Hi there. Thanks so much for the add. Im really hopefully some like-minded ladies would be able to help me with this issue that has been ongoing for about 5 months now
So, Im 60, last period at the age of 52 - no problems prior. One month a period, the next month no period, that was it! Main menopausal issue was really low mood, anxiety attacks and palpitations. Occasional cold clammy flushes but nothing I couldn't manage. Been on Citalopram for menopausal mood since then - 10mg every other day which keeps me balanced. My current issue started around 5 months ago. Came after a really bad upper respiratory tract infection that was viral and took ages to shift. I was asleep in bed on my stomach (we have a memory foam mattress which does tend to get quite warm) and I woke up and noticed an itch on my breast, looked down and what I thought was a flea bite was there. Having two cats and being the only person in this house who fleas do gravitate towards, I put some Afterbite on, fumigated the cats, the raised area went down inside 2 hours and I thought no more about it. Fast forward the next month and the same thing in the same area happened again. An hour later it was gone - no sign at all. Always seems to be when I overheat. Third time it happened I took photos of it on my mobile then booked in to see my GP who is amazing, always on the ball and extremely thorough. I was panicking this was inflammatory breast cancer. I admitted that my anxiety had been quite high recently, problems with sleep and also my citalopram level didn't seem to be holding me in check as it had been doing and I was experiencing some of the cold/clammy flushes I had been doing from the start of my menopause. She gave me a thorough examination, sitting up, lying down etc, looked closely for discharge etc and said she absolutely could not see or feel anything untoward whatsoever. Im a retired therapist, working on the clinical team of a Hospice for 15 years and so my GP knows how hyper-observant I am as a result but she assured me there wasn't anything that she would refer me on for. Mammograms are all up to date (due one later this year). She looked at the photos I'd taken and was just perplexed. She suggested it looked to her like an allergic reaction/irritation and as they fade away within hours she felt this was probably the answer. She did comment that this could still be connected to a slight oestrogen fall - even so many years after the menopause when thinning skin responds with a 'hive' when I overheat and would also perhaps explain my increased anxiety/sleep issues that have been a feature in recent months. I came away from the appointment feeling slightly reassured. I'd not had any recurrence since seeing the doctor before Christmas until this week. Suddenly I woke up to its reappearance again this week as I woke up lying on my front - disappearing again within the hour and Ive been cold/clammy flushing again. I met up with one of my former nursing colleagues this week and she says she has exactly the same thing but on her arm and has been told its urticaria brought on by hot flushes which she too experiences on the odd occasion even after over 10 years.
Have any of you ladies experienced anything similar and have established exactly what this is? Im torn between going back to the GP to demand a mammogram or a referral to a dermatologist!! Any suggestions would be so gratefully received. Thanks you in advance
