What I'm tackling these days is the start of menopause. Not fun, I tell you. It hit me big time this weekend. At least, I think that's what it was! On Saturday evening, I started feeling this tingling in my arm, like hot electricity. Suddenly, my joints started going numb and this wave of terrible heat washed through me. My heart started beating really hard and I started to hyperventilate. My husband took me to the emergency room, where they determined I had had a panic attack. Don't ask me why--I was just sitting in my living room, doing nothing in particular. The doctor thought I was afraid I was having a heart attack. (My heart and lungs are fine, btw.) I told him I thought the stinging pain was from a bug bite and I was reacting to that. But there is no bite mark. He thought it might have been some tendon pain. Well, this whole thing happened to me 3 times that night. It was awful. They gave me some Xanax, which helped.
The whole heat-wave thing made me think of hot flashes. So I did some research and found that everything that happened to me is symptomatic of hot flashes. Somehow, a drop in estrogen screws up your hypothalmus (I think!) which is what regulates body temperature. I'm 50, just the right age to start this menopause crap. So what I'm tackling is to do all the research I can. You know how it goes: "I have menopause, menopause doesn't have me." I want to know what vitamins to take, what exercises to do, etc. etc. I'm going to see my doctor today.
I woke up with a headache last night and have been very, very restless. I got up and dressed by 7 this morning and went for a walk around my back yard. 12 laps=about 1080 steps. Oh, and I actually did tackle a cleaning project yesterday. I dusted off the shelves where I keep my photo boxes.
6 comments:
Hi,
it happens to all of us... and it all depends on how u accept/react to it. so dear me, the cure is with you.
and if u wish to take your mind off it...come and see me at :
chandrasart.blogspot.com
warm wishes
chandra
They call it perimenopause and it is about a 10 year struggle to actually go thru menopause. I have been there for about 2 years now. I hate the night sweats but the flashes in the middle of the day are terrible too! And mood swings, oh don't get me going. Just get a good checkup and talk with your doctor! You are doing the right thing to learn all you can. Being prepared has been most of the battle for me! Good luck!
I turn 50 in January, but haven't had any symptoms yet. I'm hoping that by denying it exists I'll pass it by.
That's true, isn't it? (she says with a desperate, pleading tone to her voice)...
The hormonal stuff just never ends for us does it?! Cycles, pregnancy and then menopause! The joys of being a woman!
Oh my gosh, I am so sorry you had to go through that. Trips to the ER where they can't find anything can be very frustrating. I hope that you are feeling better today.
Oh wow! Quite the thing to tackle . . . research can be helpful and confusing all at once. I hope you find the information you need. I've actually been wondering if I'm starting perimenopause (at almost 30) because I too have hot flashes and mood swings.
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