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[SJ]

Carrying on with my research and the medication issue is quite complicated so will continue to look this up. However, I have a few questions that you may be able to confirm/deny 

Do many people suffer with vertigo?  Ive had it for over a year now in my right ear.  medication ive been prescribed makes it worse so is there anything herbal i can take for it?

Hot flushes - mine seem to radiate up my back into my neck and up my head.  Not so much in my face although i am sweating a lot and it seems to be from 4am till lunchtime, then it subsides.

Anxiety is excrutiating.  Is it worth taking Valerian?

thanks everybody x

[honorsmum]

I've found L-theanine with lemon balm very good for anxiety. I took 2 tablets, twice a day - the make was Viridian.
Otherwise, Tesco own stress relief tablets - valerian, hops and passion flower.

[Kathleen]

Hello SJ and welcome to the forum.

I am on HRT and take an antidepressant as well which is supposed to help with hot flushes. Even when my flushes were at their worst they never showed on my face, I didn't even turn pink! The sweating was always confined to my back, underarms and chest.

Although everyone's experience is slightly different you'll find plenty of support and information on this site.

Wishing you well and take care.

K.

[SJ]

Thats great thanks for your responses!  Good to hear that my flushes seem to be similar to yours too.

Tell you the main frustrating thing that people seem to say to me is im very young to be getting these symptoms but then when you look here, theres lots of people in their 40's going through it.  Im 43.

Just had a wonderful indian head massage so im feeling much better than i was this morning 

[Dancinggirl]

SJ - I'm just wondering about the cause of your vertigo!? Have they ruled out a middle ear infection?
I certainly suffer with problems with my sinuses and ears especially since the meno started and I believe vertigo can be a symptom of middle ear infection.  Once meno starts, you notice that everything dries out a bit - even the nasal passages etc. so my theory is (and this is just my thoughts) that these areas become more open to infection so things like dizziness, sinus headaches etc emerge more often. I do find HRt improves these drying effect a bit.
If you are not going to use HRT then I believe some women have success with St. John's wort for anxiety and low mood but this needs to be used with care if you are on any other medication so best to check with your doctor or pharmacist.
Might be worth talking to your GP about all this. 
You're certainly not alone with having an early menopause - sadly many women are not given appropriate advice and support from their GPs.  Good luck.  DG x

[SJ]

Hi DG thank you for your support.  its much appreciated 

Yes they ruled out infection a couple of times.  They gave me Stemetil but it made the dizzispells worse, so now i dont take anything.

A good friend of mine has just recommended taking Citalopram.  Going back to the doctor next week so was going to ask about trying that and Menopace.

Any thoughts?  Not convinced about taking HRT and definitely dont want to take antidepressants.  Going to see a counsellor instead and see how that goes.  Been using condoms for years as doctor told me im too overweight (size 18) to take the pill.  Not taking anything at all but think i need something. and quick! 

[Dancinggirl]

SJ - I saw a gynaecologist privately before Christmas about advice over my continuing meno symptoms.  We had a really good discussion about the options and though I am trying HRT again (I feel so much better on HRT) he did want me to consider Citalopram as he has found it very beneficial for many ladies he treats. It is a SRRI, so different from the old fashioned ADs and though I have always been very against anything like this I will consider it if I can't continue the HRT.  I have a colleague at work who is on both HRT and Citlopram and she feels so much better.  I think it does take up to 2 weeks for the Citalopram to settle and take effect - some initial side effects can be a bit worrying to start with but are quite normal.
Menaopace is just a good all round vitamin supplement with some isoflavines which can be good to take anyway, so whether you do try HRT or not it can be good to add some vitamins alongside a good diet just to give the immune system a boost. Menopace has a good dose of Vitamin D in it which is very important for many things.
You have options so hopefully your GP will be able to advice accordingly.  DG x

[honorsmum]

Citalopram is an antidepressant.
My personal experience of it wasn't good - the first 6 to 8 weeks were hell, with horrendous anxiety, insomnia, nausea, drowsiness etc. I stayed on it for about a year, but then had to come off it very slowly because of withdrawal effects - I got head zaps and suffered brain fog for some weeks.

[CLKD]

Some ADs do the opposite for what they were designed to do  ……. Prozac gave me weird side-effects but others have been OK although they can 'poop' out eventually as the brain becomes used to the active ingredient.

If herbal remedies were reliable they would be available on the NHS  ………..  it really is difficult to find something that suits at the time and hope that one gains relief if only for a short time.  Remembering that hormones are up and down which can lessen the over-all effect of what is taken/used.

I didn't have hot flushes for long and they always happened 10-15 mins after I had got out of a warm bath and after I had swallowed my AD and beta-blocka …… warm sweaty feelings from the waist upwards.  Also itchy, which DH would scratch gently every evening …….. for several years.  When I had Tamoxifen in 2009 I had cold 'flushes' …… like I was getting flu …….

Vertigo - I had this years ago, I would open my eyes and know immediately, I wouldn't dare move my head.  One episode was after a very heavy head cold which had lasted 3 weeks ……… happened on New Year's Eve! so the GP wouldn't come out 

Anxiety - I have had panic attacks since aged 3  so can't blame hormones ………

Let us know what you find works for you! all experiences welcome - have you read Hurdity's thread?

[SJ]

doh!  my mind is officially blown with all the information on medication. phew!

yes Vertigo is absolutely horrible.  It gets so bad that I cant drive I feel so unsafe and on very bad days I dont go out at all.  The anxiety ive been getting has made my heart pound and I can hear it in my right ear.  Its very off putting, on a positive note, at least my hearts still beating!

Thanks CKLD really appreciate your comments.  Good to know im not on my own

[CLKD]

Apparently there's always a positive but I can't often fine one  ………

Vertigo is awful.  Can be caused by a virus, wax pressing the ear-drum, standing up suddenly.  There is medication to help, have you spoken to your GP? if necessary there are techniques to re-balance the inner ear.

I can hear my heart beating at night if I lay heavily on an ear [difficult to lay on both at once  ] ……. but that is tinnitus  and I always wonder how long it's been at it before I notice ……….