[Naisly]

#1176881

Hi again,

Just some info I gathered for you.

Sometimes Per menopause lasts 6 years or more, and
ends 1 year after the final menstrual period.

In some women an uneasy feeling or mild panic attack, occurs just before the hot flash. An increased pulse rate and a sensation of rapid heart beating may also occur.

Hot flashes often increase with stress and may be associated with palpitations (rapid heartbeat) and feelings of anxiety. The unsettling feeling that precedes a hot flash can mimic a panic attack in some women.

And because you feel so irritable during the day, that’s probably due to the fact your not getting the sleep you need because of the night sweats.

Antidepressants caused night sweats in 22% of users in one study.

Talk to your doctor about Flaxseed – some say this helps with symptoms (It is also good for graves).

Here is another article for you from The Center for Women’s Mental Health at Massachusetts General Hospital

I guess on the bright side of all of this is I’m learning a great deal about menopause!

I do hope your having a relaxing weekend.

~Naisly

[MaryI]

#1176882

Hi Vanillasky,
I totally sympathize with you on your menopausal symptoms. I am now 57 and until about 16 months ago I also was in dispair. My endo said that he could not help and he said” frankly my dear, it is your age”. He is no longer my endo.
I asked my GP for help sleeping and a prescription for a sleep aid. He did not think that was wise, and instead suggested a referral to a physician with a special interest in bio-identical hormones. I was skeptical, but went, and am so glad that I did. He carefully tests and monitors all of my hormone levels. He also mentioned that if we help correct my imbalances, it l may help to normalise my thyroid function. He said that my menopausal symptoms should abate and I should feel quite good by about the 9-10 month mark under treatment, and he was right.
Within a few months my flashes decreased, sleep was better, and my mood improved.I am on a bi-est cream and progesterone capsule with a break for a few days every month. My dosage is monitored and he has increased both a small amount. He also has me taking vitamin D, omega 3, magnesium and selenium supplements. The magnesium & progesterone also aid with sleep.
I would never buy over the counter female hormone, or mail order product or use health store products, esp after now seeing how carefully the hormones have to be titrated.There is no one size fits all with that stuff.
I also will never again go to a naturopath. I do believe that she triggered Graves disease by insisting that I take iodine drops every day because she thought by looking at my eyes that I had a thyroid problem. I paid her alot of money to make me very sick.
I will stick to my MDs and my new endo from now on.
As of January 2013 I am off the methimazole, and feeling better for it. I sure hope that this is it, but if I have to go back on, so be it. Nothing is worse than full blown Graves. And add in severe menopausal symptoms-wow!
I don’t believe that there is nothing that can help you-keep looking, but do not get sucked in by products or practitioners who have no solid medical basis to their supposed “cures”. They just want to drain your pocketbook.

[vanillasky]

#1176883

@Naisly, thank you for another great article. You are priceless. All the things you mention ARE ME! LOL~
The anxiety before. It is sort of like an aura that comes over me and then I say “here it comes.” It starts from the waist up and then this flushed/hot/sometimes burning feeling is on my back, neck, and face. RED HOT. I start sweating under my arms. Even my hands are soaking wet. I time them. They last anywhere from one minute to four minutes.

So by now you are saying “what’s the big deal?” I wouldn’t mind if they lasted as short as they do but I HAVE THEM ALL DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too numerous to count. Night is the worst. It’s 14 degrees here today. I sleep with a fan blowing on me. BTW, got a sore throat too. And get up to change the night gown.

Despite Graves’, I have gained weight and struggle to keep it off. I always thought Graves’ patients were skinny, but I’m having a hell of a time battling the scale. This HAS TO BE MENOPAUSE!

@ Mary: thank you so much for writing to me. As Shirley does, you seem to understand where I’m coming from too.

I have been told accupuncture which I did. Didnt work. To me, it’s nothing but nonsense with needles.

The
Estroven, I swear is making it worse. I only tried Tri-est when I was perimenopausal a few years ago. It made me very emotional and I cried all day. Weird, I know.

I will ask this doctor about bio-identicals again and see if it’s worth a try but I have heard they are not as strong as Premarin or Prem-pro.

[Author]

Posts