Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Jules53 on July 14, 2019, 08:53:28 AM
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Hi all
Have been having a hard time lately. Have had bad anxiety a d feeling depressed, but my main worry is not being a let to take a deep breath. The doctors say it's anxiety and I've been on several antidepressants which just made me feel worse. I was on Femseven Conti until they discontinued it and felt fine on that.
The latest HRT I tried was Evorel 50 patches a d Utrogestan 100 vaginally but that also made me feel bad. I wake up in the morning sweating and nauseous a d all day I can take a good deep breath. No hot flushes to speak of during the day but tingling in my arms and feeling hot.
Has anyone else had this a d could it be hormones? Am desperate for an answer.
Thanks x
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The feeling of not being able to take a deep breath is probably hyperventilation, leading to not enough carbon dioxide in the blood (we need a certain amount). It is common enough with anxiety. Get a paper bag and screw the top up a bit. Exhale into the bag, and then inhale the 'stale' air. Do this a few times and it should ease.
JP x
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Thanks Joaniepat
It's all the time. I have tried that and do breathing exercises and it's still there. It feels like I would imagine it's like to have asthma. I wondered if it's hormonal or just plain anxiety.
So exasperated by it😓.
Thanks for your reply x
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Hi Jules.... don't worry!! But, stop taking whatever hrt you are taking, if you're taking any currently??
I took hrt gel and utrogestan for 2 months and had exactly these symptoms. After about a month it started with difficulty breathing but after 2 months it was full on gasping for breath. Really horrible and frightening. So, I do know how you feel.
Good news is, my gynae told me to stop the hrt immediately and sure enough, within days the horrible symptoms disappeared.
Are you currently taking hrt, if so, how long have you been taking it?
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Hi Jari
No I'm not taking any HRT. I stopped it about 3 or 4 weeks ago, so it's not that. I wonder if it is an imbalance of hormones and I actually do need it.
It's ruining my life and I've been off work 10 weeks. Thanks anyway x
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Hi Jules,
It sounds like a hormone imbalance. Why did you stop taking hrt and how long did you take it for?
Are you on any other medication currently? X
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It was making me more anxious and itchy.
Have just stopped taking Escitalopram (an antidepressant). I was on Prozac before that. I take a very low dose of Diazepam if I need it but not very often. I am in such a mess a d the doctors are at a loss too!😓.
Thanks x
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https://jeanhailes.org.au/contents/documents/Health_Professionals/Menopause_symptom_scale_Greene_Climacteric.pdf
Hi Jules
Sorry to hear you are still struggling. Have a look at the above link and fill it in. You will see that "breathing difficulties" is a symptom of menopause.
As you are now off all medication, it would seem that your symptoms are due to menopause and HRT should help. But you will need to take the hrt for 3 months to see if it works. My first hrt didn't work even though I took it rigorously for 3 months and my symptoms didn't improve, infact some of them got worse. Once I was on the right type and dose of hrt I began to improve.
I really feel for you, because I know exactly how you feel. I had breathing problems and felt the i wasn't getting enough oxygen into my lungs.
Take care xx
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Jules. Anxiety can do this. But have you had your b12 levels checked? I get this from anxiety but it was worse when my b12 levels were low. If you've stopped the AD suddenly it could be an immediate withdrawal symptom which will pass.
A little tip I got from an anxiety workshop I once went to. . When you do your breathing excersises clasp your hands behind you round the middle of your back. If you're sitting pull your arms round the back of the chair behind you. It opens up the chest and makes deep breathing more effective.
Best wishes xx
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Would you consider maybe not taking any hormones or drugs for a 2-3 months? Keep a diary and see if you improve as they leave your system.
The hormones from hrt can take a good 2 months to leave the system.
Drink lots of water to flush the system.
Plan a good balanced diet with small portions.
Try to get out for some excercise like a brisk 30 mins walk daily.
Try a herbal tea instead of coffee ( if not already)
Have relaxing baths with magnesium salts that absorb into body. ( good for anxiety)
Give it a try for 2-3 months and see if this helps.
Currently, it's frightening to have difficulty breathing, but I do think as the drugs leave your system, you should feel better. Try to get out for a walk to take your mind off it a bit. It will start to improve!! Xx
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Thanks Jari. I am doing a lot of that already. The anxiety is all consuming and I am finding it quite hard to get through each day. I think I need something for the short term but not sure what.
Thanks so much x
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Is there an NHS Stress Control course in your area? I've been attending one for the past 5 weeks (last one tomorrow) and they're brilliant. One of the issues they cover is breathing and how to control it, especially when you feel panicky or breathless. The courses are free, you don't have to register or share anything personal, just sit there and listen.
Also, something very interesting they mentioned last week (which was the breathing one) - panic & stress are made worse if you have too much oxygen in your blood compared to Carbon Dioxide. Women who are pre-menstrual or menopausal usually have higher levels of oxygen, so are already predisposed to feeling panicky, purely because of the physical imbalance.
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Also, something very interesting they mentioned last week (which was the breathing one) - panic & stress are made worse if you have too much oxygen in your blood compared to Carbon Dioxide. Women who are pre-menstrual or menopausal usually have higher levels of oxygen, so are already predisposed to feeling panicky, purely because of the physical imbalance.
How interesting Dorothy, I can remember the breathing thing at about the time I hit puberty and my Mum hauling me off to the doctor's. She thought I had something dire! Eventually I discovered the paper bag trick and it worked for me.
JP x
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Thanks Dorothy- very interesting.
I have just Googled and it doesn't look like there's a course in Gloucestershire where I live. I am having breathing physiotherapy and have been practicing the exercises but they don't seem to be working. I'm also having counselling and CBT so am trying everything. Have you suffered with the shortness of breath in meno and are you on HRT?
Thanks again x
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Jules, how long did you take hrt for? After how long did you notice it making you more anxious? X
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I was on Femseven Conti for over 18 months and it suited me until they discontinued it.
I used Oestrogel and Utrogestan for 6 weeks and it made me itch profusely. The most recent one I tried, again for 6 weeks, was Evorel 50 patches and Utrogestan vaginally but it made the anxiety much worse. I feel like I'm going round and round in circles with it all and need to get back to work, but I feel so unwell😓.
Thanks X
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I get that awful feeling sometimes that feels like my lungs aren't filling up.
I put it down to anxiety...too much over breathing, and not enough carbon dioxide like Joaniepat says.....x
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Thanks JD. Are you on HRT at the moment and does it help? The shortness of breath is pretty much all the time. I'm convinced it's hormonal x
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Jules, just thought, have you read the leaflets that come with the meds? Anything on them re anxiety/breathing etc?
I do think you should stop all and then keep a diary over next few days/weeks as to how things are...
I can only say with me, the hrt also caused horrendous anxiety and frightening breathing problems and when I came off it, these side effects went.
Hope you feel better soon. X
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Just to add it also could be serotonin withdrawal. It's now advised to take months to come off of SSRIs, lowering the dose down to a crumb, due to the withdrawal effects which can influence balance and breathing and cause anxiety and brain zaps.
My mum suffered terribly and wasn't on them for long.
I would agree with Jari and not take anything else until your brain has space to calm down.
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Thanks Dorothy- very interesting.
I have just Googled and it doesn't look like there's a course in Gloucestershire where I live. I am having breathing physiotherapy and have been practicing the exercises but they don't seem to be working. I'm also having counselling and CBT so am trying everything. Have you suffered with the shortness of breath in meno and are you on HRT?
Thanks again x
I have always had breathing problems, especially when stressed. It's got worse in the past few years, so maybe linked to meno - certainly, I always used to be worse just before menstruating, so it would make sense for the worsening to be linked to meno. I'm not on HRT at the moment.
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Thanks ladies.
Countrygirl- I have seen a bit of improvement with the anxiety but the breathing is awful.
Danger mouse- I think you could be right a out serotonin withdrawal. So sorry to hear your mum suffered - how long was she on them and how long did it take the withdrawals to go? Did she have to go back on them and wean off?
Dorothy - I feel your pain with the breathing. It has happened before in perimenopause and now it's back again😓. Do you still have it of has it eased?
I'm so confused! Thanks again x
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I've been getting it a lot, but I think it may be linked to chest pain which in turn is linked to what my GP suspects is psoriatic arthritis. So difficult to tell if the worsening is due to meno, auto-immune issues or something else! But I'm guessing there will be at least a partial link to meno. (I'm still in peri, and it definitely is bad about 24-48 hours before starting to bleed)
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Yes I'm on Femoston Conti. And although it's made my anxiety better than it was, I still get it in background, and makes me feel like I can't breathe properly. It's very low key now, and I can handle it, it's more of a nuisance to me now, rather than dictating to me.
I do take an antihistamine sometimes, which does help me a lot, it relaxes me and then my breathing goes back to normal, if only for a respite....just lately, it hasn't been there at all, so I do think it's hormonal, because everything is still the same in my life, nothings changed at all...xxx
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Thanks ladies.
Danger mouse- I think you could be right a out serotonin withdrawal. So sorry to hear your mum suffered - how long was she on them and how long did it take the withdrawals to go? Did she have to go back on them and wean off?
She had been off and on over 2 years but only months at a time. She was given all sorts of vertigo drugs by the gp (as was worse symptom) and then went on a different SSRI in desperation and became worse for 3 weeks, then it calmed down and completely stopped. After 2 months she weaned back off more slowly, had some bowel issues but much better now.
I think the issue is that they ramp up brain activity but then the brain is left in an overwhelmed state when the drug is reduced/stopped.