Tohru Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 If you've gone through it or are now going through the biological change, did you have raving emotions? Like irrational, intense, just mad for no reason or super sensitive, or getting anxious and nervous over nothing of consequence. If you did, how did/do you deal with it? I am very concerned about how it affects the close family and people around me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Home'scool Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Ayup! Although I was already a bit high strung, according to my family I became even more so. And the anxiety ....... ugh. Never had it before and all of a sudden I couldn't shut my brain down. I would think of something that would make me nervous, then would get a shot of adrenaline all through me, and off I would go into overdrive. I finally went on anti-anxiety meds. They were like magic. Talk to your doctor about it. Just make sure you combine them with other things like exercise and eating right so you aren't reliant solely on them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 You mean like the time I kicked a hole in the drywall?! (I swear I didn't think it was that thin.) I have a daughter who has issues with blood sugar affecting her behavior, and I've worked with her on recognizing the feeling coming on and making an extra effort at self-control. So I have decided I can apply the same logic to myself. :) I usually don't "lose it," but on the rare occasions when I fly off the handle, I will actually tell my kids I'm reacting to a sugar issue or something. I have all sorts of feelings, including fleeting but frequent thoughts of self-destruction, frequent feelings of doom, lack of motivation, the hungries when I've had enough calories, or lack of appetite. Probably about a dozen other things too. I just keep reminding myself it's "the change" and supposedly it gets better. On the positive side, it might make me a more reasonable mom. It's pretty hard to demand my kids toe the line when I'm so ridiculous sometimes. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Maybe I'm lucky, but I never had symptoms like that. In fact, I barely had any symptoms at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 It was no big deal, either emotionally or physically. Scarcely knew it occurred. I am sorry that some people have so stressful and uncomfortable a time with this. Doesn't seem fair for something normal to life. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Just saw my chiropractor today, and she says seeing her monthly (instead of quarterly) will help. Not sure if she has an ulterior motive there.... :P Anyhoo I love what my chiropractor does for me. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 It's very normal. I don't think it is an excuse to be uncontrolled, but like PMS by knowing it's happening I think it allows you to plan a little to deal with the drama and roller coaster feelings instead of being blindsided by them. Sometimes just telling the kids that your fuse is short today and to bear with you a bit can make everyone feel better. Or giving yourself permission to take breaks or leave the room instead of just venting in your family :) I struggle with these things and I'm not even menopausal, but I know that having an action plan and responses in place when I'm feeling out of control or upset helps so much. My mom was a nut for about four years while I went through puberty - that was a winning combo ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Oh yes! I went through a time when I would be fine one minute, then literally feel something like a mental *pop* and then a surge of fire flow through my blood. Within seconds, I would be seething and snarling in anger for no reason. I'm guessing it was a hormone misfire. I used natural progesterone cream to get me through those hormonal upheavals. That was over 10 years ago, and there is much more information available than there used to be, but I used two books by John R. Lee, MD. One was What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause, and the other was What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-menopause. The Menopause book does an excellent job of explaining what's going on with your body, while the Premenopause book explains more about the emotions involved as well as environmental factors that contribute to the problem. He has other books as well, and many other books have been written on the subject. With these books, and through trial and error, I was able to figure out how much cream to use, and when to use it, to feel my best. It was a godsend at the time. If you're not comfortable finding your own way, there are professionals, like my osteopathic doctor, who specialize in bio-identical hormones. My doctor uses a product called Bio TE, but there are probably others as well. I haven't had these sorts of problems lately, so I haven't needed his assistance. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 It gets a lot better on its own, thank goodness. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Yes. I was not prepared for the intensity of this or for how long it would last. Please be kind to yourself. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 well, it does have lots in common with puberty . . . . I've used the following. yoga, NOW relora (was great at helping settle down adrenals. no longer use.), walking, good nutrition, vitamin d3, GOOD b vitamin complex, 5-htp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Thanks for the ideas! Today is a better day, but wow, some days are just, wow, really hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Yes. I hate how irrationally angry I can suddenly get. Or how I have days where I wake up hating every single person on the planet. My poor family. St. John's Wort has helped curb the intensity of the mood swings. When I start thinking about running away from home, I know it is time to take it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 It's not uncommon, but no I didn't. I had panic attacks, but not mood swings. My PMS mood swings before menopause were much worse. My menopause symptoms were mostly all physical. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 It's very normal. I don't think it is an excuse to be uncontrolled, but like PMS by knowing it's happening I think it allows you to plan a little to deal with the drama and roller coaster feelings instead of being blindsided by them. Sometimes just telling the kids that your fuse is short today and to bear with you a bit can make everyone feel better. Or giving yourself permission to take breaks or leave the room instead of just venting in your family :) I struggle with these things and I'm not even menopausal, but I know that having an action plan and responses in place when I'm feeling out of control or upset helps so much. My mom was a nut for about four years while I went through puberty - that was a winning combo ;) I agree with this in part, but it's actually (for me, anyway), much more noticeable than PMS. I mostly get weepy, but can also be more short tempered. Recognizing that this is a normal part of the process, and reminding myself of that when I realize I'm feeling things a little too intensely, is helpful and important. I haven't reached the point of meds but I can certainly understand how it would be helpful. The symptoms that affect me most are low energy and trouble sleeping. I'm pretty sure if I got enough sleep my mood would improve! I am working on cleaning up my sleep/pre-bedtime habits and am hoping that will help. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 well, it does have lots in common with puberty . . . . I've used the following. yoga, NOW relora (was great at helping settle down adrenals. no longer use.), walking, good nutrition, vitamin d3, GOOD b vitamin complex, 5-htp Great list! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 If you've gone through it or are now going through the biological change, did you have raving emotions? Like irrational, intense, just mad for no reason or super sensitive, or getting anxious and nervous over nothing of consequence. If you did, how did/do you deal with it? I am very concerned about how it affects the close family and people around me. Yes.. It was bad. It overlapped with the end of my 26 year marriage so I am a little foggy on the details....but the anxiety was pretty bad. My mom is a breast cancer survivor so I was determined to not do hormones....but eventually I gave in because I could not take it. I am off of them now but struggling a bit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Oh, yes! Sudden, irrational anger. Wild mood swings. Crazy and not fun. Felt like I was my evil twin. As others have said, knowing on a logical level what is happening and being prepared mentally helps some. Good sleep, healthy food, exercise, lots of time outdoors if possible, vitamins, acupuncture, prayer - all these helped me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datgh Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Totally irrational anxiety here. Through the roof some days. Finally caved to anti-anxiety meds before my family decided to disown me and they have helped. Exercise also gives me a good positive boost. I'm not a candidate for hormone replacement. Someone please tell me things level out when you get to the other side! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 I have anxiety that I didn't have before. Sometimes I have no idea why I'm anxious. Low energy. I get emotional easily. I try to keep this under wraps and only let it out with close friends. The thing that has been the hardest: sometimes I have a very hard time focusing on the task at hand. It can be a simple task, but it takes all I have to try to focus and complete it. Also, there are times that my brain just doesn't seem to work. My daughter will come to me for help on a math problem and I look at it and it seems like a foreign language. Two days before I was solving the same type of problem with pleasure. (Math is not hard for me, so this is not my normal.) There are other times where making a simple decision like what to have for dinner is overwhelming. Other times I am fine. I have talked to women who have already walked this road and they say it does pass. Getting outside for some exercise is the one thing that consistently helps me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Oh! I didn't think much brain fog was happening but the "what's for dinner" is killing me! Part of it, I'm sure, is that I'm tired of this part of homemaking, but when I sit down to meal plan, I go blank. Maddening! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 When peri-menopause kicked in I had crazy mood swings. A total out of body experience. I could hear myself being crazy. A part of my brain woukd be saying "you are being crazy right now " but I was unable to stop. They still happen but not as often. Less meat in my diet and fewer carbs seems to make a difference. So far, no anxiety challenges. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 You mean that rage when the stranger in front of you stops his shopping cart to pull some ice cream out of the store freezer, because how DARE he get in your way? That one? Why, no. Whatever are you talking about? (LOL) Borage oil took care of it for me. 1300mg twice a day starting on day 14, through day 1. A miracle nutrient. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 I also have difficulty sleeping which doesn't help control your rage, sadness, depression! Try to watch your sleep if you can. Also I've had real trouble with hot flashes. My chiropractor has helped tremendously with getting those better under control. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 There were about six months around 6-8 months after my last period, when my anxiety levels went through the roof. I was a mess. I did not know ahead of time that anxiety was a symptom, and wasn't having a lot of difficult physical symptoms (minimal hot flashes, etc.). But it was crazy. I had some other things going on and didn't get in to see a doctor before the anxiety started receding significantly. It caught me by surprise, but I am much better now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddlemomma Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 I have brief periods of lashing out more than I should, but my dear DH says I'm not really that bad. My biggest complaints are that I seemed to have developed ADHD since this whole thing started. I can't seem to concentrate on one thing at a time....I now always have multiple disconnected thoughts going on inside my head, making it very difficult to focus. The only other real issue is RLS that bothers me when I go to bed. I've started taking a good vitamin B complex supplement and the RLS seems to be better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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