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[Sarahkins]

Hi,

I don't know where is best to post but I feel desperate this evening. I've spent my entire day on the edge of a panic attack over my symptoms. I haven't a clue if I'm technically perimenopausal but since last year my cycles are short and then I miss periods for months on end. This in itself isn't what causes my anxiety, it's the horrible symptoms that so many people on here talk about.

All day today I have struggled with horrible motions sickness and feeling dizzy and unsteady. I get strange head sensations or slight pains on the left side of my head that last for a few moments then disappear but lately they are more frequent.

I get strange aches and pains in hands and feet and just generally feel unwell all the time. I'd this normal? Am I perimenopausal?

I have bad anxiety anyway but since all this started happening and my dad dying last October, I have struggled with health anxiety that has me afraid to go to sleep some nights.

The symptoms are horrible and I feel really alone when I have the dizziness and blurred vision and I'm trying to function but can't.

I'm 42 and have one child. I've been trying to stave off a panic attack all day and I'm just exhausted and unhappy. I don't know what to do.
My GP did a blood test last year and it showed no imbalances but surely it's not normal to have cycles of 18-20 days and then miss months at a time? I have palpitations and more recently what I think are night sweats.
I'm just convinced I'm dying all the time and I can't cope!
Please can anyone tell me it's okay!

[Kelloggs]

Hi,

I don't know where is best to post but I feel desperate this evening. I've spent my entire day on the edge of a panic attack over my symptoms. I haven't a clue if I'm technically perimenopausal but since last year my cycles are short and then I miss periods for months on end. This in itself isn't what causes my anxiety, it's the horrible symptoms that so many people on here talk about.

All day today I have struggled with horrible motions sickness and feeling dizzy and unsteady. I get strange head sensations or slight pains on the left side of my head that last for a few moments then disappear but lately they are more frequent.

I get strange aches and pains in hands and feet and just generally feel unwell all the time. I'd this normal? Am I perimenopausal?

I have bad anxiety anyway but since all this started happening and my dad dying last October, I have struggled with health anxiety that has me afraid to go to sleep some nights.

The symptoms are horrible and I feel really alone when I have the dizziness and blurred vision and I'm trying to function but can't.

I'm 42 and have one child. I've been trying to stave off a panic attack all day and I'm just exhausted and unhappy. I don't know what to do.
My GP did a blood test last year and it showed no imbalances but surely it's not normal to have cycles of 18-20 days and then miss months at a time? I have palpitations and more recently what I think are night sweats.
I'm just convinced I'm dying all the time and I can't cope!
Please can anyone tell me it's okay!

Hi Sarah..

Well this all sounds like perimenopause to me.. because it’s exactly how I feel too.. although sadly my periods haven’t started to space out yet.. but they do come so frequently I feel like I’ve been on for a year! I’m 48.
The health anxiety is horrendous isn’t it? I went away recently and couldn’t leave the hotel..
please don’t fret.. find a nice doctor at your surgery and explain all of your symptoms to them and insist that you want to try HRT which will definitely help your symptoms.. I’m still juggling mine because of the constant bleeding but you may well get your dose right first time..
You aren’t alone and most of us can relate to how you are feeling.
Xx

[jaypo]

All sounds peri to me too.
Health anxiety is awful,one tiny twitch or spasm,then we spend a week concentrating on it and make it 100 x worse than it actually is.
Blood tests for menopause are not very reliable .
Try some stugeron for the dizziness & sickness,take two 3 times a day and it should go (as long as you can take them with any other meds you may be on)

[CrispyChick]

Hi

The dizziness motion sickness is me to a T.

I'm in a massive bout right now.

And yes, all my bloods show as fine. The reason is it's my estrogen spikes causing these symptoms. In peri our progesterone declines first. But the NHS dont test this, or believe we should be in balance. And when they test us out estrogen is fine i.e not low!!

Unfortunately it's been a very long road for me. I'm now 48 and started this at 41. And my symptoms are still the same! It's hideous.

But, I'm very clear there is nothing sinister wrong with me. Just a sensitivity to these hormonal fluctuations.

What can you do? By all means try hrt, but unfortunately this just added more estrogen to my pot. I did get some relief over the year trying the pill. First mini pill then combined. That might be an option for you. Basically overriding your own system.

You have my sympathy. I'm in a horrific spate of it right now and considering chemical meno to shut it all down as the estrogen spikes are causing absolute havoc.

The notion sickness and dizziness are the worst. I'm so sorry you are going through the same xxx

[CLKD]

Have responded on your other thread ;-)

[Jules]

You may also be having anxiety attacks given you're so anxious about your symptoms and you have health anxiety.  I had an episode of that recently.  It's most distressing. Maybe hearing others on here have similar symptoms will alleviate some of your anxiety.

[Sarahkins]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Whilst I don't wish these symptoms on anyone, it's a comfort to know that I'm not alone or going mad. I had a slightly better day today with fewer episodes feeling off balance. This in turn helped ease my anxiety and my mood which was a much needed relief!

I am planning to visit my GP as soon as possible and will see what they say about HRT. I realise I could be at risk for bone density loss if it's peri so surely they will listen to me?

Kellogs - Sorry to hear that you are experiencing the same. The health anxiety is dreadful and I can relate to being imprisoned by it. Some days I'm so consumed with ideas that I'm about to die that I can barely function. It's like my body responds to my anxiety by just overloading then shutting down!
I do find propranolol helpful for the initial physical symptoms of anxiety and sometimes it can keep me from having a panic attack. Maybe worth a try for you too, if you haven't already.

Jaypo I haven't heard of Stugeron before but will be trying it. If there's any chance of easing this horrible sensation I want to give it a go. I have a very busy 5 year old daughter and I'm really struggling to keep up with my head swimming all the time.

CLKD - I will have a look thankyou for replying!

Crispychick - You sound very similar to me and I'm sorry you have this motion sickness. It's horrendous isn't it? I can feel my movements slowing down lately just to try to avoid causing it to happen. Have you tried anything for it? I had a go at some exercises for BPPV to see if they would help it, but as I don't think it's strictly vertigo the exercises didn't seem to help. I could have been doing it wrong though!

Jules - yes definitely I have them several days a week at the moment. They also bring on similar symptoms so it can often be hard to tease apart which is coming from anxiety and which is coming from something hormonal. You're right it does really help to know other people understand what it's like. So much about meno is hidden and dismissed which doesn't help when there are so many confusing and debilitating symptoms! I'm so grateful for this forum.

[CrispyChick]

Hi

I actually paid for vestibular rehabilitation sessions when all this started with me 7 years ago. The sessions didn't help because, certainly for me, it's all hormonal.

I've had episodes where I have got rid of this with the pill. The estrogen in hrt made me worse  (that's not to say it will for you).

In peri estrogen can spike the highest it's ever been. Not something the NHS ever consider - I guess because most woman only becomes symptomatic when estrogen drops.

Good luck with the GP. I hope you find your solution quicker than me. I'm in a terrible bout right now. Been stuck here for months. Still no low estrogen symptoms. 

[joziel]

You are in the age category for all this to be peri-menopause and those are classic peri-menopause symptoms.

Why is your GP doing blood tests? Blood tests are not needed before beginning HRT. You should be given a trial of HRT to see if it helps based on symptoms, not blood tests.

Ask your doctor for HRT or perhaps find a new doctor...

[Bella247]

Hi there
Firstly sorry to hear about your loss. Struggling with that is hard in itself. I also have health anxiety and I honesty wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I think the best piece of advice I can give is not to google your symptoms ever. At its peak my health anxiety was so bad I would wake up in the night and google my symptoms. If you absolutely must google only look at the nhs website but honestly even that makes my mental health deteriorate. I do know that blood tests are not at all reliable when it comes to menopause symptoms. You could try to see if there is a woman’s health specialist at your GP maybe. The one at my practice is a right cow but I know some on here have had some success. I’ve not tried systemic HRT at this point but my cousin has and says that her anxiety is significantly improved x

[JS79]

I feel I could have written your post myself.
The health anxiety is the worst feeling ever. I work in the medical profession which can sometimes be a blessing but also a nightmare. My OH is a Paramedic and I sometimes struggle to be able to expand my symptoms to them.
One thing I keep stressing to my GP at every contact with them is that I'm scared one time I am seriously ill but don't take notice due to health anxiety.
I have now about 12 contacts with my GP since Dec when I became unwell and although they do every test I have asked then for I feel HRT will be too much of an ask.
I spent most of last week lying in my bed because the dizziness was so bad. I didn't eat for 3 days then since then I have maybe eat a banana for brekkie and 1 meal a day. I'm forcing myself to eat as my jaw feels weird eating, like the way it feels before vomiting.
Good luck

[jaypo]

Can you ask to be referred to a menopause specialist or clinic?

[Penguin]

Hi just to pick up on your point about them not knowing when it is something seriously. I had same conversations with my GP about how they would know if it is something real or not. He said that they would, that they start assessing you the minute you walk in, palour, weight, anything out of the ordinary. He said it is his job to balance my anxiety and fear of everything with what is clinically possible and likely based on my presenting symptoms. He said it is all about context, that is something a doctor knows about and which I as a health anxiety sufferer,  lack! It means he has said no to tests I didn't need, but also pushed me into one particular test I did need but was scared to havd and had been trying to convince him I didn't need. I honestly don't think they'd dismiss everything you say just because you are known to have anxiety. No decent doctor would do that.

[jaypo]

My Dr also said to me,that I'm NEVER wasting his time,because in hindsight,my HA has given me the most awful diseases 🙄 that,of course, were never there but he said that even relieving our anxieties is also his job,so doing a test,EVEN IF it's to relieve anxiety,he's helped

[Penguin]

My Dr also said to me,that I'm NEVER wasting his time,because in hindsight,my HA has given me the most awful diseases 🙄 that,of course, were never there but he said that even relieving our anxieties is also his job,so doing a test,EVEN IF it's to relieve anxiety,he's helped

So true Jaypo! My GP said similar, and that he'd rather I come to him with something that is nothing, than sit home and make myself ill with worry over it. I did the latter during the pandemic, didn't go near a GP with my fears, and ended up having a breakdown which did make me physically ill. He says afterwards that he wished I'd came to him.