How to manage physical symptoms of anxiety

[lorisparkle]

I am on HRT and sertraline but I am still feeling a lot of pressure in my chest and an overwhelming feeling to 'run away'.

How do you manage these feelings or what have you done to get rid of them?

Propranolol.
it really takes away that pounding heart, tightening chest and urge to flee the building.

@SoEffingGrumpy thank you - I am seeing the GP on Wednesday so will mention it.

I'm not in menopause yet but when I'm feeling like this exercise helps me. Is that an option sometimes? I also find standing up and walking into another room helps.

I have found exercise helps a great deal, especially if I can get in a good fast early morning walk. But also, breathing exercises can have a huuuuge effect on anxiety - breathe in slowly like 5 or 6 seconds for an in breath, then hold it as long as you can, and breathe out as slowly as possible through a tiny hole between your lips. Then one or two normal breaths, and repeat the above for 3 or 4 cycles. You can actually slow your heartrate doing this, and it is taught to performers and athletes all the time.... Good luck. Anxiety is hell.

Thank you. I will try some exercise.

Honestly, op, you need to exercise like a demon.

I know so many women who have now ditched HRT because they started going to the gym 4+ times a week or took up running, yoga and other physical activities.

I don’t use HRT because I work out 6 hours a week. It’s my happy place. I meet people, I get a massive endorphin rush, and I’m fitter than ever.

4 years ago I wanted to run away and throw myself off a cliff with the menopause. Now I’m feeling great.

One thing I’m learning is that not all peri symptoms can be fixed by HRT - all sorts of other things can go sideways during this time of life, and it’s worth having a general MOT. I did some blood tests (GP wouldn’t do them so I ordered them myself online) & found that I had mild iron deficiency anemia and was borderline hypothyroid. Once my ferritin levels were above about 70 the anxiety got much better.

Also: Magnesium flakes in the bath a couple of have times a week really helps. Much more cost effective to buy huge buckets of it on Amazon, rather than pissing about with the tiny sachets that smell of lavender or whatever.

I found that walking helped - the kind that my family referred to as marching.
Also meditation/mindfulness

Yoga,breathing techniques & meditation have done wonders for me. I now aim to do yoga everyday as I find it helps so much.

Exercise is best imo. Brisk walking or running, plus something slower like yoga. Avoid alcohol & too much caffeine.

Walking, yoga, craft.

Second this. Saved my life actually.

Propanolol

Ditch caffeine completely, I couldn't believe the impact on my anxiety overnight!

Lifting weights at the gym has massively improved how I feel. I did a 10 week course with a good trainer a year ago to get the basics and get in a good routine.
Even doing a few sessions a week will help. Most weeks i only manage to go to the gym twice plus walk the dog but i feel so much better than I did.

I used to suffer terrible panic attacks and anxiety. Sleep , diet and exercise is the answer. Everything needs to be in balance. Plus keeping busy and not dwelling. I read lots of books on how your mindset affects your emotions l am much more aware now of my thoughts and how it triggers anxiety.

Thank everyone- it is so hard when you just want to curl up and hide to get out there to exercise.

Exercise is great OP and I've been a hard exerciser all my adult life, I lift weights and until I developed foot issues I ran 10ks and half marathons.

I exercise every day, swimming, power walking, weights HIIT.

But it's not the total key, I still needed HRT! I drink little, no caffeine and still every few months I develop this think where I 'over breathe' which people always tell me is anxiety. I don't feel anxious and it happens through yoga and meditation. Then it passes.

I think try to do a little of all of these things plus some medication might be the way you need to go.

Propranolol

When I was in the height of perimenopausal hell, I took these when I was put in fight or flight situations, usually a claustrophobic one. Just having them in my wallet, helped. I knew that if I was to get really stressed out, I can pop one and my heart rate won't get to the flight or fight level. I ended up not using them, because I knew they were there.

It is hard to motivate yourself to exercise when you are feeling down. Start slow and a little. You might hate it at first, but there will come a time when you think yeah, I am feeling good.

I am a massive yoga fan. If you do something, do this for yourself. Yoga is so good for you. It is not only exercise, but it helps calm the mind and nervous system and you will get a good nights sleep. It teaches you to be good to yourself.

Similar issues and been prescribed Xanax. It was a great comfort knowing I finally have it. Not too much advice from the Dr, which has not helped at all. Wondering whether to take a low dose on days the anxiety is bubbling (about 7 days of the month - catastrophic thinking, elevated heart rate and then it is easy to tip into flight mode) or just use in emergencies. I feel like shutting myself away on bad days, but have to break this cycle.

I stumbled across this post this morning and I'm hoping you might be able to help.

I'm in a pretty bad place all of a sudden for me. I am early 40s and started a HRT trial 6 months ago. I thought I was doing okay but suddenly I can see how in the last month or so I have absolutely spiralled. My anxiety has returned for reasons I can't understand. I can't identify anything particular in the last month to explain why.

I am also light headed and woozy and so I booked to review my iron levels with my GP. I've been on iron tablets for a year. Between making that appt and seeing her though, I hit another low. Last week I felt like I've never felt before. I'm usually pretty "on it" but last week I felt like I was in a complete bubble, pounding headaches, tight chest, not really present and completely spooked out with how disjointed I felt with everything and everyone. Today I went to Asda and I was so conscious of myself and how anxious I was feeling. It was horrible.

I'm having bloods done this week to assess iron levels but I'm a mess. My stomach is gripey (which before this week I have been able to attribute to my iron tablets as they do have an effect on the bowel). But now I'm in an awful place where I'm sure these symptoms are worse than normal and I'm having awful thoughts about it being something sinister. Add to that my constant giddiness, spaced out and feeling exhausted and anxious, I'm got another awful seed planted now that I've got at worst a tumour or at best an brain aneurysm. I know I sound bonkers. These thoughts are debilitating but I can't stop them. And it is so unlike me. My family history isn't great but despite this I'm usually able to approach this with a balanced calm mind. Not now.

I'm worrying why I'm so light headed again when I'm on iron tablets. Worrying myself I'm bleeding internally somewhere (is this the gripey tummy/bowel?!) I know I'm sounding crazy. I'm jumping from one thing to another. I'm just hoping someone can come back and say they've experienced dark thoughts such as these with perimenopause. I don't recognise myself at the moment 😕 but what I'm feeling is very real and creeping in to my every waking hour 😕

I definitely started dark intrusive thoughts during peri menopause particularly around health anxiety and death. I have been on HRT for about 9 months and have seen an improvement.

I went to GP and she prescribed propranolol and I have had a blood test to look at my hormone levels and thyroid. She also signed me off work for a little longer . Fingers crossed it will help.

I definitely started dark intrusive thoughts during peri menopause particularly around health anxiety and death.

Looking back, I don't know how I managed to get to where I am. 5 years ago, I too had terrible intrusive thoughts, massive anxiety that crippled my life and I felt like I had been taken over by some dementor.

I've always had issues with my hormones. I had to have fertility treatment for both my DC due to luteal phase defect, low progesterone, periods every 3 weeks and I have been in A&E a few times with period pains so bad I thought I was dying. So, I guess the menopause wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

I was listening to Radio 2 yesterday and they were talking about driving anxiety and the menopause. I was shouting at the radio.

The worst bits for me were doing amazing things with my family, and just feeling nothing but numbness and blackness. I couldn't be in any situation where I felt I couldn't get away such as in a hairdresser chair having my roots done, on an airplane, in a meeting, driving down the motorway and not being able to stop and at traffic lights. All took me to the edge of a panic attack. I also couldn't go out as I was flooding.

5 years later I have not reached menopause yet, but I have a coil which shut down my cycle and gave me my mental health and life back. I get a mini period every 2 or 3 months so I guess I have not reached menopause yet.

I think it is really important to say to yourself and those around you; look, I need to look after myself now. I need to prioritise myself, so I am here in mind and body for us in the future. I look at myself now as a 3rd party, like my DH or one of my DC and I think, what would I do if they were mentally unwell, or physically unwell? I would move mountains, right? Well, I need to treat myself the same way.

I seem to have hit a phase of waking with a panic attack, it does subside fairly quickly but I feel like it can set the tone for the day. I think my HRT is working well, very little alcohol, I do exercise but could do more. A fairly stressful life situation on going but not significantly worse than usual.

Any advice would be welcome.