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menstrual cycle/ panic attack?????

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Posted 1/22/2012 8:09 AM (GMT -8)
Nadine,

Hello and welcome to HealingWell.  I am glad you found us and thank you for your informative post.  I am wondering if you continue to have anxiety and panic attacks and if so what are you currently doing to help yourself ?

I am sorry but you have posted to a thread that is 5 years old and the members you mentioned have not been online for sometime.  It is always a good idea to take the time to introduce yourself in a new thread before you begin responding to the topics already in progress.

This is done by clicking on the 'new topic' button which will open a new thread for you to post your introduction. This will help members see your first post. It is a big step and can be a bit anxiety provoking but you will find a warm welcome and a good support network. It is best to start your own 1st thread rather than attach it to an old thread that way you will get more responses.

Again I am glad your found us and I hope that you stay and talk with us as we are here to listen, support and share with you.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 4/12/2012 3:42 PM (GMT -8)
hi ladies, I have just read your thread and am so glad that I am not alone.

I just had a horrible panic attack abou an hour ago, have had one or two on and off the past few months and, noticed its mostly before my period. My period should be coming any day now. I had my first bad  panic attack at 20 but they never returned until a few months ago out of nowhere , I thought I was having a heart attack or a stroke and went to the ER, that was scary stuff and not fun.

I now take xanax but dont like to 'have" to...I have had a tubal ligation and have no other obvious medical issues. I feel like I am crazy sometimes, hormones can wreak havoc. I also agree with the poster who said she felt like she started falling apart when she hit 30. Im tooo young lol. btw Ive never had 'normal" periods and probably have some sort of messued up hormones. Ive had them checked but they fluxuate in the 'normal" range.

Anyway Thanks for posting at least I know it is some hormonal issue, and please say some prayers for me and yourselves, I wish you all healing.

Cindy Snow

Posted 4/12/2012 6:47 PM (GMT -8)
Hi and welcome CS :)

I am glad that you found some comfort in reading through this thread. We have had quite a few posts on this subject lately that you may want to check out. You can also do a search here at HW on these issues if you want to read more.

Post with us anytime you want someone to compare notes with, or are in need of some support.

S.C.
Posted 4/13/2012 7:28 AM (GMT -8)
hi yes I am recieving this post, thanks for the reply.

I am definately trying to cope at the moment, figure this time of month is more hormonally related but can use any advice I can get.

Sharing experiences never hurts :-)

Posted 5/24/2012 11:24 AM (GMT -8)
Hello =) My name is Cassandra and I am new here. I know I am posting on an older post but it popped up when I goggled lightheaded with menstrual cycle =) I appreciate being able to see that others have experienced the same feelings as I have. I have been constantly lightheaded since I started my period last Sunday. I had a bad vertigo spell in March at the end of my cycle and have been off and on lightheaded since then. I had a 2 week break from feeling lightheaded and then it came back with my cycle. I am very anxious as well and trying to stay calm during these feelings of constantly being lightheaded. My practioner put me on Claritin for allergies thinking maybe I am having inner ear issues with fluid in my ears. I have had 3 days of that medication and I am not better yet. I have intense stress in my life at the moment and feel very overwhelmed, that dosent help. I just want to feel normal and at peace again - happy inside. I hate feeling so lightheaded all the time. I went to the ER May 5th because of it and they couldnt find anything wrong with me. My iron is good and so are my sugars. I have hypothyroidism but those levels are normal at the moment. I relate to others just wanting to know what is wrong and wanting to feel good and strong again. Thanks again <3 Nurse just called me and told me you can have my symptoms with your menstrual cycle. I guess time will tell. I wish everyone the best- xoxo

Cass
Posted 5/25/2012 5:43 AM (GMT -8)
Hi CA and welcome,

Yes, as you can see, yoiu are not alone! This is only one of a few threads on this subject here in the forums.

One thing that I have found very helpful for anxiety related dizziness is breathing exercises.

We have some links in our Anxiety panic Resources that teach these. It can be found on the main page, 2nd post down.

I hope that you wil find the answers that you need, and continue to post with us if you find it helpful.:)

Take care,

Scaredy Cat
Posted 7/9/2012 11:27 PM (GMT -8)
Thank God for this thread this morning. Was feeling a panic attack dawn on me while driving to work, and as soon as i entered the office it hit me. Immediately took half a Xanax and googled 'panic attack period'. Bang and landed here. I feel so much better just by reading that i am 'normal' since many other people are going through this.

I suffer from mild depression which leads to a not so mild anxiety disorder. Sometimes I feel i'm going nuts. Started when i was about 20 years, but it was very irregular and far between. When i hit 28 it became a way of life :( Now i'm 30. I was taking one Seroxat a day for one year, and the panic attacks nearly vanished, but now that i went down to half a pill, they appeared again. I noticed how they intensify before the period. I have also noticed that I feel really down while driving to work in the morning.

When I feel a panic coming, i tend to panic more :) my heart starts racing, or missing a beat, or i feel it beating in my throat, then i think to myself OMG a heart attack :D LOL i feel so stupid after, but that's sooo real when it's happening!! I feel like my breath is short or like someone is pressing my chest and cannot breath freely. Then the worse fear of all is making a fool of myself in front of other people, and having to explain to some stranger that i am undergoing a panic!! Ugghhh horrible thought!!

i felt like i had to write something, because when i googled i found help. So hopefully one day someone like me will find a bit of help from my side.
Posted 7/10/2012 7:22 AM (GMT -8)
Hi and welcome!

Thanks for joining and writing! It does really help to know that you are not alone, and that there are others who understand and care.

That is what makes this place so great! Check out our Resourses for lots of great ideas, and feel free to post with us anytime.

This is a great group of people who are always there to listen to each other and provide support!

Talk to you soon,

Scaredy Cat
Posted 8/14/2012 2:43 PM (GMT -8)
Hello! I also googled menstrual cycles and panic attacks. And this is where i ended up.. Ladies I can tell you all that u have made me feel much better as i sit here yet again researching this stupid disorder. I swear there has to be a link between the menstrual cycle and for us women that have had tubal ligation(sp chk) :) anyway,i had my 1st attk in nov 2011,i went to the er like most 1st time sufferers,i thought either heart attk or stroke..my symptoms are horrid,lght headed slightly dizzy jelly legs numb hands n tremblng hands tightness in the head i feel just plain WEIRD. I always say,ok girl u have brain cancer or tumors. GOD i hope not,but it feels that way. I have had 2 deal with the loss of my dad 12 yrs ago thenmy mom 3 years ago,i would have thought the panic wouldve surfaced then,not 3 yrs later,but i also feel depressed and m NOT that kind of person,prior to this i was the life of the party and miss happy go lucky,loving life. Now i dread waking up sometimes bcuz i know ill wake up to an attack. I take about 3-4 xanex per day,although i try my hardest to fight it off,sometimes i cannot win,my dr has prescribed me everything from zoloft to paxil to prozac to wellbutrin to celexa to effexor,u name it ive "tried it". well after i google the meds i simply refuse to try them and i lie to my doc and tell hm i had a bad reaction to all of the meds. I dont even like the xanex but 95% of the time it does takethe attk away within an hour or so. Ive tried chammomile and vitamin b,im at my wits end and have 4 children ages 12 9 7 and 5 to worry about. So there is explanation for my panic and anxiety,however i need it to GO AWAY!! and my purpose for commenting is that it is truly unbearable rght before during and right after my period..i am anxious to talk to my doc again to see if i can try the depo shot as someone suggested. I hate this crap!! i pray daily for it to go away just hoping and trustng that im going thru this to become a stronger person,but it really feels like it is aging me..im 34 :( thnks for being here
Posted 8/14/2012 6:59 PM (GMT -8)
Hi PAQ and welcome!

I am sorry to hear of your panic troubles. I completely understand how it is to be a busy mom and try to hold it all together while you feel like you are falling apart!

Have you considered asking your doctor for a therapy referral? I know that your schedule is jam packed as it is...but it would be the best use of 'you' time that you could give to yourself (and your family too!)

I went from daily attacks, to recovery from them through CBT therapy. I still have to manage my anxiety certainly...but what a difference therapy made in my life!

I also encourage you to check out our Anxiety Resources for great self-help ideas...from breathing exercises to on-line therapy...it is all there for you to get started on right away if you so choose.:)

Keep posting with us as well. It is great to be part of a community that understands and cares!

Talk to you soon,

S.C.
Posted 8/15/2012 2:12 PM (GMT -8)
thank you scaredy cat i definitly am looking forward to going for therapy,just hoping i can get a referral asap...ur a blessing!!
Posted 9/18/2012 6:11 AM (GMT -8)
Hi Michelle and welcome!

I am glad that you have joined us...as you can see you are not alone!

Have you considered any therapy or cognitive treatment to help you to stop/deal with the panic attacks? Many or us, myself incluede have had success with this.:)

We also have a Resource Guide here with self-help ideas that you might find useful...check it out when you can

Keep posting with us as well. It helps to talk with others who understand.

Talk to you soon,

S.C.
Posted 3/1/2013 5:51 AM (GMT -8)
Hi I am going through this for the last two years or so, and its gotten worse in the last 6 months. Had a panic attack and felt very dizzy last night, and its continuing this morning... and yes I have my period! Last time this happened ended up in the ER, only to be told to take a xanax and go home. I've had my heart checked out, blood work, the only thing left is a neurologist.  But is this "just" panic?? The dizziness and feeling like I am about to die is truly horrifying and fear of it happening again or while I am out or alone is making me and my family miserable.

Until this started happening I was always a very competent, independent person.

I am glad to know I am not the only one. I am 37, and this happens occasionally when I don't have my period, and almost always at some point during my period, sometimes for several days.

Has anyone out there found a solution?? I know its been a while since the last post on this thread, but is anyone who had this problem still around, or found something that helps? Thanks to everyone who is willing to be open and talk about this, makes me feel less crazy/alone.

Posted 3/1/2013 10:13 AM (GMT -8)
Hi Littlewing and welcome.

I am sorry that you are dealing with these symptoms. They can be scary and confusing.

Besides doing the obvious things to keep the hormonal panic issues at bay...good nutrition, rest, cutting out caffeine, exercise, ect...

There are other coping mechanisms that you can try. In our Resource Guide (main page, 1st post) there are links to relaxation and breathing exercises. Give these a try...especially the breathing. The dizzyness is often causes by unconscious hyperventilating, which can happen when you are anxious.

If this helps, then you know that you can control the issues with self-help. If not...

Then you may need to pursue therapy and/or more medical evalutation.

I hope that you find the answers that you need soon. Keep posting here with us if you find it helpful.

We are always here to listen and support!

Scaredy Cat
Posted 3/1/2013 10:52 AM (GMT -8)
Thanks ScaredyCat!

I do some yoga and biofeedback, although I find if I try 'deep breathing' or concentrating on my breathing, it tends to make the feeling of not being able to breath right worse! I wonder if anyone else has this problem?

Mostly I try to concentrate on something else if possible, like read or get on the computer, if I am at home... sometimes this makes it pass more quickly. Sometimes I can do this, and sometimes the feeling is too strong to distract myself from it.

I guess the most frustrating thing is not knowing if this is a true panick attack, or if there is something else really wrong with me. So the last few months I have been to endless doctor's appointments trying to make sure there isn't anything else going on.

Whatever it is, it is definately significantly worse/more frequent around the time of my period.

I will check out the Resource Guide, thanks.

Posted 1/11/2014 2:11 PM (GMT -8)
Hi girls, 30 years ago when i was 13 i had my first panic attack i was terrified, i felt spaced out and sat in a corner outside in a car park shaking like a leaf... a week later i got my first period...I have been living with panic attacks and depression since then and have always linked the two, my first gp told me i was a woman and i would have to put up with it thankfully i have moved doctors, i have since had various ops for polycystic ovaries and my last op discovered endometreosis. I have been for CBT and it helps sometimes... i take evening primrose oil which help also. I suffer badly from period pain and while in pain one day i counted up the fact that over 30 years i have had at least 3 full years of pain if you add it all up.. over the christmas i had a very weird anxiety attack much different than normal and couldn't stop crying i also had a strange ringing and woosh in my ears.. ( reading back on all this i sound like a complete wreck lol ) I have had my FSH bloods done this week which will tell me if i am now peri menopausal... please please let me have an easier ride this time if anyone is listening! So to say i'm glad i'm not the only one out there having these problems sounds bad but at least now i know i'm not losing my mind! I do find exercise helps a lot though!
Posted 1/11/2014 4:10 PM (GMT -8)
Hi MM and welcome!

No, you are not alone...this isn't even the only thread that we have on this subject!

I am sorry that you have suffered with so many hormonal and anxiety issues. It does however sound like you have found some good coping mechanisms...well done!

Let us know how your test turn out, and keep posting with us anytime for anxiety support.;)


Scaredy Cat
Posted 7/14/2014 9:39 AM (GMT -8)
So glad this place exists, I am 39 and early menopause in us girls in the family stared early along with my own mother at 41. I have experience this so frequently before and a little after my periods until my hormones come back to normal. With everything else I have as you can see in my signature and probably many of us as well...sure doesn't help tongue
But I brace myself now and think the same thing as I saw on another post here " Oh yeah! those darn periods again" Sisters in arms I say scool
Posted 7/14/2014 7:04 PM (GMT -8)
Hi MNB and welcome!

As you can see this is a prevalent subject here! There is undoubtably a hormone and anxiety correlation.

Glad that reading here has brought you some comfort and feeling of connection!

Post with us anytime for understanding and support.;)

Scaredy Cat
Posted 3/3/2015 2:31 PM (GMT -8)
I know that this is many years later - But I wanted to add what I find to be important info relative to my experience. I just recently went through quite a bit of trauma. Basically, I had an onset of Celiac disease from a pregnancy that ended up in miscarriage. This happened three months ago and I am still healing from it, as we speak. I started having SEVERE panic attacks, depersonalization, insomnia, hypoglycemia and depression. I soon realized it ONLY happened the day my period started through day 7. They tried to put me on Zoloft, but I knew it was soooo far from who I was before the pregnancy and Celiac diagnosis. So I went to get my hormone levels tested. Turns out, I had low progesterone in relation to my Estrogen. Which causes an estrogen dominance. So, I tried progesterone bio identical hormone cream from Phusion Pharmacy. I have only been on it for a month but I am currently in my first period since starting it and I have only had one bad day, rather than 7 horrific days. And by bad I mean, I felt mild depression, and what feels like it could turn into a panic attack/depersonalized episode today. But, overall it has been FAR better than my past, and that is only four weeks into using it. I great friend of mine had severe post partum and fought through it, never felt quite normal - in fact went 8 years feeling not normal, and eventually went to this same place (she is the one who suggested it to me) and she said within three months she feels like she did before the baby. She doesn't have any anxiety, panic, or crying spells anymore.

Everyone around me has noticed a huge difference as well. I won't lie and say I haven't been fighting, but I went from 10% normal to I'd say 60% normal in just a few weeks with something that gave me zero side affects. The only side affects were peace, calm, and a good night sleep.

I do hope this helps someone. And I will be sure to check back in next month! Hormones are not easy. I too have just wanted a hysterectomy. And I'm only 27. My heart goes out to anyone suffering from these terrifying debilitating symptoms. So much love to all of you!

Best,
Jackie
Posted 3/4/2015 8:20 AM (GMT -8)
Hi JL 4 and welcome!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. I am sorry to hear of the loss and pain that has been a part of your journey.

I celebrate with you however in your finding the core issue, and the subsequent treatment that appears to be of great help! :)

Well done on managing your challenges, and we wish you continued healing!

Thanks again for sharing what may be of help to others, and post with us anytime.

Scaredy Cat
Posted 3/10/2015 11:36 AM (GMT -8)
Hi Scardy Cat 😊,

Thank you for the welcome. I came back to update. I felt as though the progesterone actually may have been causing the panic. I started having hot flashes and nighy sweats... And im on 27. So today I caved and started Zoloft. I took 25 mg today. I am so nervous and would love any positive feedback about this medication because my mind clings to the scary stories. I hope this helps. This has been a lot to live with. And, although I believe the progesterone helped... Maybe even needed to stay on it longer than five weeks to see... But i literally felt like I was going through menapause for the last two weeks. Hopefully yhis Zoloft works for me.

😯- Jackie
Posted 3/10/2015 12:02 PM (GMT -8)
Everyone responds uniquely to any given Rx...so you will have to take any feedback...positive or negative and remember that your experience may very well differ...

Are you also looking to treat the anxiety and symptoms with therapy and self help techniques?

Most people respond well to this combination of treatment options, and some are even able to eventually come off of their medication...so this is a good choice for you to consider if this is a goal for you.:)

I think you will get the most responses to your question about our Rx if you start a new thread on the subject...but remember the caveat above!

For now, why not look into our Resources for great self-help coping material...here is the link:


https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=104206


Keep posting with us if you find it helpful.:)

S.C.

Posted 3/10/2015 12:07 PM (GMT -8)
Thank you! Yes, I have been recieving CBT. My deductible is very high so this has been rough. But I'm going as much as possible. I never had this anxiety before the pregnancy. Before the pregnancy I was a rock climbing motorcycle riding opera singer haha. Its been so strange. But one thing I am grateful for is the compassion I have for others. I never realized what these illnesses felt like.

I think I will start a new thread on the Zoloft. Thank you again!
Posted 8/20/2015 1:35 PM (GMT -8)
The only thing you have to be worried about is not having period after having unprotected sex with an unknown ugly stupid guy. Other stuff is totally OK, you'l get thought this. I've had a really long pause in my period. Ididn't know what to do. When I've read that's all about change of climate conditions. Except of pregnancy factor there are a lot of other reason of it. What are these factors?
Well, i will try to save my breath sharing with you this helpful link.
stopyourperiod.org/how-to-make-your-period-come.html smilewinkgrin
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