Tag Archives | anxiety

Menopause Mailbag: Hot Flashes, Anxiety, Insomnia, and More

By on September 10, 2012 in Hair loss, Hot Flashes, Menopause, Menopause in Community, Physical Menopause Symptoms

High Country Reflection © lynette sheppard

This month’s menopause mailbag deals with hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia, and so much more. Please take a moment to offer your advice and support in the comments section for our menopause goddess sisters.

Menopause Goddess sister L. writes from the U.K.:

Hot Flashes
Okay here’s a strange one and I’d love to know if anyone else has had this happen. A couple of weeks before my birthday this year, the hot flashes started and they were intense. Every couple of hours, every time I drank coffee, 4.00 am every night. So I stopped the coffee, started wearing layers and slept with just a sheet to stay cool.

Here we are almost 2 months later and they’ve all but stopped. One or two a week, nothing at night now. Still not drinking coffee though. I’d been told they’d go on for years … can they start and stop like this? Anyone else had this happen?

OK ladies, any suggestions? Have you all had this happen to you?

MPG: I, Lynette, got hot flashes from drinking hot beverages – cold coffee was not a problem. And even that got better.

And R. shares her hot flash remedy / discovery:

Just a heads up: I quit eating all sugar (including fruit juice and fruit) and ALL hot flashes stopped.
If I really want sugar (read fruit or chocolate) , I eat a bunch of vegetables before hand and they slow down the ingestion of sugar so I still don’t get hot flashes. Pass it on, it may help others!

MPG: Thanks, R. Definitely worth a try. And remember, goddesses, to keep a hot flash journal with what you did immediately before to find out what your own specific hot flash triggers are. Every women is unique.

M. writes requesting help:

I am soon to be 48 and 12 months into hormone hell, as I affectionately call it. I have considered myself to be strong, fun loving and positive. My perimenopause bomb hit from out of nowhere. mainly insomnia and anxiety. Totally foreign! I am on my second ND, started bioidentical progesterone 2 months ago. reasearch and ttes/labs assured me this is perimenopause. What is most difficult are the periods of insomnia and anxiety. I Would love to share with other women, help getting through these normal, common, horrible symptoms!

MPG: Readers, please help. And M., you might want to set up your own goddess group. It literally saved all of us Venuses. Click on the links below for the How To Guide blog entries.

Creating A Menopause Goddess Group: A How To Guide Pt. I

Creating A Menopause  Goddess Group: A How To Guide Pt. II

And S. writes to share her hair loss experience (which is way more common than we are ever led to believe!):

You are the answer to my prayers. My hair started falling out and I have noticeable scalp showing through. I believe it is from the HRT. I wasn’t sure how to stop, but after finding you, I have decided to cut pill in half and gradually stop taking bio-identical hormones. I have minimal wrinkles and I am concerned that skin will suffer…..bald or wrinkled….what a choice!

MPG: LOL, what a choice indeed. I remember wanting to take out stock in a hat company so at least I could cover my head. Sheesh, it’s a good thing we don’t lose our sense of humor!

Hot Flash Prevention – Avoiding the ?Triggers? | Menopause Goddess Blog dot com

All I Know About Stopping HRT So Far | Menopause Goddess Blog dot com

Holla for replacing Hormones | Kerri Zane

(Insert Pathetic Sigh Here)

Choose The Right Menopause Remedy Part II | Menopause Goddess Blog dot com

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Menopause Will Scare You Sometimes

By on January 27, 2012 in Emotional Menopause Symptoms, Menopause

Cactus Whirl © lynette sheppard

Anxiety may literally be the most unnerving of the emotional traumas visited upon menopausal women; certainly it’s one of the least recognized or discussed. A number of goddesses struggling with this frightening symptom have written me recently, so let’s address and demystify it.

First and most important, anxiety that comes out of nowhere when you enter perimenopause and menopause is NORMAL! Not every woman will suffer it, but those who do can take heart that it is just another in the panoply of maladies that accompany our transition. Second, it is TEMPORARY! It will get better. Most women I know have anxiety issues that last 6 months to 2 years. (If you’ve just started having anxiety episodes, you may be screaming inside “Two years! I can’t take two more years of this!”) Oh yes, you can. And you will. And there’s help.

The biggest help we found was the discovery that we were not alone. Other midlife women, who previously had never suffered from anxiety and fear, found them selves terrified driving on the freeway or over bridges, petrified for no reason on a daily basis, even experiencing full-blown panic attics in the absence of any recognizable threat.

The Venuses don’t really know of any ingestible remedies that decrease the anxiety of menopause per se. (OK, maybe wine, but it can also make it worse sometimes.) Yes, there are some herbal anti-anxiety supplements but we felt we just didn’t know enough about them. Kava kava, for example, relieves anxiety but may damage our liver. (Although that may be dose related – Fijians have been using it for decades on a daily basis – they seem to have a decent life span.) As always, when trying something like this, let your health care partner/practitioner know and monitor your symptoms and dosage carefully. If your MD is not acting as a partner, but as a parent or ultimate authority, find one who will work with you. I can tell you as a health care practitioner myself that the amount we DO NOT KNOW about menopause and many of the complementary therapies would fill a library. Or two.

While you may consult your health care practitioner/partner about your anxiety, be wary of pharmaceutical intervention as a first answer. Tranquilizers and other drugs such as Prozac may be helpful, but may cause other problems or adverse effects. Remember, we’re women. We can handle a lot. We do every day. As long as we know it’s NORMAL and TEMPORARY.

As a group, the Venuses’ fretting was rarely overwhelming, but it was scary and disturbing. If it had been worse, we likely would have seen therapists. (Differentiation note: If you are frightened and jittery, that’s normal. If you cannot leave the house because of fear, or are unable to conduct activities of daily living, that’s not normal and professional help is needed.)

We did practice giving ourselves and each other little “reality checks” when our worrying was excessively annoying. We practiced asking, “What is happening right now, this moment?” (Usually the answer was “Nothing.”) “Am I safe, alive, comfortable, etc?” Then we took deep breaths and decided not to panic until we had something to actually panic about, rather than a mental litany of “what ifs”. This actually helped ease our jitters quite a bit, although some days our practice worked better than others.

Above all, be gentle with yourself. Give your fear a name. Invite it in for tea. Recognize it as another part of this roller coaster ride we call Menopause – remember right after the scary climb up, anticipating the drop, comes the thrill of a great ride. Let’s do it together – it’s easier to share both the fear and the fun.

(Stay tuned for a future blog entry regarding the Night Terrors, a nocturnal flavor of anxiety.)

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Relieve Menopause Symptoms With These Natural Supplements

By on October 30, 2011 in Hot Flashes, Menopause, Menopause Relief & Treatment

HIgh Sierra Lupine © lynette sheppard

This week’s guest post by Ryan Rivera offers some helpful information about natural supplements that can alleviate menopause symptoms and make for an easier transition. Obviously, each woman is different and will respond individually to any given remedy. Yep, we end up having to be our own guinea pigs sometimes before we find what helps and what doesn’t. Remember when trying any plant based or natural supplement to give it time to work (at least 2 weeks for most) and to try only one at a time. I know how tempting it is to try any and every thing just to get some sleep, cool down, or mellow out. Resist the temptation and you may find a new balance. For now, read Ryan’s excellent guest blog entry:

A woman’s body is like a ticking time bomb. After more or less forty years of conception, a woman will run out of enough hormones and face the challenges that this anxiety-producing phase brings.

While we were younger, our hormones play an important role in shaping how we look, how we perceive and how we react to things that surround us. Our hormones give sharpness to the mold of which is our body. It defines the swell of our breasts, the trim of our waistlines and the curves of our hips. It is our ego-bolstering machine that helps men see as us as voluptuous as we perceive ourselves.

Aside from this beauty enhancing function, hormones direct how our mood goes as well. From high to low, low to high, or to crazy, crazier to craziest, these hormones control our emotions like a very good marionette player.

But such control will soon be lost as we grow old and these hormones dwindle in quantity, leaving us to carry on with the symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes during the day, sweating at night, frequent mood changes, vaginal dryness, and anxiety attacks.

To help relieve these uncomfortable symptoms that ageing brings, here are a few natural techniques currently endorsed by various experts.

1. Red Clover

The flowering tops of this perennial clover plant have been found to effectively treat the distressing symptoms of menopause. This herb, scientifically known as Trofolium pretense, is high in vitamin and mineral content that includes vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, and thiamine. These essential vitamins and minerals help reinforce cell, tissue, and organ growth and maintenance which further assists in fighting illness and infirmity.

This “magical plant”, as considered by the ancient Greeks and Romans for its ability to ward off evil, is sought after by many menopausal women for its isoflavones compound that act as phytoestrogens. These phytoestrogens mimic the function of estrogen in the human body. This means that it works by substituting natural human hormones with plant-like compounds. Thus, when taken, it amazingly supplies the needed estrogen of the body to prevent estrogen loss and remedy menopausal symptoms. It has almost the same effect as hormone replacement therapy minus the expensive cost.

Red clover can be consumed as tea or taken as a tablet.

2. Black Cohosh

The startling heave of body heat or hot flashes frequently complained by women in menopausal stage can be effectively solved through the use of black cohosh.

Black Cohosh or Actaea Racemosa, is also a phytoestrogenic plant that belongs to the buttercup family and native to the woods of eastern North America. It is made up of acetein and ferulic or isoferulic acids that work to prevent hypertensive and inflammatory effects from flourishing in those with menstrual problems, menopausal syndrome and rheumatism.

Black cohosh herbal supplements such as tea, pills, tablets and liquid extracts are made from its roots and underground stems. Its usage is recommended only for six months or less since prolonged use can lead to risks of strokes, heart attacks, and cases of breast cancer for some women.

3. Macafem

Scientifically known as Lepidium meyenii, this non-estrogenic herb that grows in the plateau of the Andean mountains in Peru has been specifically used for the treatment of menopause symptoms.

As a non-estrogenic herb, macafem takes care of hormonal problems without bringing in artificial estrogen-like substances into the body. It acts more like an energizer that helps stimulate the body to create its own production of hormones naturally. Moreover, this kind of herb does not produce the side effects that phytoestrogenic herbs bring to the table.

All symptoms of menopause such as mood swings, loss of sexual desire, vaginal dryness, and hot flushes are successfully alleviated by Macafem. Aside from this, thyroid function is also improved, as this herb help to stimulate metabolism. So, women not only rid themselves of menopausal symptoms but unwanted fats as well.

4. Probiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms of the lactobacilli family that are found in products such as soy, miso, buttermilk shakes, kefir and yogurt. They act similarly like the good bacteria found in human GIT. When taken, they produce lactic acid that helps alters the pH balance of the intestines to make it more acidic and inhibit the growth of bad bacteria.

Good bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilous, and Bifidus that are found in the gut are important for women who are going through menopause. A healthy gastrointestinal tract helps to reduce the symptoms brought about by ageing. With a restored good bacterial growth in the GIT, menopausal symptoms such as night sweats, acid reflux, eczema, irritability, and yeast infections will be effectively eliminated.

5. Sepia

Another effective means of relieving menopausal symptoms is the use of sepia, a homeopathic remedy. Sepia helps to relieve hot flashes, depression, excessive perspiration, and moodiness. This homeopathic remedy is prepared from the pigment obtained from the ink sac of cuttlefish. This ink is then dried and ground into fine powder and formed into tablets.

As women approach the stage of menopause, the threat of developing severe hot flashes, night sweats, and other anxiety symptoms will arise as well. To bring relief from these menopausal symptoms, proper and guided use of the above-mentioned substances should be considered.

Ryan Rivera is a former anxiety sufferer. His anxiety management program focused on natural methods. A complete guide of these methods can be found at his website at Calmclinic.com.

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