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[cheekygal]

Anyone else find they are focusing on every new symptom and imaging some sinister illness?  I feel my life has now been consumed with health related anxiety and it's awful.  I posted a few months back about internal tremors and muscle twitches, I had considered this could be AD withdrawal, I doubt this is the case though as I been off them for 9 weeks and only took them for around 8 weeks.  I am having the twitching daily, even in the soles of my feet, pins and needles in feet and hands are another thing, especially if my elbow or knee is bent.  I feel the inner tremors worse in my arms, and almost every night as soon as I go to bed my legs feel like they are vibrating inside.  I just wish I could be convinced this is all meno related, by GP says unlikely and from my last post not many others seem to have this symptoms.  Have gained over a stone in weight since April due to comfort eating, which is not helping my mood.  Also every joint & muscle seems to ache. 

Sorry for moaning so much, sometimes I just feel like screaming or crying and everything seems to be an effort.   

[curlywurly]

Hi Cheekygal

I was just going to bed when I saw your post and wanted to let you know you are not alone with these symptoms.

I have been on (and tapered off) AD's 3 times and each time had awful brain zaps (like a weird buzz from a circuit).  Aching etc also there and always seem to worry about every little thing.  The positive from this is the brain zaps go eventually - I am still achey (think that is meno related?).  Also think it takes a lot longer than 9 weeks for AD withdrawal symptoms to go away (in my case they did).

Well done you on getting off them - that can be really difficult.

Everyone is different (as we read on here all the time!) and need different combinations and have different results so feel your GP is a bit flippant saying aches n pains not meno related - how do they know?!  I know I am always aching (resulting in restricted movement) and am hoping since I have now begun HRT it will ease.

Did the AD's not work for you (they just made me lose weight initially then stack it on - approx. 2.5 stone each time once on optimum dose)?  Still trying to lose the timber!!  V v frustrating especially when they didn't help ease my symptoms!  Grrr!

Apologies if post is disjointed as on my phone.

I hear ya re: everything seeming an effort - feel like I am walking through treacle sometimes - exhausting isn't it?

Please know you are not on your own. :-)

CW
:-)

Anyone else find they are focusing on every new symptom and imaging some sinister illness?  I feel my life has now been consumed with health related anxiety and it's awful.  I posted a few months back about internal tremors and muscle twitches, I had considered this could be AD withdrawal, I doubt this is the case though as I been off them for 9 weeks and only took them for around 8 weeks.  I am having the twitching daily, even in the soles of my feet, pins and needles in feet and hands are another thing, especially if my elbow or knee is bent.  I feel the inner tremors worse in my arms, and almost every night as soon as I go to bed my legs feel like they are vibrating inside.  I just wish I could be convinced this is all meno related, by GP says unlikely and from my last post not many others seem to have this symptoms.  Have gained over a stone in weight since April due to comfort eating, which is not helping my mood.  Also every joint & muscle seems to ache. 

Sorry for moaning so much, sometimes I just feel like screaming or crying and everything seems to be an effort.   

[cheekygal]

Hi CW, thanks for your reply.

I have heard of brain zaps in AD w/d, however that's not what I am having, it's more inner tremor and twitching everywhere else, some days are worse than others, convinced myself it's some neuro thing, oh dear how our minds work eh!  In relation to the AD's, well I have had bad experiences with them in the past and was adamant I would never take them again but gave in as i felt GP was getting fed up of me being there twice weekly for 3 weeks a blubbering wreck, they did lift my mood slightly in the first couple of weeks but after that I felt they increased my anxiety and I more or less became agoraphobic again, so reduced them gradually, GP even said 4 weeks ago that there was no chance of my symptoms being down to w/d or meno and more likely to be anxiety.  Having said that I came across another forum last night, american one I think where the inner vibrations and twitches do seem common, so I am trying to be positive here.

I have has all the usual bloodwork including C- Reactive Protien, all normal other than FSH levels which were 60.

[CLKD]

Those electric brain zaps happen in this head too  associated with ADs and no apparent reason nor warning.  Makes me go 'oh!' then the sensation has gone 

Maybe you required a hike in doseage rather than weaning off.  The brain can become used to a level of medication which requires upping and downing as necessary.  Many GPs are unaware of this.  Mine lets me self medicate as necessary.

[honeybun]

Too much oestrogen makes me feel like this.

I used to look at my hands convinced that they would be shaking so badly, but it was all internal.
I also used to get similar feelings on the run up to a period.

Now I am settled on HRT the sensation has mostly gone.



Honeyb
x

[cheekygal]

CLKD, No in my case upping the AD wasn't an option, not saying that isn't the case for others though.

Honeybun, yeah I have read about too much estrogen causing this problem but also not enough can also cause it, it's all very confusing.  Like many of you, I just wish I could feel like I did before all this started and also stop thinking that I have some nasty illness.  I'm 50 next week, got the bowel screening test, smear also due, and just waiting for the mammogram letter to drop through letterbox, lots of poking and prodding to look forward to, lol!

[CLKD]

Restless legs can be eased by eating lots of bananas ....... every day.  I had the skin crawling sensations last week, fortunately they didn't last!

[curlywurly]

Seems like a lot of us have/had health anxiety - there must be a correlation to a surplus or lack of something.  We can't all be going mad!  Having had all the neuro tests, psychiatric tests, talk therapy I am hoping HRT is the solution. 

My blood tests were revealing in that most of my hormones were low/v. low - which feels better actually seeing something written on paper with an actual result rather than the GP seeing me crying and shaking and dishing out another AD without any proof at all.  Just my opinion though!

It is very frustrating to go to see the GP to be given AD's all the time - great if they work for you but what if they don't? 

I am in the process of upping my Oestrogel to 2 pumps a day as I have got 'that feeling' again myself.  The pit of the stomach thing which used to make me feel like I needed to be back on the AD's. 

After 5 weeks or so on 1 pump a day I seemed to be doing well and after contacting my consultant he is happy to let me increase it.

I wonder if this will help anyone else?

Keeping fingers crossed it works!

Take care everyone

CW
 

[countrybumpkin]

I've been twitching for 30 years and its most usually for me a sign of increased anxiety or tiredness.  Everyone reacts differently to things and for me this is my reaction to stress or anxiety. I am now post menopausal and still get the twitches in almost every part of my body. My upper lip has been twitching on and off for 2 years and its visible!!  For many reasons over this time I have had alot of mri brain scans and neuro tests and all normal.

The other thing no one has mentioned is have you had your thyroid tested since this has started.  meno time is a big trigger for your thyroid going haywire and all peri meno women should be tested as if your thyroid is wonky you can get all sort of strange symptoms andyou have mentioned weight gain. ( I used to be an advisor for thyroid support group).

I have never taken AD's or HRT so have no experience of them.

What I did develop in peri meno was brain zaps when falling asleep, I don't physically move but feel as if I have dropped through the bed, some nights it kept me awake for hours.  Once again endless medical tests with no reason found but I for one am sure its a hormone thing.

[cheekygal]

Hi Ladies, thanks for all your replies.  No, I wouldn't describe it as restless legs ( I get that occasionally) or a crawling sensation.  The twitching depending on where it is can be visible, and it can be anywhere, and I do mean anywhere  The inner tremors feel like I have swallowed a mobile phone on vibrate. Both sensations seem to be worse when I am sat down or when i go to bed.  Don't feel it so much when I am moving around doing stuff.  Right now i can feel and see my toes and muscles in my left foot twitching!  Googling which I know is a bad idea always brings up MS or Parkinsons, which I guess in turn is actually causing me more anxiety and possibly making symptoms worse.

I had thyroid checked lots of times, last time was May this year, literally just before the twitches/shakes started. My feet and ankles are swelling really bad and feel tight, especially left one where I do have osteoarthritis, not sure if this would be a meno symptom though, I do hope it's down to weight gain, around a stone since April, but I have to admit, the rubbish I have been eating since then is awful, chocolate, crisps etc.  I think when we hit a certain age weight does go on more rapidly and harder to shift. 

CW - what do you mean when you say most of your hormones are low?  Hope the extra pump helps you 

CB - You mention brain zaps when falling asleep, I sometimes get like a wooshing feeling like an adrenalin surge through my whole body when I am about to drop off, this is another new thing......sighhhh!

[holidaylover]

Cheekygal,
I feel your pain!  I have terrible health anxiety, more caused by tingling, crawling, itching sensations.  I also 'googled'  and live constantly with the fear I have some undiagnosed neuro illness. Doctor is convinced it is anxiety but I don't believe him.  I also get the occasional twitch.  This week it has been in my left eye, mainly in the evening.
If your symptoms are causing you so much distress, could you not make another appointment with your Doctor and speak to him about what you actually think your problem is.  He can either test or reassure.  I explained to my Doctor that my worries about MS etc. are what I believe to be causing my anxiety in the first place, and he has agreed to send me for an MRI and a consultation with a Neurologist.  He says if this is what it takes to put my mind at rest than so be it.  After that, we will continue down the CBT route.  At no time at all has menopause been mentioned, so this will also be my next question, re. blood tests, when I pay him a visit next week.  Please don't suffer without getting everything checked.  The worry of thinking you have a terrible illness is a terribly exhausting thing and far too time consuming when we should be getting on with our lives!  Best Wishes

[holidaylover]

Sparkle, yes, I agree, and that is probably why I am noticing the twitches in the evening.  The vicious circle regarding the anxiety is so true, but I think it's very difficult to understand (and believe) why anxiety can cause such widespread physical symptoms, which still occur whilst we don't always feel anxious.  I'm sitting at the moment with my nose tingling (has been since last night) and I just can get my head around this not being neuro related.  Now the anxiety starts again!!  I think if our bodies are so highly sensitive we are aware of absolutley every single twitch, tingle we get.  When I complain of certain things to hubby, he says he often gets that, but never thinks anything of it, 'and just gets on with it'.  (His is obviously not meno related)!!

[curlywurly]

Hi CheekyGal

I paid privately for a lot of blood tests and my testosterone was v. low, estradiol low (less than a man has), progesterone low, dhea low, FSH and LH high, sorry I can't remember numbers!  All pointing to post menopause.  I have probably been like this for years and on and off antid's.  Also my B12, Folate  and Ferritin were low too - another thing to affect mood etc.  Also the restless leg thing can be affected by lack of B12.  www.b12d.org for more info.  Some amazing stories on the old site for pernicious anaemia - the My Story section worth a read - www.pernicious-anaemia-society.org.  Terrible how a simple deficiency could be responsible for so much.  So I also inject B12 3 times a week - this has helped with fatigue and mood to a point. 

It was a relief to see there was actually something proving why I felt so rubbish rather than just guess work and more tablets and psychiatrists etc.

The extra pump has worked so far - keeping fingers crossed!  I noted in my diary it took 7 days to get rid of that horrid 'gut feeling' which leads to me overthinking and then worrying and then how useless I am blah blah blah etc. etc. etc..  Hope it stays away!!

I agree there are some people who are more sensitive (me being one) but I used to be able to control it and get on with things or at least distract myself.  Then, not sure if it's age, or a build up of stress, one day I just couldn't.  Periods were normal so no reason for anyone to think is was meno related I suppose - but maybe someone could have suggested peri? Seems hormonal to me - especially when I see my blood test results.  I really hope it is anyway as at least we can put back some of the hormones.  If I keep crossing my fingers so much they will get stuck like that!  Then that will be another problem  .

I hope you are feeling better and any of the above information helps.  I do feel as though I am pushing the 2 sites mentioned but they have helped me enormously and have (I am going to whisper this so as not to jinx it!) been off AD's for 16 months.  Along with this amazing site and the fabulous, honest, intelligent, supportive, open and helpful ladies on here - I hope I am 'getting there' ('there' being content will do for now thanks!).

Take care

CW
 




CW - what do you mean when you say most of your hormones are low?  Hope the extra pump helps you 

[LizeeeH]

Hi ya'll

Yes this could have been written by me

I tend to focus on something and in my mind its the "C" word   whether its bumps on my tongue.....a certain mole.....but you would think I'd go to the GP but I don't because I know the following week it will be something else   I should be having my mammogram but the fear of what they will find stresses me so much......simply put Im a bloody wreck 

[kiltgirl]

Hi am with you here, I get so anxious about my health, as I get older and things don't work the way they did even 10 years ago
Ears constantly whistling (only I can hear that!), bad pain in feet and hands etc, IBS, eyesite changing after 25 years of it being the same...
I had a bad situation a couple of years ago when I kept going back to my doc over the space of 2 weeks with urination pain and pain in my sides and back, they didn't help me, didn't give me anything even though i must have gone 5 times in the 2 weeks. I felt i was going mad and it was a horrible situation, eventually i went back after school drop-off a fortnight later sobbing (embarrassing) as I was in so much pain, was sent up to a&e where i was admitted for a kidney infection.
Since then pain has made me much more anxious than it ever used to, and being older now I can't help but worry that it means something bad or irreversible.
Sometimes too I realise that if I have pain I don't just take painkillers to make it go away like i would have done before...I hold on to it and worry about it. I wonder how much of it comes from my head and how much is real sometimes...
I have a load of yoga equipment and some meditation dvds but never feel motivated enough to use them...maybe it's easier to sit in this cycle of worry than do something about it...
sorry i hope this isn't too waffly...anxiety is awful, how different would our lives be without it xx