Hi lovelies,

I feel AWFUL!!!!

Since my excitement of the weekend......been tired and feeling a bit strung out.....all good....

Then changed my milk to A2 milk.......I only drink milk in my tea so I don't need much......but wanted to try something that is purportedly better on the guts.

Not for me.......diarrhoea monday with terrible, worse than usual hot flashes and sinus........tuesday, terrible gut pain, wind, reflux, sadness and last night the longest peried of intense dread. I do get the dreads quite regularly, but this was LONG......as intense as usual, but wouldn't let up......even with distraction and all the cognitive skills I could muster. I had the shower phobias and all the kit......goodness me.....

I felt so intensely frightened......I know you guys know what I mean.......I have a mammogram in November that i think I will have a heart attack before I get there, my gynea wants me to have another ultrasound for the endo and adeno and cysts, I have a thyroid appointment with my surgeon in Feb next year and have to get another thyroid ultrasound, and I am still trying to get the courage up to try this new HRT that is supposed to be excellent for me......

I haven't got the guts for any of it at the moment.......intuitive thought, what is the chemical link between severe stomach distress and intense dread? I know it can work the other way around, but I am wondering if stomach distress can cause such dread......not anxiety or fear as such, just this DREAD that comes over us from time to time. I mean, I have had severe joint pain, with no dread.....terrible sleep and no dread......massive headaches and mild dread.......but my guts take the cake....

Can any of you think back to the last big dread.......were your stomachs really playing up? reflux, heartburn, indigestion, nausea etc.

Phew.......no dreads today but my poor guts ARE LEAVING HOME!!!! I am in a FOUL mood......I hate this......I just got engaged for heavens sake....

Thanks for listening to my rant.....

Michah

Hi Michah,

I know what you mean about the anxiety/dread and stomach thing although for me, it's usually a one shot (sorry) deal with the trotts and then it's over.
I wanted to jump in here though because of your comment about the HRT. There is definitely a correlation between low E and anxiety and dread as a symptom.
I have just come off E and P (it's been two weeks now) because I wanted to see how I felt and what kind of symptoms have stuck around. The biggest issue by far has been return of anxiety and dread, second being a 24/7 upset stomach.
I plan to go back on to BHRT. The anxiety is just too much for me.
Just a thought for you.
Hope you feel better soon...


c

Thanks sweet,

You are right.......when my gynea put me on BCP for peri, I found my guts settled down fabulously, but the anxiety and dread went up.......don't know what that means.......then I tried normal HRT and I had a huge blood pressure spike......now I am trying to build up the courage for this new one......it is an eostrogen mimicking molecule.......better for me with oestrogen sensitivity.....

I wish I didn't have to stop taking the BCP.......but along with what I mentioned before, I got huge spikes in body pain(was tested for lupus), no period or heavy period and other things.......but it really helped with my sleep, helped with hot flashes and my guts........(*sigh*)....

Thanks for your kind words babe....

Michah

Aaaah Michah,

Bless you,after all the lovely news on your Engagement (Congratulations again) This Peri ride shows no mercy.

Getting back to the digestive issue YES I think digestive issues and DREAD can be linked, I say this as a few months ago I had an awful episode of diarrhoea lasted a few weeks on and off,alongside nausea/dizzys
well during that time I was at my worst as in anxiety SKY HIGH a feeling of doom hung over me,almost to the point of hysteria.

I wonder if our bodies are getting rid of a huge surge of some chemical/hormone (causing this dread and our digestive system is flushing it all out??) thinking aloud there and probably WAY of base, but just thinking in simplistic terms if our bodies don,t like something It will out it.....?

I keep eliminating various things out of my diet,but it doesn,t really seem to have any pattern, I can think oh it,s red wine cut that out,then still keep having digestive issues,then vitamins must be that cut that out,still happens



It is like a cruel game in which we think there are rules,and we must be able to crack this
but all the time NO rules were ever made

Hope today is a little better for you Michah


Kath

Dear Michah
Would like to add my congratulations on your engagement!Hope you will be very happy and enjoy a long and full life together.
I have suffered from early teens witha nervous stomach.The slightest upset in the family and I am in the bathroom for a long,long time!.I do practise Yoga and deep breathing.They help but will resort,if all fails to low dosage Xanax to calm 'the Beast'
It is amazing how different Meds. affect us in so many weird and wonderful ways.I have been on the common and garden HRT for many years and yes it does help me..
I just drink the regular low fat milk and no upsets.It is the spicy and acidic foods that make me ill.Try drinking Ginger Ale slowly.It is has a great effect on calming the stomach plus Camomile Tea with honey before bed is calming.

Hope you feel better soon.
Best Wishes
Elizabeth

Hello Ladies,

I am so grateful that this board is here and that I am not completely alone. Here at home I feel very alone and like no one around me can understand these feelings I'm having. However, I can always come here and find someone that knows.

I've been mostly a lurker but thought I'd chime in a little.

Uuuggghhhh! Anxiety, feelings of dread and digestive issue...I'm in the throws of it. And it doesn't seem to matter if that dr. says I'm ok. I just seem to feel like something is going to happen to me. It's so unnerving. I've always been such a joyful, cheerful person. Now, I feel like I'm often feeling fear. I am currently playing the remove things from your diet game...it is a bit daunting. However, I'll get through this.

No diarrhea here...mine manifests in heartburn, upset stomach or gas most often. Just feel like I'm on a neverending rollercoaster and I'm only 40....just getting started. Hmmmm?

Anyway, I hope you feel better. Best wishes on the wedding.

Hi kath,

I get what you are saying babe........it makes sense certainly. I know that the digestive system is infinitely sensitive, to a degree.......but I have not found any direct research that specifically states hormone chaos with the gut......how they directly influence each other. I know about anxiety and things like that, but the gut distress is a reaction, rather than a cause. What about in the absence of anxiety or dread? I am still looking for the science(if it even exists). Soemthing to do with the brain or neurotransmitters, maybe.....

And I hear you about the lack of patterns.......no pattern to this....

Thanks for your input.....

Michah

Thanks so much, sweet......always good to see you.......I am so glad the meds bring you some relief.......that ginger ale sounds GOOD and chamomile tea sounds good as well......haven't been eating much, so got to keep up my fluids......still feeling pretty crappy. Wake up feeling not to bad, then I get hungry and eat, then I feel sick for the rest of the day......I have been eating mainly nuts, potato, and fruit......seems all I can eat. Potato for breakfast.....hhhhmmm

Hugs,

Michah

Hi there,

So glad you jumped in......lots of women to support you here.....as they have done for me.

I know what you mean about your age......it is no different for the women who go into this at a later age, the symptoms are still crap, but my extreme difficulty was being dx due to my age......I was 31 when I started peri. I had 2 drs bring it up in the 4 years it took for me to be dx, but they discarded it due to my age.......VERY distressing. Strangely, I have encountered women who at the age of 40 and up who still won't be listened to. It is like, if you are not above the age of 50, do not even speak of it to drs.......most of them just do not listen. I mean, because there is a strong genetic family history of an aggressive strain of breast cancer, I was strongly pushed to get mammograms at the age of 32. I was listened to then!! Even when I told drs that my mother went into menopause at 39, they still did not listen. Until recently.

I remember my first mammogram......I went to a private clinic that my mother goes to. I remember walking in and all the women there who were much older than me, looked at me with a mixture of mild fear, pity and mild annoyance.......I felt like I was too young to be there. It was quite uncomfortable. They were nice to me, but I could sense the "strangeness".......I felt ostracised due to my age.......I am not bitter about it, for it is a reality and I am sure if I was to really talk to those women, they could give me much wisdom. But I am not looking forward to my next one!

So it is hard.......but we overcome, do we not? Take good care sweet......make sure you have a dr that listens EVEN if they do say you are okay......just because of the absence of pathalogical disease, does not mean that we "feel okay"

Michah

OH yeah!!!! The brain and the stomach/intestines are definately connected, that's why the call the stomach, the "second brain"! So, when you are stressed out, full of anxiety or panic, or fear/worry....you can just bet your stomach/intestines will react! Especially, if you are under long term stress/anxiety ...... I have suffered with that, so I can tell you, it's no fun ..... the long term anxiety is worse! When any chemical in our blood goes "off" kilter....your entire body reacts, and your brain then releases other hormones to deal with that, which then, course through your blood....and down into your stomach/intestine area .... yeah, it's all very very interconnected ....... so.......what you feel in your head, you will probably feel in your gut .......... iv'e been there....in fact, right now.....I'm dealing with a really bad bout of it, due to stress/anxiety!