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[nelliedee]

Having just suffered a nasty bout of severe anxiety I am now questioning things. I have noticed over the past 3 years of being on this site that whilst a lot of us suffer with re-occurring anxiety some of us suffer in a much higher way where it can almost consume us. Do we have a different dip in hormones to others and that is why they can get a handle on things in a calmer frame of mind. Are we actually going through a depressive stage of our lives and have other life problems that others don't have at the moment. I do have other life problems but I am still highly suspicious of my hormones because I have only ever suffered 'anxiety that stops me functioning' in Peri meno or after the birth of my 3rd child and hormones can be attributed to both, life problems were not a problem when my son was born. After my son was born I was told I could expect depression whenever I became ill, for 20 years I never suffered with depression again even through the odd bout of illness but when I hit Peri it started up again.

[dazned]

Hi  I'm thinking it could well be a bit of both ,I too fast 2 weeks have been suffering terrible anxiety panic etc and whilst it could be due to still trying to adjust to a new type of Hrt, there is also a lot of unpleasant stressful things that have and still are occurring at the moment so could be a combination.This time I've been floored by it not being able to function at all,now just about managing to do a few things but finding it a struggle and no pleasure in anything.
I guess some people deal better with it the same as people have different pain thresholds,however hormones are much harder to tame than pain !

Hope you feel more settled soon xx

[CLKD]

Firstly - depression and anxiety are totally different conditions! although they can run hand-in-hand ….

I have had panic attacks since aged 3: I was raised in a dysfunctional household.  Those panic feelings have continued with various degrees of severity for ever.  My very supportive GP has given me Betablockas and I have an emergency drug which knocks me out within 10 mins. the only relief I get.

The depression is different: I have organic illness i.e. affected by lack of seretonin in the brain.  I also have clinical depression, i.e. react badly to Life events.

Hormones interact with each other.  My panic attacks can be caused by an adrenaline surge.  Usually because I haven't eaten 'properly'.

[nelliedee]

Thanks for your replies. I find it all very interesting.
I was raised in a fairly ordinary household I think, lots of shouting and bad language and basic family life. I have no traumas or hidden pasts. My main vice in life has been smoking and that is it. I once ate a bit of hash cake as a kid and it knocked me out for days, taught me I was not cut out to be a drug taker.
My crippling Anxiety only appears with my periods, it passes off after a few days and I have been working thru it up until I was laid up with illness. Been much better this week and been sleeping fine until today and I have a sneaky feeling period could start in a couple of days as they seem to be coming every 3 weeks=ish. My anxiety is high, if I stop working/moving I can feel it flushing around me. I am hoping and praying that my periods will finish soon, I am nearly 51 and want the anxiety that floors me to go away.

[honeybun]

I can't remember if you are on HRT everyone's mum.

If not then St Johns Wort can be helpful for anxiety as can the B vitamins. There are also beta blockers if appropriate. Bachs rescue remedy can also help
When I was at my very worse I had an elastic band that I wore around my wrist. When I got in a state I used to snap it. It hurts but focuses the mind.

There are a few options available. Dr Clair Weekes although old fashioned explains anxiety very well and advises how to cope with it. You can get the books in the library or on Amazon.

Might be worth a look.


Honeybun
X

[CLKD]

PMT can be eased by eating every 3 hours.  True PMT ONLY happens in the 10-14 days prior to a bleed and will cease the moment the period begins.  HORMONES    ………. even though I knew the symptoms would pass it didn't help each month ……….

[Hurdity]

Hi everyones mum

It definitely sounds hormonal from what you say. I think the extreme hormonal fluctuations during peri-menopause can make one feel anxious even from life's blips that you would normally take in your stride.

Similarly it also means that women are less able to cope with stressful, or sad events, or life problems that happen around this time.

I think some woemn are nore sensitive to the changes in hormones than others - in fact this is well known - and in your case this was apparent as a post-natal symptoms ( PND? anxiety?) which not every woman suffers from. Also some women's hormones (oestrogen) will dip lower than others too - making depressive symptoms worse.

Sorry I can't remember how old you are and whether you are considering HRT or whether you have any other symptoms? As your periods are getting closer together you are probably at a fairly early stage along the menopausal journey and you should soon start missing them, and they will get further apart. This next stage could last two or three years though.

Alternatives to HRT are summarised on this site or in a leaflet here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/pdf/Alternatives%20to%20HRT%202013.pdf

and here:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/patients/patient-information-leaflets/gynaecology/pi-alternatives-to-hormone-replacement-therapy-for-symptoms-of-the-menopause.pdf

and in more detail here:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/scientific-impact-papers/sip_6.pdf

I would definitely also try to find some coping strategies for dealing with the anxiety. Someone on another thread posted recently that just knowing it was due to hormones enabled her to cope with it - can't remember who or where - she said "this is not me, it's just my hormones making me feel like this". 

Hurdity x

[nelliedee]

our help you really are a lovely lovely bunch xx

[BrightLight]

Hi Everyones mum

I have been reflecting in a similar way to you. I didn't know I was in perimenopause until recently and for the last 18 months I have had anxiety that I don't really recognise, in that I have had anxiety on and off in my life related to life events.  This anxiety had a depressive element, not major, just noticeable to me.

I agree with Hurdity about some women being sensitive to hormonal change - my sister had PND very badly (I have not had children) and recently I made a connection that perhaps the depressive part was almost genetic and related to hormonal change. 

I am unsure what action to take right now, I have very few other ongoing symptoms related to the menopause, nothing that isn't manageable.  I spoke with my GP yesterday and will go again in a couple of weeks to chat further about HRT - having identified this 'new' anxiety, he agreed that I clearly understood it to be different to my 'usual' anxiety, if that makes sense.  So far, my usual strategies haven't helped.  He said that HRT may or may not help these psychological aspects of menopause.

Now that I feel clear there is a layer of emotional struggle related to menopause I feel better placed to think about solutions, be it HRT or something else.  The flat, depressive feelings were new to me and just thought they would go, they have lessened but still, I need to give things some thought.

So, in a nutshell, I agree with your observation.

[orrla]

Hormones!

[Kathleen]

Hello everyones mum.

I have also had my fair share of anxiety in the past but it has always been related to an event or circumstance. The feelings I have had during the menopause are different, sort if internal and chemical and the pressure comes from trying to carry on doing normal things when I feel so on edge and ill at ease. On the other hand these feelings often disappear and I feel much brighter and optimistic.

Given that the menopause is a process we can't be expected to stop it in it's tracks can we? After all we can't take a days break from being pregnant or completely stop a period for a day and then pick up where we left off, once these things are in motion we have to see them through. That's not to say we don't have a lot of influence thanks to modern methods like HRT but for some of us hormonal fluctuations seem to have a profound effect and we have to manage life as best we can until hopefully things settle.

Wishing everyone a good day and take care.

K.

[nelliedee]

Thank you so much ladies, you are all so valuable xx