At age 52 I have to say my menopausal symptoms have been mild....except for the anxiety. Ive had digestive changes, periods heavier, two weeks apart, farther apart, etc......but its the anxiety that gets me down. It seems like the anxiety gets really bad when a period is 'overdue'. My stomach goes into knots and I stress about everything. Ive never had problems with depression or anxiety or ANY of this before, though Ive always recognized that if I had life stresses premenstrually THAT was the time Id get PMS symptoms.
I take an occasional xanax when it gets really bad, but otherwise I dont like to take anything. Any advice on natural remedies? Is this a common complaint?
Yes it does seem to be a common complaint from what I read on this board and have read in books. And it is currently my biggest symptom.
I am 50 and my symptoms were pretty mild too till last year, earlier in the year when anxiety took over big time over every little symptom that I was feeling. It get me very down too.
I do take xanax as needed for it as it was given to me last year for it. I was taking it on and off last year (late Feb and March were the worst months for me and then on and off in April and May). Then things seemed to be better, like you said just some periods where they either came closer or further apart and also some where the PMS was way worse but nothing like earlier that year.
This year it has been starting up again after 8 or 9 months of just being pretty stable. I find too my anxiety is way worse when my period is more overdue. Last month it came on day 49 and I was super anxious. This month it came at day 27 and it was not as bad as the month before but still did experience anxiousness over everything it seemed and I know I made every little ache and twinge worse.
As far as natural symptoms I just talked to my gyn yesterday to renew a Ponstel antiinflammatory med that I take when cramps are bad and I asked her the same question. I do take Estroven , an over the counter herbal/viatmin supplement and she said although that is good it is more for those with hot flashes, which I do not have but I figured it could not hurt to take it. She did say that Estroven puts out another supplement called Estroven PMS and I did try that for a bit last year and I don't think it helped me much with the PMS anxiety. But I would be willing to give it a try again.
I feel rather poorly equipped to advise you on how to deal with anxiety as those who are reading this and have seen my posts are probably laughing as I am the Queen of Anxiety it seems lately again!! LOL!! But I can tell you , you are not alone and I think reading these boards does calm me and maybe it will you to do so and explore some of the posts a bit and see that others too are going thru it.
Other things I try to do which brings some sucess at times : sipping green tea , just seems soothing, chamomile tea too. If you have a hot tub or like to take hot baths that seems to help me too. This month I have used the xanax more and it does seem to help also. I also take vitamin B complex.
My stomach gets in knots too and I know I am doing it to myself. I seem to obsess over every twinge. Then when I do come here it helps to know that others are going thru exactly the same thing and it does help to calm me. A lot of self talk too which I find myself doing to calm myself and taking deep breaths.
I empathize with you as the anxiety for me is really very hard to deal with and imagining I have every disease under the sun...something I never did before!! I hate being like that. But people have told me on here that they have been there too and it passed.
Don't know if I helped but I just wanted you to know you are not alone and yes it is vry common and I think one of the biggest complaints we all seem to have. I just wish I would feel myself and be free of that anxiousness. The times when I am , I really revel in it!!
Thanks I really do appreciate your reply. I do the tea and the hot baths, too, and resort to the xanax more than I used to. I wondered about Estroven, but I dont have hot flashes either. Maybe Ill give it a try anyway. This over anxiety about everything is just NOT ME. It sounds like we are dealing with it in many of the same ways...the self talk, breathing, meditating. I like the xanax simply because it works, and you dont have to take it continually like the Paxil, Porzac types. Thanks for your ideas...
I know what you mean about the Xanax and I have found I have taken it more at times too simply as it does relax me. I did discuss it with my doctor as I know I have read it is very addictive but she said that the way I was taking it that she was not concerned about it and I am not either as like you, I have not taken it as a continual thing.
The anxiety over every little thing is also not me eith so I do understand how you feel. To give you a for instance, I have always been a person who goes for my yearly exams, mammograms and paps and although of course they are not a favorite thing (the later especially as far as discomfort at times) bu I do not fret over it beforehand,etc. Well, the doctor just mentioned to me last year in my yearly just in passing that since I was turning 50 at some point schedule a colonoscopy , some time...like 50 or older, just routine. I know this and know others that have had it, and some older than me that haven't...and I find when I am hearing about it in the news I will start obsessing over it and I am not even getting one done right now!! LOL!! it is not certain that our insurance covers it for a few years as a routine, so as I said I may not be doing it this year, but still I have anxiety over it . There are people walking around me , older than me that I know have not had it and I think, why are they not anxious like I am???
This is what I mean by the irrational quality to some of my anxiety lately!! So like I said I understand and wish us both less anxious moments soon!! The gyn said that it is all normal so that is good to know but hard to work thru at times.
As temptomg as Xaanx is I wanted to try/ do something more natural for my perimenopausal symptoms which are full blast now. I have been going to an accupuncturist weekly and I see such changes. I no longer get the breast tenderness I use to write about on this board. I am more regulated- no hot flashes ( thank goodness I never had them and hope not to). In the last few months I have had my first experiences with anxiety . I seemed to get overwhelmed and sad by everything and felt like I was losing it. The only cure I thought was to limit my life in a safe and protective way until this all passes. But that is living small and that is not much of a life too. So my accupuncturist starting treating me for this too. First she put me on a daily Chinese formula specifically to remove the PMS/peri symptoms and keep me balanced. I take them each day until I get a period ( which is fairly regular, but less and less). Then she recenrtly gave me a formula/ capsules for anixety. I take them daily and wow what a change. It feels like someone lifted me out of the fog. I have energy and the anxiety is going away. She saids is balances the heart and lower body and gives energy to the blood- which is stagnant at this time of our lives.
So I wanted to share that for anyone interested in a more natural way. The formulas can be purchased on line and I do not know if I can mention their names . They are all herbs and not expensive. My acupunturist is in menopause and she is a delight. I see how trim and vibrant she is. She practices her own medicine and I am sold!
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