The many problems in menopause! - Menopause Message Board

nlc · 01-24-2007, 04:38 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?

Belle2003 · 01-24-2007, 05:21 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!

Deeraysmom · 01-24-2007, 05:30 PM

...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

marian100 · 01-25-2007, 08:46 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

marymk · 01-25-2007, 09:19 AM

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