Hello All.I have read through some of the posts on this board and felt the need to share my story. I'm 31 yrs old with three children. I have experienced so many different symptoms in the last 9 months that all started shortly after after turning 30. It first started with heartburn then once that was taken care of I started having stiffness in my neck, muscle spasms, and back pain. Those symptoms eventually went away but then I started having burning mouth syndrome, pain at the back of my mouth, eye pain, and jaw discomfort. It's always something where as soon as I get relief for one symptom, another one comes.

Recently, I started having a lot of pressure in my head. Sometimes it feels like my head is in a vice and tons of pressure in the forehead area. I also started having an on/off feeling of a knot in the temple area. Sometimes I feel pressure in the bridge of my nose. I thought it may be due to sinuses but I don't have any nasal congestion. About a week ago, I started feeling vibrations/shakiness in my head. It made me quite anxious which made it worse. I went to my GP but I have been seen for so many things that at this point I feel like he pretty much thinks I'm exaggerating.

I noticed some day ago that the shakiness in the head subsided but I started feeling it in my chest and back. Sometimes I can feel it in my legs when walking. I took a muscle relaxant thinking it was spasms but that didn't stop it. I usually do not drink alcohol at all but I was so desperate to stop the internal shaking that I drank a cooler (5% alcohol content per 8oz glass) and that calmed it a bit but didn't completely stop the internal tremors.

Now, I'm having this internal shakiness almost all day long. When I'm busy doing something and not thinking about it, I don't really feel it but when I sit down, lay down, or try to relax, it gets worse. I am afraid that its MS, Parkinson's or a tumor. I've had all kinds of blood tests and the only thing negative that came back was a low Vitamin D level. I have been to ENTs who said my sinuses look clear although I haven't had a scan. I've been to a neurologist who gave me an examination and said all appeared to be fine and suggested I drink more water. I have NOT had a cat scan done yet as the neurologist said that based on my exam he saw no need to do one. I saw an oral surgeon who gave me a mouthguard due to me grinding and clenching at night. I saw a gastroenterologist who gave me an upper endoscopy and the results came back fine. I saw an optometrist because I've been feeling pressure in my eye and she said all looks fine except for dryness. She said that I looked anxious and needed to try and relax.

I was going through a stressful period last year and all of the docs seem to think my symptoms are anxiety related but even when I don't feel stressed out, I still have these symptoms. For me, it feels like the symptoms cause the anxiety, not the other way around.This new sensation of having a motor in my body or that of a cell phone on vibrate has me really anxious. I don't know what could have caused this. I was taking fish oil supplements and Alpha Lipoic acid for about 3-4 weeks and then stopped so I was thinking that perhaps this is some kind of withdrawal from the supplements?

Also, over the last several months I've had terrible acne flareups. Last year I was given spironolactone by a dermatologist who suggested that my skin was probably breaking out due to hormones. The spiro totally cleared up my skin but I stopped taking it when I experienced my first in a series of symptoms which was the heartburn. I'm wondering if the shakes may be due to a hormonal imbalance? I do get PMS (started several months ago whereas I never had it before) and I'm due to start my menstrual cycle in a few days. It always seems like whatever symptoms I do have they tend to be worse at this time.

I'm so uneasy right now (which makes things worse of course) and it's frustrating b/c my docs aren't too concerned and I feel like it's a waste of time making another visit to my GP. I can't see my neurologist until July. I don't really know what to think or what to do. I just got my order of magnesium (this helped my muscle spasms last year) calcium, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D. I'm going to order some grapeseed extract, liquid fish oil, and perhaps something to help with the hormones?

First thing, I'm sorry you are having a hard time,I feel for you shugg Have you had any hormone testing done ?

welcome, your story mirrors mine 17yrs ago, it started with the anxiety, then the nite sweats, the uneasy feeling that i had a terminal disease, in the beginng i also turned to alcohol cause it was so easy to take and all the worrys and pains went away, at least till the next day, after relizing that was not the answer and the hang overs were worse then trying to deal with my back pains and anxiety i quit, at about 36 yrs of age . i still get anxiety and pains i just dont have the hang overs to deal with on top of it !! in my case in was just some thing i grew out of, only thing i missed alot of my childrens child hood things, thats what i regret the most today being 49 yrs old....please dont let your self get to that place cause you can never go back , and time flys by so quikly, guilt stays with you for a long time !!! today my 3 children are adults, and i have 5 grand kids i enjoy so much !!!! hope you will find your way !!! peace be with you !!

Star:
I am not a doctor (I just play one on myself Through the last 5 years of being in peri hell, I've learned a little about hormones. Many people that have excess cortisol (and progesterone converting to cortisol) can have this symptom. You may want to have your doc check cortisol levels when you are symptomatic OR get a saliva adrenal stress index done. Diagnostechs and ZRT both offer..I think you can get them through Pete the pharmacist on this site.
Spiro blocks some receptors that have to do with aldosterone (a mineralcorticoid) and as a result aldo builds up in serum. Potassium is a good aldo antagonist..a simple experiment for you to try is to eat or drink something high in potassium and see if your symptom gets any better. In addition, if aldo is high..watch your salt and try to do just sea salt WEP.
Angie

Thanks for the replies. It feels good just having someone to communicate with who doesn't think I'm out of my mind or "imagining" stuff. I forgot to add that the last few weeks I also started getting terrible night sweats. I would wake up in a pool of water where I had to change my clothes. I also wake up throughout the night so I don't get a good night's rest.

As for drinking the cooler, I have no plans at all to turn to alcohol for help. I've seen too many people ruin their lives as a result of drugs and alcohol so it's not an option for me. I read online where someone stated IF alcohol does help than it's probably not something like MS or Parkinson's but if it doesn't help at all than it may be a more serious neurological disorder so thought I'd test to see if it gives some kind of relief. It didn't stop it so that just made me feel more anxious though it was a weak content of alcohol.

Aviano, how do I get in contact with Pete the pharmacist?

Im sorry to hear your having such a terrible time.

Just a suggestion, but you may also want to be tested for Lyme disease.

Good luck to you! Helen

I b.elieve something similiar is happening to me. I just did the saliva adrenal index test and am waiting for results. I have yet to do the urine catch test(second urine of day), I need to check but I think it's for the aldosterone. Do you think it would make a difference if I picked a day when I knew my symptoms would be at their worst? I keep a log and it happens off and on throughout my cycle. Could you explain this more. Something is going on with my cortisol. I believe it gets waaaaaay to high. THank You

You can get in touch with Pete the pharmacist by clicking on the link above to Bellevue pharmacy.... and good luck - welcome to PS

pookish

Thanks for the info. I was wondering something with regard to the internal tremors. My diet has been poor the last few months. It's not that I eat junk food but rather not enough veggies, fruits, calcium, etc. Sometimes I'll just eat cereal say at 2pm and then dinner at 7pm and some pineapples to get some fruit in for the day. I started taking supplements some weeks ago. I started taking 1000mg of Fish Oil and 300mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid. I was also taking 10,000IU of Vitamin A and 2500mcg of Biotin.

About 2 weeks ago I stopped taking the supplements because I ran out of them. Several days later is when I noticed the weird sensation in my head that felt like vibrations/buzzing inside of my head. I then started experiencing he internal tremors in my chest, back, and legs.

I know alpha lipoic acid is actually suppose to be good for calming down tremors. Is it possible my body is reacting to the abrupt stopping of taking the supplements? I have a new bottle of 300mg acid lipoic acid and am going to start taking it again.

I am so sorry you are feeling so awful. It sounds hormonal to me, but I am not a doctor. Relax they say? yeah right, three kids and feeling like crap, tell them to relax. If I had a dime for every time someone told me that. Dont' they think we want to?

The good news is you've been to several doctors who say you are fine, so I think they may really indicate hormones. Maybe a visit to the gyno would be helpful.

If you are clenching and grinding your teeth, your temples and cheeks can hurt, my tmj is really acting up and all those things make it worse. i her muscle relaxers help that alot.

Keep posting and reading and talking to us, it will help.

Hang in there.

Thanks for your reply. Last night was awful. I had the shakes really bad and was thinking about going to the ER but didn't want to sit there for hours as the wait time is double the norm with people scared of having the swine flu.

I decided to take a benadryl and it "opened" up my head which felt good and made me tired. It didn't really help to lessen the internal shaking but made it more tolerable. I was focusing more on the tremors before taking the benadryl which made the tremors worse so the benadryl provided some relief.

This afternoon, I woke up with hardly any internal shaking but I started thinking about it and could feel the "shakes" starting to come on. I took my Vitamin C supplement that contains B Vitamins and other good stuff along with the Alpha Lipoic acid. I also "plugged" my ears with some cotton that I soaked in warm olive oil. So far, I'm having some shaking/vibrations but not nearly as bad as yesterday. Hopefully things will start to get better for me sooner than later.

As you said, it's difficult to relax when you have 3 small children. In all honesty, if it weren't for my kids I don't think I would be worrying as much about my health. We all know we are going to leave this world one day but I just want to be around long enough to see then grow up and possibly be around long enough to see my grandchildren. That is all I think about... living for my kids.

As for it being hormonal, I'm going to take a test and look into a supplement that may help with it. My doctor suggested Black Cohosh when I asked him what's good to take to keep my hormones in check.

Hi Star,
Glad you found Powersurge,hope you find lots of comfort and answers,as i have.
It,s a horrid time,all the advice i would give is get what you can checked out with Dr to reassure your mind,and to just read lots and lots of posts on here.
You could be right on vitamins etc if you have just stopped taking them.
Ive just had a Dr prescribe me Evening Primrose oil 1000mg 3x a day,he said women aren,t taking a big enough dose,i,m on this for 3months then cut down to 1x 1000mg day.
Take care Star

Dear Star42,

So sorry to hear you are going through this! I started having similar problems way back when I was 31 (twenty years ago). I remember that I also had a vitamind D deficiency at that time, and I had taken several rounds of antibiotics trying to beat an inner ear infection. I gradually improved (six months) and eventually felt completely better (ten years) until meno-madness hit. Anyway, it was soooo hard, especially because I wanted to be a good mom. I didn't die, and although it was difficult, my children were not emotionally scarred or severely shortchanged. (Nobody knows how hard it was for me to keep going, but I learned that I could and that it was best for my sanity if I did.)

Questions for you: Do you have heart palpitations (MVP)? Have you taken Ciprofloxacin or any quinolone antibiotic in the past few months? These might be avenues for you to explore. (They were both factors in my illness.) I would suggest getting medical tests to rule out concerns as quickly as possible. Otherwise your anxiety might get the upper hand. Please know you're not alone. Our hearts go out to you!

~ Jeri

Hi All. I hope you're enjoying your Memorial Day. I'm so glad I found this community.

Jeri, I do get heart palpatations at times. A few months ago I was getting a weird fluttering sensation in my chest. It happened when I would lay down, sit down, or doze off. My heart would feel like it's skipping a beat. That finally stopped but it made me worry so I went to the ER at the time and they gave me my 3rd EKG for this year and all came back fine.

I am wondering if there is a such thing as taking too many supplements? I don't mean high doses of them... just too much? I have Vitamin C (1000mg) that contains B-vitamins, Calcium and Magnesium, Alpha Lipoic acid and a separate bottle of Vitamin D (1000IU) .. I am looking at buying Grape Seed Extract, Fish Oil, Hyaluronic Acid with Chondroitin Sulfate, and Black Cohosh Root with licorice and Dong Quai. Does that sound like too many supplements/herbs to take on a daily basis? I actually see some other supplements that sound good but don't want to push it. I admit that I'm fairly new to taking supplements but find the need to take them as I don't get nearly enough of the vitamins and nutrients that I need.

Also, has anyone tried the PS ACTIVE WOMAN'S MULTI-VITAMIN? It looks like it has everything in it. That last two days the internal shaking/vibrations have been more tolerable although there are periods in the day when they come on stronger. Sometimes I only have them in my head which is the worse or in my chest. I notice I have vibrations in my feet when walking that travels through my legs. There are other times when I seem to have them throughout my entire body.

Hi again,

Heart palpitations certainly seem to be a symptom of menopause, but some of us have a (sometimes rather severe) set of symptoms related to mitral valve prolapse. This syndrome is triggered by hormone changes such as childbirth and menopause.

As far as supplements go, it sounds like you're taking separate and appropriate doses of important nutrients. I would suggest adding only one new supplement at a time and waiting for a week to note any side effects or improvements. If you start several at the same time, you won't be able to pinpoint changes.

Take Care,

JC

Hi All. It's been awhile since I posted (kids keeping me busy for the summer) but I just wanted to give an update. For awhile the "inner tremors" subsided a great deal and I had days where I felt almost normal again. I was taking supplements and thought they were the reason for me feeling better. About two weeks before my monthly cycle I started feeling mild symptoms again with regard to the internal shakiness, fullness in head, teeth aching, left facial pain/numbness, left eye twitching. The symptoms started to decrease once my cycle was over. I notice with regard to the "twitching" that it tends to be when I'm over tired and have gotten little sleep.

I had an appointment with my neurologist last Tuesday and he said I have what looks to be a minor tremor in my left hand and bottom lip. He said he didn't see anything after doing the exam that indicates any serious neurological problem that needs to be addressed. He said the eye twitching is common and probably the result of tiredness and all of the screen time at my pc. I'm going to have an MRI done on July 30th just to be sure but he says he thinks all will come back fine. The only thing he noted is that my pressure was high when I first came in. I believe it was 141/101. He said the bottom number was high and a concern in a "healthy 31 yr old woman." He checked it again before I left and it was 140/87. He said it was still slightly high and made a note to monitor it.

He also did blood tests and called me with the results today. He said everything came back normal "as expected" except my blood sugar was a little low. The number is 69. He also said my calcium level was a little high too. I neglected to ask him what the result was and now I'm anxious as ever b/c I just got finished reading that high calcium levels is a sign of cancer.

He said he was going to fax the results to my GP so I can follow up with him . I do know that in Dec my GP told me that my Vitamin D levels were low and advised me to take 1000IU of Vit D per day. I did that for a month and then stopped. I started back again about 2 months ago but I was taking anywhere from 400IU to 800IU per day and skipping days in between. I also was taking a calcium supplement for about 3.5 weeks and stopped taking it about 2 weeks ago so I don't know if that has anything to with my calcium levels being "a little high." I don't think I took it long enough for it to be too high. I was taking 1000mg of calcium. I don't each much dairy aside from the milk I get from 2-3 bowls of cereal each day.

All I know is that my anxiety is through the roof and it's going to be a long night for me. I really see that my anxiety is becoming a real problem. I didn't think so before despite doctors telling me that my symptoms probably stemmed from being anxious but I notice that I worry about something new each day. I'm over analyzing everything that pertains to my body.

Anyway, thanks to whoever reads this. I just needed to share some thoughts out loud.

Hi Star, Welcome to PS. I hope you find the answers you are searching for. I have read your entire thread and one thing that jumps out at me is your diet. It sounds like you eat very little in the way of variety. From what you said in one of your earlier posts, you don't eat breakfast until "a bowl of cereal at about 2pm" then eat dinner. I'm not suggesting that all your symptoms are diet related but eating the way you do (if I'm getting this right) is not adquate from a nutritional standpoint. You can take all the vitamin supplements in the world but your body will absorb nurtients from food much more efficiently than from pills. One thing I was thinking while reading this thread was that you probably had hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels) and then you said yours was 69 at your last lab testing. In the hospital we have a protocol that calls for giving the patient a snack and/or juice and retest if they have a level under 70. If it is still low we are to push an high % glucose IV solution to get their glucose level back up to normal. This may not be the source of all your symptoms but I'd be willing to bet some of them are made worse because of it. Do you think you could try to eat a more balanced diet? I would actually suggest 6 small meals (fresh fruit and some cheese or 1/2 sandwich and glass of milk for example) per day and see if it makes any difference in how you feel overall. It just might help and it's pretty simple to do. Just a suggestion, if it doesn't work no harm done. Good luck I hope you find the problem and feel better soon.

Jan, thanks for the reply. Yes, I do need to start eating a more balanced diet. Today, I ate 2 bowls of cereal (Rice Krispies) around 1:00pm. I later ate chicken (one drumstick) with some rice. Then, more rice later on and that's it. Some days I do eat much more but it's in the form of more bowls of cereal, a sandwich, and dinner. I do have days where I will eat eggs and bacon for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and then dinner. I am going to work on my eating habits.

As for the glucose levels, my neurologist said he checked it b/c he thought it may be too high but turns out it was the opposite. I don't drink soda at all and barely drink any juice. I try to drink 2-3 cups of hot green tea with no sugar, honey, or anything added each day. I drink 1-3 glasses of water and I'll have a couple of glasses of cold green tea with ginseng which contains 16g of sugar per 8oz glass. I'm afraid to take in any calcium now after hearing that the blood test showed my calcium level is a "little high."

I'm going to make an appt with my GP and report back after speaking with him.

Star 42...Hello There....Boy do I wish I could talk to you on the phone. Your problems sound EXACTLY like mine. I don't feel so alone when I know other people are going through this. I started back in December 08, having anxiety, panic attacks, fear, you name it I went through it. I've been to my Doctor, an OB/GYN, Gastroenterologist, Counselor, 2 Psychologists, Naturopath, test after test done. My internal tremors started several months ago. Now those scare the crap out of me, along with numbness and tingling in my head and hands. You really start to feel like a hypochondriac..But I'm not. So I made an appt. with a Neurologist. He really dos'nt think anything serious is wrong, but wants to rule out MS to give me piece of mind. Today was my brain MRI. So I have to wait til Monday for the results..ugh! I finally had to start on Celexa a few weeks ago to control my anxiety, as much as I did'nt want to. So far I am doing ok. I have said from the beginning this is all hormonal, but all my docs say anxiety. WHATEVER. I just know that my life is not what it used to be. I constantly fear something is wrong. Why? It's soo draining! I HATE meds, but I don't have a choice right now. Sorry if I'm rambling. Good luck with your scan on the 30th. DJ 1963 P.S. One more question....Does anyone live with a bloated stomach 24/7? Have a great weekend friends!!

I,m having that today all day my cortisol level is normal, thank the Hormones for that shakey and tingling hang tough we are here for you as weare all going through it together. LOL

You sound like me been in meno for 3 yrs. Went to all the Dr,s you did. All say the same thing lack of Hormones.

PS no withdrawl symptoms from omega 3 or fish oil I thought the same thing my Pharmacist friend says no.

Hi DJ. How did everything go with your MRI? I take one on Thursday and can't wait to get it over with. My inner tremors/shaking were so bad and I was close to going to the ER. My anxiety was through the roof as a result too. I started back taking 1000IU of the Vitamin D. I know when I had some muscle spasms last year, I took 800mg of magnesium and that helped a little. Well, I read reviews on a website where those who were diagnosed with fibromyalgia stated they bought magnesium malate (they say it's the best form for those with fibromyalgia) and it helped a bunch with the tremors, twitches, anxiety, and pain.

I bought that brand after reading all of the testimonials and I've been taking 425mg at night which seemed to help some. The shaking was so bad and I was so anxious and couldn't focus so I decided to double my dose the other day and take 850mg of the magnesium malate. After the second serving, I couldn't believe how I felt. The shaking subsided a bunch and I could feel a calmness in my body that I haven't felt in awhile. It relaxed me to the point where although the tremors weren't 100% gone, it was much more tolerable and I could sleep.

I took the 850mg again yesterday and felt good. My heart didn't feel like it was pounding fast and hard anymore. My muscles didn't feel tight like they usually do. The vibrations in my head and chest were barely noticeable. It made me feel relaxed and I actually took a nap which is something I don't do. It does kind of make you sleepy. I did read that one's magnesium levels drop before and during one's menstrual cycle and that one should take extra during that time. Also, I tried another form of magnesium in the past and it didn't help nearly as much as the malate form has so far. They say this form usually works in days as was the case for me. Well, I'll see how things go in the days ahead but for now I'm so thankful to get some relief. I'm not 100% but certainly much better than I have been recently. I took another nap today and the rest is much needed as I was not able to sleep well these past couple of weeks.

Hi All. Hope you're all enjoying the start of your weekend. Just an update. After the big wait to take my MRI yesterday, I ended up having to reschedule it for Monday. I didn't take the mag yesterday b/c I started having "the runs" so figured I'd lay off. I suffer from claustrophobia so I requested an open MRI. I thought I would just have to sit still for 10 minutes and be done. There are two different ones they are doing so I was told it would take 45 minutes total (20min for one and 25min for the other) I sat there in front of a nice plasma TV for about 10 minutes but had to move. When I was told they had to start over, anxiety set in big time. I started sweating and my heart started racing. It felt like my throat was closing and broke down and cried telling her I couldn't sit there anymore. So, I go back Monday to try it again. They prescribed a sedative for me to take on that day and say I'll be able to take the MRI without any problem after the sedative kicks in but I'm scared and don't know if I'll be able to do it.

Other than that, I got a print out of my blood results from Dec and compared them to the results from July. I notice that in Dec my glucose level was normal at 79 vs. 69 this month. My potassium in Dec was normal at 4.8 in Dec and high in July at 5.3. Ionized calcium in Dec was high at 5.11 and high again in July at 5.26. I thought I'd compare the differences to see if anything stood out because I didn't have any of the tremors/shaking in Dec.

Also, in Dec they tested for Lyme Disease and the reference range was <.09. My result was .08 and my doc didn't say anything about that result so I guess it's OK but the result seems pretty close to the range so I wonder if I should look into further testing for Lyme.

Hi all...I had my MRI, everything came back good. He wants to have me back in a month to do some kind of an electric test on my nerves. I am now experiencing tingling in my hands and feet, like their asleep. That of course adds to my anxiety, because I fear of Diabetes. (could it be hormonal) My numbers are always great, except my glucose, it is 106...ugh! I have literally felt like CRAP since I turned 45 last October. Will this ever end??? Star 42...ask them if a friend or your hubby can sit by you during your procedure. My husband sat next to me and rubbed my leg the whole time, or I never would have made it through either. Good luck on Monday...DJ

Hi All. So since last year I've complained about various symptoms including pressure in my head, neck pain, sensation of something in my throat, , nervousness, vision disturbances, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, hoarse voice, tremors, tingling sensations, numbness, etc. I have suffered from anxiety but I kept telling my docs that I feel it's the symptoms causing the anxiety, not the other way around.

I had a visit wth my GP yesterday an left there feeling awful. I told him about the on/off pain and tremors. With a sarcastic grin his reply was "and..?" I said AND I want relief. He went on to say that there is nothing he can give me that will make it stop. He said I'm "outside" the range of diagnosis. We talked about me seeing a psychiatrist and perhaps taking anti-anxiety meds to help me "ignore" the ongoing symptoms I have. I told him about the lump in the throat feeling and he gave me a referral to see an endocrinologist to further examine my thyroid although all blood work for my thyroid has come back fine.

Well, my neurologist called with the results of my MRI today and while I feel sad, confused, and uneasy, I'm glad to know that I finally got a diagnosis and that it's not "all in my head." He said that my MRA came back fine and that I don't have MS or anything BUT he said my MRI does show a Chiari 1 malformation. He said there can be 100 symptoms as a result and wants me to take another MRI of my cervical spine to see if I have syringomyelia with it. He said the MRI shows that the top part of my spine looks good but since syringomyelia can accompany a Chiari malformation he wants to "exhaust" the options and be sure. He said it's not anything I should worry about but of course I'm worried.

I read where it's something present at birth and some show no symptoms at all and others (mostly women) start showing symptoms in there 20s and 30s. Here are some comments I read from people with Chiari 1:

"A diagnosis of a Chiari is not a death sentence, it's a final diagnosis that make sense after all those other quacks have dismissed your symptoms as "in your head" and undiagnosable.It's a ticket to a repair that may bring you some relief."

"If I'm understanding you right, I get internal quivering all the time in my legs. Its like a vibrator inside. I also get muscle twitches that are constant. When these slight symptoms started happening and I saw a neurologist for the 1st time, he thought I was nuts!! He was very quick to blame it on stress and depression which I was not willing to do. I knew that something was happening to my body that wasn't normal. So I went through several Dr's and each would perform tests saying there was nothing showing. It took me a very long time but I stood my ground and finally got a clear diagnosis of Chiari Malformation this year."

"In august of this year I had an MRI of my brain and cervical spine. Finally the answer came. I have a Chiari 1 Malformation. This is where a portion of you brain drops down in your spinal canal. The radiologist missed it in 2005 on other MRI's and this is VERY common to happen. Even the best Dr's, Radiologist, neurologist, neurosurgeons, etc. know nothing or very little on this condition. To make a long explaination short. It can cause so many symptoms a doctor will think you are crazy."

Well guys, here is to hoping my next MRI doesn't reveal anything worse.

Okay Star, I have been reading this string tonight and am on pins and needles. How do you feel now since your diagnosis? Is there anything they can give you to help with your symptoms? Don't leave us hanging. I hope you are feeling better.

Hi
You are not alone. I just turned 47. In Jan of this year I began to suffer from alot of heartburn , IBS, acid reflux etc. My period skipped a month or so and after having severe periods for an entire year I was grateful when it did not come. I was so sick from my stomach that I took out my gallbladder in April and I was recuperating just fine and my period completely vanished.
First my Blood pressure started to rise abit. Then I noticed my perfect 75-80 heart rate was around 90 at resting. Then I started getting really bad headaches in the front and back of my head. Then my neck that suffered Whiplash years ago after a car accident started to hurt. Then I developed muscle spasms.
In one month I felt like I had gone from a very active 46 year old in perfect health except for my gallbladder issues from time to time to feeling like I was 90 years of age and spending my days in doctors office trying to figure out what was happening to me. I thought was it the anesthesia from surgery? I was suffering severe anxiety. I have always had anxiety but not like this. I would feel jittery and nervous and my long time internal medicine told me it was just anxiety and he gave me Cymbalta.
I took one dose and spent three days in and out of the emergeny room with super high BP and my heart literally racing out of my body. I had such a headache and very bad IBS and my arms had sporadic burning and the back of my neck. The er doctors were baffled except for one nurse from India who asked me " How old I was ? " and said to me " I think you are in menopause." MENOPAUSE?
I did not have nightsweats or mood swings. Those to me were typical meno symptoms. I was sent home and after a few days it subsided.
Two weeks later my anxiety was so escalated. I thought I had a brain tumor. I imagined every disease in the book. I looked at my three younger children ( of 7, the four oldest are married with families of their own) and thought My Goodness if I die I leave a 17 , 13, 10 year old). All I did was cry.
My doctor told me to take a Lexapro which I had taken for a few months years ago. I said OK.........
OMG I took that Lexapro and after one dose I was back in the er. Again they could not find anything wrong. High BP, crazy heart rate, IBS but this time I started to have this strange tremor like INSIDE. NO one saw it. No one felt it but ME. It was like looking at someone with Parkinsons but I was trembling ON THE INSIDE. It was crazy. It would come and go and come and go for about a week. I began to research rare diseases. For four months I saw an endocronologist who ran extensive blood work including some for diseases I thought I had to humor me. He is a great doctor who has been in practice for a long time and kept telling me its menopause. I saw TWO neurologist. I had brain MRI's MRA"s , cervical spine MRI , Thoracic MRI, I had about 10 EKGS, two echos' TWO stress test, a 24 hr heart monitor, TWO emg's, TWO eegs, one 48 hr ambulatory, I saw a physical therapist, had accupunture, purchased all these vitamins , slow mag, fish oil, estroven ( none of which I took no less) after my reaction to meds I refuse to put anything into my body. I keep telling every doctor who would listen that I would feel this inner vibration as if I had swallowed my cell phone on vibrate. First it started in my head, then my neck , then my chest, then it went to my back. One day here, one day there. I would squat to pick something up and my entire body would tremble but you could never tell by looking at me. My face had quivers, my eye lid would twitch, my cheek would go numb, my lip quivers, I get dizzy, I feel nauseous. I went to an MS specialist. I went to a Cardio. I had an endoscopy to see if they had left something in my body after surgery.LOL.....
During these four months I did not have any period. I went for a sono and a pap and a mammo.
At this point I was like a human guinea pig. I had tons of scripts for meds. Xanax, Elavil, Inderal and so on but I was so scared to take anything. I was about to go see a shrink because maybe I was just going crazy.
I would cry and look at my kids and feel so sad thinking I was dying soon. My husband has been a real trooper through this and sat right beside me through every test and every doc visit and at night when I just wanted to chop my head off. I get horrible pressure as if my scalp is going to blow off . I get burning in my upper back and neck. Honestly I could deal with all those things except for this annoying persistant tremor in my body.
By August of this year I was at wits end.
Then one day I did a websearch on internal trembling and found this site. WOW what a day that was.....
OTHER PEOPLE WHO TREMBLE LIKE ME, OTHER HUMAN VIBRATORS! YIPEEEEE I WAS NOT CRAZY for if I was what about all these tons of people who also feel what I feel and have all these test for other possible trembling causes like ( thyroid, diabetis etc) and all come out normal. They could not all be crazy. I even saw a neurosurgeon and asked him to open up my neck and find the cause of this trembling and remove it.....LOL He laughed...... He said he NEVER heard of my symptom and neither has any GYN doc thus far but in this sight live other TREMBLERS.
I began reading to 2001. Wow all these woman trembled then too and I began to realize that if it had not killed me in 5 months it was not going to kill me now. It was a nuisance, not a terminal illness.......
I began to relax. I even got my period last month. The GYN said I might not seen another one but at this point who cares. I just want to get perimenopause over with.
I am learning to live with my trembling. I use to rumble all night long in bed. I would toss and turn until it stopped. My heart still races out of bed before me if I am startled. As we rock a baby to sleep I start rocking myself to sleep and heart relaxes. I bought ESTROVEN but have not tried it yet. Some say that works. One doc handed me PREMPRO but who needs breast cancer years down the line?
While some women sleep drenched in sweat, I rumble. What can I do? At least I know I am healthy in every other respect. I also was very low in vitamin D and take a prescribed supplement. I lost some weight, I eat healthy.
I have good days and bad days. Some I rumble more. Some I rumble less. If I am stress I find I rumble alot when I try to sleep. They say it happens more when you are relaxed. I still rumble during the day but since I am busy I pay no mind to it and keep on doing what I am doing.
I think this site and realizing I am not alone has helped me relax more. I find that during the month before the date I was suppose to normally get my period its worse and then it subsides after.
I am learning to live with it because there is nothing you can do.
So you are not alone. Feel free to contact me if you want and THANK YOU POWERSURGE for saving me from the nut house!!!!

When it comes to the anxiety, shaking, vibrating - we could be twin separated at birth! I have no night sweats or hot flashes, but I twitch, tremble and shake with the best of them. At best, I feel like I'm holding onto the steering wheel of a car in motion. The vibrations are in my chest, arms, legs and most uncomfortable of all, in my head. At worst, I feel like I'm holding onto an electric fence with electrical vibrations coursing through my body. My lips also get very tingly, my fingers twitch and I too was sure I had some dreadful neurological disease. It's definitely worse when I'm under stress and I notice it much more when I'm trying to relax or sleep. What works for me is to take 1/2 a prescribed sleeping pill at night and to try to stay active through most of the day. This all started in July and my last period was in May. I didn't make the connection with menopause either until I found this site while googling "body" AND "electricity". It was a Godsend. So to all you movers and shakers out there - you are not alone!

I just had to add "ditto" to everything!!! The vibrations are one of the worst peri symptoms, last night I had them bad, but I kep telling myself I am ok..if it was not for PS Sisters..I would still be running to the doctors and resorting to alot more tests..ughhh..no thanks. Just like the above posters..too many tests, it really has a snowball effect on us, at least that is my 2 Cents..

WOW you had internal shaking 20 years ago? Did they go away? I took a month long dosage of cipro prior to gallbladder surgery this year. I have never been the same. I suffer from internal shaking, some days more than others. I buzz and buzz and buzz until I feel as if I am going insane. I have had every test imagineable, seen every specialist and they all tell me its in my head but after finding this site I see I am not the only one and its really happening to me. I started taking Neurotin because now I have sporadic burning spots on my body, no redness, just horrible burning and it seems to have helped. I keep my xanax bottle handy which I only took twice for those days when its unbearable.
Glad to know there is an ending..........Thanks for sharing.

Hi Meno Warrior

Thank You ! I was ready to commit myself until I found this site. I went to see a so called Menopausal specialist " last night who has been practicing for 36 years. I told her about my vibrating. She looked at me as if I had three eyeballs. At first she asked me if I had a therapist...LOL but after speaking to me she seemed amazed that there were 34 plus symptoms of menopause. And she is a meno specialist? LOL
Well, I told her PowerSurge saved my sanity and she asked me to write down the website and told me she couldn't wait to get home so she could look it up. Imagine that, I educated the meno specialist...LOL
What was her diagnosis? Like every other doc I have seen she was just as baffled. No answer. No cure.........I did however take Neurotin last night for the first time. I also have this sporadic internal burning which really hurts, I would rather vibrate and it took away the burning and seems to have calmed the shakes. I will cross my fingers.
Nice to have met you.
Feel free to email me if that is permissable. I am new to this site.
AVeryPeriMom@aol.com

Hi

I am new here and a vibrator as well. I had all the testing and its definitely Perimenopause, I am so grateful this site exist..
Its a lifesaver.......

Hi averyperimom,

My name is Maria and I also live in NYC. I am going through the same thing, only my tingling is in my left foot and right arm/hand. (Go figure- you would think its all on the same side of the body.) I am taking AD's for this and was doing good with not letting the tingling bother me for a few months. But a few days ago- bam- it came back which causes me to freak again which it brings the anxiety symptoms back.

So I was wondering did you have any luck in getting anyone who specializes with hormones in NY? A few years ago when I went through something similiar, I saw this quack in the city who supposedly wrote these books on hormones a few years ago, but he was so unqualified and it was definitely a scam. When I started questioning his credentials, he got scared and even gave me my $200 deposit back for his services (didnt take insurance). Seems like he was afraid I would report him. lol.

Thanks and I hope youre feeling better, Maria

Hi all. It's been awhile.

@AVeryPeriMom - Your symptoms sound exactly like mine. I too have had quivering and numbness in my cheek and lip. I have seen an endocrinologist and had a couple of more visits with my neurologist and GP. Still no "official" diagnosis from anyone. There were a few days when I didn't have the inner shaking and I was so much calmer and happier but that was short-lived. I wonder what made it stop? I'm only 31 yrs old so I don't think perimenopause is responsible for my symptoms.

As of now, I'm still having on/off twitching in my face, achy teeth, on/off pain behind my ear, pressure in face and forehead, slightly blurred vision, discomfort on the left side where my rib is (under the breastbone) and of course the vibrating sensation in my neck, chest, and head. I also "hear" a motor-like sound all day. It's more noticeable when I'm standing, sitting, or lying still. I'm going to take a pap smear soon as I realized I haven't had one for this year yet and was due to have one in the summer.

I saw an ENT today and he wants me to take a cat scan of my sinuses. He said it appears that I have some kind of allergy because the inside of my nose is bluish instead of pink. He also said that I definitely have a TMJ problem. He said the muscle is very tight and probably inflamed. He said this can effect the head, eyes, ears, neck, etc.

I told him about the motor/vibrating sensation and was pleasantly surprised that he didn't look at me like I was crazy. He said it can be caused by a few things but one in particular had to do with the carotid artery. He said people with that usually hear the "roaring" swishing, motor like noise and feel as though their blood is rushing from say your neck to your head. He said we will explore that but first he wants to do the sinus scan. I recall my GP mentioning the artery thing long ago (it was the only thing he could come up with aside from anxiety) when I first told him about the inner vibrations. He dismissed that as a possible cause because he said I'm way too young to even think about carotid artery disease being an issue.

So, that's about it for now. Aside from the cat scan and following up with my ENT, I plan is to have my iron level checked out and to pay a visit to the vascular surgeon I saw last year.

You ladies are so brave! I have to admire how well you are all dealing with the internal shaking. I had it about 3 years ago along with anixiety and fear of contracting Parkinson's like my mom had. I later found out it all stemed from the beginning of menopause. I still have the fear of getting Parkinson's and don't know how to get over that one, but the internal shaking stopped as soon as I began Lexapro. I took it for about 6 months and then weened off and the interal shaking has not returned. Thank God for that; I just don't know how I would deal with that. Again, please know that you are all so brave and I admire all of you! Hang in there and don't give up!

Happ1, Sorry to hear that about your mom. I have a friend at work with Parkinsons and it is really difficult for him and his family. I too am on Lexapro and have been on it for 2 1/2 months now, although I just went up to 20mg a week ago. My buzzing in my foot has gotten better, but I have also been doing back strengthening exercises like crazy, so that may have been what helped.

My question for you is do you remember how long it took for the lexapro to help with your anxiety. I have it every morning and the more I get depressed I have it each day, the worse I make it. Just wondering if you remember how long it took for it to work on you. I am getting worried its not working and dread having to try something new because of the increased anxiety when starting a med. I feel better with a half xanax, but wouldnt think almost 3 months into it, I would still need it, so I fight it and dont take it. also, does anyone take anything for anxiety that has helped them? Thanks and I pray for all of us ladies suffering with this. Maria

Kkuylen, It should not take that long for the Lexapro to work. I felt better within 6 days and felt the full effects within a month, but they say the average is 4 weeks. Try the 20mgs I know 2 people on that dose and it works fine for them. If that does not work within 4 weeks I would ask my Dr. for something else. I know one person on Prozac and one on Cymbalta and they like those meds (I never realized how many depressed/menopausal frieds I had until I wrote this). If the 20mgs work; GREAT! Just ween off of it very slowly either if you decide to stop now or in the future. I heard it could have lots of side effects if you go cold turkey. I weened very slowly and had no side effects. Best of luck to you.

Thankyou to everyone on this site. I too have done the rounds of specialists who all look at me blankly. All the electrical symtoms, the zapping in the head, the vibrating, the buzzing all over. It has been a nightmare not knowing what was wrong with me. I am 47 years old. Until January this year (2009) I had no symptoms of peri. Regular periods. Very fit. Doing triathlons. I decided to use a circulation booster (like a tens machine you place your feet on - used to increase circulation and relieve tired legs and to aid recovery from exercise). I had only used this machine 4 times on a very low setting when the day after, I started to experience sensations exactly like being on the machine - only I wasn't on it. And from then on it was all down hill. The sensations spread and intensified and morphed. Which comes to my question : have any of you had your symptoms triggered by use of such a machine. (TENS machine are extensively used by rehab and physios).
I have found a homeopathic treatment extremely helpful - Staphisagria 10M. It helps the communication between the hypothalamus and the pituitary.