I've had anxiety ramping up massively over the last few months and weeks. Lots going on in my life (elderly parents, dementia, kids with SEN, work drying up due to Covid, caring responsibilities, reassessing life, moving house a year ago). Have recently gone back on Fluoxetine as it did help me a couple of years ago.
So I've had more and more physical symptoms which I'm having trouble pulling apart as some are definitely caused by anxiety, but possibly not all. I'm 47, no idea what periods are doing because of Mirena coil, but guessing some of these symptoms are perimenopausal.
Basically: Hot sweats and flushes from 3am onwards. Feeling hot and cold simultaneously and cycling through burning/freezing skin. palpitations, shaking. When I get up in the morning I am shaky and trembling, feeling faint, and a ball of fear and terror. I spend all early morning with thoughts racing through my mind - overanalysing and catastrophising. I can't eat in the morning now as I'm so wired.
The doctor has given me propanolol for the anxiety, which I can hardly feel (took 2 10ml tabs this morning). The doctor asked for a blood test and we talked a bit about HRT, she also mentioned ruling out hyperthyroid as 'your symptoms match that too'. I've just looked it up and it's the same symptoms as perimenopause and what I am experiencing! the NHS says:
" nervousness, anxiety and irritability
mood swings
difficulty sleeping
persistent tiredness and weakness
sensitivity to heat
swelling in your neck from an enlarged thyroid gland (goitre)
an irregular and/or unusually fast heart rate (palpitations)
twitching or trembling
weight loss"
I have most of that except the swollen neck. Anyone had this and can reassure me Its 'just' anxiety? A close relative by marriage has Graves disease and I know its not nice!