Announcement

**loopey** · 10-24-2021, 03:45 AM

I am sorry you are having a hard time. I didn't have many problems with menopause except hot flashes which continue to this day. I don't think it caused my MS symptoms to be worse though. This pandemic has really caused my everyday stresses to ramp up and it seems like I am more anxious than I have ever been. When I can get away with my son for the day I come back refreshed. We are very close. Do you have someone who you enjoy being with? On other days I watch funny movies. That lightens my mood. I hope you find some relief. Let us know!

**Seasha** · 10-24-2021, 01:07 PM

Hi dm0329. You have my full support and I empathize with you as I, too, have been in a deep funk. The ongoing pandemic with less socializing and my disability ramping up has left me feeling vulnerable, weepy and out of sorts. I am postmenopausal however.

When I was started going thru menopause, I was finally dx with MS (with a bad bout of Optic Neuritis) after being misdiagnosed for the 10 years previous. So, I had a double whammy to live through. My anxiety went through the roof! Mood swings as well.

The first thing I did was to talk to my Dr and go on an anti-anxiety/depression med, sought out a therapist, joined a local MS support group, and started taking a yoga class, as well as going on a MS medication. It helped me with my menopause symptoms as well as dealing with the uncertainty of MS.

The physical sx of menopause (anxiety) were relieved through meds and the hot flashes were addressed by taking Reminfemin (black cohosh). Both worked well.

As far as further tips, I also suggest watching comedy, reaching out and letting others (family, friends, therapist) know what you are going through like you have done here. And sometimes a good cry can be helpful. It lets out the darkness, so some light can enter

Be well, fellow traveler and keep in touch while you are on this roller coaster called life.

**dm0329** · 10-24-2021, 01:11 PM

Thanks for the information. Blessings.

**VikingKitty** · 10-24-2021, 01:18 PM

Wow! I could have written this post I can relate to a lot of it. I will be 55 in December….will be menopausal Nov 10 (one year without a period) and have gone through horrible anxiety, hot flashes, mood swing this past year.

Sorry about the social isolation you are having…wish you could come over for some hot cocoa.

Funny, I’ve not been on MSWorld in a while and think that maybe I was meant to help you……………

I’ve lived with MS for just about as long as you have also. I was 28 when I had my first episode.

What I do to “pick myself up” is to engage in a hobby to keep my interest and to keep my mind off of negativity. They say “stay in the present moment” is very helpful…..also known as being mindful. I am currently seeing a therapist for emotional issues. It was like pulling teeth to find one as they are in great demand right now.

Yeah, anxiety is the worst! I had a full-blown panic attack the other night about 2 hours after going to bed. What a way to wake! Very miserable. Wanted to cry, jump out of my skin and/or die. Just awful.

I don't know that menopause has caused my MS to be any worse?? I thought maybe it was but I'm learning that menopause is its own miserable MONSTER!

So…. Find a hobby that keeps you interested. Prayer is very helpful. Stay in the moment. And practice gratitude….sometimes very hard for me to do even though I have a lot to be grateful for.

I will post more if anything else comes to mind.

There are a lot of great YouTube videos on mental health therapy that I have found helpful: “Therapy in a Nutshell” is a great channel from a therapist:

https://www.youtube.com/c/TherapyinaNutshell/videos

Take care!!

**pennstater** · 10-25-2021, 11:13 AM

Many here can relate. I was on Avonex, then Rebif prior to Tysabri. I will say I didn't realize how much the Rebif contributed to how bad I felt. More anxious, more down days, and overall "blah" feeling. You may want to discuss Avonex and possible impact on your emotions with your neuro.

Other than some intermittent worsening of symptoms due to hot flashes and sleep disturbances from early years of menopause, I didn't notice any related progression of MS. If it is possible you are SPMS versus RRMS, again, you may want to discuss medicines with your neuro. Avonex may not be helping you. I was definitely more emotional during the first few years of menopause (easy to tears, whether sad, angry, or even happy tears).

What has helped me during the pandemic is volunteering. True for me, thru volunteering, I receive much more than I give. It helps me to count my blessings and feel connected.

Especially important for me during these days is to write 3 gratitudes each am in my gratitude journal. I also journal my feelings some days in another notebook. I find when I just write on, similar to babbling on, I eventually uncover what is truly on my mind and affecting how I feel.

I am a news junkie, but when feeling out of sorts, I stay away from the news and social media. While both can provide uplifting stories and connections, they can both be flooded with negative news and toxic comments.

I try to fill time with puzzles, reading, paint by number kits, crafts. Trying to motivate myself to a brain challenge and learn another language, knowing full well it will be frustrating as my cognitive skills are not what they were.
Hope you feel better soon.

**palmtree** · 10-25-2021, 02:16 PM

Menopause is no joke. I was diagnosed 7 years after I went through menopause. The change for me meant I was going to doctors all the time, probably because I had MS and didn’t know it. I was having very bad nausea, had an endoscopy that showed nothing. Went to a urologist because my bladder had become neurogenic. All this before I surrendered and went to a neurologist. She did an MRI because she thought I had a stroke. Oops! Giant demyelination plaques.

I don’t know how menopause affects MS but my health really declined. One hard thing for me was that I wasn’t pretty anymore. Sounds silly considering how serious MS is but at the time it was hard on me emotionally.

**Jules A** · 10-25-2021, 08:29 PM

Aging is no joke! Menopause affected me energy-wise, cognitively and also my sense of self. All the sudden I became one of the invisible woman. I got used to it and there are some pluses. It has actually shifted some of the MS focus angst to general old age issues because it is sometimes hard to tell what is what. I generally prefer to blame aging-coping skill and denial I know.

What I do when I’m feeling depressed or anxious is get out of the house. Depending on each person’s situation it could look different. Ideally for me to a social activity but if not even just a thermos of hot chocolate or iced tea and seat on park bench for a few makes me feel better. My mother used to send us outside to “go dust yourself off” when we were lurking around being bored or pesty. That is probably where I get it.

**pennstater** · 10-26-2021, 07:10 AM

Originally posted by Jules A View Post

My mother used to send us outside to “go dust yourself off” when we were lurking around being bored or pesty. That is probably where I get it.

Love this. I also find sitting in nature helps lift my spirit too. Sometimes it is even sitting in the backyard with a cup of tea. Ideally for me, anywhere near water, even a little creek grounds me. Something about the sound of water just puts me at peace.

**VikingKitty** · 10-31-2021, 08:24 AM

FWIW --
I was looking into the combo of menopause and MS and found this -

Researchers in the US found menopause might be linked to MS disability getting worse, as measured by EDSS. This worsening of symptoms could not be explained by vitamin D levels, treatment changes or smoking status. The results seem to suggest that disability progression speeds up a little around the time of menopause.

full article on MS Society UK:

https://www.mssociety.org.uk/researc...nopause-and-ms

Announcement

Are You Having A Bad Day, Too?

Are You Having A Bad Day, Too?

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment