Is It Anxiety Or Menopause?

Mar 29

IF YOU’RE OVER 35, YOUR DECLINING HORMONES NEED YOUR ATTENTION

Yesterday we were booking flights for an international trip, and seemingly out of nowhere, I burst into tears.

Once the panic stopped, I realized I was panicking about sitting on a flight for more than 6 hours because the last time I was on an international flight, and wound up in the ER.

It was a painful and scary experience. One I never want to repeat.

Somewhere over the Atlantic. I start developing a brutal migraine. There was nothing I could do. Advil, food, and water didn’t help. I was in so much pain I couldn’t sleep.

Then the nauseous kicked in.

learning about menopause women strange symptoms — Enjoy this photo of me pointing on one of the zillions of pastry shops in Barcelona… clearly pre-migraine.

Once we landed, I spent the next 18 hours throwing up and shaking.

This was not normal. I’ve had multiple migraines in the past, and they were never this severe.

Off to the emergency room we went, and after a round of painkillers and fluids, I was on the road to recovery.

But the fear has remained (as evidenced by my high anxiety at the thought of flying overseas).

I'm not generally an anxious person, but for the past few days, the tiniest worry spins out of control (costing me sleep and sanity).

My reaction was so out of character. What the heck was going on?

And then it hit me.

I'm on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and am overdue for a pellet replacement.

Anxiety is often a symptom of perimenopause or menopause.

Please, please, please, pay attention to how you’re feeling, and if something doesn’t feel quite right, talk to your doctor. Be insistent. Don’t settle for the common response of “it’s a natural part of aging.”

Okay, sure. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit there and suffer through it.

BE PROACTIVE.

Educate yourself and advocate for your well-being.

America has a looooong history of ignoring women in medical studies and research, assuming we’re smaller versions of men. And don’t get me started on the VERY FLAWED hormone replacement study done in the 90s that falsely concluded HRT caused cancer. Thankfully the medical community is starting to change their tune.

While it’s frustrating that they took so long, let’s ride the wave.

If you have a weird symptom, Google it and add the word menopause, perimenopause, or hormones and see what you come up with.

After 35, our hormones decline, and our bodies, minds, and emotions go through a lot of changes (hair loss, itchy skin, and weight gain, to name a few). We often suffer in silence, but no more. I’m done being told to “find my new normal.”

HRT has been a lifesaver.

My strength has come back, my anxiety normalized, and I don’t feel like I’m losing my mind (brain fog and forgetfulness are also symptoms of menopause!).

In my reading/research, I’ve found women experience a wide range of symptoms, but what really gets me is how the menopause we grew up learning to fear was the ragy kind.

“You’re going to turn into this angry beast and scare your husband and kids!”

No. Not always the case. I didn't turn into an angry beast. I turned into a sobbing shell of myself.

Let’s keep talking about life in midlife.

The complexity of raising teens.
The wild menopause ride.
The strange reality of aging parents.
And my favorite, planning for and living in an Empty Nest.

I’m here for you. Reach out if you need support.

You can find me on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube (still working on this one!)