Re: perimenopause symptoms

I have experienced the same things you describe. Sounds like you may have had a mild anxiety attack or maybe low blood Sugar (or both). I often wake in the middle of the night with a pounding heart and shakiness (usually low blood sugar). Eating some type of carbohydrate (like crackers or a piece of bread) will often help this calm down. But, I also experience generalized anxiety feelings several days before my period and often have bad dreams about death. These dreams often have a gloomy, overwhelming "doom" feeling to them. This stuff is definitely not fun, but I have such a pattern of it linked with my cycle that I keep reminding myself it is hormones and I'm not going nuts. Having a friend or family member to talk to helps, too. Sometimes it helps to view the dreams and gloomy feelings as just a reflection of what is happening in my body - the decrease in hormones results in my period, which can be viewed as a metaphorical "death" in a way. But it is also a new beginning, and I know there's relief in sight. Sometimes crying to a sad movie helps me, too, and there've been tests done that show excess hormones are shed in tears. That can be a hard judgment call for me, though, because sometimes the sad movie just makes things seem worse. For me, support from friends and pampering myself during this time helps the most. Writing about your feelings can help, too. I find that my anxious feelings become less threatening once I can discuss them with someone else or write them down. Somehow, not keeping them running around inside the confines of my brain helps diffuse their power and makes them easier to manage. Hope this helps. :)