Poll Have Symptoms Increased During Menopause?

[Paloma]

My poll question is whether any other women have experienced an increase in symptoms and frequency of PTSD episodes as they entered menopause.

Yes?

No?

Not Sure?

 

[Jubilation4Me]

Thanks so much for bringing this up! I've been meaning to do a search and see if there were any similar posts on the subject, but just hadn't had the time yet.

I'm almost 48 and have been having very frequent, (almost daily), menopausal symptoms for the last 3 years.....mainly those darned hot flashes! My "menopause-roller-coaster-ride-from-hell" has been bad enough on it's own, but then adding PTSD to the mix......well, I can't even find a proper word to try and describe such a crazy, chaotic state of mind to be stuck in.

Can anyone else relate to this? Any ideas on how to better manage the symptoms of both menopause and PTSD?

 

[Deleted member 541]

Absolutely.......When I was going through Menopause, anxiety was one of my worst symptoms. Followed by agoraphobia, that I had to fight every stinking day, just to be able to get to work.....

Between the hotflashes, nightsweats, anxiety, agoraphobia, panic attacks, paranoia, and PTSD, I actually thought I was losing my mind, and on some days, prayed that I would......

I believe that Menopause brings out the PTSD worse than before.....At least it did for me.....I am so glad that I am post menopausal now.....

 

[anni]

Wow. I can't believe how often I read comments that I relate to exactly. I'd had 5 great years of therapy and thought i was doing very very well and then menopause hit. Sometimes my whole world revolves around planning how many times I don't have to leave the house.I just know that a cranky check-out personl can crush me for the rest of the day and I'll be useless until I can get a grip on the anxiety, fear, guilt and shame. It's horrible and ramped up amazingly around a year ago when menopause hit.

I know it sounds goofy, but I do this 'thing' where I imagine I have a protective dome of white light over me. Yes I realize I now sound like I have lost my mind but I swear it has helped me get out of the house and deal with what feels like negative bombardments from all sides! It just plain helps me believe noone can 'get' me, which in my mind isn't any more irrational than the fears that keep me from going to the store in the first place. :) Boy this menopause thing is like throwing gas on PTSD, isn't it?
Take care, OK?

 

[Paloma]

This is great guys! I hope more ladies chime in. I posted this because I too had been doing really well managing my chronic PTSD. Then early this year I was fully into menopause...HRT couldn't be used because of other issues...and by summer my PTSD was growing like a mushroom cloud. There were/are major other stressors...but it dawned on me that maybe these two were related. I tried an on-line search about the connection and found nothing. I have an appt next week with the VA (woman) psychiatrist who heads the women's PTSD clinic here and I wanted to go over this with her and my GP. My T said when asked about it that it was a really good question and that I was not the only woman veteran she sees who has had this experience. I will let you know what they say/suggest.

 

[TLight]

Geez........can't wait.

 

[Momma Kitty]

I never thought about it before...

I started hot flashes in my thirties, severe mood swings and pms, plus more. My hormone levels were always fine though. I was put on anti-depressants.

Now that I am 50, it is all making more sense. My forties were wild, divorced, partial hysterectomy, and more. I quit all the prescription drugs and began exercise. When I met my new husband and remarried, the focus was off me once again. I have mood swings, hot flashes, weight gain, etc, all related to my stress levels.

I began journaling years ago to monitor my mood swings and migranes. I thought they were hormonal. Now it seems they are more stress related with the influence of my hormone levels. Hot flashes definitely are related to my stress. I changed jobs to a more simple lifestyle. I live miles from any town with minimum neighbors. We have several acres of peace and no stressors. It is obvious in my journals how the course of my life stresses and the recurrance of my PTSD has affected my symptoms.

 

[becvan]

I went into menopause at age 23 due to a hysterectomy. It did not increase my symptoms despite both being very severe. What it did do is confuse things. I would never know if I was having hot or cold flashes due to stress or to the lack of hormones etc. I'm finished now (yah!) and still see no difference in symptoms. I just know what is causing symptoms now.. LOL

bec

 

[pandora]

chiming in with Tlight here....

Geez...can't wait!!! UUUGGGHHH!!!

 

[2quilt]

Oh yes, I can't wait for menopause now. Me, exponentially.

 

[wattle]

Menopause happened about the same time as everything falling apart for me, what came first though, don't know. It's wierd, I wake up bathed in sweat from a hot flush or bathed in sweat from a nightmare, both are horrible in their own right, both wake me up and stop sleep coming back and I guess the end result is lack of sleep makes everything else ten times worse.

 

[Abby Acker]

My poll question is whether any other women have experienced an increase in symptoms and frequency of PTSD...

OM Goodness,,,PTSD yes,, Menopause yes.. both together,, not a nice mixture,,Paroxetine.. helps.. But..
there are times I am standing, doing my job and (the earth rumbles ) Triggers.. hot.. soaked,, I think,, ok girl, just what triggered that,, so I think,,may be it was this or that and I face it head on.. each trigger has a cause and effect.. and my affect will be to name it,, claim it and get over it..There is no monster under my bed,,except what is in my head,, anyway.. I try to make someone smile every day,, I work in the health field and love it.. enabler,, yes I am.. so..Tuesday,, back to the doctor.. until then,, I am trying deep breathing and focusing on others,, their issue.. making that more important,, so girls.. it's real.