Adrenaline Surge?

[sundial]

I feel a rage coming on and my husband heads for the hills. I hate it. I wish I didn't have those feelings and I know it's because of the (lack of) hormones. I'm on an estrogen patch and I'm fine--most of the time. But other times....

[Jolt]

Once and only once I was just sitting here and my heart started racing. It didn't last long but long enough to scare the bejeezus outta me.

That sounds more like some type of arrhythmia (SVT being the most common). I've had short (a few seconds) episodes like you describe as well--it's a weird sensation.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

if it will make you guys feel any better, i had some of this long before the hemi- peri- and meno- pause.
and then again, there's my mother; she never had a single hot flash. not one.
No symptoms of menopause. No, she doesn't eat special, yes, she drinks coffee and alcohol and eats chocolate. So we're all different!!

Yes, everyone is different. I hope pre-menopausal women reading this thread don't wind up scared, thinking everyone has rages and panic attacks and terrible symptoms all through menopause. Some women indeed do have problems, some don't have any, some have annoying but not debilitating symptoms.

I will be turning 54 soon and am not in menopause yet and have not had any symptoms either. Some of my friends are having hot flashes and sweats, but then again other friends have gone through the menopause transition and have not had any problems. And one woman in town seems to blame everything on menopause- from feeling resentful or angry, to having a stomach ache, the flu, low energy, or just a bad hair day. She's been blaming menopause for all that ails her for years now. (I am not implying that anyone here does that, just relating what I've observed over the years)

To be accurate, I think the term "menopausal" or "in menopause" means you have already finished the transition and thus should not be experiencing any symptoms of the transition anymore. "Peri-menopausal" means you are somewhere in the middle of the transition. "Pre-menopausal" means you are about to go through the transition. At least that's what my doctor explained to me. Can someone else explain the terms more clearly than I?

[snapdragen]

You can have symtoms when you are in menopause. I'm in full menopause, according to my doctor and the blood tests she ran. I have very mild hot flashes, more like warm glows. The adrenal surges are irritating, but in truth I can live with them. The greatest joy is not having a period for well over a year.

[salsabike]

I feel a rage coming on and my husband heads for the hills. I hate it. I wish I didn't have those feelings and I know it's because of the (lack of) hormones. I'm on an estrogen patch and I'm fine--most of the time. But other times....

If it's any comfort to you, that part faded away for me after a year or two. And the hot flashes got much milder.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You can have symtoms when you are in menopause. I'm in full menopause, according to my doctor and the blood tests she ran. I have very mild hot flashes, more like warm glows....

Oh, you are right about that, I didn't realize that fact! I learned some good stuff reading this overview page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menopause

[snapdragen]

Now, someone needs to find out if my being put on Prednisone caused my symptoms to come back. It sure seems like it!

[maillotpois]

Out of curiosity, Snap, you on any sort of HRT? (I may have missed that and if so, sorry.) Just wondering. I have to go hormone free when I hit that "time".

[snapdragen]

Nope - I'm going "cold turkey".

I wonder if the fact that I was never one who had a horrid time with my period - no major cramps, no PMS - explains why I'm having a relatively easy menopause?

[shootingstar]

And one woman in town seems to blame everything on menopause- from feeling resentful or angry, to having a stomach ache, the flu, low energy, or just a bad hair day. She's been blaming menopause for all that ails her for years now.

Too bad....she feels that way..she needs to bike..frequently.