Chest pain and anxiety

[Hettybettyyyy]

Hello ladies ive been suffering with endo now for 8 years.. im suspected perimenopausal.. past 2 cycles had awful chest tightness between breasts mostly when stressed and pain left side of chest and between shoulder blades and sometimes down arm... idont think its thoratic endo.. because its mostly central and left sided... but just wanted to see if.anyone's had this along with severe anxiety from ovulation up to day one of cycle its ruining my life and feel lost with worry

[JulesUK]

I’ve been having some tightness in the chest and palpitations the last few months and I had a horrible episode which was like a major anxiety attack which came out of nowhere. I’m 47 I’m thinking it’s related to a changes/surges in hormones. Wondering if I could get a blood test to check if I’m menopausal and what my hormone levels are. It’s awful. I can’t comment on the timings as I don’t have a cycle due to having the IUD. Can you get checked over by a doctor to put your mind at rest?

[Hettybettyyyy in reply to JulesUK]

Hi make sure you get your dr to do a fsh follicle stimulating hormone test one is not reliable you need 3 to check the hormones throughout the month as they fluctuate... or they take one and if that comes back abnormal they take another test.... what ive foud is that after ovulation progesterone and oestrogen levels decrease suddenly in perimenopause which leaves us feeling anxious and chest pains because they are low and then when the levels rise again we feel happy confident and the pain and anxiety dissipate. Ive also looked into mentrual angina yes its a thing... and managed to get my dr to send me to a cardiologist to get checked out as I was also fed up of the a&e runs ecgs etc..... menstrual angina is basically the tightness pressure and shoulder back symptoms etc we all are talking about... which sadly can only be relieved with either angina meds or oestrogen progesterone replacement hrt combined pill to give the body back the hormones its losing at this time in perimenopause.... but try telling your dr that because they will look at you like your crazy..... but the fact is when we are perimenopausal we experience the same drop in estrogen that women experience after menopause hence the chest pain tightness... personally sonething I dont fancy putting up with for x amount of years.....

[JulesUK in reply to Hettybettyyyy]

Thanks for all the information. Nightmare this isn’t it.

[Brambledoggy in reply to JulesUK]

I’ve been told that hormone tests are largely unhelpful because they vary for us so much because of the endo. My CA125 level marker was high and I shit myself, SORRY.....because it can indicate ovarian cancer. Turns out ladies with endo have naturally high levels. Hormones are very complex things and taking HRT requires much thought and consideration because there simply HAS NOT been enough research conducted for endometriosis plus HRT. One day is different from the rest of the cycle, so pretty unreliable. And if your hormone levels ARE all over the place and you ARE peri menopausal, then what? Liz Earle offers some good menopausal advice, but then she doesn’t suffer from endometriosis does she? Gosh, I sound bitter don’t I?? 😂

[Billysugger21]

Hi hetty oh yes I sure do. In fact I ended up in A&E with this last week. Had endo all my adult life and now perimenopausal with bad palps horrendous anxiety and the chest pain. It’s always on the left side and can be in upper back. Had ECG etc and told costochondritis/GORD. It is worth getting ECG to reassure you but I reckon it is hormone /menopause related. I don’t have bleeds much at all now but my body still goes through a “cycle” of cramping tummy pain and migraine when I would have had one. Great being female eh! Lol. I hope this helps a bit. X

[Brambledoggy in reply to Billysugger21]

Please can I ask how old you are?

[Hettybettyyyy in reply to Billysugger21]

I feel for you I was also in a&e last week identical symptoms basically told acid reflux gerd blah blah... stress from family life etc... you need to push your dr tell them this.is.not.normal you want a heart evaluation now thyroid fsh tests to.rule out thyroid problems and then failing all.try natural route 5htp for anxiety agnus castus for period reugulation and red clover for hot flushes and selenium/ coq10 for heart health we must find a way through this we deserve better wish you well x

[Brambledoggy]

I’m 48, peri-menopausal and have huge anxiety now which I’ve never had in my life. I think it’s hormonal. I struggle to get my breath and feel like my lungs don’t fill up properly. It’s stressful. I worry that it’s endo on my rib cage, lungs, or whatever else is in that area! I don’t think it is though. I know for sure that anxiety and breathlessness is a symptom of peri menopause. I was hoping getting older would ease the symptoms of endometriosis and that things would sort themselves out. I think I’m in denial. My pain is as bad as ever. In different places. I have an all most constant dull ache right up my vagina and sometimes knitting needle pains shoot up it. My monthly pain is HORRENDOUS for three days and liquid morphine doesn’t help. The bleeding is heavy. And my quality of life is suffering because I can’t plan anything. Holidays and long haul flights I dread. I’m lined up to see a specialist again. Really fed up. But yes, breathlessness is hard. Anxiety is hard. Being a women is hard. Being a woman with endometriosis is twice as hard. Sorry, just fed up today as I lay here in bed not being able to get any air in my lungs!!!!!!

[scouterpuff]

Your story is so similar to mine! So glad to know I'm not alone (although it sucks that we all have had to go through this). Had suspected hormones for all the similar symptoms described here. But at three in the morning, my brain would start coming up with all kinds of nightmarish causes as to what it could be, even though my doctor has told me it's probably just anxiety brought on by hormonal imbalance. I too never had anxiety issues, so it's a real bummer. Besides the chest pain and shortness of breath, I have been getting so many migraines! I have to get back to my yoga routine... it tends to help on all fronts. Hang in there girls!

[Escarole in reply to scouterpuff]

I'm in perimenopause and I've also been having palpitations, shortness of breath, migraines, cold flashes, etc, especially at night. I don't know if It gets better or worse over time..

[JulesUK]

I’m sorry to hear of everyone’s experiences but I am feeling some relief that I’m not on my own here tbh!

[Brambledoggy]

Hmmm....

The thing is it’s really tricky to stick to exercise routines, yoga classes, country walks, blah blah blah, all the things you need to do, when your insides feel like barbed wire, your super plus tampon drops straight out after half an hour and you have debilitating chronic fatigue. We just have to do the best we can and not beat ourselves up too much. We’re beaten up already!

I’m toying with HRT for peri menopause symptoms (I have many) but need to sort out my endometriosis first (with deep excision surgery) and TBH I don’t feel there’s been enough medical research done to allow us to weigh up the long term risks, if any, that might be associated with HRT and endometriosis and how the two will play out down the line. It’s different for non-endo ladies. IMO. We all know that oestrogen feeds endometriosis so that worries me because the last thing I need is more endo flare ups and pain.

I know progesterone balances this out but it’s so flipping confusing for us endo ladies going through peri menopause. I’ve seen several menopause specialists but can’t yet be totally convinced by HRT, Mirena coils, Prostap etc etc etc because the side effects of hormone treatments can also be horrendous. I’m very wary of the pharmaceutical industry too. I think we all should be. So. Can’t seem to find the right answers. Anyone else feel like this? Just going to list my peri menopause symptoms for ease. Because we all unfortunately know the endometriosis symptoms all too well. 👹👺👹

Palpitations, rapid heart beat

Acute breathlessness. Just can’t get that fourth breath sucked in.

Weight gain, around my middle. Don’t recognise myself. Bikini days over.

Insomnia, chronic. Can’t remember the last time I got a full 8 hours.

Anxiety, I’ve never had at all in my life till last couple of years. I’ve even had a couple of panic attacks. Heathrow airport. Boyfriend just stared at me.

Dizziness.

Forgetfulness, what’s the symbol with three sides called again??!! oh yes...a triangle....stuff like that. Dates, birthdays, days of the week....impossible.

Lack of confidence

Zero sexual appetite. ZERO.

Hair thinning

Occasional deep cyst acne which can really knock you for six when you wake in the morning with it waving hello in the mirror.....and they can last for weeks.

Strange body aches

Strange allergies

Periods that are even heavier than normal and excruciating and an increasingly irregular cycle. Planning holidays nigh on impossible. Long haul flights messy and terrifying.

I could go on!

I know there will be many out there on hormones therapies. I was on the pill myself for many years to suppress endo. But now I’m older and wiser, I want to live longer! And I just feel so failed by my body, the medics, the surgeons. So. Eating healthy. Not so much booze. Organic. Vegetarian diet. Red meat, rarely and then only organic.

OUR SUPERMARKET MEAT AND MILK IS PUMPED FULL OF HORMONES AND THEN WE DRINK, COOK AND EAT IT!!!!!!!!

Why should I have to pay £12 flipping quid to eat a chicken that’s hormone free??? Grrrrrrrrr......anyway.....

It’s good to be able to nourish my body with the right kind of super healthy eating, cooking from scratch, ingesting oils, nuts, fruit, seeds, blimey, I’m like a flipping rabbit ....just without the hop!

I do sometimes wonder what it’s all for!!! Comments more than welcome.

🙂

[JulesUK]

Just to say I ended up going to hospital this week as I felt so worried and in pain. Had all sorts of tests to check my heart and for clots and thankfully was clear. Doctor gave me some tablets for gastritis which did annoy me tbh. I have erosive gastritis from taking far too many NSAIDs over the years and this pain is totally different, its a painful crushing on my chest. They said if I’m menopausal they didn’t want me to have HRT as a family member had a clot which I understand. They gave me some tablets which supposed to ease menopause symptoms to try which were explained as similar to vitamins but when I looked they are soya Isoflavones so I haven’t taken them. Luckily I was given some strong painkillers and they have helped. Still don’t know what’s going on but will back for an appointment next week. Oh the joys of being a women.....

[Brambledoggy in reply to JulesUK]

It’s a flipping lottery out there. Really feel for you. What is your pain like exactly? Let me know how you get on, you can always DM me. Sending best wishes and hope you’re ok soon. Nina.

[JulesUK in reply to Brambledoggy]

Like someone was pressing down on my chest and painful. Previously I’d had some palpitations and headaches and sweating. Thank you. I feel like a medical mystery! Worse when you don’t know what it is or how to treat it.

[Brambledoggy in reply to JulesUK]

Like a severe panic attack maybe? I had something similar in the middle of Heathrow airport!!! Really scary. I couldn’t breathe. Even thinking about it now makes me palpitate! I still made my flight, though god knows how. Maybe the LARGE G&T?? Sending a hug.

[JulesUK in reply to Brambledoggy]

Actually no it wasn’t like a panic attack it was more a very painful pressure on my lungs. I had something similar to you which I can only describe as a like a severe anxiety attack in April. I had panic attacks about ten years ago and this was way more scary. I thought my head was going to explode and it came out of nowhere I’d not long got out of bed and was just sitting at home on a public holiday with my husband. I think it’s one of the worst things I’ve ever experienced. I feel for you at least I was at home. Heathrow is a big place. I didn’t actually think it was a panic attack though as it wasn’t the same as previous ones so I’m still not 100% convinced.

[Brambledoggy in reply to JulesUK]

REALLY hope you find out what that was. Do let me know will you?

Best wishes. Nina

[Brambledoggy in reply to JulesUK]

P.S just seen that on this site there is actually quite a lot of other ladies describing what you are, or very similar. Have a look, you probably already have, but seems like there’s a lot of agonising chest pain associated with endometriosis. Try not to get too down. ❤️

[Hettybettyyyy]

Ladies just to update please try bioidentical progesterone cream the band I've used is emerita progest I've completely changed all my symptoms brilliant for chest pain, endometriosis, all the estrogen dominated symptoms our bodies are experiencing... you have to give it a few months to flush out the endometriosis lining so heavy periods for a couple of cycles but goodness the difference... all women should be on it especially endo sufferers.. do your research ladies you dont need unnecessary surgeries hysterectomys. Good resources are available such as... john lee MD. Dr northrup. Dr platt. Suzanne somers. And progesterone therapy.com. natpro.co.uk please read up.And try you'll feel the difference. Side women benefit from staying on fir life. Especially perimenopausal women