Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[CLKD]

Try not to dismiss Prof Studd though.  If one doesn't ask one doesn't get ;-).  "I wonder if you have any success with X, Y, Z as I have ... " might be the way to begin. 

[racjen]

Well yes, but the problem is that many of these private specialists don't respond to specific enquiries about whether they can help, unless you shell out and go and see them. There's no way I'm making the trip all the way from Devon to London and paying several hundred pounds just to be given useless information. I phoned Louise Newson's clinic and they said that although they don't do phone consultations unless it's a follow-up, I could email them with details of the problem and they'd try to give some indication of whether they felt they could help. When I tried emailing Dr. Studd's clinic a while back with similar I got no response whatsoever....

[Tc]

Racjen. IHave you considered CBT.
I have spoken on here about my psychological issues since surgical meno a few months ago.
I'm only just starting my hrt journey so I am sure others can offer far more experience and advice than me on that subject.
by far the most devastating thing for me has been the depression and anxiety so my heart goes out to you.
I'm on the list for CBT.  You may already know this but you can self refer as I did to your local MH brief intervention team. If you would like to know more about that I'd be happy to share with you.
I hope you have success in finding the right hrt doc for you.  Surgical and chemical meno can certainly raise different issues and I myself have found it hard to get the right advice and treatment. Thank goodness for this forum. You are not alone Racjen. Xx

[pepperminty]

Hi Racjen,

 following on from TC's support, this may be of use. It has lots of good advice and is used on many anxiety courses. There may be some advice in there that could be useful? Anxiety whatever the cause is awful to live with. You can buy them second hand on amazon.

 Overcoming Worry and Generalised Anxiety Disorder, 2nd Edition
by Mark Freeston

Peppermintyx

[CLKD]

Physicality makes my anxiety much worse  . CBT did nowt .........

Devon is a long way from anywhere anyway  so wise not to travel, to be disappointed. 

[racjen]

Many thanks tc and pepperminty but yes, I have tried CBT and all sorts of other psychological therapies, to no avail. This is a physical problem and requires a physical solution; CBT may be helpful in developing coping strategies, but I'm looking for whatever it is that causes  me to feel intense physical anxiety for several hours every single morning. It's a very specific feeling which I never had before menopause, and I know (as do many other women on here) that it's hormonal.

I've just emailed Louise Newson to ask if she can help, also phoned Dr. Studd's office and a consultant is going to phone me back on Fri to discuss. Will let you know how I get on.

[CLKD]

Have a short resume of your symptoms to hand.  Write down any suggestions too!

[pepperminty]

Hi racjen,

Great you have taken control and made a step towards a solution I hope.


Pepperminyx

[Tc]

I agree with it being physical.i have suffered in the past but  after surgery it was immediate it was every day particukarly on waking and it was the worse it's  ever been in my life  i had to phone the crisis line. My psychiatrist believes it is   physical too. And yes. Same as you. All the coping tools I have learned went out the window.

So please please don't get me wrong I know it's physical cause which needs sorting I was just worried you might not have support when symptoms are at their worse. Whilst you are trying to sort the hrtl out.
I'm not sorted yet hrt wise but I did already have some support in place b4 op with a bereavement counsellor and she has been a listening ear. Also being able to get in touch with the crisis team has literally meant I'm still here today to tell the tale.
Hope you have some support whilst you are going through this hormonal hell xxxzz

[GypsyRoseLee]

I am so pleased to read that you have taken a step forward and contacted Prof Studd. Please bear in mind if it's him who actually phones you he is quite abrupt and doesn't do chit chat. But he seriously understands what you're going through and he is consider one of the world's leading experts.

I also totally agree that this is 100% physical for us. As I turned 43 something changed chemically in my body and brain at exactly the same time my periods suddenly got weirdly light & only 3 days long. I actually have a bit of a background in psychology and I understand the techniques involved in disciplines such as CBT. It did nothing. CBT isn't going to alleviate the symptoms of something like diabetes or CF. Neither can it alleviate the symptoms of huge hormonal imbalance.

Please keep us updated with how you get on on Friday. One last thing, are you already taking ADs? I take both Sertraline + my HRT regime. I don't know if I still need the Sertraline or even such a high dose of oestrogen, but I am very wary of changing anything because I feel so well.

[CLKD]

GRL - stick with what suits you right now  .  You have your Life back again so don't try to fix what don't need fixing. 

[GypsyRoseLee]

Very wise words CLKD x

[CLKD]

    I was told many years ago [1998] that I have to take anti-depressant medication for Life. OH I hated that but when I released the DH and I have a Life again  .  Now I don't think about regularly swallowing medication which is what my brain requires.  I never want to feel THAT ill again .....

[racjen]

GRL, I can't take ADs - I react very badly to them, have tried 8 or 9 different types (including sertraline), they all make me suicidal. And Tc, this has been going on for so  long and so badly that I'm very familiar with the Crisis Team; have had quite a few visits and phone calls over the last year and a half. I'm now supposedly under the care of the Community Mental Health Team, but it's taken months to even get an initial assessment with them and will take months longer to get any kind of constructive help. The Samaritans have probably been more help than anyone else....

[Tc]

Racjen.  It just happened that I was already under them  due to having breakdown after my wife died. They were about to sign me off before all this happened. As you say it wouldvr taken weeks possibly months to even get assessed again as it has before and yes I've been told it will be months for therapy. I am also under the mht and the psychiatrist  and see him every 6 weeks. I totally get what you're saying bout AD'S. He wanted to restart me on prozac but I couldn't and wouldn't  risk the first 2 weeks suicide risk.
He's suggested WELLBUTRIN but I'm still scared of it.
The Samaritans have been my go to if I'm honest. One lady sat on the phone for 3 hours. The crisis team just don't seem to have the resources.although they did help me recently
I hope when you get your hormones sorted you will start to find some peace of mind. After all that's all we want and it's not asking for the moon, although it sometimes feels like it.
I apologise if It came across I was trying to tell you something you already know. I just wanted to share in the hope it might help.
Best wishes to you.