Originally Posted by DianeJoy
Note to Scott: I sometimes think my husband would be better off with someone else too and we've been married for 25 years and it doesn't get any easier with age...
Hi Dr. Daniel, I am female, 51. Early menopause (43). There's no doubt, menopause changes the brain. Getting old generally sucks. I have mild hypertension, on a low dose of Diovan. My blood pressure goes up when my emotions are affected, including when I see the doctor (sorry, it's nothing personal). I am mildly overweight (5'6, 158 lbs). Am in pretty good shape though. I exercise regularly. I find it helps with anxiety, makes me feel strong in body and mind. I eat well. Lots of veg and some fruit. I meditate for 20 minutes a day. It helps. I see a psychologist. She helps, as does this forum. Have been a worrier all my life, then my mom died a couple of summers ago. I was there for her as best I could be. Let's just say it was very traumatic and confirmed all my worst fears about growing old, getting sick and dying. I started having panic attacks while she was sick and after she passed. It's like the trauma of her death made me hypersensitive to stimuli now. I have had a few mild to moderate panic attacks over the past few months, but have learned to prevent them from coming on or, if they do, getting too bad. A half a clonazapam usually nips it in the bud (two to three times a week). And as I have read in this forum, fear what you know, not what you feel. Words to live by.
Lately though, I have started to wake up gasping for air. Sometimes, just as I'm falling asleep. Other times, in the middle of the night. I have secretions in my throat and in my lungs when I wake up. I have to cough them out. My husband says I snore sometimes, but he hasn't noticed that I stop breathing. My legs get buzzy (very fast twitches) and crampy, mostly at night, as do my arms sometimes. I think it must be restless leg syndrome because it's better in the morning and during the day. My throat feels tight right now as I'm typing this.
I take an antihistamine sometimes (I have a house dust mite allergy and my nose gets really stuffy at night) and it seems to help, as does an antacid. I haven't figured out which helps more, if either. I was taking a fish omega 3 twice a day, morning and night, and I read on this forum that fish omegas can cause palpitations. So I cut out the morning pill and that seems to have helped. I have been taking St. John's Wort at my psychologists suggestion. Thought it was helping until last night. Bad night! I take two ZMA (zinc, magnesium and B6, supposed to give you better restorative sleep) at night, a half a magnesium in the AM, two areds per day. I have drusen deposits in my eyes, (the early stages of macular degeneration, which both my parents had), and 500 mg of C.
My doctor has scheduled me for a treadmill test. She just did a bunch of blood work, but I haven't got the results yet. She has also schedule me for a Nocturnal polysomnography, but that can take a year or more to get in (long waiting list). Of course, I think I have heart failure or ALS (my Aunt died of ALS). As I read this forum, logically, I realize that I probably just have GAD though, perhaps a touch of PTSD. I tried an SSRI and it helped (the brain zaps were a bit unpleasant, but worth the trade off), but then I couldn't orgasm any more and that was a real threat to my peace of mind and my marriage, so I weaned myself off.
My job can be quite stressful. I throw myself into my work 110% (I can get a really hyper-focused and forget to move and breathe) but I have a great job, a wonderfully supportive boss, colleagues and friends, and husband. I work with social workers and one of them, also my best friend, suggested I take a leave of absence from work. I think that is just postponing the inevitable, that as soon as I go back to work, it will start all over again. I know this is a lot of blah, blah, but if you have any thoughts or suggestions, I'd be very grateful. I'm reading all this back to myself and how pathetic I sound! I'm really having a hard time imagining that I am going to feel this way for the rest of my life. Thanks for your help!
