lightheadedness and hot flashes and anxiety

[girlwithnolife]

Hi all
         I was just wondering if any of you have experienced severe lightheadedness right before a hot flush. That has happened to me a on a few occasions and my mom said it happened to her when she was my age. I am post menopausal and don't have any health concerns. I do have panic disorder and take meds for it but when this happens it freaks me out and i start to panic thinking and worrying about is it a heart attack? ect. Then i get very anxious and that makes it worse. Have had recent ekg's d&c etc. and every thing comes out normal. Thanks for taking time to read. Just so tired of being scared. Thanks again Steph

[girlwithnolife]

Thank you so much for your post. I am thinking that you are right and you explained it so well. Am feeling much better about it now.

[PerimenoWorried]

I have also had some lightheadedness just prior to a hot flash.  Also had my heart race until it subsides.  I'd be willing to bet that your menopausal hot flashes and your anxiety/panic disorder are going hand in hand.  In other words, you get the symptoms of a hot flash (which can wreak havoc with our blood vessels during one (harmless though) and you are panicking with the sensations that go along with it, conjuring up all kinds of nasty things in your mind :) (we all do at times) and go into a panic mode...likely hyperventilating to some degree or another, causing that lightheadedness.  But, also remember that hot flushes do tend to raise circulation to certain parts of the body and therefore, possibly away from the brain at that point.  Having said all of that, I think most of us do go through these types of things but, being more sensitive to bodily sensations (comes with panic/anxiety disorders) can create more attention to it all.  And, there's also the possibility that your meds for your anxiety/panic disorder can also come into play here.  In other words...you've been checked out for the most important causes of light headedness and all is well so, RELAX!  It seems that you're going to be fine! :)