I've lurked for a while on this site but haven't posted before. I think I am going out of my mind. I am post-menopausal by 2-3 years and have been on HRT the last several months because of not sleeping and hot flashes. I started on the lowest dose possible but upped it a few weeks ago because of the same problems. At some point in this process, I have started experiencing random weakness/fatigue, often accompanied by internal shaking, and occasionally by external shaking, like I'm cold, but I'm not. It eventually goes away, but it leaves me feeling sick and weak, and very stressed. I also have GERD, and when these episodes happen, I get very nauseated and lose my appetite. Today I woke up feeling rather wimpy, but my stomach was okay. Then this afternoon I had a wave of lightheadedness, weakness, and nausea go through me. My face got hot after, though it didn't appear flushed to my husband. My neck muscles feel tight and the back of my neck/head is sort of tingly. This is driving me crazy. I can't keep going on this way. I am missing work and backing out of commitments because I don't feel like I can function when this happens. I've had blood work done, and everything is normal. Is this hormone related? I don't know what else to think. And not knowing is extremely stressful. Anyone else dealing with something similar?

I know how you feel but I am still in peri and have my periods every month and am 51 years old. I have and feel the way you do. I am sick of it with no end in sight. I take activella a low dose HRT which helps with the hot flashes and night sweats but no help with the anxiety. Lately I have felt that I have different hurts all over my body. Like you my neck hurts and feels like tight muscles. I feel crazy in my head and even experience internal shaking from time to time.

I am seeing an endocronoglist in Oct who deals with menopause and hormones. I want a complete eval of all my hormones to see what is out of wack. I want to live again and be fun. My GYN says that I will feel better but can not tell me when.

I hope you feel better soon

Angel1

I know you may not like hearing this but it may be the HRT...I tried for a while but HRT or any kind of hormones replacement in small doses threw everything off again...the delicate balance...(which was not so good in the first place!).....I am 9 months without a period and I have trouble sleeping....I wake up many times a night for no reason...I get hot flashes at night at times and also something I barely dare to describe....whole body tingle...electric shock like but slower...very HARD to describe.....and now I have slow digestion or food intollerence or whatever any way trouble with digesting certain foods...or ALL foods...don't know which yet...and like you all numbers on the blood work mark normal!

On the hormones I felt EXTRA tired...this did not happen right away but gradually so at first I was not sure if it was the hormones or the menopause symptoms....I also felt fuzzy headed, weaked muscled and that came and went...legs felt so heavy and weak....and once off the hormones for about a week maybe....all went back to the way it was before....sigh


JUst a thought but perhaps for sleeping and hotflashes you might try something a little milder like warm milk...which works wonders for me...not every night mind you, but at times...and for hot flashes some herbals may help....for me I do not like the hot flashes but after trying hormones the actual hot flash seem better the "cure"....I hope this helps a bit...hang in there....we are all in this together, it seems! Joan

Thanks, Joan. I've begun to suspect the HRT because I was fine before this and it's gotten worse since I upped the dosage. I'd rather be sleep deprived than deal with this. I've got slow digestion too. It's messed up my appetite (but has been great for weight loss). So how do you get off of it? I don't want to throw my body into a worse hormonal mess than it's already in.

I'm post PigMom by 3 years and I still experience tremors. Your neck and head hurting would be you feeling anxious, this was one of my most painful symptoms of anxiety. Do you know you have just answered something for me...the shaking without feeling cold I can't believe it!!!! I get that, I was thinking it was anxiety because when I had severe anxiety I would shake but no one would ever see it and I have episodes of it now (the shaking) and stop and sort of think no I'm not having anxiety I'm actually shaking! WEIRD!!! Now I know not to worry and some one else is having the same thing. I thought post would be better it is but still have tremors hot flushes and night sweats unbelievably slight anxiety at times palps and some others that I forget about until they happen...which is a good thing! But not the anxiousness about everything like I used to!!

Cheers choco

Could have written your post Choco...2 1/2 years post and have the exact same things going on!

You know, I felt exactly like this last year when I was on Paxil for several months. I eventually took myself off of it, because it literally made me ill and the doctor would NOT listen to my complaints...kept saying the side affects would go away, I can't stop the med...I'll prob be on it the rest of my life...blah blah blah...

Sounds to me like maybe you need to change something up with what you're taking. Seriously everything you wrote was like word for word what I was going through. I lost 28 pounds in one month...really not like me at all. I had no appetite, nausea was rampant, lightheaded (had to lie down a lot but it didn't help), intense flashes that afterwards left me feeling cold and clammy on the inside and internal shaking...my hands shook! The internal shaking was AWFUL. I felt like I had a motor running inside constantly and it made me so anxious and panicky. I was so dead tired all the time. When I would try to lie down the tingling sensations in my back and hands would instensify and it would drive me nuts. It was awful.

I hope you find some answers soon.

Just curious. What type of HRT were you on and at what dose?