I have terrible anxiety upon waking up in the morning. I feel fear rising out of my chest and mind. Is this just a part of the menopause?

Anxiety is one of the common symptoms of the menopause and experiencing it in the morning may indicate that your blood sugar levels are very low at that point.

In this instance try and have a good snack before bed, not a sugary one but include foods high in protein such as nuts and seeds, a plain yoghurt or oatcake and cheese.

You may also find taking a magnesium citrate supplement 200mg with your evening meal can help too - magnesium is needed for mood, relaxation and sleep and helps to calm the heart.

Dehydration can also be a culprit so make sure that you are drinking plenty of plain water every day and try to avoid caffeine drinks such a tea, coffee, and fizzy drinks, especially in the evening as they can disrupt your nervous system.

Daily life stress can, unfortunately, make this worse so if this is you then dealing with the stress may actually help your menopause symptoms.

You could try AvenaCalm as this is traditionally used for stress/anxiety. Studies have shown that daily relaxation can reduce symptoms really quickly so do make this a priority - 30 minutes of 'me-time' a day can work wonders!

However, if your symptoms continue to get worse it is important to see your doctor in case there is any underlying cause.

Eileen Durward