I am so thankful I decided to do some research after being awake all night again and came across this site. I am 41 years old. I have been diagnosed with PTSD, Panic Disorder, Depression and Anxiety. I take Lexapro 10 mg. and Klonopin 0.5 mg. as needed when the attacks become more than I can handle. I'll try not to be too wordy, but I have made my own diagnosis and really feel like this is my answer. I have been suffering from EXTREME heat flashes since 2003. They started at work one afternoon. Hit me out of the blue. I was a paralegal then and I thought I was having a heart attack. I was taken by ambulance from the court room to the local hospital. Their diagnosis - panic attack. I kept telling the ER staff that it felt like someone was burning my back from the waist to the nect, front and back, with a high powered blow torch. Sometimes it would go down my arms. It makes me breathe fast, heart palpitations, diarrhea, panic. They said that there was nothing wrong - definetly panic diagnosis after heart ultrasound, ekg, etc. Heart is excellent. Fast forward to now...Been in therapy, on Paxil, Paxil CR and finally ending with Lexapro. On it until this past Febraury. Thought I was better, discontinued it. WHAM out of nowhere the 2nd of June this year I got a migraine from the depth of hell. Well to the ER I go. It is the week before my period. I always get headaches before. My anxiety soars out the rooftop. I can't remember stuff. Everyone irritates me. I am depressed, weepy or just ready to bite the head off the next individual that passes me by. I also have breast tenderness, mood swings, sleep like Rip Van Winkle and still feel tired. The big kicker is that I have been tracking these hot flashes and other symptoms for the past year. They are ALWAYS present the week before my period. After my period I am "normal" if there is such a word until the week before comes around again.

Several (5 or so) years ago I visited a well woman's clinic here in our town. The CNM did a hormone study on me which included me spitting into a vial and mailing it off. I thought she was crazy back then. She had thought I was perimenapausal then. Results came back and my hormones were out in orbit. I was afraid of hormone therapy and decided to just deal with it.

Well here I am. On the circular slide to hell with this stuff. Do you think it is related or it is all just panic? I am ready to make an appointment with that same provider again. What do I tell her? What do I request? How do I get off this crazy ride or deal with it? I think I am going totally looney and am gonna end up on a psych ward somewhere.

Well sorry to vent so long. I am desperate and need some help and some friends and encouragement.

Thanks again,

Anna

Hey there Anna,
Welcome to Power Surge. I'm glad you found us...
Alot of women start peri-meno. in their 30's and 40's...so it wouldn't be unusual for you to be peri. at 41 yoa's. Panic attacks can start to occur during the peri-meno. time period - that's one of the symptoms... And alot of women have anxiety attacks during the peri-meno. time period...Mood swings and breast tenderness is normal also during peri.meno.

To get off the "crazy ride" as you said is perhaps to understand Peri-meno., your body and how the chemistry in your body works... To understand and have the knowledge will be your tools to get thru each symptoms. Continue going thru the message boards - if it makes you feel any better - your not alone and there are alot of women who have the same type symptoms as you do. You can learn thru their experiences and how they handle things.

Every woman is different -every woman's chemistry is different...so what works for one - may not work with another woman. Some women take HRT's (check the messages boards w/that), some women take Bio-identical hormones (check the message boards w/that), some women take a variety of vitamins (check the message boards w/that), and others go allll natural and they take care of each symptoms as it occurs. Whatever works... The spitting into a vial was probably a saliva test.

Blessings,
Stacy

Hey Bedbug...I am 41 will be 42 in Oct.

I too have PSTD, and clinical depression (but I take 40 mg of celexa at bedtime and xanax .5mg when needed I usually cut it in half and wait a spell, and see if i ok) I had this since I was 14...but only have been on meds since '98.

Hun sorry to tell ya, we get hit harder.. My doctor and phyc. told me because I already have the others. (PSTD and depression)( i have been very blessed with my doctors)

What you described above..I can relater too in many ways...and my dreams...oye...they have been alot* of flashbacks of the past.

I can sleep and sleep..be extremely tired, or I wont sleep for a couple of days..and sometimes if feels as if I had slept!

I had been in CBT for 2 years plus some others, BT, EFT, STDT, EMDR...basically an eclectic therapy.

I did take HRT for 3 years but have weaned myself from them and do vitamin, herbs and minerals for almost 3 mos. now...