I had my last period 4 years ago, but I still have hot sweats. My main concern however, are my low mood swings and anxiety symptoms. I'm having palpitations and pins and needles all over my body. Are these symptoms of the menopause?

Although some women can get menopause-like symptoms after all this time, there can be other reason such as low iron, low thyroid or 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 mood, relaxation and sleep and it is 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, more protein/carb based 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