Hmm, my symptoms...well things all started going weird about 2 years ago when I started having palpitations and thought (since both my parents have had heart attacks, one fatally at 45) that it was my turn. So I got checked out and my doctor basically said I was OK and that it was probably stress (seemed fair since we had just emigrated). I accepted it, but decided to make some changes anyway (ie. finally quit smoking for good. Had been a 1-3 fags a day gal for a while).
Then my 30 year old sister had a major heart attack and at the same time I started having anxiety attacks and mood dips along with the palpitations but again, considering all the sh*t going on, figured it was also stress. However my doctor suggested that as I am such a high risk for heart attacks (I have already been diagnosed with CVD) I should quit all forms of hormonal contraception. So I did. Then of course I expected my periods to return, which they did, a bit....but I didn't really record it that frequently until I realised that I had a period in September 2012 and then...nothing until March 2013, when I had a two and half week period from hell. When it was finally over I actually felt like something had come to an end, call it intuition, I don't know...then I had another period in July 2013 which lasted 1 day. Since then nothing - oh, apart from moodswings, memory loss, electric shocks on scalp and diaphragm, needing to wee more often, hot flushes for two months (although they seem to have stopped now??), getting too hot at night (although not actually sweating), itchy toes, frozen shoulder, agonisingly painful elbow, equally painful hip (all this on the right side...) I could continue but you've probably heard it ALL before...
The latest thing is that suddenly, out of nowhere, I appear to have gained 3-4lb. I have changed nothing - I am a pretty active person with two young kids and never had a problem maintaining my weight. But suddenly, for the past month, I am bloated around the middle and can't shift the extra pounds. I've upped the exercise and downed the carbs but - nothing. It's annoying how much this has upset me! I know that it's often expected but is it really that sudden? Like over the course of a few weeks you suddenly start gaining weight...?
I am also mightily confused by all the nutrition advice, especially for women that decide not to HRT. I haven't asked about it, but over here (Austria) they are not so keen to automatically give it so I am trying to figure out what I should do. I have a feeling I will be refused HRT anyway because of the heart stuff.
So I'm off to trawl the forum and see if I can make any clarity out of the fog in my head! Thanks for reading - if you made it this far!!
