Perimenopause #4 post your woes

[Swordshead]

Can I ask anyone who says they have anxiety, what exactly their symptoms are? For me, it's a racing heart, tight chest...like constant butterfly nerves before an interview or something. Or is it just ruminating on issues/overthinking? I'm always curious what people are actually feeling (physically) when they say they're anxious

For me, it's like I've two entirely different personalities (not like in a bipolar way); one nervy divil (nervous anxious/rising panic) and the other super confident. I keep it together pretty well but it's bizarre. I'm not depressed but the flick between anxiousness and feeling grand is like a rollercoaster all day long.

I had a really big meeting a few weeks ago and asked an online doc for propranolol and she instantly mentioned anti depressants, like wtf It was such a huge deal to even ask for it so felt so deflated/dismissed.

 

[Jelly Bean]

Can I ask anyone who says they have anxiety, what exactly their symptoms are? For me, it's a racing heart, tight chest...like constant butterfly nerves before an interview or something. Or is it just ruminating on issues/overthinking? I'm always curious what people are actually feeling (physically) when they say they're anxious

For me, it's like I've two entirely different personalities (not like in a bipolar way); one nervy divil (nervous anxious/rising panic) and the other super confident. I keep it together pretty well but it's bizarre. I'm not depressed but the flick between anxiousness and feeling grand is like a rollercoaster all day long.

I had a really big meeting a few weeks ago and asked an online doc for propranolol and she instantly mentioned anti depressants, like wtf It was such a huge deal to even ask for it so felt so deflated/dismissed.

When I have anxiety it feels like something's terribly wrong and I need to get away and calm down. Sweaty, heart racing, frightened, everything seems heightened yet a bit removed.
I last had it a couple of weeks ago at a school concert. The seats were small and packed together, it was hot, and there was a woman behind me munching crisps and constantly crunching the packet. It was all suddenly overwhelming. So I just went outside.
Doesn't help my OH then kept on with the 'but WHAT is wrong? It's ridiculous she was only eating crisps' etc etc.
It's so hard to explain sometimes.

 

[Carapop]

It can take many different forms for me, strap in

Uneasy, unsettled, jittery, palpitations, queasy, dizzy, catastrophising, ruminating, nervous, this sense of impending doom etc

but the very worst it’s ever been was earlier this year when I was just so frightened, and I couldn’t tell you what of, my doctor kept asking and I had no answer…I just couldn’t stop shaking and felt entirely overwhelmed by the simplest things

have you ever stepped out onto the road to cross and you hadn’t noticed a car coming and, just as you jump back, it whizzes by blaring its horn and you realise how close to being hit you just were and your heart is racing and beating out of your body…it’s like that feeling, but for hours, and you’re just trying to chill at home on your sofa

 

[Jelly Bean]

It can take many different forms for me, strap in

Uneasy, unsettled, jittery, palpitations, queasy, dizzy, catastrophising, ruminating, nervous, this sense of impending doom etc

but the very worst it’s ever been was earlier this year when I was just so frightened, and I couldn’t tell you what of, my doctor kept asking and I had no answer…I just couldn’t stop shaking and felt entirely overwhelmed by the simplest things

have you ever stepped out onto the road to cross and you hadn’t noticed a car coming and, just as you jump back, it whizzes by blaring its horn and you realise how close to being hit you just were and your heart is racing and beating out of your body…it’s like that feeling, but for hours, and you’re just trying to chill at home on your sofa

That's so true. Everything seems on the verge of going catastrophically wrong - but you can't identify what that wrong is. It's just there waiting for you.
I had an awful time not long ago dealing with the solicitor when my mother died. I was sole excecutor. Every letter was overwhelmingly terrifying. I just avoided them and it makes no sense at all and got me into a lot of bother (rightly). People could say all they liked 'all you have to do is....' which seemed simple to them but to me just frighteningly impossible. Paralysing. I can't really explain it properly tbh.

 

[Marshallmum1982]

Can I ask anyone who says they have anxiety, what exactly their symptoms are? For me, it's a racing heart, tight chest...like constant butterfly nerves before an interview or something. Or is it just ruminating on issues/overthinking? I'm always curious what people are actually feeling (physically) when they say they're anxious

For me, it's like I've two entirely different personalities (not like in a bipolar way); one nervy divil (nervous anxious/rising panic) and the other super confident. I keep it together pretty well but it's bizarre. I'm not depressed but the flick between anxiousness and feeling grand is like a rollercoaster all day long.

I had a really big meeting a few weeks ago and asked an online doc for propranolol and she instantly mentioned anti depressants, like wtf It was such a huge deal to even ask for it so felt so deflated/dismissed.

Yes mine is very similar to you. Every morning I have a knot in my stomach and my stomach is churning and I'm worrying about the day ahead at work, even when I know there is nothing to worry about. Then a few hours later I feel fine and I'm into my work and its gone. Then in the evening the cycle starts again and like you say, its like a massive rollacoaster. Its just exhausting. I definitely don't feel depressed but I cant go on like this forever more, its too much.

 

[Marshallmum1982]

Ive just received some ear seeds to try for the anxiety but not sure how long they take to kick in. I put them on last night and feel I slept better but my anxiety is still through the roof this morning

 

[Randy77]

Anxiety is the worst and I can't pin point what I'm anxious about.
Few things that have helped me over the past few years it to eat healthy, cut out alcohol, kind to myself, mindfulness and drinking plenty of water.

HRT has helped me loads.

 

[Sloggingaway]

Same here with the anxiety
Literally have no issues with my business at all
Love it and yes it is hard work but sometimes the simplest tasks I stress about so so much

 

[missaustraliaaddict]

All of your descriptions of your anxiety is exactly how mine is too

 

[MsGilmore]

Mine is mostly a sense of dread. It is better with the HRT, but is still bad in relation to work. If I could resign I would. It’s not as bad when I get there, most of the time, but it’s incredibly hard to face what feels like a very intense environment. I’m hoping to pay some off my mortgage and maybe drop a day as well as have my own business running alongside that. I could replace the money that I lose for that day.
I do think that menopause is going to become a bigger thing for employers as we now know that we are in perimenopause in our early 40s a lot of the time. Also we are not all necessarily part time having had children or in our mid 50s and partially retired. The generations before in my employer had flexible working so they would have been able to work around these issues and symptoms.

 

[Hold my beans]

Ladies! Before the peri rage fully sets in, can anyone tell me how to get rid of the 'manage preferences' pop-up? I've rejected, accepted, and tried logging in on a difference device

 

[MsGilmore]

Ladies! Before the peri rage fully sets in, can anyone tell me how to get rid of the 'manage preferences' pop-up? I've rejected, accepted, and tried logging in on a difference device

No I have the same thing even when I move between pages. I don’t know if it might be a question for the site support chat thing!

 

[Marshallmum1982]

Mine is mostly a sense of dread. It is better with the HRT, but is still bad in relation to work. If I could resign I would. It’s not as bad when I get there, most of the time, but it’s incredibly hard to face what feels like a very intense environment. I’m hoping to pay some off my mortgage and maybe drop a day as well as have my own business running alongside that. I could replace the money that I lose for that day.
I do think that menopause is going to become a bigger thing for employers as we now know that we are in perimenopause in our early 40s a lot of the time. Also we are not all necessarily part time having had children or in our mid 50s and partially retired. The generations before in my employer had flexible working so they would have been able to work around these issues and symptoms.

100% feel this. Ive been in my role 8 months now and have never settled and I think its probably intensifying things. My management line is all male so I dont feel comfortable talking to them about how I feel. I am remote most of the the but I'm not sure if that is making things worse as I don't have anyone to sound off to as I have in previous roles. I am looking for other roles and would love to cut my hours or take a less demanding role but debts won't allow for that unfortunately so I feel a bit stuck. Tonight I just want to cry as I have a meeting tomorrow where I feel like I'm going to get a bit of a kick in and I am a bag of nerves

 

[Hold my beans]

No I have the same thing even when I move between pages. I don’t know if it might be a question for the site support chat thing!

I've looked there hoping someone else had asked rather than me

 

[NotGonnaLieToYou]

I want to preface this by saying I haven’t been diagnosed with or treated for anxiety, so I tend to say I feel a bit anxious rather than saying I have anxiety.
It can be difficult to articulate the feeling. Like others have said, it’s a sense of unease often without knowing the exact reason or case. Heart rate feels elevated like I’ve been for a brisk walk or climbed a few flights of stairs but I’m sitting or lying down. Sometimes it races like I’ve had a fright.
I can put on a brave face and go out in the world but it’s exhausting. I don’t always feel anxious, just sometimes. Alcohol doesn’t help, and now when I do have a drink I try to stick to just having one or two.

 

[My2pWorth]

Itchy armpits are driving me wild. Literally feel like a gorilla

 

[dee_mc]

Itchy armpits are driving me wild. Literally feel like a gorilla

Oh I thought that was just me!
Specifically the right one though, randomly enough
I've had a small degree of relief from it when I use pixi glow tonic to gently exfoliate, but that may be because of build-up the natural deoderant I use.

 

[Penguin2022]

Could I ask when everyone started getting peri symptoms? I’m 36 and I keep being told I’m “too young” but I honestly don’t know what else it could be and I match up to lots of the online symptoms lists and lots of anecdotal things I’ve heard from friends/colleagues who are in peri. I just want to know I’m not going mad!

 

[NotGonnaLieToYou]

For me looking back I think symptoms started around 36. I recall a couple of periods being quite heavy which is unusual for me. It was during the Covid pandemic back then so I put it down to stress. When I mentioned it to a doctor a while after she said it could be a sign of peri.
But since I turned 40 it’s like a switch was flicked on!

 

[Penguin2022]

For me looking back I think symptoms started around 36. I recall a couple of periods being quite heavy which is unusual for me. It was during the Covid pandemic back then so I put it down to stress. When I mentioned it to a doctor a while after she said it could be a sign of peri.
But since I turned 40 it’s like a switch was flicked on!

This is interesting, as that’s one of the things I’ve experienced over the last year but was told by my GP that because they’re still regular it’s not a sign of peri