Hello everyone. Sorry to title my first thread as scared but I'm scared. Can someone tell me if my symptoms might be perimenopause? Current doctor doesn't seem to know and I'm looking for a doctor who can help me but haven't found one yet. I'm in mid Michigan

-Strange sensation in my sinuses all the time like a popping or clicking along with my ears plugging and unplugging all
day every day
- Massive pressure in my head all the time and eardrum pains off and on
-Lips and nose go sort of numb sometimes off and on through the day
-I get these occaisional sharp needle pains in my skin here and there, legs, boobs, feet
-Very bloated in my upper stomach like I'm 7 months -
-Skin changes white patches here and there
-Real scared and shakey off and on through the days-can't get a grip
-Sometimes my arms feel like thier detached
-Upper stomach/chest pains? Both? Can't really tell
-Of course the symptoms cause horrible anxiety and usually drive me into full blown cluster panic attacks sometimes lasting all day and night which literally make me feel like I'm dying. Been to the ER twice in the past three weeks.
-Hot flashes and sweating episodes about 3 times a day

I'm 44 and have also been on synthetic thyroid meds for 25 years.

Two recent ER visists along with thier standard ER bloodwork. Also just had a CT scan on my head with no contrast along with a CT scan from the neck down with contrast that revealed a bulky uterus and some scarring on my lungs (ex smoker).

Also, does anyone have any experience with Soy and thyroid drugs? I've read not to use soy but I ordered some Revival and I'm planning on starting it tomorrow.

Sorry to use the word fatal in the topic. Kinda harsh. I don't see an edit option. Dawn

Hi Dawn,
I can understand how you are scared--but I do think your symptoms could indicate peri-menopause. Why don't you ask your doctor to check your FSH level? If it's high, it would be even more likely that you are peri-menopausal. Have you had any changes in your periods? I experienced anxiety when my hormones first went haywire, and it's absolutely miserable. Hope you are feeling better.

Thank you for the suggestion. I will request that test and if it is high it would certainly give me piece of mind and a starting point. I really need to know what is happening. With the panic attacks it's so hard to find a doc who is willing to get past just wanting to prescribe benzo's and antidepressants and send me home. Thanks again, Dawn

Dawn: I agree...and I'd go get a whole thyroid panel too. I feel absolutely horrible these days...I actually marvel at how bad I feel; it's truly awful. Hormones are powerful things and I think you are in peri.

hi there Dawn - I just wanted to offer you some support and welcome you to Power Surge. You have come to the right place. You will find someone that can relate to your symptoms.

Blessings
Suzanne

Hi Dawn:

Sounds like peri to me too. Talking to your doctor is an excellent idea. Coming here is an excellent idea too. Read the posts and you will find that everyone here has had those same symptoms and there are excellent suggestions on helping get through this rough time in our lives.

Welcome and hugs to you!

Hi Dawn,

Welcome! yes, this all sounds like peri! This can all be quite scary! The symptoms are out of this world, and seem to mimic many other diseases. Most of us here have had some pretty bad symtpoms along the way, and a lot of the ones you mentioned, i've had myself. I wouldn't be to worried if I were you.


Sincerely, MyDarling

DTURNER..........Geesh........you sound just like me!! I am going through the same thing and yep, I am in peri. I am 47. Have had every test under the sun and bloodwork too. Bloodwork is excellent and all tests are NORMAL!!! What helps me, and I know you said something about it...BUT, I take a half of a .25 Xanax and it helps tremendously!!Also, for the sinus thing........I just went to Ear Nose and Throat doctor and perimenopause can heighten allergies. Another one of the lovely symptoms!!! He gave me Nasaquort to try. I spray it once a day and it really WORKS!! My sinuses are getting better and better everyday. I don't have the clicking when I swallow and I can breath so much better out of my nose and my headaches are gone!! This summer has been pure hell for me as far as health anxiety and just anxiety in general. It all started in May and just this past week, I have never felt better in my life!!!!!Yesterday was the first day since May that I have NOT had to take that half of Xanax. I finally decided to take my stomach doctors advice (I think that I thought I knew more than he did) LOL So, here is what I have done...........I totally cut out coffee. It gives me hot flashes, and makes me shaky!! It can heighted anxiety. So, no more coffee. Every evening, at the advice of my stomach doctor, I drink Miralax. Keeping your bowels open (peri makes them sluggish) he told me hormones help regulate bowels, that is why some women have diarreha (i did) the whole week during their period (so true in my case) I notice that if I take the Miralax, I go everyday and I don;t have the pain under my rib and achy feeling in my kidney area. That is because my colon is not full and applying pressure in those areas. I do the Nasaquort every day and this keeps my sinuses open. I feel like my head is breathing again and there is no sinus pressures and no strange ear noises going on and no headache or eye pressure feelings. In the evenings I lay on my back on the floor and do some sort of leg exercises for about twenty minutes. It's a pain in the butt...but I have also found that it does help with the whole stress thing. So far, these things are working for me and I am feeling really good. My health anxieties about dying and having some sort of stupid illness where through the roof since May. I have had a colonoscopy in June, an abdominal CT scan, and lung scan (for clots or heartattack cause I was having chest pains and upper back pains), a brain MRI, intravaginal ultrasound, kidney scan, gallbladder scan, pancreas scan, liver scan, spleen scan and every bloodwork under the sun. You name it, I've done it and they are all normal. Gyno says I am in perio. I found this website and I see there are so many like me on here. THAT was when I decided, that I did NOT know more than the doctors and to just do what they have suggested LOL and so a week ago I did. Started my Miralax and the nasaquort and I feel great!!! I just hope the 'other' shoe is not about to drop hahaha I hope you feel better. This website is a Godsend. It is really awesome and you are not alone. From what you have posted, I am more like you than you could ever imagine !!!!! And, I am not dying!! Wooooooowhoooooooooooooo

Oh Dawn,
I really feel for you. I have been there, it is awful. I felt similar two years ago, cat scans, er visits, etc, all clear. It urned out to be perimenopause. Try to find a good gyn that will help you through it. Luckily after visiting the er and having tests you are ok, but, i know, feeling awful is still quite frightening and i remember thinking all the doctors were missing something. I had been at five or so different doctors and I though they were wrong! I went with the bcp route to get my hormones in check, lots of people do that and lots dont' it's a personal choice. For me, it was a quality of life decision, I couldn't live feeling the way I was. I am not 100% better, but much better off than I was two years ago. (ask my family)

ANyway, hang in there and keep posting and asking questions, that's what we're here for.
Also, the allergy season is bad on theEast Coast and I suspect there in Mich. too, so much of the head thing is probably that.

Good luck and I wish you a good day.

DTurner,
I can so relate to you right now. I am 38 and experiencing exactly the same symptoms, I finally posted here last week in hopes of help. This week was awful, had my very worst panic attack ever, I couldn't breath or walk, was shaking horribly, crying, gasping for air, while heart was racing and skipping beats. Made it to my parents home in this panic mode because I didn't want my children to witness it, I felt so lightheaded that I knew I was going to pass out...fortunately I didn't. This panic attack came so suddenly and I feel is due to my current situation, very bad sinus problems and allergies along with numbness too - lips, nose, cheeks and around eyes. It has frightened me so much all of these symptoms, especially how bad I feel emotionally. I worry all of the time and constantly touch my face to see if there is numbness. I cannot sleep, sleep only 2-3 hours a night. After Tuesday's horrific panic attack, my dr finally gave me another script for Xanax and Wellbutrin, although pharmacist advised against the Wellbutrin due to the panic attacks. Fortunately the Xanax is helping although I still feel ill at ease constantly.

I wish I could give you a big hug, it would probably make both of us feel so much better. I hope you are feeling better, my sinuses are doing exactly the same thing as yours....I live in Maryland. Please let us know how you are doing, this peri stuff is just awful and I pray to the good Lord that it ends for me soon. I've been experiencing some new buzzing on my body as well.

Best to you,
Tracey

Hi DTurner and welcome to PS!

Keep reading and learning. I too, have the weird head, sinus stuff. I had a diagnosis of eustachian tube dysfunction last January.
I went to the ear doctor so often, he finally told me not to come back ... really!

So, I take an antihistamine, neti pot once or twice a day and use the flonase each morning. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.
Which leads me to believe that this is hormone driven.

Also my panic disorder went into overdrive with peri.

You are not alone. You have many in the same situation here.

Hugs,

janeann

I've had my share of health scares and have also done many many tests. I still have the weird head sensations like constant pressure, pulling sensations even when I'm talking , sometimes eye pain, ear burning. The neurologists all say its anxiety and want me to start antidepressants again. Last year I was on lexapro because I thought I had colon cancer. Did colonoscopy and it turn out to be nothing. Been to the emergency twice. I tell you I don't look forward to waking every day because I know it will be another awful day for me.
Right now I just want to get rid of this head problem.
Good Luck.
Glor

Hi Janeann,

Hope you are doing well, I just read your post and was wondering if you could give me some additional info on eustachian tube dysfunction? This sinus thing has been terrible along with the ears...at one point, my ear hurt badly, that's what made me think there was something going on with the sinuses. Dr. says sinus infection and I agree, but the right ear has been bad too. Pressure, hearing muffled or less than the other ear, constant feeling that it is congested, etc. I'm taking levaquin and nasonex, doing the irrigation thing and taking vitamins/natural things. What symptoms did you have? I really noticed a problem this summer when I tried swimming in the deep end in the pool - my ears killed me with the pressure and fluid thing. I ended up avoiding going under water at all costs.

The other peri symptoms are bad as well. After reading this board, I realized that my sinus and allergy problem actually became a problem when all of the other symptoms of peri began surfacing, but I just didn't put everything together. My dr will not test my hormones, but I'm experiencing the majority of 34 peri symptoms and then some. Extreme anxiety which later turned into panic attacks was the first thing to hit several years ago along with some weird cycle stuff, hair loss, increase in IBS problems, depression, etc. Did your sinus problems begin with peri also?

I'm learning so much from these boards...honestly, it makes me wonder why I even go to the drs. They dismiss each and every symptom, say it's just PMS and tell me I'm too young to be peri which only fuels my anxiety and panic as I often leave the office more nervous and scared.

Thanks for your input,
Tracey