my long list of symptoms

Women's health
1

I've probably said most of this before, but thought it might reassure someone that their symptoms are probably menopausal & will pass eventually! There are so many, (physical, emotional, mental) it's a shock to the unsuspecting victim lol!  (& actually no joke) So....

bloating, mood swings, aching joints, insomnia, itching, memory loss, headaches, spots, dry skin, constipation, diahorrea, thinning hair, exhaustion, thyroid fluctuations, painful bones, itchy boobs, loss of bladder control, bladder irritation, diffficulty concentrating, panic attacks, palpitations, racing heart, uncontrollable tremors, twitches & spasms, anxiety, fear, dread, depression, suicidal thoughts, mania, confusion, acid reflux, lump in throat, difficulty swallowing, sore tongue, hot flushes, feeling cold, nausea, vertigo, swimming head, blurred dimmed vision, unable to get the right word, fuzzy detatched feeling in head, faintness, off-balance, sinus/ear trouble, weight loss, chest pains/heaviness, difficulty breathing, strong body odour, painful tight neck/jaw, clenching teeth, irregular/missed periods, flooding, clotting, spotting, food allergies, tingling/dead extremities, bad dreams, stomach/gut pain, low immune system, anger, over-emotional, memory flashbacks, dry painful eyes, sagging skin, loss of elasticity, loss of muscle, eye bags, grey hair, wrinkling.

Most of this has happened in the last 6 months & quite suddenly (I started my DREADFUL periods at 10 & turned 47 recently). My ovaries failed & my body went into shock.. literally thought I was having a complete breakdown & going out of my mind! Wanted someone to put me out of my misery sad sad

I have been reassured by sites like this, & recently by a new doctor who recognises all this as hormonal symptoms. I am pleased to say that some of these symptoms have stopped & some aren't as severe as they were so I can tell you that this too will pass. You will be ok again. You are not going mad. And you are not alone. I can cook & do housework again, and am eating bacon & eggs every morning, something I've never done haha! 

I know I'm not out of the woods yet, & I do have my crashes, (still can't go out on my own because of the swimmy, disconnected feeling) & this could go on for a while but I have lots of hope, we all go through this change, some worse than others, but we do come out the other side, & stronger!!

As for reccommending remedies, we are all different. hrt works for many, I havn't used it yet, anti-depressants work for some, haven't used those either (yet!) the beta blockers, anti-reflux, st john's wort made me worse. Couldn't stomach the B complex, or menopace, (think it was the iodine, made anxiety & heart racing worse!). So just taking oil of evening primrose & starflower, cod liver oil, vitamin D (from the docs) & paracetemol. 

Gave up coffee, chocolate, sugar, dairy, was already gluten-free. Using organic soya milk, flax, sweet potatoes (for phyto estrogens). Going to get some magnesium and calcium too. 

I hope this is helpful to someone, I know I was helped by ladies on this forum when I was desperate xxxxxxx

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This is me !! 🙈

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Hiya Brimbo,

Wow I honesty thought your were writing about me in what I have experienced over the last couple of years since I guess my own body perhaps went into shock!!😒

Thank you for sharing your own experiences with us all and like you say these things will pass! 

Sending you comforting hugs and hope your peri journey will soon be over! 

Joy x😢

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Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa  loved that ..I gave up alcohol 11 years ago age 45 never touched a drop since stopped smoking 1999 when i was 40. Had an awful addiction to chocolate and any chocolate product , cakes and biscuits and bread and butter have just given that up age 56... But i am not giving up my latte and cappuccino  no way ....

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lol Lulu

I also don't drink, smoke, do drugs. Exercise, eat good. But yeh,,,the choc, cakes and lattes!!  I HAD to give them up though!! Blooming stimulants...,.my heart & brain haha!! 

Mind you, it's not forever, I'm definitely going to consume them again....I've resorted to sniffing my husbands latte....it helps.... 

6

Thank you lovely

I'm so sorry for anyone who's had it this bad.... it is, at times, beyond human endurance. 

Hugs & health back to you. Has anything improved for you?? xxx

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I clean eat!! Get the app delicously Ella so many sweet clean recipes as I'm Always craving ! I use honey instead of maple syrup tho xxx

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Hey, I'm so sorry about that. None of us should suffer this much! I hope you've got someone supporting you. Are you on any meds? xxx

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Well the itchy boobs has been my latest but mainly at night, I go between using baby talc or itchy 45 cream. I guess the first year was my worst, but my health anxiety was the main culprit just before a pending bleed. Still suffer from time to time with the bloated feeling and digestive issues, like belching and have the feeling of a burning or tightness at the top of my rib cage. Getting the aching body feeling at present, still suffer with catarrh in my throat and nose which sometimes makes me feel nauseous. 

The blurred vision is one of the newest ones, I have been on 4 different HRT's and this the second month of the latest, so I have made a pack with myself that if I don't end up feeling like my old self in four months time then I will jack that in.

i have recently entrusted a homeopathic and if this helps then she has said she will help me ween off and at the same time try and help in reducing my symptoms. I do enjoy a glass of wine with my evening meal and find it helps me at the end of a stressful day. The funny thing is when I am going through my anxious moments I cant touch wine at all, which I guess is good thing😀

i have a few of my friends going through this and I feel that I am the only one that seems to suffer 😞, so I have no one who I can really compare notes with and if it weren't for this forum I would feel really alone😊. I take busy b, magnesium, fish oils and liquid iron, B12, Vit D and Calcium both which you suck on. 

All have helped a long with my acupuncture, and my massages! 

Take care xxx

 

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its good to here youre feeling better,  I too going down the natural route with b6 b12 milk thistle cod liver tablets calcium and omega fish oil and have to say as yourself do still have off days but having a lot more better days than i did previously,  It also helps having a site like this with such knowledgeable women to talk to and help each other through it,   I agree brimbo it does start to get better (hope im not jinxing it ha) x

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I know others have already said this, but you could have been writing about me...it all started in March of 2013 and hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks....all in all, I'm feeling a bit better these days, but have had a few weeks recently where I feared that I was slipping back into the "black hole" of despair (the daily dizziness/unsteady feeling, heart palpitations, anxiety all came rushing back in)....it's definitely a struggle, but I'm doing my best to remember that it's all hormone-related and will pass....I was given a prescription for HRT but, because my health anxiety is back in full force, I've been too scared to try it....I've also been offered anti-depressants, and even tried a few, but they made me feel worse...at this point, I think I've decided to just ride it out (easier said than done, I know!)...hang in there, ladies....it has to get better, right? smile

12

You hit on just about every symptom I get. I'm like you and can't tolerate a lot of meds. Yes, this too will pass for all of us.

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wow. I can hardly believe that so many women suffer so miserably. Before this I never heard of such a thing! I just thought my periods would eventually stop & i wouldn't look young anymore haha. What a reality check! xxx

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Thanks Brimbo. I'm having a low day today and those, what on earth is wrong with me? feelings

i think I can identify with 3/4 of those symptoms, plus a few extras of my own, such as painful feet and ankles

glad im not alone but just wish we could all get through this a bit more easily.

what a nightmare it all is xx

15

Hi

Thank you for sharing, I have many of your symptoms thankfully not the depression/suicidal thoughts & only a little anxiety over all these symptoms but feel better knowing others have same/similar symptoms. I thought I had some illness/chronic fatigue  etc so feel reassured. I too have switched to soya milk, using flax seeds, vit 6, just started on Magnesium, drinking organic beetroot juice. Will try eating more sweet potatoes too.

Pleased to hear you are getting through this & some of your symptoms are lessening.

Keep a positive attitude. x x

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Thank you for sharing. I really glad that I joined this site. It is very helpful, because of people like you!

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Thank you!

My worst things at the moment are this blooming feeling of unreality...totally foggy head, disorientation....and the racing heart, feeling depressed/anxious.

But, as I said some things have stopped....like the severe panic attacks, uncontrollable tremors, jerking awake from sleep, confusion/mania, acid reflux, lump in throat/difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, dry eyes, sore tongue, loss of balance, tingling/dead extremities, body odour, weight loss, itching.

Have to keep reminding myself that I'm nowhere near as 'ill' as I have been. It helps smile

18

You're right Mooma, it is all a nightmare. I'm so sorry that you're suffering too. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. 

I stayed with a friend recently, a retired nurse, & she told me she didn't really get any symptoms!! Same with another friend. 

As my Dr said 'You're one of the unlucky ones in that it's so acute, but you will get through it. It will stop being this aweful.'

Do you use HRT? I haven't, but I'm not ruling it out. xxx

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I loved that :D and I COMPLETELY, UTTERLY, AGREE! I could not make a more complete list myself and YES, I am much improved, so ladies, even though tough, it will pass. Just hang in there, try to do the right things to yourself and give time to your body to adjust!

I am thinking about printing it and bringing to my doctors, lol.

Happy for you, Brimbo!

Xx

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THANK YOU   I have experienced all of these things to one degree but they are subsiding now.  The only difference is that my GP has not said these symptoms are due to menopause and I am still very anxious there is something else wrong.

I had a strange period and FSH levels were tested - I was phoned up and told I had a high FSH that suggests I have been menopausal for ages - despite having periods.  I have been back and forth to the doctor asking questions and only told that I am probably menopausal and might get another period or might not, to check FSH again to confirm and come and talk about HRT.

In the past 5 weeks my symptoms have levelled a bit and I have done similar to you and introduced soy, flax and upped vitamin B's and D and added magnesium.  I plan to see a medical herbalist to try a mix of herbs to support my adrenals, thyroid and hormones and take it from there.

I still cant shake the fact the GP has said these symptoms arenet menopause - I said, so I haven't had menopausal symptoms and he didn't answer.  I have had a warm face and red skin, not a flush as it hangs around - he deemed this a flush!

On the whole I feel totally unsupported but reading your words gives me some confidence in myself

I had the FSH blood test again today along with Full blood count - I sincerely hope the GP doesn't drop another bombshell of something else 'breaking'.

Its horrible to have a crash like this, really upsets the entire system and like you, I had no idea.  Good to hear you are feeling a bit better.  Are you still having bleeding?  Or has everything just stopped?