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[meloggs]

Dear ladies,
I came across this site a few days ago when I was desperate to calm myself after 5 days of health anxiety and panic attacks. Reading your replies and seeing the support you wonderful women give to each other helped me enormously.
I have just turned 54 and last had a period 10 months ago. When I was 49 I started experiencing anxiety attacks and worrying about everything. I started to panic even reading things or if someone else I knew was ill.
This went on for a few years and seemed to be when I had a period or just after.
 As I haven't had a period for months, I was becoming far less anxious and hoping it would be better, but just recently I have had really bad acid reflux, first every few days then gradually over months every day almost. My doctor prescribed me Lansoprazole a couple of weeks ago and they worked straight away but they gave me awful headaches which made me panic. I stopped taking them 4 days ago, the headaches stopped but my acid is reappearing. This sends me into panic mode, my doctor told me that the menopause doesn't cause acid reflux but stress and nerves do.
I have been taking Sertraline 50mg for about 3 years and they helped a lot but recently I am not sure that they do anymore.
I thought about HRT but I am scared of breast cancer, but I am really struggling lately.
As well as the acid, I get flushes although not too bad, loose stools and or constipation, headaches,I forget things a lot then other times I am fine, but nothing is anywhere near as bad as the anxiety.

Do you have any suggestions on how I can help this please? I live on my own and don't like to worry my daughter. I feel like I am going mad.

[CLKD]

Yep.  Sounds within normal limits 4 peri-menopause from where I'm sitting.

........ and breath.  Your GP is wrong about reflux.  Doesn't he/she know that hiatus hernia is common in women of a certain age  . As oestrogen levels drop the muscles may become lax = aches and pains, frozen shoulder, acid reflux/indigestion/heart burn.

There are other PPIs as well as Lansoprazole, maybe ring your local Pharamacist to ask about other similar products?  Then you can ring your surgery and suggest that they prescribe the suggestion. 

As oestrogen levels drop the body may become dry: inside and out - scalp, deep in the ears, nostrils, skin, vagina - we have threads about the latter as well as bladder issues - do read; forewarned is forearmed ;-)

Anxiety can be helped by some forms of HRT but there are dedicated medications too.  Do you have any history of breast disease?  It's about Quality of Life too.  Some find keeping a mood/food/syptom diary of use 2 chart progress.

 

[sheila99]

Every medication carried a risk. Transdermal is much safer than the older oral types made from horse urine that gave rise to the scare stories. There is still a risk but it's less than if you drink,smoke or are overweight. It's a personal decision but quality of life is important too. Just make sure that your decision is based on the risk that the current hrt carries. I had anxiety too, it's sooo debilitating. Mine has completely gone now but it did take 3 months on HRT.

[meloggs]

Yep.  Sounds within normal limits 4 peri-menopause from where I'm sitting.

........ and breath.  Your GP is wrong about reflux.  Doesn't he/she know that hiatus hernia is common in women of a certain age  . As oestrogen levels drop the muscles may become lax = aches and pains, frozen shoulder, acid reflux/indigestion/heart burn.

There are other PPIs as well as Lansoprazole, maybe ring your local Pharamacist to ask about other similar products?  Then you can ring your surgery and suggest that they prescribe the suggestion. 

As oestrogen levels drop the body may become dry: inside and out - scalp, deep in the ears, nostrils, skin, vagina - we have threads about the latter as well as bladder issues - do read; forewarned is forearmed ;-)

Yep.  Sounds within normal limits 4 peri-menopause from where I'm sitting.

........ and breath.  Your GP is wrong about reflux.  Doesn't he/she know that hiatus hernia is common in women of a certain age  . As oestrogen levels drop the muscles may become lax = aches and pains, frozen shoulder, acid reflux/indigestion/heart burn.

There are other PPIs as well as Lansoprazole, maybe ring your local Pharamacist to ask about other similar products?  Then you can ring your surgery and suggest that they prescribe the suggestion. 

As oestrogen levels drop the body may become dry: inside and out - scalp, deep in the ears, nostrils, skin, vagina - we have threads about the latter as well as bladder issues - do read; forewarned is forearmed ;-)

Anxiety can be helped by some forms of HRT but there are dedicated medications too.  Do you have any history of breast disease?  It's about Quality of Life too.  Some find keeping a mood/food/syptom diary of use 2 chart progress.

 

Anxiety can be helped by some forms of HRT but there are dedicated medications too.  Do you have any history of breast disease?  It's about Quality of Life too.  Some find keeping a mood/food/syptom diary of use 2 chart progress.

 

[meloggs]

Thank you so much for your advice and support.
I am glad that you said my doctor was wrong, I have been really worried. I will speak to my doctor about HRT and what's best to help. I can't keep going through these periods of shear panic. I just want to feel and look some kind of normal.

Thanks again ladies