Here is something to think about with this tread of conversation about hormones:
It seems like hormones probably have a big role in MVPS as the majority of us here on this message board are women in our menstruating years. If hormones don't play a role, where are all the men, the youngsters, the older generation??? 80% of people with MVPS have Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) and the vast majority of people with SAD are women who are having periods. After women go through the change of life the ratio of men to women having SAD evens out.

Susie

I just read your post especially the sentence about MVPS usually begins after a major life trauma. Mine was diagnosed when my brother was dying of cancer in 1989. The only symptom I had was trouble breathing. My Doctor did tell me that it is usually brought on by stress. When my mother was dying also of cancer I started having palpatations I took medication and they went away.

What I don't understand is I was diagnosed in 1989. In 1982 my first son died only a few short hours after he was born-that was an extremely stressful time. My second son was born in 1984-I had to have an emergency c-section due to very high blood pressure and toxemia. In 1986 I went through a divorce and had to struggle financially. About 7 years ago I had a really bad job-my supervisor treated me terribly and I was also dealing with a very bad relationship-I had problems both at work and at home. But during all these crisis the MVPS never flared up.

Now I am at a good point in my life-I have a great job, work with wonderful people, my son is starting college in a couple of weeks and I am very healthy but I have started having the breathing problems again along with some dizziness, and of course the fatigue that I have had for 4 years. I am having an echo gram Tuesday to see if there have been any changes.

Any ideas?

You have really made me think. You are right about coming from the nuturing home-I didn't. My father was a person that was there in body only. We were made to feel that children should be seen and not heard. We were also very poor. My mother was just the opposite she was a wonderful person.

As far as my son going to college he will still be living at home and I am extremely proud of him. He will be the first person in my immediate family to go to college. I went through the grief and anxiety when he turned 16 and started driving. I'm really excited about him going to college.

Since my mother passed away I am not as close to my sisters as I once was-we hardly speak-not because we're mad it's just that we do not have anything in common. I have also lost 2 friends in the past 4 years (friendship was disolved) and I had been friends with them since I was 21. I am now 44. I guess when I look at that way I have had a lot of grief in my life and maybe now it has built up and manifesting in the form of all these symptoms I'm having.

It sure gives me alot to think about.

no wonder the MVP crept up on me- it had to! mix all that with extreme stress/anxiety + hormone problems and you have my formula.

It's me again-what is the name of the book you referred to by Dr. Walt Stoll? That should prove to be some interesting reading.

It sounds like you have had your share of tragedies also. I couldn't even begin to imagine what you have gone through. I guess most people think that after a tragic event such as what you have been through or a death that you should grieve for awhile and then get over it but that's not the case it will effect you probably the rest of your life. People that have never gone through any tragedies are probably the people that feel that way. When my mother was dying I had a male friend who has really never suffered any real pain in his life the only support he could offer me was to say "Just hang in there".

Read, read, read.......

Susie

Opus,
So glad you are back with us, I missed your input. You always have so much information for us.