when you don't have to.
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Shella99, what you're saying makes sense but I know a few postmenopausal ladies who are doing well. Maybe not everyone is affected. Also, during puberty, it might have been difficult at first but things eventually settled down. Why should it be different with the menopause?
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Karine, you may find the post menopause ladies never suffered badly with anxiety. I’ve got friends who sailed through peri and menopause but if you suffer from anxiety in general then rather than ADs, HRT might be a much better option. I wish I’d taken it but it was the height of the breast cancer scare so I opted not to. Anxiety has been my nemesis and continues to be well past post meno. You have nothing to lose by trying.
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Postmeno for most, as well and truly evidenced here, is not much fun. There may be ladies who claim to be okay, but I think there's quite a serious risk of that mental state becoming a "new normal" and subsequently going without the recognition or awareness that a better, more consistent normal is indeed possible; as sheila99 says "living your best life"? It's, of course, your choice and everyone here is trying to respect that whilst encouraging you to ask yourself, "What have I got to lose?"
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Hello KarineT.
I too know women who have not used HRT and are fine in post meno. I met up with a friend last week who was amazed that I am still struggling emotionally and said that for her she reached a point where she didn't panic about things because she no longer cared. Another friend has urinary problems, an ovarian cyst, several fibroids and now a prolapse but can cope and has never experienced anxiety and low mood. I have other friends and neighbours who have different stories and have never used HRT. Perhaps it comes down to an individual's symptoms and their lifestyle.
I understand what you are saying about our bodies adapting to low oestrogen in time. My GP told me that crying spells resolve eventually and my trusty meno book states that all emotional symptoms fade away by your mid sixties.
Perhaps decide to give yourself regular reviews, say every three months, and keep a record of how you are feeling. If you detect an improvement you can expect that to continue but if things become worse you can give yourself permission to chat to your GP.
I am sure you would like to hear that say, eighteen months after your last period everything settles down and returns to normal and that may infact be the experience of some women but there is no way of knowing if that will happen to you. The best you can do is hope that you feel better soon and keep an open mind about treatments.
Take care.
K.
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Thanks everyone for your input & support. I make a note when i get these symptoms so I will be able to see if there is an improvement or not. If it gets worst of course I will try HRT.
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Hi Karine. Can I ask why you are waiting until it gets worse before you try HRT? You sound as if you are quite low already? I know I felt that using HRT would be like giving in somehow but it's not a mind-over-matter thing. Some women need it in order to continue enjoying life and some don't.
Taz x :hug:
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Hi Taz2,
There is a lady from A Vogel, a naural supplements company, who specialises in menopause. According to her, hormones continue to change after the last period but the maximum for meno symptoms to persist after that is 4 to 5 years in most women. If symptoms continue past this they are often caused by a health problems mimicking the menopause. I can see that on this forum some of you already have problems with their thyroid or have other health issues. I had a full thyroid function and everything is fine. Before I consider HRT I want to see whether this lady is correct and if she is my symptoms will wane and disappear. As for HRT, the best way around it is to go to a private menopause clinic as there is a lot of choice available but not everyone can afford it. The NHS only has one type of progestin, i.e. Utrogestan and I know that some of you have issues with this. So if you can't go privately and can't tolerate Utrogestan what do you do?
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Hi Karine,
The NHS only has one type of progestin, i.e. Utrogestan
There are actually several forms of progesterone/progestogens available on the NHS & I have had all of them prescribed this way over the years. These include Utrogestan as you say, Dydrogesterone, MPA/Provera, Levonorgestrel & Norethisterone. Utrogestan capsules, Norethisterone tablets & MPA tablets can be used with separate oestrogen patches, gel or Lenzetto spray, at various doses. As far as I know, Dydrogesterone is currently only available in the UK as part of a combined oral HRT product in the Femoston range, Levonorgestrel is in Mirena IUD & FemSeven combined patches (sequi & conti - the former type still off the market I believe). As well as the oral form of Norethisterone this progestogen is incorporated in Evorel combined patches (sequi & conti).
I remember us chatting about this before on an earlier thread but it was quicker to post the info again than search for that. :)
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Hello,
Has any of you ever felt overwhelmed with the horrible feeling that things are going to get out of control? Do you feel scared, insecure and low at the same time?
I used to also ecperience these feelings when I was still having my periods but I think the menopause is exacerbating everything.
What's your experience?
Thanks
Karine
Yes, I can identify.
It's due to hormone changes, some women muddle through and others choose hrt.
Oestrogen and Progesterone fluctuate prior to menopause in the peri-menopause period which can last varying times for different women.
Some women expect it, knowing it is due to meno, like my sister did I think and come out the other end.
Sometimes I wish I had just gone through meno with out hrt as it's interacting with my other med, I now have fibroids, yet other women on here swear by it.
Sending hugs.
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Yes I’m like that right now. I’m scared of everything even though there is nothing to be scared of. I’m in a state of panic which comes and goes, bag of nerves. Peri is awful. Trying to get the HRT in and right is a constant battle? Are you taking HRT?
Big hugs to you, I hope things settle down asap for you.
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Hi Floo36,
Thanks for your reply.
I don't think I'm still peri as I haven't had a period for 16 months now.
I used to have similar experiences during my reproductive years but I think the menopayuse is making things worse. Sometimes I get the impression I'm going crazy. I can only imagine that all this is due to low oestrogen rather than fluctuation. In postmeno, I don't think hormones fluctuate that mucb, if at all.
I'm not on HRT.
I'm no expert but the two female hormones oestrogen and progesterone are the main ones.
As progesterone is a kind of sedating hormone and doctors say it opposes oestrogen I would assume oestrogen is an exitatory hormone but I may be mistaken.
There are wonderful herbs out there, I swear by valerian, It can take 2 weeks to a month to kick in but it does work if you give it time. You need to. have breaks from it.
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Fairly similar and, coupled with insomnia, my worst symptoms. I know you don't want to take hrt but I would urge ypu to reconsider. It obviously depends how bad you are but quality of life is important. If you're bad enough you need anti anxiety meds you could be better on hrt.
Personally I would rather research and try herbal meds than pharmaceutical psychotropics as they can be toxic and have withdrawals. My valerian has helped with the morning dreads, but you do need breaks as it can stop working. That's my experience anyway, I take 500mg twice a day, I just came off a break from it a week or so ago, I was taking 500mg once a day, but the container says I can take it twice.
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Although the hormonal fluctuations of peri change once you are post meno the continuing loss of oestrogen makes symptoms such as anxiety, panic and low mood increase in lots of women. Why not give HRT a try? Youve been feeling unlike yourself for a while now and quality of life is so important. If it doesn't help you can always stop using it but you may find it makes you feel much better. You are young and need to be enjoying life.
Taz x :hug:
Hi Taz
I am finding that it might be my oestrogen that is causing worse panic.
I used to need 100mcg but flushes reduced and as bleeding started I had two reductions without anxiety, slight more sweats but no biggie.
I thought it was the progesterone that was the sedating hormone and oestrogen the exitatory one, changing from gel to patch (Same dose 50mcg) seems to have upped my anxiety and ive dreaded getting out of bed this last few days, considering seeing doc to reduce to 25mcg patch or even cut my 50 in half. I won't do anything until I know better though.
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Thanks everyone for your reples.
I will never undrstand why a single hormone such as oestrogen has the capacity to cause so much trouble. I am hopjng that the anxiety & low mood will not last forever. Why shouldn't things settle eventually? I know a lady who reached the menopause at 51. She told me that, at the age of 55, she no longer has emotional/psychological symptoms. Physical symptoms such as VA might be permanent but I don't think emotional ones are.
Mine at mild to moderate but they seem to be persistent and at times they make me feel orried, strange and isolated. I cannot see a change in intensity though. It might be because my oestrogen has not yet reached its lowest level. I did a blood test in February this year and it was 586 pmol. It's bound to go down even more. I think the lowest in postmeno is around 100pmol. I'm hoping that it will resolve and that I won't need HRT after all.
The problem with the menopause is that it's very uncertain and we don't know what will happen until we get there.
Yes, we are all different. maybe it is different diets, different ethnicities, I don't know.
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Hello again Karine T.
I watched one of the Vogel YouTube videos recently and one commentator asked about the presenter's qualifications. She posted a reply but I must say that I wasn't particularly impressed with what she had to say. Perhaps if you look on the site you will be able to find the comments and see for yourself.
Over the years I have been given many assurances by medics about how long my menopause will last but no one can predict the future. I would like to believe that the emotional symptoms disappear by the time we reach our mid sixties because at sixty four I could do with a break from my mood swings lol! Only time will tell.
We have an alternatives section here on the forum and I am sure other ladies would be interested to follow your progress if you want to dedicate yourself to the herbal route etc.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Take care.
K.
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I do have a fibroid but it's not affecting me. I thought that fibtoids were supposed to shrink in menopause.
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Hi Kathleen,
Eileen Durward from A.Vogel has several videos so I will have to look. So someone was commenting on her qualifications? What sort of qualifications one must have to discuss menopause issues?
Do you think she's not right when she claims that we might have health issues with symptoms similar to the ones we get in the menopause but blame the menopause for them?
Karine
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Hello again KarineT
I think someone in the comments section asked if she was a doctor and another poster just wanted her to clarify her qualifications. She replied saying that she isn't a doctor but has worked in the supplements industry for many years. She could easily just be a Vogel employee who is the right age and is personable on screen so she got the job.
To be cynical, her task is to sell Vogel products by associating them with successful treatment of the menopause, it's how all advertising works.
Of course anyone can say anything about the menopause and claim to be an expert, women on this forum regularly state how wrong their doctor's have been and they ARE doctors lol.
I understand how desperate you are to feel better, I am just the same which is why I hope my book's prediction of emotional symptoms fading soon will be true however I have been on this journey long enough to know that things don't always happen the way you would like them to and a plan B or C can be very useful.
Wishing you well and I hope that you feel better soon.
Take care.
K.
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Thanks Kathleen for your input. I guess I have to take it as it comes and hope for the best. And of course, I will do everything in my power to make sure this whole situation doesn't ruin the rest of my life. I can't tell for sure but I think I still have a fair way to go at almost 51. Do you know if there is an age limit to ask for HRT for the first time on the NHS?
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Hello again KarineT
Many ladies have asked the question about an NHS age limit on HRT. I think the answer is that there is no longer and age limit thanks to the NICE guidelines. You may want to do a search on the forum to learn more.
In my own case I went on HRT at age 57 and apart from a break in 2019/2020 I have been on it ever since. Ideally I would prefer to be on the lowest dose possible but the main thing is to find the right dose to control the symptoms.
The average age for the menopause is 51 so you should not have any problems being offered HRT if you decide that you want to try it.
Take care.
K.
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But I would have to say that I have terrible hot flushes & that I can't sleep at night because if I say low mood and anxiety are the symptoms I want to control they will give me ADs & anxiety tablets instead of HRT, which I don't want.
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But I would have to say that I have terrible hot flushes & that I can't sleep at night because if I say low mood and anxiety are the symptoms I want to control they will give me ADs & anxiety tablets instead of HRT, which I don't want.
You have the right to refuse antidepressants and psych meds.
I would just tell the doctor what your symptoms are.
There is no age limit to HRT.
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Thanks Dandelion as well for your input and advice.
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Kathleen, I do hope that my emotional state will resolve well before my mid-sixties because I am 50 and I can't imagine being in this state of mind for another 15 years
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Why not consider HRT? We are so lucky that we have a way to try to help with symptoms and continue to enjoy our lives. It doesn't work for everyone but it's worth a try. Why spend years hoping that you will eventually feel better? If after a three month trial it hasn't worked then you can stop it and look for alternatives. I felt dreadful for two years before starting HRT and then was really annoyed with myself for putting off what I thought of as 'giving in' for all that time.
Taz x :hug: