Hi all,

It's been a while since I last visited. I have been doing well, overall, therefore I am scared and confused as to what's going on with me this morning. At 5:30 am, I awoke to internal shaking, a heart rate of about 110, nausea, weakness, and a lot of urine output. I always have a lot of urine output when I have these type episodes. I checked my blood sugar and it was normal. My blood pressure was 140/90, which is way high for me since I'm usually a 90/54 kinda gal. I took a little bit of Tenormin for the blood pressure and the heart rate, but it never seemed to do much for the heart rate. I was standing in my bathroom combing my hair for a few minutes, then I came and sat back down on my bed and had one of those strange sensations in my head, like I was going to pass out, very strange feeling in my head. I've done this for a few years now, just every now and again, I have no idea exactly what it is. Could it be an arythmia? I don't know, I'm frustrated because I don't have a clue what this is, and it won't go away. I'm in bed again. Nauseated, bladder hurting, weak, and just very frustrated. Is this typical of perimenopause or do you think I should be concerned about other issues, like my heart? When I first took sick with all this back in July, my doctor ran every test known to man and couldn't find anything wrong. I'm supposed to see an endocrinologist in February. Can anyone relate to any or all of this? Or am I just goin' wacko!...lol (I have to joke or I'll cry)...

Thanks and much love, Megan

Hi Megan, I was feeling this way just yesterday. I seem to have those spells too! So just know you are not alone and not going crazy! I have them off and on too. If you have had all the testing and everything came up normal, I am no Doc but I am sure you are fine!! My bp is usually 120/62 and yesterday when I went to the gyn it was 133/71. Which I thought was really high for me but she said it was within normal range. I had palps and woke up with the sinking feeling in my chest yesterday morning and this morning. My anxiety was really high yesterday though. Anywho, this isnt about me, it's about you and I am sure you will be fine and are fine:) Welcome to the board!! I think this is all just the peri roller coaster and it is no fun but we will make it through together!

Hugs,
Kim

Dear Megan

Sorry you been having a rough time but honestly it does sound very stress related curtesy of Menopause. However, I think it is great that you have had everything checked out fairly recently and all was well.Seeing an endocronologist is a good thing because it will give you aclearer picture regading your Hormonal and Thyroid status

Stay as calm as you can,always eat breakfast.Protein is great and will prevent a sudden drop in blood sugar which can give that lightheaded feeling.My bladder was very painful about a year ago with lots of urine output.I did have aminor infection that was cleared up quickly.

I do hope all will be well.In fact I am sure it will be but do please keep us posted.Have to run to the bathroom!My bladder does not seem to hold two small cups of Peppermint Tea very well

God Bless
Elizabeth

hi Kim:) Oh this is so frustrating! I have all sorts of health issues...lots of allergies, lots of food sensitivities, anxiety disorder, depression, hypoglycemia, mitral valve prolapse syndrome, IBS, chronic fatigue, perimenopause, and the list goes on. I want to try all these herbs, vitamins, and healthy foods, however, with the IBS and food sensitivities, it just makes it so difficult to try different things. Anyway, my head aches today, so this could be sinus related. I'm going to load up on lemon water and try and eat. Thank you for your support!

Hi Elizabeth:)

As you can see from my reply to Kim, I'm a big ol' mess it seems. But I'm a fighter and I have God on my side, so I'm a winner either way. Oh and I know all about the bladder not holding two cups of anything! Mine keeps me up all night it seems. Oh well, it could be worse. My brother's mother-in-law is undergoing open heart surgery as I type this, so I feel guilty to even complain.

Thank you for the support and Blessings to you also!:) Megan

Hi Megan - You sound like my twin sister. I had this same thing happen to me a couple of weeks ago. I have always had anxiety disorders, and panic attacks, but for the most part I have had that under control for years. All of a sudden in the middle of the day, same stuff you are talking about - bang - out of nowhere. And it lasted for over an hour. Like you - racing heart, higher blood pressure, internal shakes, weakness, dizzy and lightheaded......

I think, my dear, we both experienced a full blown panic attack. All the symptoms are panic attack symptoms. (very useful - but read it when you are very calm - someone posted a list of panic attack / anxiety symptoms in the anxiety forum just recently- sorry don't remember the post title, but it is pretty obvious if I recall. It listed a symptom, then why it happens etc... It is amazing some of the things are bodies can do to us)

What I don't understand is, why out of the blue. I was doing great. Now, not so great (but slowly getting better) One large panic attack, and then for weeks I am fighting anxiety and trying to recall all my little tricks to talk myself down instead of going into another full blown panic attack.

FYI - I too have a lot of your medical issues (are you sure you aren't my long lost twin sister?) Anxiety disorder, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome and yes - I have a prolapsed mitral valve too. DO YOU KNOW (you may, but I didn't know for years and years - you would have thought one of the many many doctors I went to would have told me - maybe they didn't know then ) THAT most people with mitral valve prolapse suffer from some level of anxiety disorder and panic attacks. I don't know that the Medical community is sure of the nature of the connection, but nevertheless they go hand in hand. It sure helped me to know that when I was finally told. It helps to say - OK ME - A is causing or contributing to B

Hope a little bit of this may have helped you - and do go read that post on anxiety (but again, do it after you have stopped being so anxious - as I read it while I was anxious and was getting more and more so the further I read)

HUGS - Dana

Hi Again -

That post is in the anxiety/ stress/ nervousness board and was posted by Mydarling. Titled Panic Anxiety symptoms list.

Hi Dana:)

I've had panic attacks for over 20 years now and this isn't exactly like my usual attacks. But, I too have considered that this may be a different kind of anxiety attack than I'm used to. Usually I have reasons for my panic attacks. I've never just had one out of the blue, they're always situational. But I got to thinking that maybe these episodes are out of the blue panic attacks? I dunno. Usually my blood sugar will drop and then my blood pressure goes up. But my blood pressure goes up sometimes and my blood sugar will read normal. That freaks me out. I only weigh in at about 114 lbs. and I've always had low blood pressure, so this is strange. Since you have MVP did you also realize that you can have Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome without actually having a prolapsed valve??? Strange huh? Yes, I attribute ALL of my symptoms and health issues to MVPS. I have a wonderful book on the subject called, "Confronting Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome". It explains it all and has really helped me to better understand the whole condition much better. It's the root of most, if not all, of my health issues. I read that some people are born with this "glitch" in their autonomic nervous system. I was born 2 month premature and am sure this may have something to do with it. I believe I've had this MVPS all my life, even as a child I had many issues. Anyway, I guess we'll make it through! I am so tired of the struggle. I mean, it seems that it's something to deal with every single day. '07 was one pf the best years I've had so far. I began hiking in the hills and even hunting. I was in the best shape that I've ever been in. I could hike and walk all day long, it was great! And then just as hunting season was beginning in '08, I went down hill with a capital D! Horrible and so depressing. I'm supposed to see a psychiatrist in a few days and hopefully she'll be able to prescribe some sort of medicine that my system will tolerate. Do you also have medicine sensitivities? I can hardly take anything at all, not even Tylenol. I mean, I can take like a chip of a Tylenol for pain symptoms. Any more than a chip and I start shaking, my head crawls, my palms get sweaty and I get nauseated terribly. It's insane and I cannot find a doctor who will believe that I can feel the effects of such a tiny amount of medicine. Very frustrating to not be believed. But I've gotten pretty much used to it. Well, thank you for the support. Maybe things will get better soon...but I'm not holding my breath.

Love, Megan

No, I didn't realize you could have the syndrome without having a Mitral valve prolapse. I am pretty sure I have had mine since birth - as I had a heart murmer, but back then they didn't have the fancy testing equipment. I started having panic attacks in late high school and was diagnosed then. But looking back, I was always anxious, even as a little kid. I used to have issues with tight clothing around my neck and told my mom I felt like I was choking (this is a 3 or 4 year old) and would get all kinds of symptoms whenever something different would be happening (good or bad) I had problems dating, because the excitement would make me physically ill.

I will have to locate that book and read it. I think it could be interesting, and may explain more for me.

I do have some medication sensitivities. Aspirin, Advil etc... gives me horrid lower gut cramps and diarrhea. Tylenol luckily doesn't bother me at all, except I think it raises my blood pressure (yes, it can do that) also I am allergic to several antibiotics.

I honestly think you may just be having a different kind of panic attack. Seems we just get a handle on one thing, and with me anyways, then my body finds another way to lash out at me. For example, I have a lot of trouble with Irritable Bowel syndrome, but funny enough, when I start getting really anxious and having panic attacks, I have no trouble with that at all. Same thing happens when I get the feeling like I need to urinate all the time - the other things go away. It is like my body needs to get rid of the stress or whatever somehow, and it comes out in different ways at different times. Strange.

I hope everything goes will with you at the psychiatrist - I have seen several over the years and never found them to do me much good. Most of the drugs haven't helped either. Several antidepressants - none did anything. Plus the usuals. The only thing that did help me is Buspar. I have recently gone back on it after being off for years (relatively quiet years) but with the Peri - came the symptoms again.

Take care and let me know how things go.

Dana

Welcome to peri menopause! This was one of your initiation. I am so sorry that no one gave you a heads up. No one gave me a heads up either.

Racing heart, higher BP, shakes, etc are all part of peri and can actually just be a hot flash. Who would have known that a hot flash could start out like that?

So take a deep breathe, you will make it. I am on BP meds because my anxiety and lack of peri knowledge just sent me through the roof. It is just one of my peri symptoms and I deal with it with meds. I am also on generic Celexa and it helps so much!

The racing heart is so uncomfortable but you wont die. If your dr will give you xanex, then take that. If not, order Seredyn off the internet. it works just as well as Xanex for me.

Peri - tell me more about Seredyn. I have never heard of it and could sure use something to bring me down a little when I get all panicky.

Megan,
Yes you described me to a T, about 2 years ago I was so blessed to have finally had it figured out for me, now I say for me because everyone is different

Since I wasnt getting this every day I started to write down and journel when it did occur, it seemed to happen right around my period time then Poof it was gone.

I also had all kinds of test done and all they wanted to do was give me meds, I said no way this isnt all month long and I dont want the side affects of meds.

So to make a long story short I finally went to a new doc, my familys doc and told him I had gone to so many docs , gynos etc and I wanted him to crack the Code, LOL.
He took my BP at that time and it was 170/100, Yikes he wanted to start me right away on drugs I said NO.
I have white coat syndrowm ALSO which means when I go see a doc it goes sky high the BP I mean.

So he did an ECHO of the heart, tested the cartoid atery etc to rule in that it was also white coat syn

So he said , OK I am going to try one more thing before you have to take BP meds, since it seems to happen around your period it seems as if it is a PMS thing more than a heart thing.

So he put me on DIUERTICS and POTASSIUM, would you believe it WORKED NOW 2 years later I dont get the spikes and if they come around my period they are so minimal and not an issue, Once in a blue moon I might get a bit of light headedness but nothing like the passing out things.

I sure hopes this helps, see if your BP are happing around this time either before your period, durring or after or all 3, ask your doc you have nothing to lose right?

Take care
Tinks

QUOTE (sanandreas @ Feb 8 2009, 12:33 PM)

Peri - tell me more about Seredyn. I have never heard of it and could sure use something to bring me down a little when I get all panicky.

Google it. There is a lot of info on the website itself. It is all natural. it has l-theanine, valerian, and passion flower.
I tried to come off my meds last year. it was terrible and didnt work! But when I was ooing through the roof, I would take the Seredyn and by golly! it worked. I just would have been taking it every few hours to live so I had to get back on my meds. I use it when I have a piano recital with my students or a choir performance. Also if I cant sleep, it works.

I really recommend it.

Bless you

Calms forte by Hylands also worked on jitters. I took 2 of those last night. I woke up at 2am and it helped me sleep till 7.
I get insomnia the week before my period, even on m meds

I will look up the Seredyn. Haven't tried the Calms Forte, but have been using the Nerve Tonic by Hylands. It does some but would like it to do more. Might try the Calms next time.