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[Tabbycat]

Hi guys, I'm in a right state and hoping someone on here might offer some reassuring words - or even tell me to pull myself together!

For the best part of the last 12 months, I've been getting bad muscle tension all down my right side, and trembling in my right hand. I've also been feeling "heavy" and slow (sometimes I feel like I'm moving through treacle, if that makes any sense!) and lacking energy. I put it down to stress - my job was pressurised and my working environment was vile - coupled with the menopause. I took voluntary redundancy and finished my job last Monday but my symptoms haven't improved. I feel anxious and quite depressed - not helpful because I need to start job hunting!

I'm 51, have been on HRT for almost a year, which I started taking because I had severe joint aches and anxiety. I've been on Premique for most of that time, which helped those symptoms, but had a lot of spotting so am now on Femiston-Conti. The spotting has stopped but apart from that I don't feel any different from when I was on Premique - no extra side effects.

Now, here's the thing that's suddenly made me feel sick with worry and panic. Last night I was trying to find some info on muscle tremors and found out I have almost every symptom of Parkinson's Disease. I'm not really a hypochondriac - often I research symptoms just to eliminate causes - although I'm so anxious at the moment that I'm not sure of anything!

So my question is, could my symptoms be down to the meno, or the HRT? Have any of you had these symptoms too?

Thanks for reading, and sorry for the long post.

[smudgesmum]

Googling is dangerous 

I get 'heavy' legs sometimes and often get muscle tremors BUT I do suffer with anxiety and panic attacks... The first thing is to get your GP to check you over and to rule out anything 'sinister'

If it is anxiety driven then it will ease off if you have been reassured nothing else is wrong... I don't panic now when I am feeling awful, I just know I am having a bad day.

Smudgesmum xx

[Dancinggirl]

You need reassurance and only a doctor can give you that at the moment. 
Go and see your GP.  Good luck  DG xxx

[Tabbycat]

Thanks both.

I'd already made a GP appointment before I started panicking - to see if anything could be done about the symptoms. Unfortunately, the earliest I could get was a week tomorrow, and I don't think I can wait another seven days feeling like this so I'll phone them tomorrow and see if I can somehow beg them for an earlier one.

[PollyH]

 Hi Tabbycat only just read this thread - sounds to me like your symptoms are may be underactive thyroid. I have two sisters who have been diagnosed with this and their symptoms were very similar. Have you had a thyroid test - tsh and t4, it it's very common at the time of the menapause.

Hope you are feeling better.

PollyH

Xxxx

[Tabbycat]

Thanks PolyH. I do seem to have some of those symptoms, although I'm not gaining weight or sensitive to cold. But perhaps my symptoms could be a lot of things! I had a blood test a few months ago which didn't show anything abnormal.

I managed to see a nurse last week (they wouldn't give me an appointment with a GP) and she's prescribed cytalopram. It's not helped so far, but I know ADs can make symptoms worse before they make them better. I'm just hanging on and trying not to panic!

[Cazikins]

Hi Tabbycat,
Just thought I would mention something called BENIGN ESSENTIAL TREMOR.

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Essential-Tremor.htm

I had it back in 2010. I was going through a very stressful time & it came on out of the blue. I just couldn't hold my hand out without it visibly shaking - I'm sure people thought I was an alcoholic, I was so embarrassed by it.
I went to the doctor & she prescribed beta blockers (Propranolol) & they sorted me out. I was on them for a year & as soon as my stress/anxiety was under control I got better & ditched the tablets.
Reading the link I have posted it would seem the condition it will be with me forever but at the moment I seem to be ok (fingers crossed).

Good luck & I hope you can get it sorted.
Cazikins x

[Tabbycat]

Thanks Cazikins, I've not heard of that before. Did you have any other symptoms when you had it?

[Tabbycat]

Sorry for necroing this thread but I thought it was better than starting a new one.

So, a year on and the shaking and muscle tremors are worse. I've also realised that I shuffle when I walk - I seem to be dragging my right foot. (Actually, I've known for a while that I've not been able to walk properly, especially uphill, but I've only just realised that it's not tiredness or a joint problem.) I also have a problem with my wrists  - a kind of weakness when I try to do a fast movement like brushing my teeth.

Anyway, I managed to get a GP appointment yesterday, with a doctor I hadn't seen before (the one I saw last year about this was nice but said my symptoms were down to anxiety and that "everyone's hands shake a bit"). She seemed quite concerned and has referred me to a neurologist - I have an appointment in early May.

Needless to say, I'm absolutely terrified and feeling quite panicky. I'm worried that it could be anything from Parkinson's to a brain tumour and about how bad it's going to get. I'm fixating on every little thing I feel in case it's another symptom of whatever it is I have.

Thanks for listening - I really needed to get all that off my chest.

[CLKD]

Of course you are worried.  However - M in L had a brain tumour - if you had one you would have had more intense symptoms before now.

Could be something awful, could be related to ageing - but at least your GP is sending you for a Consultation to find out.  A drop in oestrogen can cause laxity of muscles ……… May might seem a long way to wait but it gives you time to keep a food/mood/activity diary .  I have strange mobility symptoms which happen so fast that I can't explain them - have had them for years++ ……

Let us know how you get on!  There are loads of support Groups should push come to shove …….. and we will be here holding your hand!

[Tabbycat]

Thanks, sweetheart, that helps.

[Cazikins]

Hi Tabbycat,
Try not to worry, I'm sure you'll be ok, it's good you have got a doc that is getting it all checked out, it will put your mind at rest.
Your problem with walking could be a trapped nerve or something & maybe a bit of physio will sort it out.

Chin up girl & think positively. we are all behind you.
Cazi x

[Tabbycat]

Thanks Cazikins.

I've been researching oestrogen and found out it's not just a hormone but also a neurotransmitter and plays a huge role in serotonin and dopamine levels. I'm not sure if this is significant or not but it's what I'm clinging on to at the moment.

[Tabbycat]

Saw the neurologist and now need to have brain scans. Everything takes sooooo long.

[Cazikins]

Try not to worry too much Tabbycat, at least it is being investigated & nothing has shown up yet.
Keep us posted.
Cazikins x