panic/anxiety attacks and menopause

Ive been dealing with anxiety/panic attacks as long as i can remember..severe depression as well...for some time i was able to control my attacks., but in the last 1-2 yrs., they have returned in full force., usually in the light of day., lately ive been woken from sleep several nights in a row., now im scared to go to sleep..im menopausal and am wondering., hoping actually., if these new attacks can be attributed to menopause?

Dear woundedsoul,

This is an interesting thread, because I've actually talked to my doctor about just this thing. Although I'm not yet in menopause, but rather, in perimenopause, I noticed that when I first began perimenopause, my anxiety and panic attacks increased with alarming frequency.

My doctor advised me that when a woman's hormones change (menopause, perimenopause, pregnancy), it effects the chemicals in the brain and can further worsen anxiety/panic and physical symptoms. I'm not sure if you're on HRT, or even if you are, if that is helping. Have you mentioned this to your doctor?

Regarding the severe depressive episodes, have you consulted a counselor or psychiatrist? Do you find that you are also having more depression now in menopause?

So many of the body's systems are so closely linked, and a major event like menopause is more than likely to effect one's moods, emotions, physical symptoms, and anxiety. It must be just awful to awaken at night and be afraid to go back to sleep, and that certainly can't be helping your health.

If you haven't already, I would suggest your bring this up with your doctor and/or psychiatrist, perhaps he/she can provide you some relief from your symptoms.

Keep posting, and let us know how you're doing, and if you've learned anything new. I hope you can find relief from the problems you are now experiencing.

I am post menopause but yes I did experience an increase in symptoms during menopause and actually it is now worse in pos menopause but I dont know if there is any connection. One herb which helped me in menopause was black cohosh. Found out by accident when i took it for arthritis and found it helped menopause symptoms more than anything else. All the best to you
Wounded soul.

I have had anxiety attacks all my life. It is only now at the age of 60 after seeing a neurologist that I realise I have never actually lived a normal life. I always put it down to hormones etc. Found this site tonight and I am really thankful.

Hi Rainbow,
That's interesting that you never knew this was your problem. There is help. I am also post menopause and had manu symptoms during meno pause but then my anxiety wasn't troubling me then and I knew where the symptoms were coming from and they didn't scare me.
Rainbow if you click on the PM in your profile then you can recieve private messages through this forum.
Lisa

It seems my pdoc is right, it only gets worse as we age. I've heard about that black cohosh, rainbow1, and I think it can only help. Glad you found the site, and I hope it helps you as much as it helps me.

Woundedsoul, how are you doing?

Hi Swingy

Perimenopause is what set my attacks off again., I was having horrendous power surges(hot flashes) that would set off an attack
and my doc did put me on HRT for a brief time. and yes., the depressive episodes have increasingly wreaked havoc in my life..
at the moment (literally) Im coping the best that I can., Thx for asking:)

janice

Hi Janice,

I really think the researchers need to study the effects of female hormones and the depression episodes and anxiety. It just makes sense medically that they are interrelated.

I hope you're coping as well as you can; this can be a difficult time in your life. I hope you find the forums useful, and of course, we would all be happy to answer any questions you have, and offer you support through this.

Hi Janice,

I really think the researchers need to study the effects of female hormones and the depression episodes and anxiety. It just makes sense medically that they are interrelated.

I hope you're coping as well as you can; this can be a difficult time in your life. I hope you find the forums useful, and of course, we would all be happy to answer any questions you have, and offer you support through this.

Im grateful for the insight and these forums do help ., knowing youre not alone can sure make a difference..
It is a difficult time..for me as well as my family..my boys have no idea how to deal with my anxiety., Im pretty sure Im causing them anxiety..

Janice,

I'm glad you're finding the forums useful, I would be lost without them.

As for your family, they love you and will support you through this difficult time. Sure, it's difficult for them too, but this is real life, and a real situation, and hopefully they are old enough to understand that.

Hiya Swingy..
I find here recently., that when I feel anxiety kickin in or Ive been awoken
that I come to the forums and read..
Yes they do love me., of that there is no doubt..and they are old enough now to understand..Im sure its just me worrying..lol

janice

Perfectly understandable Janice, we all strive to be the most perfect moms that we can be--it's so hard not to worry, because you feel so responsible for them, and their lives. And you can feel that love, and children love unconditionally.

I'm using the forums as a lifeline now too...they've been so very helpful, especially with the insomnia, the anxiety, etc. You just know you're not alone, and that helps enormously.

Sorry if I keep repeating myself, am having memory and concentration problems with the meds.

Hope you get some good rest tonight, and are better able to cope with the anxiety tomorrow. Sometimes a new day is just that....and usually better than the one preceding it.

Feel a bit out of place here but I thought it important to tell you what I have experienced with my pre, menopausal and post menopausal clients with regard to their anxiety experiences.

Many of my clients in the 40-50 year range develop anxiety disorder as a response to hormone fluctuations, however, so far it seems that although these are the catalyst for the initial anxiety increase, they seem to then adopt the anxious behaviour which drives the anxiety as oppose to then having a hormone imbalance which creates the anxious symptoms.

It's the same with clients who have panicked whilst taking drugs, they fall into the panic cycle in the belief that they have permanently changed their brain chemistry with the substance they ingested.

I have no reason to believe that the menopause creates a long term condition which mimicks anxiety disorder, however, I do find that 99% of the women I talk to who KNOW that their hormones are an issue, react very well to doing my method.

Charles

Hi,

I'vejust found this site and although I'm sad to see others are suffering like me, there is some comfort in knowing you're not alone.

I had my first panic attack at age 19, got off meds about three years later and although I had a few attacks now and then mostly lived OK for 20+ years. Then, six months ago, major attacks started up again. I'm almost 44 now and the attacks are different now then when I was younger. I do think there is a connection with hormone changes...just wish someone (researchers) would look into that. I don't want to take meds and have started talk therapy recently (it helps!). I often wake up during the night feeling like I can't swallow and as though my throat is blocked. This is scary and keeps me from being able to fall back to sleep.

Has anyone else experienced attacks in their sleep?

Hi Guys,

Again why is CharlesL advertising his method. Does this not contravene a moderated forum?