I had my last period 4 years ago, but I still have hot sweats. My main problem though, is that I suffer from low moods and very severe anxiety symptoms, such as palpitations and pins and needles. Are these symptoms of the menopause?

Although some women can get menopause-like symptoms after all this time, there can be other reasons such as low iron, low thyroid,low vitamin D, or even stress, so it is a good idea to ask your doctor to test for these just to rule them out.

In the meantime, you may find AvenaCalm helpful for your anxiety and I would also recommend a magnesium supplement as this can help with your mood, relaxation and sleep.  It is also known to help calm the heart thus reducing stress palpitations.

Low blood sugar and dehydration can trigger anxiety/palpitations as well, so make sure that you eat little and often - have healthy snacks, not sugary ones. Eat more protein/carb based snacks such as plain yogurt, nuts and seeds, oatcake and cheese etc, and make sure that you are drinking plenty of plain water during the day.

Try to avoid caffeine if possible, as this can be one of the main contributory factors! 

Acupuncture can often help with this so worth looking into as well.

Eileen Durward