Not sure what this is!

[missred44]

Hi

About a week ago i started feeling out of breath while performing any physical activity, this was accompanied with severe sweating, shaking, weak legs and a racing heartbeat.

I have no appetite as i feel full all the time, if i do eat i feel like my heart is under pressure, after eating my heart is a little faster than usual.

This morning i stripped the bed, this made sweat pour from my body, i was soaking after a few seconds, my heart was racing, legs became weak, i had to sit down for 20 mins until i got my breath back and heart returned to normal.

When im at rest i feel relatively ok, maybe a little breathless but not much, i can lay down without feeling breathless, but on standing my heart pounds in my head really slowly before retuning to normal.

In general i feel unwell, i don't feel like my usual self and i am becoming more anxious due to how i feel.

I am in my forties.

Is this anxiety or something else, i have had a thyroid problem in the past but i also do suffer with anxiety.

[punisher]

Are you on any medications? When I was on Lexapro even a little physical exertion would cause me to sweat a ton. Some meds can have this side effect.

[Charlene]

Hi missred44,

Punisher has a good point, it is possible that you're feeling the effects caused by medication. Are you taking medication for your thyroid?

Also to consider is your age. Being in your forties with the symptoms you're describing could be an indicator that you're peri-menopausal. With this hormonal disruption on top of your thyroid condition, it could be the cause of your symptoms. Adding into the mix your predisposition towards suffering from anxiety, your symptoms could feel that more intense. It wouldn't hurt at this point to schedule an appointment with your doctor and to go over your symptoms with her/him, explain that you are in your 40's and therefore possibly perimenopausal, you have a thyroid condition and you suffer from anxiety. They may just need to re-adjust your thyroid medication (if you are taking any).

[missred44]

Thanks for your replies.

I am not on any medication at the moment, my thyroid stablised a few months ago and now remains within a level that doesn't require medicating. I have regular blood test to keep a check on it, at the moment it is supposed to be ok but im not so sure, it hasn't been tested since May and Dr's say there is no need to test it again even though im feeling like this.

I have been peri-menopausal for a year or so and has caused a number of problems, i am now being tested for the menopause as things have worsened and it is now almost sure i am starting or have started early menopause.

But i was kinda hoping that this isn't a symptom of the menopause, i have never been so out of breath, i have had bad sweats and night sweats without breathlessness, i have always been able to function normally despite any side effect from my hormones, it just doesn't fit at the moment to me as nothing else has changed, i would understand if there had been other dramatic changes but there isn't.

[Charlene]

Hi misread,

You mentioned that you're hoping the symptoms are not hormonal changes related to menopause/peri-menopause. Are you hoping your symptoms are related to anxiety instead?

You also mentioned that the idea that it could be hormonal (whether related to your thyroid or menopause) just doesn't fit at the moment, as nothing else has changed. Truth is, as I'm sure you know, menopause symptoms (hot flashes, racing heart, sweats, palpitations or feelings of missed or skipped heart beats, extreme fatigue (not so much the feeling of lack of sleep, but more a feeling of lack of energy) are very similar to anxiety symptoms. When feelings of sudden fatigue hits (such as the other night when you were making the bed), this symptom is often referred to as Crashing Fatigue, which is when sudden and overwhelming feelings of weakness and exhaustion strike. On top of all that, menopause can make a person become fearful of their body symptoms, creating panic attacks and increased anxiety as the symptoms become anticipated.

Not every woman experiences anxiety with menopause, however, since you are already predisposed to it, it is possible that you are exhibiting your anxious symptoms once again.

What methods have you tried in the past (if any) to control/manage your anxiety when it appears?

[missred44]

Hi

I was hoping it wasn't the menopause as if it is then there is nothing that can be done about it, there is no magic cure, its like having periods most of our adult life, its just one of those things.

Anxiety on the other hand can be controlled, i have used breathing techniques, keeping my mind occupied, at one point i stopped going out as i felt so conscious of everyone and everything but then i started wearing earphones and listening to music , this distracted me from things around me and enabled me to carry on, i also got rid of my partner at the time, that helped alot!!!

To me, maybe not others, some symptoms are so alike for different conditions, when i had an over active thyroid, i felt hyper for months then just burnt out, i was weak, exhausted, sweating, heart was racing.

I had a folic acid deficiency last year, symptoms were, breathless, couldn't eat, feeling full, heart racing, sweating.

My anxiety has caused irregular heart beat, sweating, shaking, dizziness, tiredness and it goes on! all these conditions have same or similar symptoms only they are all mixed up.

I am just a little confused and fed up with constantly feeling unable to feel normal on a daily basis, i have got myself in a state feeling that if it is the menopause i have these feelings for along time yet and its been bad enough living with anxiety for years and other little things that have come along.

Its making me depressed regardless of whether i have to live with this or not, everything i enjoyed has gone, i was due to go on a big night out, been planned for months but i had my period, which cripples me, so i couldn't go, and this happens all the time, i lost my job, being off sick so much with one thing or another, i don't know how much is anxiety and how much is real, all techniques ive used in the past don't work anymore because of my state of mind!

:cry:

[Charlene]

Well, here's the thing see, it's not so much what is causing your anxiety that is important here, but rather it's your reaction to those physical sensations that you're experiencing, which is causing you the anxiety and discomfort.

Whether your anxiety is caused by a hormonal imbalance or not, the problem arises with how you cope when you feel those symptoms. The coping strategies that you've been using in the past don't appear to be working for the long haul. Properly learning to breathe is a good way to combat a case of the dizzies for when it comes about and learning relaxation techniques, such as yoga or meditation are nice, calming distractions. Eating well may prevent some of those unwanted symptoms caused by deficiency, but they won't eliminate those who's anxious symptoms are brought about by the way they use their minds. I believe the best way to overcome anxiety disorder is by re-programming our minds so that we learn to manage and cope with stressful situations, rather than feeling trapped and trying to run from them. Because, after all, there really is no place to run to when you're in the midst of an attack. All you have is you, and you need to teach yourself how to calm down when panic strikes you.

When you say that you just want to feel normal again....maybe this is part of the reason why you're stuck in this anxious state. Normal? Why would you want to be that same person which brought you to this state in the first place? Wouldn't you rather be stronger, wiser, more resiliant and confident?

You may not find my approach to be fitting with your situation, (after all, we're all different). But consider what I've said, and feel free to message me back any time. I know you can get through this. You've been through so much - - you have more power than you realize! :)