Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: marge on October 24, 2025, 04:57:38 PM
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It seems that many of us suffer with anxiety especially in the mornings. I’m just wondering how your anxiety manifests itself and what we are all worried about.
For me it’s either health; scan of the body to see which life threatening illness l’ve woken up with or the dread of receiving bad news about a family member.
It usually passes when l’m up and about and still functioning and both my children and grandchild are all ok (as l haven’t heard otherwise).
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I can totally relate to this-I’m the exact same-worry myself sick that a new symptom is a serious health issue or think I’m going to get bad news about my children and there health (even though they are both healthy).
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Cortisol used to wake me any time from 3.00 a.m., a sudden surge of fear. I would get out of bed immediately, get dressed and go down to sit on the settee; for hours :'(
I've had panic attacks since aged 3. These have continued in various forms and for many reasons. I've had talking therapy and medication the latter with success. Nothing in particular sets it off other than my body being hungry = naueasa.
When issues are niggling I simply don't get off to sleep :-\
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Mines usually health anxiety, any minor symptom, ache or pain and it esculates in my head to something serious. I do cope with General Anxiety now a lot better.
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My anxiety all relates to work. I haven't enjoyed my stressful job for a long time but I'm terrified of losing the financial security of a career I've been in for nearly 20 years. Perimenopause symptoms are bad just now and make everything seem worse. Up until the last few years, I was so relaxed about life and never really anxious. Now it's a struggle to do anything and I'm desperate to get rid of his feeling.
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Nmb, I was like that for years and it started a long time before the menopause. In a previous life, I worked in a large international law firm in London and they deliberately created a culture where everyone constantly felt like they could lose their job at any moment for the slightest misdemeanor. People were heavily penalised for taking too much sick leave too but fortunately I rarely took more than 5 sick days each year. Somebody was diagnosed with MS and was constantly hounded with telephone calls at home checking up on them before finally being signed off on the firm's permanent health insurance scheme. It was outrageous. Like everyone else I had a mortgage to pay and my partner earned less than me without the generous benefits package so I knew that if I lost my job, we would be in deep financial trouble. I lived with this dreadful fear and anxiety for years and then I realised I had two choices, get out or go mad so I got out. It was extremely difficult and took years of planning to finally pull it off but I know how it feels to have sleepless nights because you think you might have made a mistake that could lead to losing your job and the Sunday night dreads particularly in the winter months. I suffer with seasonal affective disorder and hate long dark evenings which doesn't help. Friends were supportive but my parents were completely unsympathetic and no support whatsoever in fact they used to ridicule me. I needed to get away from them too!
Just before I got out 25 years ago, I started having panic attacks on the train to and from work and felt like I couldn't breath and worried that I might throw up not that I ever did! Looking back I think this was the very beginnings of the peri menopause but it was also a result of too many years of being in a bad and deeply insecure environment.
I hope knowing you are not alone with these feelings might help. I hope you can find a way through.
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Hello ladies.
My anxiety is always about my mental health as mood swings became a daily occurrence in post menopause. I hadn't had any such problems before and thought of myself as a reasonable and level headed person.
I have also experienced a whole range of physical symptoms which have come and gone but I never worried that I had a serious physical illness.
I am not on HRT and my remaining physical symptoms are manageable but my moods/emotions are still very changeable.I was recently diagnosed with iron deficiency and prescribed iron tablets for three months. I did a bit of research and apparently low iron can also cause mood swings so perhaps I will see can improvement as my iron levels rise, I will certainly update the forum if that is the case.
Wishing you well ladies and take care.
K.
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Oh gosh mine is definitely health, it started when I was 41 when my mum died of colon cancer, I had lived in happy oblivion that there was no cancer in the family right up to that point, after that perimenopause started within a few years I was an anxious mess, panicking about every ache and pain. Horrible! I also hadn’t really clocked how ill you can make yourself by worrying constantly. Over time I’ve learnt to not jump immediately to the worst case scenario and forums like this and nomorepanic have helped hugely.
I’ve also had the endless worry about family too, glad I’m not alone.
Not surprised anxiety is such a problem in menopause really as so many weird symptoms get thrown at us it’s hard to remain calm sometimes.
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I was told from an early age the if I felt 2 ill to go 2 school I wouldn't be allowed to 'go out' that evening. When I was anxious I was told that 'once U have said 'yes' 2 something, U will be letting people down if you cancel' :-\.
So there's a certain amount of old habits internally, anxiety = panic which means that I can't do what is planned. Spontaneously is better, mostly.
And what if I am ill :-\ :'( .......... it would ruin everything!
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I do have cancer and whilst not anxious about dying, I am terrified of leaving my young adult children, partner and parents. I should see a cancer psych psychiatrist really, but I’m
WAY too angry to even do anything about it.
Yeah, that’s what my anxiety revolves around.
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Nmb, I was like that for years and it started a long time before the menopause. In a previous life, I worked in a large international law firm in London and they deliberately created a culture where everyone constantly felt like they could lose their job at any moment for the slightest misdemeanor. People were heavily penalised for taking too much sick leave too but fortunately I rarely took more than 5 sick days each year. Somebody was diagnosed with MS and was constantly hounded with telephone calls at home checking up on them before finally being signed off on the firm's permanent health insurance scheme. It was outrageous. Like everyone else I had a mortgage to pay and my partner earned less than me without the generous benefits package so I knew that if I lost my job, we would be in deep financial trouble. I lived with this dreadful fear and anxiety for years and then I realised I had two choices, get out or go mad so I got out. It was extremely difficult and took years of planning to finally pull it off but I know how it feels to have sleepless nights because you think you might have made a mistake that could lead to losing your job and the Sunday night dreads particularly in the winter months. I suffer with seasonal affective disorder and hate long dark evenings which doesn't help. Friends were supportive but my parents were completely unsympathetic and no support whatsoever in fact they used to ridicule me. I needed to get away from them too!
Just before I got out 25 years ago, I started having panic attacks on the train to and from work and felt like I couldn't breath and worried that I might throw up not that I ever did! Looking back I think this was the very beginnings of the peri menopause but it was also a result of too many years of being in a bad and deeply insecure environment.
I hope knowing you are not alone with these feelings might help. I hope you can find a way through.
It certainly does help to know of others who have experienced similar issues feelings. It also helps to know that others are able to take the leap and escape. Rational me would tell anyone else exactly what to do but it's not so different when you're trying to do it yourself.
Thanks for sharing ❤️
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Nmb, I was like that for years and it started a long time before the menopause. In a previous life, I worked in a large international law firm in London and they deliberately created a culture where everyone constantly felt like they could lose their job at any moment for the slightest misdemeanor. People were heavily penalised for taking too much sick leave too but fortunately I rarely took more than 5 sick days each year. Somebody was diagnosed with MS and was constantly hounded with telephone calls at home checking up on them before finally being signed off on the firm's permanent health insurance scheme. It was outrageous. Like everyone else I had a mortgage to pay and my partner earned less than me without the generous benefits package so I knew that if I lost my job, we would be in deep financial trouble. I lived with this dreadful fear and anxiety for years and then I realised I had two choices, get out or go mad so I got out. It was extremely difficult and took years of planning to finally pull it off but I know how it feels to have sleepless nights because you think you might have made a mistake that could lead to losing your job and the Sunday night dreads particularly in the winter months. I suffer with seasonal affective disorder and hate long dark evenings which doesn't help. Friends were supportive but my parents were completely unsympathetic and no support whatsoever in fact they used to ridicule me. I needed to get away from them too!
Just before I got out 25 years ago, I started having panic attacks on the train to and from work and felt like I couldn't breath and worried that I might throw up not that I ever did! Looking back I think this was the very beginnings of the peri menopause but it was also a result of too many years of being in a bad and deeply insecure environment.
I hope knowing you are not alone with these feelings might help. I hope you can find a way through.
It certainly does help to know of others who have experienced similar issues feelings. It also helps to know that others are able to take the leap and escape. Rational me would tell anyone else exactly what to do but it's not so different when you're trying to do it yourself.
Thanks for sharing ❤️
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These days the whole lot. It sometimes feels like we are all characters in an Agatha Christie drama waiting to be picked off one by one. Either by illness, accident or whatever. The world news closes in like a crushing room getting smaller and smaller, whilst the ongoing aches and pains get ever bigger and bigger in our heads making the thoughts flit about like darting birds of cruelty and viciousness. And life all around us keeps ticking the hours ticketty blooming tock. Small crumbs of relief are to be grasped like life rafts in this whole maelstrom of uncertainty and confusion.
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I am anxious about anything to do with my health because I have a unhealthy fear of dying. Take the events of today....
My doctors' surgery phones to say the doctor would like a telephone appointment next week to discuss my recent blood test results (blood test was this Monday gone). I said to the receptionist that I was actually about to pop into them to get a print our of my results and her response was that they would not give out any results until the doctor had had a chance to talk to me about them. Let's forget for the moment that this is my body and my results which they are denying me access to. So, naturally, being overly anxious about dying, I am now in a spiral as to what could possibly be wrong.
Add into the mix that the blood test on Monday only happened because I requested from my doctor some higher strength iron tablets through the online system three weeks ago because out of the blue the colorectal surgeon that did my colonoscopy announced to me before he stuck the colonoscope into the abyss that I was anaemic, and the hospital said they couldn't prescribe any but that needed to go back to my doctor. This was a complete shock to me as I have had 5 blood tests over the past two years and not one doctor has ever flagged that I was anaemic (again! My ferritin level shrunk to 8 back in 2016). You don't just become anaemic overnight! The doctor's response to my request was that I would have to have another blood test done before they prescribed any iron pills (despite them having ordered the original blood test & FIT mid-August that left me on the path to the colonoscopy and capsule endoscopy), and this blood test was presumably what the colorectal surgeon was referring to when he said I was anaemic. I have since had a letter from the hospital to explain they were looking for the cause of 'persistent normacytic anaemia'. I ended up taking 14mg iron tablets from Boots in the meantime as I don't want to end up where I was back in 2016 when I ended up extremely ill.
So now I am left panicking tonight, as the doctors won't give me a print out of my results and there is no appointment to speak to a doctor before next Tuesday. My cholesterol has also been an issue in the past couple of years but has seen a steady drop so I'm pretty sure this is not the problem (also, because yesterday I got a text message from the surgery off the back of Monday's blood test that said 'you would benefit from lowering your cholesterol'). So now, I'm so anxious I don't feel I can eat anything.
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Why do any patients think that they are entitled to see any results until these have been discussed? I would no more think to access mine than fly to the moon, because in the main, blood test results in particular are difficult to analyse.
GPs can charge a patient if they access results at times other than when discussing them.
Did the Colorectal Surgeon suggest to your GP that you should be prescribed higher strength tablets, that would be my first concern. That something was told to me 'over the bed' but not acted upon, i.e. not being told that he/she would write to the GP about the findings. This mayB something to bring up at your appt.. Often in the heat of the moment patients won't think to ask, it's the brain whirring that makes a person worry.
Fear of dying is normal 4 many. I fear being left in pain ........ regardless of what hospice workers suggest people are not always treated symptomatically but 'U can't have any more for 4 hours'-type suggestions. Instead of being treated as is ......... some people fear being interned ........ this not unusual.
Fear/phobias can take over completely, mine was day and night when I would dream about it ......... I avoided situations where 'it' might happen in front of me :-\
If the results showed anything untoward you wouldn't be waiting until Tuesday, some1 would have been on the 'phone to you with advice. As for taking OTC extra iron ..... will U B telling your GP at your appt.? As for lowering your cholesterol, DH and I were prescribed statins to be certain that we remain well. MayB make a list of queries to take to the appt.? And let us know how you get on.
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Your entitled to see your blood test results under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, the only exception to this is if the doctor believes it would cause serious physical or mental harm to the patient. It's causing me more not to be able to see the results. You're also able to make a SAR to obtain anything held on your medical records, however, this ties people up with weeks upon weeks of paperwork which is not helpful for a NHS already going under.
The surgery had no problem with issuing me with pages of my previous blood test results at the start of this year.
I asked the colorectal surgeon if I could have some of the iron tablets previously issued to me back in 2016 when I last had anaemia and he said that the GP would have to prescribe them. The same GP who hasn't mentioned anaemia, even when he phoned me following the mid-August blood test. I have no confidence in him at the moment because of this. Back in 2016 and the prior years nobody mentioned me having anaemia, until my ferritin level hit 8 and I felt like I was seriously ill. It shouldn't come to this, surely.
I will be telling the doctor about the OTC iron and also explaining why, my lack of confidence given this was only mentioned again by the surgeon and the fact that I have had to request these blood tests as opposed to the doctor suggesting they need to be done (my doctors are funny - you phone the receptionist and say you'd like your cholesterol, for example, checked and they go away ask the doctor and then you get a text message to say the doctor has agreed or declined). My total cholesterol had dropped from 5.33 in Dec 2023 to 4.5 in Feb 2025 and I was told by the wellbeing clinician to 'keep doing whatever you are doing' as it was coming down. I have changed my diet a bit since though, so wanted to check that it hadn't adversely affected my cholesterol.
I will keep you posted.
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When will medics being listening to patients :-\, they cannot blame 'restrictions' on time with each person as the GPs could make a double appt.. Fortunately I have never felt rushed when seeing our GP or Nurses ...... and thus far the on-line triage form works well.
I don't agree with patients having access to medical records .......... of course I would expect to be seen when the results were back to discuss with the GP at which time I could address any worries. Also our receptionists don't go away 'to ask' as the triage system is seen by a GP and 2 nurses and advice given: either over the phone or a Face2face appt. within 2 weeks unless urgent.
I think that your cholesterol may well be 'within normal limits' though the levels were dropped a few years ago. DH tried the diet way, I opted immediately for medication. I get an annual blood test to check liver function, he doesn't ::) . So there's no consistency there either.
Personally I believe that because records are now held on computer, it is easy for medics not to think 2 scroll through as they would have with paper reports. To check any relevant history. Let us know how you get on!
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Your entitled to see your blood test results under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, the only exception to this is if the doctor believes it would cause serious physical or mental harm to the patient. It's causing me more not to be able to see the results. You're also able to make a SAR to obtain anything held on your medical records, however, this ties people up with weeks upon weeks of paperwork which is not helpful for a NHS already going under.
The surgery had no problem with issuing me with pages of my previous blood test results at the start of this year.
I asked the colorectal surgeon if I could have some of the iron tablets previously issued to me back in 2016 when I last had anaemia and he said that the GP would have to prescribe them. The same GP who hasn't mentioned anaemia, even when he phoned me following the mid-August blood test. I have no confidence in him at the moment because of this. Back in 2016 and the prior years nobody mentioned me having anaemia, until my ferritin level hit 8 and I felt like I was seriously ill. It shouldn't come to this, surely.
I will be telling the doctor about the OTC iron and also explaining why, my lack of confidence given this was only mentioned again by the surgeon and the fact that I have had to request these blood tests as opposed to the doctor suggesting they need to be done (my doctors are funny - you phone the receptionist and say you'd like your cholesterol, for example, checked and they go away ask the doctor and then you get a text message to say the doctor has agreed or declined). My total cholesterol had dropped from 5.33 in Dec 2023 to 4.5 in Feb 2025 and I was told by the wellbeing clinician to 'keep doing whatever you are doing' as it was coming down. I have changed my diet a bit since though, so wanted to check that it hadn't adversely affected my cholesterol.
I will keep you posted.
Having had a colonoscopy & seen a colorectal surgeon have you been offered a hospital App.
I sign up to the our hospital care app after my recent hysteroscopy. All test results and letters are now coming through on it. Even a letter I never saw from a gynaecologist seen over a year ago. He’d reassured me verbally anyway.
A recent 3month blood test done at my surgery for checking initial statin use came through the other day too.
Shows levels of what the test was for.
I’m not one for using Apps but am pleased with this one as it cuts out asking the GP for results.
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Following the clear colonoscopy, I was then referred for a capsule endoscopy which I have had but am waiting on results for (it takes a long time to stitch the photos together and then for a consultant to review them....that's a lot footage!).
CLKD - I also think the online system makes it easier for things to be missed in scrolling, I wonder if they could not introduce a traffic light system banding on their communications (red flag next to title = needs to be looked at urgently, orange = needs a conversation non-urgently, green = fine)? It troubles me that when speaking to the doctors (and I did this last week), they can't seem to see/locate what the hospital said in mid-September on my file.
I guess we will see what happens next Tuesday and until then I will try and keep on top of my anxiety. Thanks all for your help, I shall keep you posted.
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Hello ladies.
Rabbit - I am sorry that you are in this position and I sympathise as I have recently had fun and games with my GP surgery regarding low iron.
I have six monthly blood tests due to a diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis ( which thankfully is in remission) and my results are available online with the MyChart App. It was here that I noticed that although my Ferritin was considered within the normal range it was now low enough to be classified as iron deficiency. I looked back at previous Ferritin results and noted that they had been falling for the past two years. I messaged my surgery via the App AskMyGp and someone called Jake replied ( no indication of who he is or what his role is at the surgery) saying that a prescription for three months worth of Ferrous Fumarate would be ready for me to collect from Boots later that day. If I hadn't queried my blood test results I suppose I would continue to be experiencing falling Ferritin levels until they eventually fell below 10 ug/L which is the lowest number in the normal range. Presumably this would have come to light at my next scheduled blood test in March of next year. I feel pretty rubbish atm and I dread to think how much worse I would be feeling by then.
I have decided to keep a much closer eye on my blood test results from now on and I am even considering having some tests done privately in the future. I understand that some pharmacies offer testing and I would think about asking for things like B12,and Vit D as well as Ferritin.
I am sorry that I can't be more helpful and I hope you get this resolved soon.
Wishing you well and sending hugs.
K.
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I was told from an early age the if I felt 2 ill to go 2 school I wouldn't be allowed to 'go out' that evening. When I was anxious I was told that 'once U have said 'yes' 2 something, U will be letting people down if you cancel' :-\.
So there's a certain amount of old habits internally, anxiety = panic which means that I can't do what is planned. Spontaneously is better, mostly.
And what if I am ill :-\ :'( .......... it would ruin everything!
My parents had exactly the same rule about going out in the evening if we had been off school! No cubs, brownies etc..
I still can't drop that rule myself. I was at a social event recently when one person there said she had been off work sick but had felt ok to come to the evening event. I was quite shocked. I always felt it was my 'duty' to rest and be ok for work the next day.
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I do have cancer and whilst not anxious about dying, I am terrified of leaving my young adult children, partner and parents. I should see a cancer psych psychiatrist really, but I’m
WAY too angry to even do anything about it.
Yeah, that’s what my anxiety revolves around.
Nas, that is a very tough and terrifying thing to face, let alone the treatment path you have to go down and all that brings. :foryou: xx
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I do have cancer and whilst not anxious about dying, I am terrified of leaving my young adult children, partner and parents. I should see a cancer psych psychiatrist really, but I’m
WAY too angry to even do anything about it.
Yeah, that’s what my anxiety revolves around.
Nas, that is a very tough and terrifying thing to face, let alone the treatment path you have to go down and all that brings. :foryou: xx
I was going to say the same. I've just spent nine months supporting a friend with cancer and heard her anxiety. I tried my very best but I could no more put myself in her shoes than I can imagine yours. I hope you're getting better support and service from the NHS than she did.
Regarding blood test results, I can view mine on the NHS app. They're fairly clearly listed as normal, satisfactory etc and the normal parameters are there too. My GP surgery prints them off if I ask.
Regarding anxiety, mine too is mainly health related. Mine, my kids or grandkids but lately looking forwards too much and wondering what's in store. Ever since my husband left, I've woken with that sinking feeling in my stomach. I think it's become an automatic response now.
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So, my doctor phoned about the blood test results that I was not allowed to have until a doctor had spoken to me about them and..........there was a lab error meaning that the iron levels they were supposed to be testing for did not get tested. So I have to have a repeat blood test done.
And the receptionist couldn't have just told me that the week before rather than leaving me to worry?
Interestingly though, whilst going through the printed report of my blood tests, it shows I have CKD stage 2 which I have never been told about.
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So, my doctor phoned about the blood test results that I was not allowed to have until a doctor had spoken to me about them and..........there was a lab error meaning that the iron levels they were supposed to be testing for did not get tested. So I have to have a repeat blood test done.
And the receptionist couldn't have just told me that the week before rather than leaving me to worry?
Interestingly though, whilst going through the printed report of my blood tests, it shows I have CKD stage 2 which I have never been told about.
The receptionist wouldn't see your results or be told any information relating to them.