Just had to post. This site is becoming my saving grace. See I don't let anyone see what I am going thru, my husband knows that I have dealt w/anxiety, but he don't know the half of it. It is really hard for him to understand. And I am just trying to see if my anxiety is due to hormones, or what. I hope someone else out there can understand. I really have nothing to be anxous about, and yet though yesterday was an awesome day, today was one of those days whereas I delt w/it all day long.... Which again, leaves me to believe, it just can't be just anxiety, something internally must be triggering this feelings. How can I be fine one day, and the next day deal w/these feelings all day long....

I had shortness of breath, or the feeling like I was just winded most of the day. Well then of course the mind just go nuts, and that feeling of like you are in a fog. So I finally get enough courage to take my blood pressue, and it was 141/65, pulse 86. It surprised me that the top number was so high, so I decided to wait, calm down some, then went to 131/61, are not these numbers way out of range?? Well, then decided, well it's either an Ativan, or a beer. I know, I know, don't drink, but I did. Drank two beers w/in 2 hours, now took pressure again, 121/65. (Yes, I usually always run low bottom, and I should be really thanking God, since my mom has very very high BP since her 30's). Realistically, it seems to me that I am just putting myself in a tailspin, but why, why do I have to keep going thru this stuff. If I were truly ill, say some heart or lung issue, I really don't think my bp would be were it is. I just truly hate going thru this. It use to be once my period was over, I was fine, I was good to go for at the least a few weeks, it just seems now, it's a constant battle. Trust me, I am not lookin for attention or anything like that. I don't even have it in me to tell me husband what I am going thru, although he has seen my panic attacks. Can this all be hormones, I truly believe it is, based on my history, but why then can't I convince myself I ain't dying or something so stupid as that.....

Sorry ladies, I just really needed to vent this off my chest. And I truly thank God that I found this site, I hope y'all don't get tired of my ranting....

Thanks...Just lookin for a little reassurance from some others that can relate.......

Well you've certainly come to the right place!
I personally had no idea I was in meno until someone actually posed the possibility! Meno? What the? But as I started to educate myself through this site, I found that yes, there was a very distinct chance I was experiencing symptoms of perimenopause. What's it all about? No one's ever given me a definitive anwser and it's different for everyone, but at no other time in my life have I experienced such a clash of symptoms out of the blue. And I think this is what you're going through. It's all hard to understand. The hormone fluctuations and everything that eventuates from this is confusing and at times distressing. But take comfort. You are not alone. Read as much as you can about the symptoms that you are experiencing and you will find lots of advice, suggestions and most of all support. This site has been my saviour and I came across it by accident. Know that this part of your life will pass and there's help out there if you need it, it's just accessing it that can be the tricky bit. Post your concerns any time. You will always find someone who is at the ready to lend support. Take care and be kind and loving to yourself.
Gabby

Thank you Gabby, and like you said, it comes to you out of the blue. I am usually very rational, but just like when I was coming home from the grocery store today, I was like, what the heck is going on w/me, this is so not you. I just want to get to the other end of the road, I know that either it is all in my mind, or hormones playing w/my mind, cause I had a couple of drinks, and all of those feelings are gone. Yes, gals, I know watch what I drink, but today I just needed to let it go, cause it was driving me nuts. And then I remind myself, if a couple of beers or in other cases, an ativan takes the feeling of dread away, then you know it is something that you just need to deal with, but then why is it, my mind just don't deal w/it.

I know for a fact, the last several months, my body has been changing alot. More so than ever, I see the difference, I feel the difference, and the one thing that truly stands out is my cycle, that whole thing has changed the most for me, which tells me again, it is some crazy way all related....

The joys of being a woman, hey.....

My very first indicator of my early perimeno was an off the charts panic attack,it landed me in the er,I had never felt like that in my 30 years of life.I too have dealt with the irrational health anxiety-hate it.Every pain ache,numbness becomes deadly.I still have bad days,but I feel much better since I started low dose bcp.Tell your husband whats going on,it helps-My husband is one of my biggest supporters.GODbless

Hi Camo,

I did not see how old you are, but it sounds to me like you are having anxiety attacks, and anxiety issues. Why some women have really bad anxiety as peri approaches, I don't fully understand, but it was my situation also. I had panic attacks for years, before my REAL peri hit me. As if one is not enough, you eventually get both!

Truly, I think it is hormonal, but taking hormones doesn't completely cure it, for me it doesn't. I still deal with anxiety, on and off all the time. I think it all started for me at age 36, I had my first panic attack, and have had anxiety issue's ever since.

It may be a temporary issue for you, or it may linger for awhile, so be willing to learn about it. I had a REALLY bad time with it. It really got me down for a long wile.

The way that you know it is panic, is that it seems to come out of the blue, this is recorded in many books. Your heart may race, you feel tingling sensations on your face or lips, your hands can sweat. If you have a long day with it, you will feel exhausted. That's why I say, learn about it, learn to calm down, deep breathing (very slowly) helps.

I'm sorry you are going through all of this, it can seem very strange to feel so out of sorts, when life seems fine, but this is how anxiety happens to many of us.

Wishing you well, Juliann

Camo, I found this site looking to see if there was a connection between menopause and anxiety/panic attacks. Looking back I believe a had a few panic attacks for no reasons in the past few years, but did not recognise them as such. They thankfully were short lived and I managed to keep going, faking it, until they passed and they always did.

Back in March I had the mother of all panic attacks, thought I was having a heart attack, ended up in the ER....my BP was 170/99!!! I was totally freakin out!! Teeth chattering, couldn't breath properly, terrified, it was awful!!! I was told I was having an anxiety attack....embarassed!....was givin my first Ativan......and sent home with my tail between my legs. I totally felt foolish.

The Dr ran blood tests, had me on a 24 hour BP monitor....ecg....I was fine. So I just put it down to a weird moment that I had talked myself into. That I had caused it. And carried on.

My periods also stopped in March, haven't had another since.

Then in august while I was attending a funeral out of town...I started feeling really weird, not well.....couldn't sleep, although I hadn't been sleeping well for quite some time. I started having panic attacks out of the blue....I couldn't fly home...I cancelled my flight twice! My hubby had to fly down and fly home with me. It was a sad state of affairs. I got home and was no better.....anxiety to the max....woke up feeling horrible...had panic attacks walking around my house.....was pretty much bed ridden....it was the worst!! And I am normally a very strong, confident person, have always worked, taken care of everyone around me.

So I started doing some research to see if there was a connection between anxiety and menopause...and what do you know!! there is!! For the first month I took Ativan twice a day just to survive, I would not even say function as I was not functioning at a level beyond bare survival. I didn't work, I didn't eat, somedays I didn't leave my bedroom. I lost 20 pounds, I was a horrible mess.

I started Paxil in late September finally....I was getting nowhere without it....and by late October finally started seeing some improvement. I am now eating again..gained 2 pounds!!...and I get out of the house most days....I am still too fatigued to work a whole day, but am putting in some half days. I have to rebuild my strength as I lost muscle as well as fat from laying in my bedroom for two months!! It has been a very hard ride for me.

So yes, I believe hormones can seriously mess a person up!! I don't think you are sick with anything more than hormonally induced anxiety. I wish I had been more educated as my crash was hard!! If I had known, if I had recognised those early panic events for what they were, if someone had told me, if my stupid doctor (who is actually really nice) had even asked about my period.....he wasn't even aware I was menopausal, and for some reason I didn't think to mention it myself (I was kinda young to have stopped periods at 46) maybe I could have avoided what I would call a nervous breakdown!

So learn all you can, educate yourself......knowledge is power!

Best wishes
Kathie

Thanks gals, I really appreciate it....

I just turned 40, and also have endometriosis, so my cycle has ALWAYS been a mess.... One of the many weirdest things, is that for the first time in my entire life, my cycle is a normal cycle. See before I could 2,3, sometime 4 months w/o a period. Now it like every 25-28 days....

I had an issue w/anxiety in my early 30's which was totally related to some health issues I was having w/my son, and I think it too excerbated by the fact I had just given birth. For a few years, been pretty good, not to say I have had my days. It just seems the past few months has been HELL! And yes, in the past few months is when period finally got on track. I have checked the 34 symptoms, and I have about nailed them all.

You should of seen me last night, woke up, could sleep. Could hear my heart beating, which I freakin hate. So my mind starts racing, ah oh maybe my pressure is too low, and the same time saying to myself, you idiot your pressure is what is has always been, w/the exception when you get freaked out. I was finally able to calm myself down, go back to sleep. This morning a little better, dont feel as anxious and thank God I don't have that "I can't catch my breath thing", which I might add, I really hate too.....

Thank you ladies, and I thank God that I found this web-site. I know w/knowledge is power.

Thanks again....