Menopause :: Perimenopause Or Anxiety?
My first post focused on Anxiety and the possibility of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It has recently been brought to my attention, there is a possibility my symptoms could be hormone related. Something I never actually considered.
Brief list of symptoms...
Fatigue (groggy and heavy type tiredness)
Brain Fog
Feeling detached and 'spaced out'
Weak and Shaky
Jelly Legs
Weak Fingers and Toes
Sensitive to light and sound
Sometimes feels like I have flu or a bad virus (even though I know I don't)
Light Headed
Light Dizziness
Easily tired out
Occasional Palpitations
Frequent urination (occasionally)
Anxious (more so than usual)
Brief History...
I have had anxiety issues, on and off, for many years and also hormone induced migraines. This year the migraines are definitely worse and so too is the anxiety. I had an 8 day brutal migraine early/mid September, followed by 8 days of severe brain fog/dull fuzzy head. I haven't been the same since. I'm also wondering if my symptoms are migraine related? I've had 2 full blood tests done and 2 urine samples taken. All came back normal/clear and healthy. I've also been to see an ENT consultant who ruled out an inner ear virus. He also checked my throat and balance. I had a full eye examination last week and my eyes are in great shape. I have an MRI booked next week and also an appointment to get an ECG recorder fitted for 48 hours.
My symptoms are so broad and general, it could be a number of things... I have even considered CFS. Now I'm thinking it could be hormone related? I feel more anxious not knowing what this is.
Menopause - Perimenopause - Does HRT Help Anxiety / Depression?
I am really suffering at the moment and I'm into day 35 of an anxiety/depression dip. I have been suffering this on and off for over ten years. The closer I get to the end the dips seem to be lasting longer and coming more frequent. I really don't know how much longer I can hang on. My quality of life at the moment is very very poor. I am starting to consider HRT as I've really had enough of this horrible roller coaster. I was hoping to hear from some ladies who have tried HRT and it has turned their lives around or offer experiences from other ladies. I have a doctor who will prescribe bioidentical hormones which I would prefer to the synthetic ones. I just have to make a decision. I so wish I didn't have to and wish I could sail through this like other ladies. Last year I had 7 periods and its 3 months since my last one. I'm just wondering if you can take HRT with this scenario.
I really need the strength to keep going.
Have cried all day today as it's all becoming to hard.
I would love to wake in the morning and it has lifted.
Menopause :: Perimenopause Or Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
I was already apprehensive or should I say anxious about my GP appointment today. I had a panic attack while I was there and just couldn't seem to calm down. He gave me a script for Ativan and said I need to relax. My anxiety this week has been through the roof. I've never had issues with anxiety but since all my other symptoms started I have been on edge. I can't focus on my health because i'm always thinking that something is going to happen to me. I know the numerous tests tell me I'm ok but I can't shake the doom and gloom feelings. They just come out of nowhere. Does anyone else ever feel like the doom and gloom and is this normal? I am starting to think I have generalized anxiety disorder where i'm just out of sorts all the time.
View 48 RepliesMenopause :: Perimenopause - Heart Palpitations And Anxiety
This has been the worst 3 weeks of my life with these perimenopause symptoms. I'm soon to be 49. I thought my symptoms were getting better. Then on March 8th started having bad stomach cramps and low back pain which lasted 2 1/2 weeks. Then the terrible indigestion started with heart palpitations and then of course major anxiety. My period which has been about every 18 days since December is now late. I live each day in fear and terror of heart palpitations and anxiety. I seriously feel like I might die everyday. This is absolutely no way to live. I feel bad for my poor husband and daughter. I am no wife and mother at this time. My daughter is 21 but I still feel horrible about the state I'm in. Sorry for the vent. Feeling hopeless like this journey will never ever end.
View 63 RepliesMenopause :: Anxiety? Perimenopause? Both? Overwhelming Physical Symptoms
I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder last March, after suffering a panic attack while traveling for business. Since then, I've had a multitude of daily physical symptoms...dizziness/lightheadedness, body aches, headaches, insomnia, night sweats, increased body temperature, feeling weak in my limbs, general fatigue, shakiness....you name it, I've had it. I've just about worn out my welcome at my GP's office, I've been there so often....I've been to the emergency room four times, had an MRI, multiple ECGs, countless rounds of bloodwork, an upper endoscopy...everything comes back clear. So why do I feel so sick all the time? I did have my hormone levels checked, and my doctor confirmed that I'm at least perimenopausal (I'm 45 years old)....could all of these symptoms (and truly, they occur daily) be related to perimenopause? I've developed a serious issue with health anxiety due to all of this, because I can't accept that these symptoms are harmless...I'm convinced that something catastrophic is wrong with me.
View 78 RepliesPerimenopause - Dizziness, Bouts Of Vertigo, Vision Getting Worse, Hair Loss
I'm 47. Have had PCOS since I was 13. No kids due to infertility, most likely caused by PCOS. OK, now onto the joy of being me part.
Been sick for over 20 years with various and sundry health issues, i.e, Lyme, Epstein-Barr, adrenal fatigue, MTHFR, etc. to name a few, but the last year or so I'm feeling sooooo much worse. Never had PMS, and now I get cramps a few days before the witch shows up. When she does show up, before when she would show up, she would last 5 or so days. Now she hits hard and fast, heavy for a days or so and then stops on day 2 or 3. Digestion has been horrible. I have so much gas and bloating in my upper stomach that I could power a small city and it's very uncomfortable. Total carb and sugar intolerance. My doc thinks it could be a bacterial infection called SIBO, but after reading everyone's symptoms here, it makes me wonder if it is Peri related. The worst anxiety and panic attacks of my life that hit out of nowhere, even when I am not worrying about stuff. Heart palps galore and according to numerous docs and tests, my heart is fine. Reflux. Overweight and can't lose weight. Emotional instability of a newborn. My mom died a few months ago and while I know grief can be at play, I can cry just watching a commercial. Dizziness, bouts of vertigo, vision getting worse, hair loss more than usual, chapped lips and back of hands, 0 and I mean ZERO sex drive. I almost feel repulsed by the idea. Luckily I have an incredibly understanding husband. Muscle and joint pain. Zero motivation to do anything. I am an incredibly creative person and have lost all my passions in and for life. Bone crushing fatigue. Sometimes wake up feeling like I'm trembling inside. Frequent waking up in the middle of the night.
These are the primary symptoms, though there are others. It's hard for me to tell which of these are Peri related and which are due to the other issues. I had a bunch of labs done in May and all my hormones were normal, including extensive thyroid testing. Can you be Peri and have normal labs? Very confused and ******. This crap is ruining my life. I can't even drive anymore due to the anxiety and dizziness and thus feel trapped in my house. I need to get this fixed as soon as possible. My doc thinks I am Peri and says we will work on it, but is trying to detox some of my other issues first.
Menopause :: No Hot Flashes - Perimenopause?
it has become so hard to see if i fit for peri-menopause as I do not have hot flashes at all but i seem to have all else creeping up on me. lots of women say if you don't have the hot flashes then it can not be peri...So really what is the best way to know that your entering that stage of life or not..i read alot of posts where all these woman have all these tell tale sign of menopause and instead of there doctor taking there age into consideration for menopause they all run to do all kinds of tests and this and that..is it really that difficult to decipher when in menopause or not? I'm so confused and since I'm 42 my doctor wont even talk to me about it regardless that my mother and her went into full menopause at 45 yrs old..i just hate to be running to the DR and getting all frustrated when some of my symptoms or all are peri-menopause related.
View 2 RepliesMenopause :: Fever Related To Perimenopause?
I had an upper respiratory issue a few weeks back and am pretty much over it, but a week after the worst of it I started running a low grade fever almost every evening. My face and neck feels really hot like the heat is just radiating off it and I want to fan myself. I otherwise don't feel bad, not like I usually do when I have a low grade fever when sick, I just feel hot. My normal temps runs around 97.5 and I know that temps are lower in the mornings and can go up in the afternoons but I have never had it like this. It has been about 98.6, 98.8 and today it has been 99.3. But like I said, it isn't like a sick fever, and it is mostly my face and neck area that feels so hot. It starts every afternoon around 3pm.
Does anyone else experience anything like this? Could it be related to perimenopause? My cycle is really messed up right now.
Menopause :: Tension Headache In Perimenopause
I'm a little worried as I have had a tension type headache for approx 5 days during my period ? Anyone else had this please ? Should I be worried ?
View 18 RepliesMenopause :: PCOS And Perimenopause Symptoms
Im 37 and have been experiencing almost every symptom of perimenopause. The worst ones being, anxiety, insomnia, night sweats, hot flushes, periods areso unpredictable. I have suffered with pcos but know how that affects my periods etc. My periods have never been this far apart.... Ever! They have also become lighter and shorter in duration. I have mood swings constantly and feel irritable but this could be due to the sleep deprivation. I have been backwards and forwards to my gp. He did some blood tests on my hormones which have came back within normal range.......am I right in saying that blood tests are normal during perimenopause??
My mum seems to think i'm heading for the menopause as she got similar symptoms, she was only 39 when her periods completely stopped.
I really don't know where to go from here. Cant seem to convince the drs this is hormones
Menopause :: Perimenopause - Hysterectomy To Get Through Symptoms?
I am 54 years old mother of three and grandma. I am in perimenopause, symptoms bad depression where I wouldn't get out of bed. I was told years ago to have a hysterectomy because of fibroids but I haven't yet thinking I will get through this. I have a enlarged uterus due to fibroids and thickening wall of the uterus . I go in August for an sono and ultrasound to check uterine wall. This hormonal stuff is driving me crazy. I stay home, don't get out much and scared when my husband leaves to go to work.
View 52 RepliesMenopause :: Perimenopause And Detached From Life
I feel like that batty cat lady from the Simpsons - I feel like I LOOK mad, and I am unravelling mentally and physically.
I'm 49 and have been going through the peri-menopause for a couple of years. First my periods were horribly clotty and heavy and every three weeks, now in the last six-nine months they've got further apart and lighter.
But it's how I feel that's so weird. I am shaky, anxious, when I'm talking to people I'm trying to think what expression I should be wearing on my face. I feel tired but not sleepy, like as if all my energy has been sucked out of me and all I want to do is sit down. Everything seems like too much effort and I am not enjoying life when I feel like this. Some days I feel great, but there are too many days like this now.
If anybody I know is going through a hard time, I've always been THE most supportive person, but lately it just makes me anxious because I feel I'm being sapped of what little strength I have left. I avoid people, especially high maintenance people.
I'm trying to force myself to take a shower now. I love being clean and having freshly washed hair, but even that's too much. My roots need doing but I can't be bothered. And I don't even feel human, let alone like a woman. I feel like I'm drifting away from friends, like I have nothing to bring to the table when it comes to being good company.
And I wonder if anybody has any experience of whether diet helps. I felt really good last week and I was eating well - could it be as simple as that? I've had a weekend of too many carbs and a curry this weekend.
Menopause :: Perimenopause. Has Anyone Got Burning Mouth Syndrome
Amongst other things I have a terrible burning mouth,nose and tongue. It tastes metallic and sometimes it is hard to swallow. I also have a buzzing face and headaches with it.
View 13 RepliesMenopause :: Prolonged Hair Shedding Perimenopause?
After exhausting all other possibilities I am now wondering if my 15 month bout with hair shedding is simply sudden onset Perimenopause?
I haven't had any other symptoms at 48 besides fibroids which I plan on removing.
Anyone experience sudden onset of prolonged hair shedding where your hair is popping out all day long and your hair volume drastically diminished?
I had a bout with anemia but my ferritin has been over 90 for 8 months and my hair shedding has not changed at all. I do have regrowth but it cannot keep up with the rate of shedding.
I lose about 250 on wash days (2x per week) and about 100 - 130 on now wash days. I know they "say" that is normal but it was never normal for me.
I would guess I lost 25 a day previously and maybe 70 on wash days.
I would love to hear about your perimenopausal experiences with hair loss and other.
Menopause :: Brown Discharge - Symptom Of Perimenopause?
This is an embarrassing question; but I have had brown discharge for the last two days. I read this is one of the symptoms of "perimenopause" Has anyone had this? I am making a doctors appointment tomorrow. This is all new to me. I am going to be 42 in July. I'm healthy, no pain-just this.
View 1 RepliesMenopause :: Perimenopause - Hair Thinning / Loss
I am 44 and struggling with perimenopause. I am losing my hair and it is so much thinner....this is really upsetting me..
View 31 RepliesMenopause :: Insomnia Due To Magnesium Supplement In Perimenopause
I have been using magnesium and calcium for a while now, they work well together.. However i switched to calcium and Vit D ( Natecal ) chewable ..
no longer having the magnesium ...
then i started effervescant magnesium ... i always take this by dropping in a glass of water, they range from lemon - orange flavour etc..
what I want to share is, as I have been an insomniac all through peri etc, I have found that the effervescant form of magnesium, that you fizz and drink has totally relaxed me before sleep, i find myself in a lovely relaxed mood, and ready for slumber ...
Since this little difference, i have been researching magnesium and it also helps, tightened muscles, headaches, aches and pains..
worth a try ugh ? Drink it 30 mins before you go to bed ...
Magnesium has many benefits to good health, one of them being its action as an effective natural sleep aid. James F. Balch, M.D., author of Prescription for Nutritional Healing, writes: “A lack of the nutrients magnesium and calcium will cause you to wake up after a few hours and not be able to return to sleep.”
Chronic insomnia that occurs with frequent night time awakenings is one of the main symptoms of magnesium deficiency.
On the other hand, a high magnesium diet has been found to be associated with deeper, less interrupted sleep. This was proven in a study done by James Penland at the Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota.
Mildred Seelig, M.D., the leading medical researcher on magnesium says: “Many people needlessly suffer pain – including fibromyalgia, migraines and muscle cramps – because they don’t get enough magnesium.”
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center web site, inadequate magnesium also appears to reduce serotonin levels in the brain.
One study found that magnesium was just as effective as an antidepressant drug in treating depression. In addition, researchers at Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute reported that for every 100 milligram increase in magnesium intake, the risk of developing type-2 diabetes decreased by 15 per cent.
Other studies have shown that people with migraine headaches have low concentrations of magnesium in their body.
i intend to post more magnesium finding as i find them
this I totally second this info above as I really noticed a difference after taking effervescent magnesium before bed , and my curiosity lead me to find out more ..
Menopause :: Lower Abdominal Ache - No Periods - Perimenopause?
I've never had a period since April last year and now I've have a one I've been on just over a week properly the pains did ease off but I'm still getting lower abdominal ache is this the perimenopause also anxiety is very bad at times yhd other day I just burst out crying me elbows me left hip hurt can't take no more.
View 3 RepliesLichen Sclerosus :: Menopause Make Things Worse?
i had my last period at the beginning of the year and although I'm happy to see the back of them I have since had numerous flare ups and the itching has been ridiculous, it has me demented through the night. Has anyone else had the same experience.
View 8 Replies