Meno yrs. after total hyst. is bad

I'm wondering if anyone is like me. I had a total hyst 9 years ago and thought I was done with everything. No one explained that I could go through "natural" menopause at a later date when my body was ready. What a shocker! Last Fall I began to have panic attacks out of the blue. I hadn't been myself for a while and was convinced that it was low hormones. My internist (female) was no help and she always blew me off and said to go to my gyno. I went to my gyno (female) and she blew me off. They both have had me as patients for about 10 years or so. They both knew I have always had health anxiety and whitecoat hypertension. They both told me to go see a psychologist (I hate when they do that). So I was all alone with no one to turn to. I found an anti-aging/wellness MD who specialized in hormones and compunding, etc. I believed that he was the answer to my prayers. I tested low on everything and I started the creams. His office was terrible when I had questions, and it was a totally disorganized mess. I worried about the estrogen so I stopped (I had all kinds of side effects). My anxiety worsened and I still had panic attacks. My life was not normal. I didn't want to drive because I had previous panic when driving. So I though I would go back to my gyno just to have a discussion about hormones and get a prescription for SOMETHING since she knew me and had my file and she did my hyster. I was so worked up about the appointment that my blood pressure was high that day, partly because I didn't like her anymore and partly because I was excited that MAYBE she would give me something to take for this. WRONG. She walked in and saw the blood pressure reading and said "You're going to have a stroke!" Nice. Just what I needed to hear. I said I was upset and she said "You need to go to a psychiatrist!" I said I needed help with the panic and anxiety and she said Premarin wouldn't help me. She had not one ounce of empathy at all. I can't believe that a DOCTOR who sees a patient in such distress could even let me leave the office in that state. After talking, she said "I can't spend any more time with you." And she handed me a piece of paper with the name of a psychiatrist on it and said "She's the best."

Well, it turned out that one good thing came of this---I went to see that pdoc (female) and she is wonderful for me. She put me on Zoloft (first 25 than 50mg) and Xanax when needed. Not happy about this but the anxiety was so high I was not sleeping, eating, functioning. The side effects from the Zoloft are not easy so I have to wonder which is worse. The panic and anxiety is down but not totally gone (it has been 4 weeks) and there is no appetite, vivid dreams, jaw clenching, and sleep disturbances. This is all so hard. I also found a wonderful new internist, thank goodness who is sympathetic about this. At least I feel I am in good hands for now. I have no other health issues but I still always think something is wrong. I am 56 and I have no diabetes, low cholesterol, no heart issues, I never smoked, I hate alcohol, no allergies, very little stress, and I just lost 10 pounds with all of this. I walk almost every day which has helped with the anxiety. But I still feel like crud. I was just wondering if anyone has been through something similar to this?

I hope that you find some answers soon. Is there a reason why you would not want to see a psychiatrist? Sometimes they can help or see things that the other doctors do not see. It probably wouldn't hurt anything. They can also manage medications such as anti-depresants (I can't take these myself) & anti-anxiety medications. I hope the new doctor can help you & that you feel better soon! Best wishes to you.

Glad you found doctors who are good and sympathetic to what you are dealing with. I think the meds for anxiety and depression are good if you need them, and I don't think that HRT will help with those things much. HRT is great for hot flashes and sweats which is a sign for low or no estrogen. Doctors don't give it for other reasons, at least my gyn does not.

I have always been healthy pretty much except for some hayfever, but the last couple of years things are definitely changing. I get anxious easier, my blood pressure and cholestorol is up, my joints are showing degeneration, digestive issues.
I took HRT and it did not prevent any of this. I have exercised for years, eat a real healthy diet and still am getting things. I believe it is age and genetics that is doing it. I am over 56 and I would say the last 3 years have been different.

I have a 80 year old aunt who is on anti depression meds and she is a new woman, more outgoing and very happy. She probably should have been on it years ago.

I guess we will have to learn to take meds if we need them, and this is a new thing in some of our lives, but we will persevere and do just fine. I think it is good we are not alone on our life's journey.

Hang in there

I had heard about the natural menopause coming on even after your hysterecotmy. I guess the same thing in the brain that triggered puberty is what is going to trigger natural menopause.

Sorry, but I have to disagree Suzy Q...it's all about your hormones I believe. The choice is yours as to what to do about them.

You sound very similar to me in that you have side effects from everything! I found I had to make a decision about which side effects I wanted. I don't want any of them! I feel fine physically when I don't take hormones, but mentally I am a mess. Yes, I could probably take an anti-d to help with that, but that's not the problem, is it. The problem is I don't have ovaries producing hormones any longer. So why I should I fix that with a anti-d?

My own experience: I learned a long time ago to not tell the dr I don't have hot flashes when I'm not on hormones...because who knows, if I stay off of them long enough I might. If necessary I would have found a new dr, but half of them don't read your previous stuff anyway. I also use internet ordering. I use a mix and trying to get a dr to prescribe that is tuff...I found only one and she was gone in a year to another practice.

Omg, Arty, you sound just like me! I had a total hyst a little over 5 years ago and didn't really have any symptoms until about a year ago. I had anxiety just out of the blue. I had never experienced anxiety before this. Stress, yes, but not anxiety. Then about three months later, I was diagnosed with an eye condition called episcleritis/scleritis. I was tested for all of the dreaded diseases associated with episcleritis and everything came back normal. I have always had an abnormal fear of cancer. I watched my mom die of breast cancer when I was 8 and never dealt with it all these years. Right after the eye diagnosis, I had blood in my stool and had to go for colonoscopy. Had precancerous polyp and was scheduled to go back for follow up colonoscopy. Also had blood in my urine and was sent for pap, which came back abnormal. Had to get colposcopy. Turns out it is vaginal atrophy. I also lost 17 lbs in about 6 weeks, my hair was falling out and the docs kept saying it was from the anxiety. But I was eating, not even dieting. I've always had to hard core diet and exercise to even lose a little weight. I tried 4 different antidepressants and they all made me deathly ill. Went to a counselor and she sent me to a psychiatrist to see if he could suggest a med for me. He said I needed to see a therapist who was trained in cognitive behavorial therapy. In the meantime, I was eating like a pig and not gaining any weight and lost so much hair I had to get a wig. My therapist is great. I am learning how to put the whole cancer thing in the right perspective and realize that I should have dealt with this when I was young. I went to my gp about three weeks ago and had my thyroid tested. I thought for sure this is why I can't gain weight and am losing hair. Nope, that was normal. So after all this time of thinking the doctors were wrong and I had some dreaded illness or cancer, I made up my mind to get rid of the anxiety and see if I can gain some weight. I thought really hard about the things that my therapist told me to do and made my mind up that I wasn't going to live like this anymore. Well, I gained 2 lbs in less than a week. I didn't think I would ever see the day that I would be jumping up and down to see the scales go up!!! It has been a long hard road but I feel that this has been a major turning point for me and I now realize those doctors weren't crazy! I do believe the anxiety all started as a result of menopause (crazy that that should happen so long after my hyst), and I believe the hair loss is also due to meno. I still feel a little anxious but I don't have that constant feeling of adrenalin rushes going through my body 24 hrs a day. I've just recently learned that your body still does go through meno when it normally would have, hyst or no hyst. I am now looking forward to getting back to eating healthy and exercising. Sorry to babble on for so long, but I was so shocked to see someone else going through this at this stage in the game! Go see someone trained in cognitive behavorial therapy and show that anxiety whose boss! Take care

The side effects you are having from the zoloft are normal and will subside in the next few weeks.I takes at least 6 weeks for these medications to kick in.

Some of the side effects you are having are anxiety caused.I had jaw clenching as well and teeth grinding and still do occasionally if something is really bothering me

I have been on medication for 10 years now and I know my panic disorder was alot worst than any side effects I was feeling at the time.

Medication ws not my first choice and I researched alot of alternatives to prescrip meds but after two years of having terrible panic attacks I decided it was time for medication

I am glad I did..while it is not for everyone and people have to realize that while the body is going through chemical changes from menopause so is the brain.


Hang in there

I never thought I would be a person who thought acupuncture would help anything but it has helped me. You may want to look into that. I swear I feel better when I leave there.

I have suffered from depression and anxiety for over 10 years now. I just had my total hysterectomy 3 weeks ago. Stick with your meds. there is nothing wrong with taking them your not crazy. You will feel kind not so great until your body gets used to the antidepressent but so many people give up and don't get to the point of feeling good againg. I have been at the point of not being not able of getting out of bed, and I know what panic attacks are like. I am almost 46 now and believe once you find the right medication and the right doctor for your meds you are going to feel great. Just hand in there. I think sometimes they try to always blame everything on the hormones I also before my hysterectomy tried the bioidectical rage or you will look great and feel great well all it for me was cost a lot of money and made me gain weight and did nothing for my depression or anxiety.

So hang in there.

Oh my Arty, I am only 7 wks post op and getting a preview at what I may have to face. I feel mini symptoms of what you are feeling. I will have to tell you that I truly believe that a good qualified naturopath can help balance out your adrenals because they have gone through a lot. I feel some relief and don't have it perfect yet because I am still weeding out foods and modifiying supplemnts. And definitely stay on the meds that help. A good naturopath should be able to do some muscle testing to find your weakness, ie: adrenal, thyroid, etc. Hope this helps.

You said total hysterectomy which means all of the uterus, but you didn't say if you kept your ovaries? If you did they keep right on cycling away every month and then finally "bam" menopause. If you did have a BSO (ovary removal) I would love to hear more about what happened. I Had mine in sept. 2009 and I SWEAR I still have something like a PMS cycle. Its annoying but I don't know if its in my head. I'm starting to chart it and see if its once a month or not.