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[Elliemay]

Hello, sorry... long post.

im still feeling like the walking dead after 6 years no periods. I go about my day feeling totally exhausted &  like I have some kind of tropical fever. Horrible.  I go from searching for answers to trying to just get on with it. Still depressed but better than over winter. Not taking any medication for anything.

I hardly get any sleep so that will contribute to low mood as will the pelvic pain that is as yet undiagnosed. Got a great counsellor at least.

Anyhow often about 20 mins  after lying down in bed, my body starts to kind of vibrate throughout like a mobile phone set to vibrate. Then my heartbeat seems to jump about wildly. Ive given up mentioning symptoms to my gps. I don't often mention stuff to my partner now either. Hes sympathetic but I dont want our relationship to be based on me moaning about how wretched I feel!

But last night I asked him if he could feel the weird vibrations. He said "yes. And I can feel a very erratic heartbeat too"

I honestly started crying tears of joy because someone actually believed me and could tell it wasn't all in my head!

Anyhow.  Cant bring myself to see gp. They are useless. Im going to try ditching caffeine.  I already went off coffee but still drink tea, interspersed with herbals.

Is this a known meno symptom at all?

[Sooby]

I'm so pleased that your partner recognised your symptoms but sorry that you dont feel you can talk about them to your G.P

   yes the erratic heart beat is a meno / peri symptom. I manage mine through a blood sugar diet, ditching sugar and carbs but eating lots of natural fats, nuts, dairy and protein.   

  Coffee can take 12 hours to leave the system so you may be able to keep your caffeine fix if you only have it in the morning. How late you eat can have an impact too and some people find eating no later than 8pm can be very helpful.

  Lots of ladies find supplements helpful too so you might want to have a scroll through the alternative therapy's section.

[Elliemay]

Thanks very much for that info. Ive posted about gp before, I once mentioned it to him. I don't often go there so im not constantly whinging to them. I had a trapped nerve in my shoulder and it seemed to kick off the erratic heartbeat when I lay on that side. He scowled at me, turned away to look at his screen and said coldly, still looking away "I suggest YOU Google health anxiety and get yourself out of this cycle of anxiety that YOUVE got yourself into" he literally threw a prescription for citalopram at me! I was looking for help for the shoulder...

Yes I complained, binned the prescription and have moved house so will change gp.

[Sooby]

If you mention the heart beat most GPs will send you for a trace just to rule out the worse case scenario so that would be a good place to start.

  Although I havent come across the vibration thing we all experience and describe things differently so I do think you should mention that too. It's really tough when you feel that no one takes you seriously but I would keep trying out the different GPs at your new practice until you find the right one for you. It may be worth looking for a meno clinic in the area as well.

How about taking your partner along too for a bit of moral support and to describe your symptoms as he witnessed them?

The fact that you feel so bad 6 years after stopping your periods suggests that something needs addressing which could be a simple deficiency which is easy to correct. Low iron level can also lead to an erratic heart beat so getting some blood tests probably wouldnt be a bad idea.



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[paisley]

Does it feel like palpitations? Have you tried anything natural to help?

[Elliemay]

Thanks Sooby, ive had blood tests and they were fine. Once inflammation came up but it was fine at the repeat test. but I agree there is probably something simple that's been overlooked.  I also think that the depression is mostly hormonal so won't take antidepressants (plus im scared of them) a lot of my symptoms point to a need for fewer carbs but I'm mostly dairy free and vegetarian so I do struggle with that a bit.

Paisley it is palpitations but really all over the place rhythm wise.  I havent tried anything other that calming herbal teas. Ive got a blend made up by the herbalist for all the symptoms but havent given it a good go hecause it contains a small amount of st johns wort that youre supposed to avoid if on oestrogen. I have VA and have a tube of estriol to try for that so stopped the herbal stuff...but have only tried the estriol once. Not sure which option to stick with. I suppose the depression does make you give up on things or lapse into apathy! I haven't tried anything like kalms yet...

[Sooby]

My heart irregularities are the erratic type as you describe rather than what I would understand as palpitations so I do understand what you mean.

I think the drop in estrogen can impact on so many things so a combined approach is often successful for many of us, though sometimes it can be difficult to know which is the solution and which is the cause.

I totally respect your decision about the anti depressants and the reservations about the st john wort so perhaps diet is probably the safest and possible the most effective place to start.  Vit B deficiency is a probability so a combined womens vitamin supplement might be worth a try. Increasing your protein levels with nuts, seeds and pulses may also help.

Long term insomnia is going to be taking its toll too hun so any change in lifestyle that can help with that is good. Some anti depressants can cause sleep issues so getting into a good sleep routine and eliminating stresses is worth a try too.

[Taz2]

He Ellienay. I used to feel exactly as you describe but it went once I began HRT. When I stopped HRT for a while the weird vibrations came back so I guessed it had to be a low oestrogen symptom.

Taz x

[Elliemay]

Aw thanks everyone, I feel a little less lost now. I do wonder about trying hrt too but can't do premarin because of the animal rights issues. 6 years without has been so rough.

Taz that's really helpful,  thanks. I think my conflict with gps is I like to treat the cause not the symptom and they are trained in the opposite. So it's good to know it could be the oestrogen drop.

[Taz2]

You've been suffering for a long time now and as you go further into menopause then your oestrogen level continues to drop. If you do consider HRT then have a good read up on the different types. I've always used patch HRT which don't use conjugated oestrogens. https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatafter.php

Taz x