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[puddlesmum]

Ok, I've actually realised now that there's a pattern.  For the last 5 days I've been twitching, and for the last 2 nights, not been able to sleep at all due to violent muscle jerks. I also feel really depressed and anxious.  But the 2 weeks previous to that, I felt good.

I'm now taking 1 pump of estrogel daily, smidgen of testim and supposed to take provera for the 1st 7 days of the month. I did that last month when I started to feel down and it made me feel worse, although I did have a couple of days where I bled really heavy then it just disappeared.

So I've tracked it now over the last 3 months and it seems that a few days after I ovulate, I start to twitch, overthink things, get really down and depressed to the point of tears, then anxiety kicks in. I'm also getting little night sweats, but they're not as bad as they were before I had

So question is, what do I do now.  Should I up the estrogel to 2 pumps?  My therapist is helping me to cope during the 2 weeks although it's not perfect, I cannot do anything about it so trying to stick to the mantra This Too Shall Pass to keep me going.  It's really irritating me though because I have stuff to do and can't keep taking 2 weeks off to deal with this. HELP!

I have written to Professor Studd but I don't get a reply unless I bombard him and I don't really want to do that.  Any ideas?

[CLKD]

I can't remember whether you are patient of Prof. Studd, if so get another appt. and discuss.  It could be the progesterone is upsetting you!

[puddlesmum]

Yep I am CLKD. I've written to ask and if he/the secretary doesn't reply today I'll be on the phone tomorrow.  I'm definitely thinking now it's progesterone though but I'm not sure if there's a way to stop it rising or not.

[CLKD]

Make notes to discuss with his secretary for advice?  There are several types of progesterone and ways of delivering it I think so worth investigating it that is what is causing any upset!  Let us know?

[Dancinggirl]

These muscle spasms must be a real nuisance.  HAve you tried doing some leg stretching and relaxation before bedtime? Some people find that magnesium spray can help with nighttime restless legs!!
This is not a common meno  symptom or HRT side effect. I do wonder if there is something else going on?
I think it's impossible to feel good every day - you are clearly getting classic PMT type symptoms which many women get and it's good you are learning strategies to help you through these anxiety and low mood phases.
HRT can only do so much - sometimes women need an AD/SRRI alongside the HRT.  You are also clearly peri meno and so your own hormones will be having an influence - as the HRT takes more control then those PMT symptoms may get less.  Upping the dose could make things worse so don't rush into this.  I don't know how long you've done this regime but I'd give things at least 2-3 more months to see if it settles and perhaps not over-think things too much - analysing how you feel each day can actually bring on more side effects - you will start to expect to feel a certain way at each stage of each month.  DG x

[puddlesmum]

6 months now DG.  I'm already on 50mg of Seroxat, but I don't think I've ever needed them if I'm being honest. I think the last 20 years I've been on them has been more a hormone problem than one needing ADs.  Yep, also done stretching but does nothing.

I only get the muscle jerks when the anxiety kicks in, so they're definitely connected.  As when I don't have any anxiety at all, no jerks and sleep like a baby.  Been tested for all sorts and all comes back negative.

It's a clear pattern now though, even my hypnotherapist mentioned it. We're like 2 weeks proper therapy sessions then 2 weeks relaxation sessions and that's been going on now for 3 months. 2 weeks, I'm happy, bouncing, sleep well and am really enjoying life then I get the pain of ovulation, the twitching and we start all over again.

I can handle the short hot sweats, but I can feel it when I ovulate and then 2/3 days later this twitching starts. I thought I was going mad, but there really is this pattern now.

It's getting me to the point now that I'm stopping things I love as I know they're going to land on those 2 weeks where I feel awful.  I've purposely not taken my provera today as I want to see what my own progesterone is doing too. 

[puddlesmum]

Make notes to discuss with his secretary for advice?  There are several types of progesterone and ways of delivering it I think so worth investigating it that is what is causing any upset!  Let us know?

Absolutely. Now I've identified the issue, I'd like to find the least amount of days it affects me.

[CLKD]

Is the anxiety sudden?  My thighs go weak and seem to flutter, then it move to my calves.  Muscle sensations can be affected by lack of salt too so keep condiments to hand on the table 

When I've had back attacks when anxiety goes on for hours, I shake all over as I come 'down'.  One therapist told me that the body can't sustain a panic attack for more than 20 mins.; my longest attack was 4 days 

[Megamind]

I'm in peri and have been experiencing the muscle jerks at night for a few months now but my pattern seems to be that it's when I'm over tired. I'm still awake when they happen so they don't wake me up but just as I'm trying to get to sleep my arm will jerk or my body jerks. It's a weird feeling. When my daughter was ill recently, I slept with her and I started the jerking and she said it was scaring her!

[puddlesmum]

Oh I'm definitely over tired, but never experienced that before.

I woke up and just felt off, then my legs started to jerk (the calf muscle twinges quite fiercely) but makes me kick out.  The anxiety then comes on like someone wraps it around my head, then goes down my body and I become really weak.  Sometimes I can twinge and it doesn't affect me at all, but when I'm feeling vulnerable I focus on them and then they don't stop. I can't relax enough in bed to fall asleep and when I do my bum jerks out to wake me up.

I always seem to wake the OH up when it happens (I tend to get more vocal too when I am sleeping and have woken him up shouting stuff like "follow that woman" and asking for spare change).  This all happens at the same time every month. I also say "oooh f**ker" after every jerk but not consciously.  It's very, very weird.

So it's like a gradual anxiety that creeps up on me but I know it's coming as I get the twinge so I know what's going to happen.  I can't even stop it. I've tried chugging cups and cups of chamomile tea, and still nothing.  I just sat it out last month, didn't even fight it and it went again 2 weeks later.  So there's literally nothing I can do. I also get that creepy feeling over my legs for those 2 weeks too.  So it's got to be cyclic now. 

[Megamind]

I get twitches as well. Do you think waking with the twitches then subconsciously your mind makes your legs jerk due to your anxiety (your mind making your legs jerk to get rid of the twitching)?

I have had the jerks the last few nights and then got my period today. I never put it down to my cycle, more to being over tired but I just looked back on my calendar and when I talk about my daughter being ill and me having the jerks, I had my period around that time, so it possibly is cyclic. I'm going to start keeping a note of when it happens now.

[puddlesmum]

When I get the twitches I also get a bit of insomnia too so tiredness does come into it but it's definitely every other 2 weeks, so has something to do with the hormones.  I just put it down to being more anxious as have had lots going on emotionally since October, but it's like clockwork. 

But I hate them with a vengeance because I can't sleep with them because it totally unsettles me.