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[UpsDowns]

Bless you all and I don't need any persuading to stay! You've all give me some kind of hope and I can honestly say that I've not felt that for over a year. Both husband and son have migraines, conventional ones with aura, vomiting and vile headache and have to lie down for 5/6 hours unable to function. GP did suggest I should try sons migraine treatment but I honestly didn't think it was a migraine but I am going to try one next time I'm bad, usually around a week before a period. 're lyme disease did have a hideous amount of antibiotics - rash is still there though! I'll look at the article when less hyper, thanks. And thanks again for such a supportive forum and giving me hope to carry on.

[Dotty]

Have you tried HRT?

[CLKD]

Huridyt - 'just over a year ago' 


PMS - ONLY happens in the 10-14 days prior to a period.  Have a look-see at the NAPS site - they saved my Life in 1991.  National Association of Pre-menstrual Syndrome.  Advised me to eat every 3 hours, 24/7.  To stop blood sugar levels dropping which can trigger anxiety surges.

It took me 3-4 months to get into a routine of eating 24/7.  I still keep to a similar routine and usually recognise when my body is hungry = anxiety.  Now I try to eat B4 my body gets hungry otherwise    .  At the time it was AWFUL!

Keeping a mood/food/symptom diary is useful too.  Your GP seems to be on the ball and is asking the 'right' questions.  Although we want to feel well quickly, sadly it doesn't happen.  The Change is that - our hormones go into free-fall  . 

Browse round.  Make notes.  There is a dedicated web-site for Lyme disease which many GPs still don't recognise!

[Hurdity]

Great that you are staying UpsDowns!

My migraines have never involved vomiting nor lying still for for 5-6 hours. I sometimes have to have a bit of a lie down for an hour for bad ones, but mine last for 3 days and wake me in the night through the pain-killers - but they are migraines nevertheless. The meds I was given are sumatriptan but the low dose one. It does the trick but you have to be careful with them to avoid rebound or prolonging the migraine but if lifts the fog and clears the head amazingly (for me).

Lyme Disease is a caused by a bacterium and its existence is indisputable, as well as the fact that it causes both short and long term symptoms. The problem is with infections that are not identified at the time (especially for those who do not get the bulls eye rash soon aftyer the tick bite) and can cause symptoms later.  The test is not accurate I understand. What some doctors do not accept is the diagnosis of chronic Lyme Disease in the absence of a positive test, no evidence/history of a tick bite and no bulls eye rash. I can understand why this happens because medicine is evidence based and therefore it is difficult to give a diagnosis on the basis of symptoms that have no identfiable cause, however frustrating this maybe. A conclusive test would be more helpful?

How long ago was your tick-bite and do you think you have been given enough antibiotics? I think the test is more accurate soon after infection? I've also had several tick bites and never had a bulls eye rash but had anti-biotics for one of them as it stayed red around the bite for 5 weeks so doc gave me antibiotics just in case. (Doxycyclin or similar).

Sorry UpsDowns I'm going off topic a bit!

Hurdity x

[UpsDowns]

Dotty - no hrt yet but gp did talk about patches but she wants to see another cycle. However it is all falling together now, as had a period on holiday and was very depressed, to the point of ringing my CPN from Spain! And then period stopped and we were climbing mountains and swimming in the sea and getting up early to watch the sun rise over the mountains. Its like all or nothing!
CLKD - eating has been an issue for me since I've been depressed/anxious. Tend to not eat at all in the day, if im home alone, then eat family meal at night. I know this is not good but im going to try and eat little snacks more regularly. Going shopping in a bit and have a look for low calorie snacks, other than fruit, yoghurt and cereal. Also buy some de caff coffee. And going to eat breakfast now, which I never do. Ill have a look at naps website too, thanks
Hurdity, re migraines yes son takes sumatriptan, he's just upped to 100mg but I'll try an 50mg next time I'm off. Was bitten camping late May 2017, rash appeared within a week. Was well initially but when to the gp who prescribed doxycycline high dose which was horrid and was very poorly for the whole of June (can't recollect most of it) ended up in hospital 3 times. But all tests have come back negative for lyme, still have rash and a little one appeared in a different spot about 3 months in. Left knee however has never recovered and painful/swollen my left thigh has been swollen for two months And both get worse with excercise And you did right to be treated as not all cases involve the nice bulls eye rash. Funny one lyme though because i was so ill but it's not really recognised like you say especially if your tests come back negative but the tests are not conclusive.

Thanks for all the support and even managed to tell husband about anxiety and depression last night (id been hiding it all from him) which feels such a relief. I suddenly feel less ashamed of myself as now know there is a reason why I've been like this.

[Hurdity]

Well done for telling your husband! That's a really good start!

Re the Lyme Disease. It sounds like it could have been this in view of feeling ill and the rash not going - and did you take antibiotics for a long time? I had them for two weeks but wasn't ill as such - mine was just precautionary. In your case I would push for further testing - I mean there are specialists. Has any other reason been given for your joint and leg problems as this is not normal and is not likely to be due to menopause? There was a former member from Scotland called cubagirl (also known as Joyce) whose brother I think had Lyme disease and needed to be treated for at least a month - I can't remember the details but maybe do a search from the forum home page? Not wanting to alarm you at all - but it's not like you might be imagining you have it from symptoms - you had a tick bite and a rash soon after and you are continuing to have problems! If not this then you need to know why you are still experiencing these symptoms.

Hurdity x

[UpsDowns]

Morning hurdity,
I took two weeks of antibiotics (vomited many up though im not good with high strength  antibiotics!) gp didn't know about Lyme and to be honest I don't think it is recognised medically either in this country.  Also with my mental health diagnosis I'm afraid that health professionals think everything is related to that, and  me being mrs anxious,  which admittedly I am. However this diary im doing is not only showing links with my menstrual cycle but I also tend to go 3-4 days and then a very poorly day, apart from the week before a period when i am ill for about a week, which is exactly how I was when the rash first appeared in June.  Hospital Dr did explain this, and the bug is nasty and gives off many toxins and the plummet day is when you need to rest because of the toxin build up. Anyway I am sure that it is partly lyme, the rash got redder and more raised just before I started doing the 3/4 day cycles again and the aching all over all the time I believe is the lyme. However I'm not going to complicate things now that I might get these hormones sorted out, so I am not mentioning the lyme issues till my hormones are sorted and then maybe I won't be as mad as I must appear to them now and they might take my concerns more seriously. Thanks for your help and i know it is off topic but we can have more than one issue at a time but it does complicate things too.

[CLKD]

We can suffer more than 1 issue physically and mentally - its' The Change  .

We can discuss issues in the same thread too.  So that the thread doesn't get lost.

EAT GIRL EAT!   . This is the list of safe foods that I stick with.  As a recovering anorexic ......... 

Dextrose tablets to chew when anxious or if I've done a lot of exercise without eating.  If my blood sugar is low they fizz 
Dried fruits and nuts - to graze on
Toast with hot Bovril
Pancakes - the mix can be kept in the fridge 4 several days ready for instant use
Toast with honey which is a good healer
Dry biscuits, i.e. Rich Tea or ginger
Himself puts ginger and garlic in most of the meals that he cooks for us


Anxiety can surge if the body is hungry!

[UpsDowns]

Hi CLKD,
I am following your advice and eating every 3-4 hours, and I feel so good today. It is snowing here but I feel so cosy and happy. And I have had very little anxiety today , no depression at all which is so wonderful. I've got a tub of healthy grazing food (which kids are not allowed to touch!) It is so hard to eat when you've not eaten properly for over a year but then you will know that  and more ... I even had breakfast as soon as I got up this morning, think I was a child last time I did that. I will get some dextrose tablets, that's a great idea and there are things I do that always causes anxiety so it will be very interesting to see if I improve. Why didn't the cpn tell me all this?? And why didn't I tell my husband sooner, it's like the elephant has left the house?! And why didn't I find this forum earlier? Thank you all

[Hurdity]

Hi again UpsDowns

I wouldn't recommended dextrose tablets or anything with sugar in - this is not recommended these days for stabilising blood sugar levels and the hormonal surges you get in peri-menopause (and pre-mensturally?). You only need dextrose if you are diabetic (or maybe an athelete doing the 100 m sprint!),  or if you get reactive hypoglycaemia and are caught unawares - but even then (ie the latter - which I get now and again) a muesli bar or piece of fruit should do the trick. The best way to stabilise blood sugar levels is actually to REDUCE sugar intake and swap simple carbs for complex carbs and to reduce the consumption of high GI foods containing sugars and refined carbs. Better to increase your intake of high protein lower fat foods. ie Not biscuits except eg plain digestives as these are lower sugar, and cut down sweets, cakes, biscuits, pastries, sweet drinks including juice. Good snacks are nuts or cheese and actual fruit rather than juice. I think this sort of regime may be now recommended also for pms? Thinking has changed re blood sugar I would suggest - over the years.

I found this link about diet - maybe a bit extreme but along the right lines I would say:
http://www.pmscomfort.com/pms-diet/pms-pmdd-balance-diet-hypoglycemia.aspx

Hope this helps

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

Of course -  not everyone here will agree with Dextrose but I have had professional, medical advice which suggests that it is absolutely OK to chew them when necessary.  There is no way that eating them occasionally will alter sugar levels that much, but they can be a life saver.

They would not be used by a diabetic or athletes.  These people will already have advice regarding the correct diet for their needs.

Could you tell us more Huridty - I had my advice from a Professional Medic-led group who still suggest what was offered in the 1990s/2000s.  As well as eating a complex carbohydrate diet every 3 hours, 24/7.

As you have found UpsDowns - eating regularly can help stave off anxiety ..... well done.  Graze Girl, Graze ;-).  If you wake in the night, have a banana/biscuit.  Ginger are my first choice ;-). 

[UpsDowns]

Hi, no worries both I do eat a healthy diet, husband has early onset hypertension and poor family heart health history, so I am like the food police! The only thing I do wrong is skipping meals. But I haven't this weekend and anxiety been fine, however these are my good 4 days of my cycle! Must admit that I am a bit concerned about becoming overweight but the lack of anxiety is significantly more appealing  presently. Thanks for all the invaluable advice 😊

[CLKD]

The idea is not to increase what you usually eat but to spread the whole diet over the 24 hours  even in the night.  When I had a puppy she soon got used to the idea that after she had been for a pee at 3.00 a.m., that we shared a biscuit on our way back to bed.   .  I still carry emergency rations when out and about!

Slow release foods: porridge  , good quality muesli, energy bars, fruits and nuts as well as plenty of fruit and veg. (ignore the sugar scares as the body deals with fruit sugars differently to refined sugars) - anything really that you can make quickly and eat to keep the body going.