Anxiety Attacks and Menopause

Anxiety is one very big cause of stress in any person's life. A woman may have anxiety attacks and menopause at the same time. Of course, anxiety occurs outside of menopause as well. Anxiety can be managed or controlled with medication, dietary supplements, and some life style changes. This can be a very stressful time for women as they go through many changes.

Anxiety Attacks

Anxiety is controlled by the part of the brain called the amygdala. Anxiety attacks are responses to real or imagined stressful situations. For example, public speaking is a source of anxiety for a lot of people. The fear is that they will forget what they wanted to say, drop their notes, or not be effective. If this has happened to you, the next time you face public speaking your anxiety level will rise again.

As a woman who is in menopause you may have a severe hot flash before an important meeting. Before the next meeting you may become more anxious and fearful that the same thing will happen.

Causes

Anxiety attacks are not a direct result of erratic hormone levels. They are however, a result or offshoot of the symptoms associated with menopause. One of the symptoms of menopause is sleep problems. If you are starting to have sleep disturbances that you never had before you may become anxious about them each night. This in turn can cause more sleeplessness and more anxiety.

Treatments of Anxiety Attacks and Menopause

Treatments for menopausal symptoms can include anxiety attacks, sleeplessness, hot flashes and mood swings. The good news is that there are treatments available. You are not alone as every woman at some point will go through menopause. No two women will experience the symptoms or degree of intensity of those symptoms.

The most common treatment for menopause symptoms is HRT- hormone replacement therapy. HRT can be estrogen, progesterone, or a combination of these female hormones.
The preferred method is the combination of estrogen and progesterone. There are some serious side effects including increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer of the breast and uterus.

Anti-depressants are often prescribed to deal with symptoms such as depression, mood swings, and anxiety attacks. Antidepressants can also have some serious side effects including a loss of interest in sexual activity, stomach upset and intestinal discomfort.
Anxiety is eased because these drugs work on the chemicals of the brain to balance them at a healthy level.

Due to all the side effects of traditional treatments of them, many women seek alternative treatments such as herbal supplements. Some herbs that are effective in treating menopause symptoms are black cohosh, wild yam, and chasteberry. The supplement you choose should at least have black cohosh as it is one of the most effective relievers of menopause symptoms.

Herbal supplements have far fewer side effects, effective, and probably less costly then traditional treatments. The best supplements are made to meet pharmaceutical grade standards. They are extensively tested. The metabolic route of the ingredients' is examined at the molecular level and the interactions of the ingredients are examined as well. They are made only with standardized herbal extracts. This all helps to guarantee that each capsule is the same in dosing and quality.

Many herbal supplements also use vitamins such as B-complex and C vitamins. Minerals such as magnesium or zinc are also added. This is so that the supplement will not only treat your symptoms but positively affect your over-all health. Herbal supplements should not be used with out your doctor's knowledge because some herbs can interfere with the performance of prescriptions you may already be taking.

Conclusion

I would say most people experience some form of anxiety at some point in their lifetimes.
If you are a woman who is in menopause you may have anxiety attacks and Menopause. The symptoms of menopause can be treated and offshoot symptoms are generally relieved. Many prescription drugs come with some very serious side effects not the least of which are low libido, higher risk for heart disease, higher risk of strokes and a higher risk for breast and uterine cancers.

This is why herbal supplements are becoming so popular. There are few to no side effects and may be more cost effective. You do have options for treatment and they should be discussed with your doctor.