Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: toffeecushion on August 27, 2014, 08:26:52 AM
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I have started noting my anxiety to see if there is a patten to it. For about a week before my period my anxiety was through the roof and I was finding it very difficult to cope. Then after my period started for a while I felt so much better. I am now on day 9 of my cycle and the anxiety is back again.
Could this be hormones or am I just suffering with anxiety?
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HORMONES! how were you years ago? :bighug:
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I have suffered with anxiety for most of my life, was agoraphobic for many years, but got better and managed to live a fairly normal life. Really don't want to back there again, hoping it is hormones.
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Me too .......... how is your diet?
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My diet could be better. I keep meaning to look online to see what foods would be best to eat but never seem to have the time. Maybe I should take the time to make the change.
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CLkd does diet make a difference to anxiety ? If so what do you recommend ? X
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When I was mid-30s I had awful nausea 8-10 days before a period. NAPS recommended that I eat every 3 hours to keep blood sugar levels even. A sudden feeling of hunger can cause anxiety surges.
The idea is to spread the diet throughout 24 hours; even in the night. At the time my puppy needed to pee at 2.30 a.m.-ish, I would be outdoors feeding the hedgehog when she was sniffing around. We had a biscuit before going back to sleep ;)
As a stand by I use: dried fruits and nuts; Dextrose tablets; bananas; ginger biscuits or energy bars. Energy gels like professional cyclists use can help too. The idea is to eat before the body is hungry, therefore grazing made a huge difference to me.
It has to be done 24/7 so that the body doesn't get the chance to have a gap ;) - keeping a food/mood diary can help too.
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I suspect you'd be better off cutting out as much sugar as you can. Dried fruit, biscuits and energy bars are stuffed with it and have pretty dramatic effects on me, ie I become anxious, impatient, ratty, restless. Not much fun for me or anyone around me. I rely on nuts, oatcakes and soft cheese, crisps - anything that's fattier than it is sugary to keep me going and keep anxiety at bay. But we're all different...
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I would stay away from dextrose tablets. My hubby is diabetic and he uses them if he has a hypo. They are useful but they take your natural glucose levels and rocket them through the roof. Handy for a diabetic but not really for rest of us.
You are far better with slow release foods that sustain you throughout the day.
Honeyb
x
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Slow release food stuffs are OK but Honeybun, Dextrose tablets can be a life saver. If when hiking my blood sugar went low the tablets fizz as I munch them, without I would still be stuck on the hill ::) and many professional atheletes use them as well as energy drinks and bars when training. Watch le Tour or le Veulta and the proes are eating regularly. DH bought packets of energy drinks from le Tour - they were thrown as samples from the advertising floats ............ there are sugars and sugars ......... and professional companies now make up bars scientifically rather than adding sugars ............ the idea being that one tears into the packets with ones teeth :D ..........
Dried fruits saved my Life. Being able to munch when I couldn't eat anything else due to intense anxiety helped me stop focussing on 'I MUST eat' going over and over in my brain ....... I NEVER want to feel *that* ill again but it doesn't take long for it to happen :'(. I still have safe foods and still can't fancy porridge ............
Finding a coping strategy and not worrying about what is in the grub kept me alive. I had a friend who swore by plain crisps and flat 'coke' ::) so it is an individual choice.
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Hi
I'm new to the forum and wondered if anyone has similar symptoms.
I have been taken off my HRT by a neurologist due to numbness and slight weakness down my arm and leg. Since then all my symptoms have returned with a vengeance, Hot flushes, can't sleep, anxiety
+++ crying and generally feeling low. now the fact that I am menopausal seems to have been forgotten and my GP just thinks I should be referred to someone for depression. Had a major panic attack last night was on my own and felt very scared. feel like I'm losing the sensible person I used to be.
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Hi
Thank you for your reply its good not to feel alone in all this.
My Gp Has just completed all her exams in the menopause and she is usually very kind and caring I just think sometimes exams are ok but until you experience some of the symptoms its hard to know how it really feels. I am under the care of the menopause clinic as well (I know I'm lucky in this) but they feel their hands are tied by the neurologist. I understand this but when you're alone in the middle of the night and the panic attack is a big one its hard to know what to do, last night was the worst I have ever had :( . I just seem to feel anxious about everything at the minute. Its all so frustrating and I don't want to end up being labelled as an anxious middle aged woman when I'm sure this is down to my hormones.
Sorry if I sound as if I'm complaining I think a good nights sleep would really help.x
:thankyou:
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We seem to have 2 threads the same :-\ ........... I've responded on the other one ::) ....... ? EMMA ?
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update by Emma: topics merged.
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Hi collette
Hopefully when the neurologist has sorted out what is causing the numbness and weakness you will be able to go back onto HRT?
Hurdity x
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Collette,
I can really sympathise. For me anxiety was by far the worst symptom of the menopause. Have a read of the non-HRT prescribable bit on the left hand side. Don't dismiss ads out of hand - they can and do help with anxiety and possibly some of the other symptoms.
Bramble
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:thankyou: I think an appt with the Neurologist is the way to go and ask for a report to be sent to the Meno Clinic so that your health team are on the same page ........
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I agree with Bramble, don't dismiss ADs, if you can't have HRT, they can help with anxiety and reduce hot flushes and night sweats for some. If nothing else they give you a breathing space when you feel a bit calmer to see your way forward. Hope you feel better soon.
Thorntrees
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Hi everyone
thanks for all the support, felt so bad this morning after my panic attack and I couldn't stop crying :(
made an appointment to see my GP who prescribed me sertraline, then had my followup appointment with the neurologist today who asked me to have an MRI scan ( Im claustrophobic) might have to try and manage this. He thinks my symptoms are atypical migraine but wants to be sure. luckily he said he doesn't mind me going back on my HRT but can't do that until my GP has sight of his letter sometimes it all seems too much. Not looking forward to tonight.
Can really identify with sparkle I had a bad experience a few years ago which has now restricted my driving to a small radius around my home town. I'm not too bad travelling if I'm with my husband but the anxiety is still a pain, shame we can't all practise the journeys together maybe we could cure ourselves :). Some people don't realise how tiring the constant fight with anxiety is so I sympathise with everyone going through this.