nlc
01-24-2007, 07:38 PM
I have not had a period for a little over 2 years. How long do all these symptoms last?! The hot flashes seem to be pretty much under control, using black cohosh. However, how do I control the worry over my health. I think I have a cancer phobia. Any little pain and I think I have cancer. My mother died of cancer 10 years ago and this may be why I feel this way. I am so tired of feeling this way. Sometimes I wake up during the night with thoughts of death that make me feel a little panicky. Also, I have no problem falling asleep but I can't remember when I have slept through the night. I used to have mild anxiety attacks and took Lexapro. I have been off it for a year. Anyone have any suggestions?
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Belle2003
01-24-2007, 08:21 PM
I am in perimenopause, but I too have the cancer phobia. Any weird symptom, lump, pain, etc and I would worry about cancer. I get cysts in my breast and I can't rest until I find out for sure that it is not cancer. I read that coffee, tea, chocolate and sodas have been unofficially linked to causing cysts in the breast. (86% of people eliminating those foods from their diet were cyst free after 6 months) In July I stopped eating all of them. I go tomorrow for my 6 month follow up mammogram. If it shows that I am cyst free (for once) I will be off of those foods forever. (And I love chocolate) Everytime I would feel a new lump in my breast I would tell myself it was just another cyst. In the back of my mind I would fear that it could be cancer and that I should find out for sure ASAP. It just got to where the stress of it all, not to mention medical bills were too much and I took matters into my own hands.
So NLC don't feel like you are alone in the health worry/cancer phobia department. I think a lot of men and women worry about it too, but keep it hidden. My family blames the internet's easy access to information on diseases for my health worry obsession. I think that they are partially right!
So NLC don't feel like you are alone in the health worry/cancer phobia department. I think a lot of men and women worry about it too, but keep it hidden. My family blames the internet's easy access to information on diseases for my health worry obsession. I think that they are partially right!
Deeraysmom
01-24-2007, 08:30 PM
:wave:...NLC....... Please be careful taking black cohosh... [removed] Dr. say's it can harm your liver........ I switched to soy after he told me that.......and was informed on here also...... Dee :angel:
marian100
01-25-2007, 11:46 AM
it seems that anxiety is not an unusual problem in perimenopause. or menopause for that matter. low progesterone can cause it. i have my own phobias and have started taking celexa. hope it helps. God bless you:angel:
marymk
01-25-2007, 12:19 PM
Hi,
I'm 48, and have been in peri a couple of years. I have the cancer phobia also - and there isn't much of a history of it in my family. I've been to so many different doctor's in the past 2 years that it's driving me nuts. I've seemed to have calmed down a bit lately and since my doctor does not like to prescribe anxiety medications, I've tried to get through it with a change of lifestyle.
Exercise really helps alot - I go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week - I do cycling and pilates or yoga.
The biggest change I've made, is dietary - I'm a failry heavy coffee drinker, and it's hard to give up. I've switched to organic coffee (grown without chemicals), and I mix regular with decaf. It has made a big difference with breast tenderness and PMS sypmtoms. I always drank a half decaffinated coffee, so I'm thinking the organic is better. We also buy beef and pork from a local farmer who doesn't use hormones or antibiotics. I only use olive oil, unless I need to deep fry(rarely), then I use peanut oil. Also, I limit sweets and chips (my downfall) as much as possible.
I've started taking vitamins and some other supplements also - although I'm not very regular about it - that's my next commitment.
I know this sounds kind of like a lecture - but I'm the first to admit that it's REALLY HARD to follow - I'd much rather not go out to the gym after working all day - especially in the cold months, and I miss junk food, and the coffee and meat is more expensive, but I feel so much better - I keep telling myself to just do it. It's taken me a couple of years to get to this stage - I started by changing one thing at a time.
Mary
I'm 48, and have been in peri a couple of years. I have the cancer phobia also - and there isn't much of a history of it in my family. I've been to so many different doctor's in the past 2 years that it's driving me nuts. I've seemed to have calmed down a bit lately and since my doctor does not like to prescribe anxiety medications, I've tried to get through it with a change of lifestyle.
Exercise really helps alot - I go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week - I do cycling and pilates or yoga.
The biggest change I've made, is dietary - I'm a failry heavy coffee drinker, and it's hard to give up. I've switched to organic coffee (grown without chemicals), and I mix regular with decaf. It has made a big difference with breast tenderness and PMS sypmtoms. I always drank a half decaffinated coffee, so I'm thinking the organic is better. We also buy beef and pork from a local farmer who doesn't use hormones or antibiotics. I only use olive oil, unless I need to deep fry(rarely), then I use peanut oil. Also, I limit sweets and chips (my downfall) as much as possible.
I've started taking vitamins and some other supplements also - although I'm not very regular about it - that's my next commitment.
I know this sounds kind of like a lecture - but I'm the first to admit that it's REALLY HARD to follow - I'd much rather not go out to the gym after working all day - especially in the cold months, and I miss junk food, and the coffee and meat is more expensive, but I feel so much better - I keep telling myself to just do it. It's taken me a couple of years to get to this stage - I started by changing one thing at a time.
Mary
twanger
01-25-2007, 09:15 PM
I have not had a period for 4 years. I don't come here much because most of my symptoms have disappeared. I had them all.
I still get some hot flashes but they are not bad.
The only symptom that has remained is the anxiety. It started really bad during peri. Like I said, I had all 35 symptoms and more. After going through that, I developed health anxiety or something. I hate it.
Other than that, I feel great. I have lost 20 lbs., have tons of energy and feel very positive about life. Three years ago, I didn't think I would live long enough to say that.
I don't know if the anxiety ever goes away. I wish that it did. Maybe I need to work on it because, ladies, there is hope after you get into menopause.
I still get some hot flashes but they are not bad.
The only symptom that has remained is the anxiety. It started really bad during peri. Like I said, I had all 35 symptoms and more. After going through that, I developed health anxiety or something. I hate it.
Other than that, I feel great. I have lost 20 lbs., have tons of energy and feel very positive about life. Three years ago, I didn't think I would live long enough to say that.
I don't know if the anxiety ever goes away. I wish that it did. Maybe I need to work on it because, ladies, there is hope after you get into menopause.
Wizard
01-27-2007, 12:15 PM
I have to say that my anxiety was horrific last year. I couldn't sleep nights, I felt like I couldn't sit still. I was such a mess. I lost vast amounts of weight from the constant anxiety and was so exhausted that I could barely make it through the day.
I'm not a candidate for the low dose pill or HRT since I'm prone to blood clots.
I've come completely around the corner since then. I tried 3 different kinds of anxiety meds and can't say I loved any of them. The best was Klonopin but it still left me exhausted. It did help me sleep though and was the first step to getting my life back together. It gave me the ability to manage the anxiety while I looked for other avenues that didn't require remaining on anxiety meds while I worked my way through 6 years of peri.
The best changes I made were to make sure that I was regularly exercised and included both aerobic and weight work, I added a B stress vitaimin, Omega 3's, flax seed oil, and magnesium into to my regime. I eliminated caffeine completely since it just threw my anxiety levels over the edge. I did start sleeping better and the worst edge was taken off my anxiety by doing all this. I made sure my diet was filled with fresh fruit, veggies, low fat protein and carbs that were low on the glycemic index.
Someone here mentioned that the anxiety is caused by low progesterone. I had read that as well so I added in natural progesterone cream and it was the final touch that fixed the remaining problems.
I have absolutely no anxiety now, no tingling in my hands and feet, I've gotten back to normal weight levels and feel fantastic. I feel like my normal self again, full of energy and ready to go all day and night.
I'm not a candidate for the low dose pill or HRT since I'm prone to blood clots.
I've come completely around the corner since then. I tried 3 different kinds of anxiety meds and can't say I loved any of them. The best was Klonopin but it still left me exhausted. It did help me sleep though and was the first step to getting my life back together. It gave me the ability to manage the anxiety while I looked for other avenues that didn't require remaining on anxiety meds while I worked my way through 6 years of peri.
The best changes I made were to make sure that I was regularly exercised and included both aerobic and weight work, I added a B stress vitaimin, Omega 3's, flax seed oil, and magnesium into to my regime. I eliminated caffeine completely since it just threw my anxiety levels over the edge. I did start sleeping better and the worst edge was taken off my anxiety by doing all this. I made sure my diet was filled with fresh fruit, veggies, low fat protein and carbs that were low on the glycemic index.
Someone here mentioned that the anxiety is caused by low progesterone. I had read that as well so I added in natural progesterone cream and it was the final touch that fixed the remaining problems.
I have absolutely no anxiety now, no tingling in my hands and feet, I've gotten back to normal weight levels and feel fantastic. I feel like my normal self again, full of energy and ready to go all day and night.
Middleagedcrazy
01-28-2007, 11:56 PM
It is amazing, since all women have to travel this road, that it is still one of the conditions that has the least and worst treatment from most doctors. I have been through hell the last few years. Most men doctors just don't care, and many do not have a clue. I had hopes when I started bio-indential hormone cream, but after 2 years of strict diet and exercise, I still couldn't lose any weight.
You hear about so many women having no estrogen and the dangers of hrt. I am just the opposite. I am estrogen dominate. After finding a new woman doctor in Dec. and having blood work done again, I am now on oral progesterane. My doc told me your progesterane should be between 8-30 and mine was 0.04. She also, unlike my last male doc, listened to my complaints of freezing hands and feet (when my husband insisted it isn't even cold!) and I started thyroid meds Jan 1st. That reading was so low also.
I have also always had breast cysts. I get one in my left breast in the exact same place for 25years. I only get them when I drink too many diet drinks and not any calcium. As long as I only drink one diet coke a day, and eat my yogurt everyday for breakfast, the cysts stays away. I wouldn't say I have suffered from nerves, but I went through years where everyone irritated me to death and I know I was the biggest witch at work that ever was. All the books about menopause keep saying it is the best time in your life, you reinvent yourself, feel free, ect, ect. I would just like to feel normal. I would like everything to work like it used too. I would like for everything not to ache. Lately my whole body is a ache and pain. It seems somedays even my bones hurt.
You hear about so many women having no estrogen and the dangers of hrt. I am just the opposite. I am estrogen dominate. After finding a new woman doctor in Dec. and having blood work done again, I am now on oral progesterane. My doc told me your progesterane should be between 8-30 and mine was 0.04. She also, unlike my last male doc, listened to my complaints of freezing hands and feet (when my husband insisted it isn't even cold!) and I started thyroid meds Jan 1st. That reading was so low also.
I have also always had breast cysts. I get one in my left breast in the exact same place for 25years. I only get them when I drink too many diet drinks and not any calcium. As long as I only drink one diet coke a day, and eat my yogurt everyday for breakfast, the cysts stays away. I wouldn't say I have suffered from nerves, but I went through years where everyone irritated me to death and I know I was the biggest witch at work that ever was. All the books about menopause keep saying it is the best time in your life, you reinvent yourself, feel free, ect, ect. I would just like to feel normal. I would like everything to work like it used too. I would like for everything not to ache. Lately my whole body is a ache and pain. It seems somedays even my bones hurt.