Anxiety Attacks any one?

I am about 3 1/2 months post op and the other day I was peacefully resting on the couch watching my boys play a video game...then my heart started racing and I had to remind my self to breath...this lasted a couple of minutes but felt like forever and then when my heart slowed to normal, I felt like the world was closing in (it was a deep sadness, like I've never known). I have never been one to feel down about life, and this was very scary. Then for a couple of days afterward I couldn't stop obsessing about bad things that haven't happened, but just might. I couldn't get them out of my brain. Then yesterday I woke up and felt back to myself again. I am not on any hormones due to Endo. Anyone have any suggestions...I can only imagine that this has to do with the operation as nothing like this has every happend to me pre-op.
Kely

Irish Eyes - You are describing exactly the peri-menopause symptoms I had prior to my surgery.

I would be driving to work, and all of a sudden my heart would start racing, and I would feel this incredible dread, like something bad was wrong, but I didn't know what. I would actually think about driving to the ER, but then I would think, "What am I going to tell them is wrong? I just don't feel good?"

This would happen at different times at home and I would
have to go lay down. Last fall when this was happening, I eventually got to where I could hardly get off the couch! Really scary! I would wake up in the middle of the night with it too.

My doc finally put me on low-dose birth control pills and that helped tremendously! So, it sounds to be like it is menopausal symptoms. Don't know any solution if you can't take hormones, sorry.

Just knowing that it isn't really something wrong, does help reduce the anxiety some.

I know exactly how you feel. I had a tvh/bso w/rectocele enterocele repair January 23, 2006, no hrt. I was not in perimenopause even though I was 50. This has been a rough year. I have anxiety attacks just like you describe. And, no matter how much I tell myself that is what it is, it doesn't help. Sometimes, it will start with a feeling like I stuck my finger in an electric socket. Other times it just comes on, lasting for about 3 hours. Forget about hot flashes - if my daughter is sitting next to me and I have one, she has to move away, as she can feel the heat!! It also seems like this has weakened my body. By August I has such bad neck pain I had an mri done. I have herniated disks, two vertabrea are twisted and the bones are touching, bone spurs, and pinched nerves in my neck. My lower back is starting to bother me and I think I have herniated disks there too. My back would go out once in a while, but not constant pain everyday. I have to go back to the neurologist on Fri, so I will ask him about an mri of my lower back. I'm also having an apicoectomy for an infection in the root of my tooth tomorrow. Before I had this surgery, I went to my gyn once a year for a check up and that was it. I hardly ever had to go to the doctor for anything else!! I used to wake up in the morning and hit the ground running - I had so much energy. After reading this back I sound like a basket case!!! I don't mean to sound like I am complaining, as it could be worse. Thank God my mental attitude is still upbeat and my husband is very supportive through all this! I look at it this way - after all these anxiety attacks I've had, I'm still here! I was working out everyday ( 1/2 hour on a stepper and 1/2 hour weights) before this neck problem and I think things were better. After I have this surgery tomorrow, I'm going to slowly start exercising again, and start taking estroven, evening primrose oil. I now take a multi vitamin, calcium, fish oil, B-50 complex, co-enzyme 10, vitamin E.

I hope it helps to know someone else is going through the same thing as you!!

Joanne

JanaBailey & JoJo50:

Thanks...it does help to know that I'm not losing my mind and that I'm not the only one out there that this has happened or is happening too. My Dr. wants me to go 6 months without any HRT, unless I feel like I can't go another day without it, so I'm waiting for January. If the anxiety attacks kick in more frequently I might have to talk to her about starting earlier. Kely

I have been having some anxiety lately due to the health of my dad (lung cancer) and my brother suggested something natural that he uses when stressed. It is something called Rescue Remedy(homeopathic) and comes in drops or spray. I bought some at the health store and it works. I put four tiny drops in a glass of water and I feel relaxed. It is from pl flowers. You probably can do a Google to read about it.

I hope this helps some.

s

suzyQ23:

I will definitely look into that. I was just at the health food store and almost asked someone there, but was in too much of a hurry. I will make another trip tomorrow. Always happy to find something homeopathic. Thanks, Kely

I will also look into Rescue Remedy....thank you.

Joanne

I suffered from anxiety attacks for a long time. Very bad thing - emergency room visits twice and a 911 call to my house once. Very embarrassing having those dedicated EMT's there holding an oxygen mask to my face. I tried everything, including the rescue remedy spray. I found it didn't work. It has alcohol in it. Seriously. You'd be better off having a shot of tequila.

What did work for me was reading Lucinda Bassett's "From Panic to Power." I swear I'm not a friend of hers or connected to this book in any way, but it CHANGED my life. Try it. BTW, I experienced severe panic attacks several years pre-hysterectomy, at about the same time I had developed ovarian cysts and stage 4 endo. So I really think my attacks were partly driven by hormones, and totally cured by my hysterectomy and by what I applied from Bassett's book.

Kely, I'm sorry your going through this. I'm not a princess until Dec 11th, but I'm having a lot of anxiety also. I always have but it has gotten much worse since the peri-menopause has started. I have always been told I have eratic (sp) hormones. I have panic attacks and I feel like someones sitting on my chest. I have to take deep breaths all the time. I've taken different anti depressent and some work for a while but then it stops. I don't know if my body just changes or what. It stinks! I want to know more about this rescue remedy. Whats in it?
I guess hormones are a real challenge. Ovaries or no ovaries you still have to get it just right for your body.

I get anxiety attacks from too much estrogen. I used to get them terribly in my early 30s and they got better until after my hysterectomy. Without estrogen replacement, I don't get them. With it, I do.