Still not sure if this is peri or just plain old panic disorder Options

[mtn-steph]

I've been having symptoms since April, and am not sure if it's just panic disorder or the more complex condition of perimenopause. Last week I was actually starting to feel a little better, but my period hit Sunday, and Saturday/Sunday I was feeling much worse. I've had hormones checked in blood, and am waiting on a saliva test to come back. Blood results (on day 15 of cycle):

from an email from a doc specializing in BHRT:

Your estradiol is 76; most women feel best when it is greater than 100.
Your progesterone is 2.3; most women feel best when it is greater than 5.0.
Your testosterone is 75; most women feel best when it is greater than 60.
Your DHEA-S is 390; most women feel best when it is greater than 80.
Your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is 1.55; it should be less than 3.5.
Your thyroid is perfect; the lower the TSH, the more thyroid you have in your body.

I'm not sure I trust these results because he took the blood on day 15 and I don't now if these levels comport with day 15 norms. I always thought you were supposed to look at hormones on day 21 (which is what my saliva test did - hopefully those results will be in this week).

And here's the thing: I read this board and have also read boards dealing strictly with panic attacks/anxiety. The latter list only the normal symptoms & experiences of panic: hyperventilation, fear, chest tightness, trouble breathing, racing heart, trembling. But these panic boards do not list all the WEIRD symptoms I have along WITH anxiety. In fact, this board is the only one whose members share similar experiences with all the WEIRD symptoms - I've listed all of mine below:

* internal “vibrating” feeling in chest
* restlessness in legs, feeling like I need to move them, or they have a gentle creepy crawly feeling
* severe dizziness/vertigo
* hot flushes that start in back of neck/ go up to head, ears, and down into back and into arms
* extreme agitation
* find myself rubbing under collar bones, on shoulders, on arms, or pulling at my face like a caged animal
* dull pain or pressure on upper rib cage, sternum
* mild nausea / lack of appetite
* panic attacks
* hyperventilation
* feeling like I’m falling, even when sitting or lying down, and have to brace myself with hands
* stuffy ears
* cold, sweating feet
* sometimes cold, sweating hands, or warm sweating hands
* feeling of a cuff around upper arms
* feeling of a band around ribcage
* emotional, hopeless crying/ sometimes sobbing
* crushing depression
* bowel movements have become less dry, earlier in the day
* difficulty walking, standing up straight because of tightness in my middle, around diaphragm
* total lack of energy
* feel like will fall over when standing or walking
* feel like I’m looking at the world through a glass tunnel, or maybe through a sheet of celophane
* pain in one calf
* pressure in head, almost like sinus / sometimes turning head makes it feel like it thumps
* pain in various parts of chest, localized, like a pencil poking me there
* neck sometimes tenses up, feels like it is constricting my airway
* clamping tightness on either side of chest, just below collar bones - also, a “weird” sensation in the muscles beneath the collar bones (not pain, just odd feeling, like the muscles don’t belong to me)
* shortness of breath
* sensation that my forehead is coming down over my eyes, restricting my vision
* ocular migraine
* lots of tension under my shoulder blades and at the base of my neck
* talking becomes weak and labored
* agoraphobia

After a week of feeling somewhat better, I'm flat on my back again today with extreme vertigo and agitation. My parents, close to 70 but both feel a heck of a lot better than me, are having to pick up my kids from lessons today and taxi them around. My mom still works 3 days a week, but she is now starting to talk about quitting her job so she can take care of me, and help me take care of the kids. It may be necessary, but the whole thing is just so depressing and overwhelming. Why am I so unable to care for myself? I'm only 42.

And how does a person know if they're suffering from peri or just from anxiety by itself? The million doctors I've been to don't seem to have any of these answers.

[Medium at Large]

I've been having symptoms since April, and am not sure if it's just panic disorder or the more complex condition of perimenopause. Last week I was actually starting to feel a little better, but my period hit Sunday, and Saturday/Sunday I was feeling much worse. I've had hormones checked in blood, and am waiting on a saliva test to come back. Blood results (on day 15 of cycle):

from an email from a doc specializing in BHRT:

Your estradiol is 76; most women feel best when it is greater than 100.
Your progesterone is 2.3; most women feel best when it is greater than 5.0.
Your testosterone is 75; most women feel best when it is greater than 60.
Your DHEA-S is 390; most women feel best when it is greater than 80.
Your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is 1.55; it should be less than 3.5.
Your thyroid is perfect; the lower the TSH, the more thyroid you have in your body.

I'm not sure I trust these results because he took the blood on day 15 and I don't now if these levels comport with day 15 norms. I always thought you were supposed to look at hormones on day 21 (which is what my saliva test did - hopefully those results will be in this week).

And here's the thing: I read this board and have also read boards dealing strictly with panic attacks/anxiety. The latter list only the normal symptoms & experiences of panic: hyperventilation, fear, chest tightness, trouble breathing, racing heart, trembling. But these panic boards do not list all the WEIRD symptoms I have along WITH anxiety. In fact, this board is the only one whose members share similar experiences with all the WEIRD symptoms - I've listed all of mine below:

* internal “vibrating” feeling in chest
* restlessness in legs, feeling like I need to move them, or they have a gentle creepy crawly feeling
* severe dizziness/vertigo
* hot flushes that start in back of neck/ go up to head, ears, and down into back and into arms
* extreme agitation
* find myself rubbing under collar bones, on shoulders, on arms, or pulling at my face like a caged animal
* dull pain or pressure on upper rib cage, sternum
* mild nausea / lack of appetite
* panic attacks
* hyperventilation
* feeling like I’m falling, even when sitting or lying down, and have to brace myself with hands
* stuffy ears
* cold, sweating feet
* sometimes cold, sweating hands, or warm sweating hands
* feeling of a cuff around upper arms
* feeling of a band around ribcage
* emotional, hopeless crying/ sometimes sobbing
* crushing depression
* bowel movements have become less dry, earlier in the day
* difficulty walking, standing up straight because of tightness in my middle, around diaphragm
* total lack of energy
* feel like will fall over when standing or walking
* feel like I’m looking at the world through a glass tunnel, or maybe through a sheet of celophane
* pain in one calf
* pressure in head, almost like sinus / sometimes turning head makes it feel like it thumps
* pain in various parts of chest, localized, like a pencil poking me there
* neck sometimes tenses up, feels like it is constricting my airway
* clamping tightness on either side of chest, just below collar bones - also, a “weird” sensation in the muscles beneath the collar bones (not pain, just odd feeling, like the muscles don’t belong to me)
* shortness of breath
* sensation that my forehead is coming down over my eyes, restricting my vision
* ocular migraine
* lots of tension under my shoulder blades and at the base of my neck
* talking becomes weak and labored
* agoraphobia

After a week of feeling somewhat better, I'm flat on my back again today with extreme vertigo and agitation. My parents, close to 70 but both feel a heck of a lot better than me, are having to pick up my kids from lessons today and taxi them around. My mom still works 3 days a week, but she is now starting to talk about quitting her job so she can take care of me, and help me take care of the kids. It may be necessary, but the whole thing is just so depressing and overwhelming. Why am I so unable to care for myself? I'm only 42.

And how does a person know if they're suffering from peri or just from anxiety by itself? The million doctors I've been to don't seem to have any of these answers.

Hi honey....just so as you know someone is out here. What you are describing is peri menopause. Panic disorder does not cause all of the symptoms you are describing here......but hormones do. You are not alone. There are alot of lovely women on this site who are going to post up after me. I have to head off to work but know that you are in my thoughts okay.

[Interactive]

For me, the way that I knew that it was hormone-related was because I reacted strongly when there was any alteration to my hormone balance.

So for example, I experienced clinical levels of anxiety, adrenaline rushes and insomnia for the first time ever as soon as my periods became irregular. The GP tried to treat it by prescribing me standard oral HRT. Things really ramped up then - I experienced panic attacks and started suffering episodes of depression for the first time, as well as lots of other weird symptoms. I just felt completely out of it. Eventually however I more or less stabilised on HRT - although I still had episodes of anxiety from time to time during the two and a half years I took it, progressing to agoraphobia at one point.

Then for other reasons related to estrogen, I had to stop HRT and the GP told me to stop cold turkey. I managed for about three weeks whilst hormone levels must have been plummeting, and then became very unwell indeed mentally, which state lasted for a few months. I found a doctor who worked with BHRT and on the regime of hormones and other supplements she prescribed, gradually started getting better. I'm absolutely fine now, but am also now eighteen months post so suspect that my own hormones have settled down, in addition to the things I'm taking.

[joyceveronica]

I've been having symptoms since April, and am not sure if it's just panic disorder or the more complex condition of perimenopause. Last week I was actually starting to feel a little better, but my period hit Sunday, and Saturday/Sunday I was feeling much worse. I've had hormones checked in blood, and am waiting on a saliva test to come back. Blood results (on day 15 of cycle):

from an email from a doc specializing in BHRT:

Your estradiol is 76; most women feel best when it is greater than 100.
Your progesterone is 2.3; most women feel best when it is greater than 5.0.
Your testosterone is 75; most women feel best when it is greater than 60.
Your DHEA-S is 390; most women feel best when it is greater than 80.
Your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is 1.55; it should be less than 3.5.
Your thyroid is perfect; the lower the TSH, the more thyroid you have in your body.

I'm not sure I trust these results because he took the blood on day 15 and I don't now if these levels comport with day 15 norms. I always thought you were supposed to look at hormones on day 21 (which is what my saliva test did - hopefully those results will be in this week).

And here's the thing: I read this board and have also read boards dealing strictly with panic attacks/anxiety. The latter list only the normal symptoms & experiences of panic: hyperventilation, fear, chest tightness, trouble breathing, racing heart, trembling. But these panic boards do not list all the WEIRD symptoms I have along WITH anxiety. In fact, this board is the only one whose members share similar experiences with all the WEIRD symptoms - I've listed all of mine below:

* internal “vibrating” feeling in chest
* restlessness in legs, feeling like I need to move them, or they have a gentle creepy crawly feeling
* severe dizziness/vertigo
* hot flushes that start in back of neck/ go up to head, ears, and down into back and into arms
* extreme agitation
* find myself rubbing under collar bones, on shoulders, on arms, or pulling at my face like a caged animal
* dull pain or pressure on upper rib cage, sternum
* mild nausea / lack of appetite
* panic attacks
* hyperventilation
* feeling like I’m falling, even when sitting or lying down, and have to brace myself with hands
* stuffy ears
* cold, sweating feet
* sometimes cold, sweating hands, or warm sweating hands
* feeling of a cuff around upper arms
* feeling of a band around ribcage
* emotional, hopeless crying/ sometimes sobbing
* crushing depression
* bowel movements have become less dry, earlier in the day
* difficulty walking, standing up straight because of tightness in my middle, around diaphragm
* total lack of energy
* feel like will fall over when standing or walking
* feel like I’m looking at the world through a glass tunnel, or maybe through a sheet of celophane
* pain in one calf
* pressure in head, almost like sinus / sometimes turning head makes it feel like it thumps
* pain in various parts of chest, localized, like a pencil poking me there
* neck sometimes tenses up, feels like it is constricting my airway
* clamping tightness on either side of chest, just below collar bones - also, a “weird” sensation in the muscles beneath the collar bones (not pain, just odd feeling, like the muscles don’t belong to me)
* shortness of breath
* sensation that my forehead is coming down over my eyes, restricting my vision
* ocular migraine
* lots of tension under my shoulder blades and at the base of my neck
* talking becomes weak and labored
* agoraphobia

After a week of feeling somewhat better, I'm flat on my back again today with extreme vertigo and agitation. My parents, close to 70 but both feel a heck of a lot better than me, are having to pick up my kids from lessons today and taxi them around. My mom still works 3 days a week, but she is now starting to talk about quitting her job so she can take care of me, and help me take care of the kids. It may be necessary, but the whole thing is just so depressing and overwhelming. Why am I so unable to care for myself? I'm only 42.

And how does a person know if they're suffering from peri or just from anxiety by itself? The million doctors I've been to don't seem to have any of these answers.

Dear 'mtn-steph'
By the long description of your symptoms you are Menopausal.This alone can bring on mood swings,anxiety etc as the Hormones fluctuate.I was fully Menopausal so feel fairly confident in sharing this with you.BHRT or HRT can be very useful in helping to alleviate these symptoms.
You are still young and have lots of responsibilities so yes you are bound to feel over whelmed and depressed.
It is very sweet of your Mother to offer to take on helping you out so much but it may overtire her.
A small dose of Xanax,prescribed by your Doctor,can help lessen the anxiety until you find a Gyno. who is willing to take you seriously and sort out how you will manage your transition.
Believe you me you have to be forceful and very pro-active.Don't let anyone brush you off till you have answers
I have been on HRT for many years and am very happy with the results.

Please remember you are not alone
We are all here to help and support.
So keep posting and let us know the outcome

Warm Wishes
Elizabeth

[Jaemama]

Hi Mtn-Steph,

I am sorry to hear how poorly you've been feeling. You are so blessed to have your parents around to help you, though. My dear Mom passed suddenly 2 years ago and I was lost for awhile there. On top of that, I started developing all kinds of symptoms including depression/anxiety, stomach problems, heart palps, a raise in bp etc. I thought it was all due to grief and stress from losing my Mom but hind-sight is 20-20 and I believe it was the start of perimenopause.

Anxiety/depression is one of the symptoms of peri so that is probably what you are experiencing. I hope you get a good doctor to help you out with whatever will help relieve your symptoms whether it be supplements, HRT/bHRT or ADs. Whatever works so that you can get back to being yourself again soon. Take care!

[sunnylou]

I am struggling with the same question. Which came first the hormone imbalance or the anxiety disorder? I'll let you know when I find the answer. I particularly like your description of looking at the world through cellophane. That describes what I do perfectly.

[Michah Hadley]

Sweets, my peri symptoms were so bad I was misdx with Bipolar II rapid cycling and put on lithium and anti-psychotics.......it made no difference.......the symptoms before that were so bad and I deteriorated slowly over 4 years until I finally crashed........peri was discussed in those 4 years but the drs said no because of my age and the blood. I also had goiter(enlarged thyroid) so all this stuff was going on, NONE of it made sense and we all ran around in circles.....much trauma

The only people after a while that believed me where my shrinks.......5 months ago I came off rhe lithium and anti-psychotics, I found a dr who dx me PROPERLY and my thyroid got sorted. I am now on the pill and have noticed some small but significant changes in how I feel. I do have a long mental health history before all this began, and I can tell you that a panic disorder is not your primary health concern. Panic and anxiety are definitely symptoms of peri, and maybe because I have HAD a panic disorder many years ago, I was adamant that what I was suffering this time was organic in nature, not cognitive.......It WAS NOT the same......Trust your instincts, even if no one else does.

Keep pushing for answers babe, keep screaming until someone will listen.......it will happen......take care of you