Glad you found us! I know it helps when we have others to talk to about common issues we're dealing with....I was especially happy to find a group that was concerned with the hormonal things along with the low-carbing!

To answer one of your questions.... anxiety/panic attacks are very common with many women going through the change. Since our "changes" fluctuate dramatically from one person to another, it's rare to find someone who has the exact same symptoms, at the same age, for the same duration, etc. as what we each experience individually. The main thing is to be aware that it's not uncommon with everything else that is going on in your body...especially since you have a previous history with them.

It sounds to me that you were very lucky to have someone who recommended that you take the natural hrt instead of automatically putting you on the synthetic! The only hrt that was involved in the study was Premarin and Prempro....... the Prempro part of it was stopped. This study had nothing to do with what you're taking (does it have a name?) You can read more about the study on my site http://www.minniepauz.com/whi_report.html
You should call your doctor and I'm sure he/she will tell you that what you were taking was not part of the study.

Don't be surprised if what works perfectly for awhile seems to not be as effective down the road. The entire journey is one of ups and downs and curves......the best thing you can do is become educated about what is going on with your body and then be prepared to make adjustments when you realize that your hormonal make-up is shifting once again. It sounds like a pain in the butt, but the tradeoff is that you become more in control of what your body requires and more confident because you're not fearful.

Hope this helped instead of confusing you more! And, yes, you would now be considered post-menopausal if you've gone a full 12 mo. without a period. For me it's been 14 years, and I'm only 54. We're all so different!
Best wishes,
Dee