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[tink]

 Hi everyone,
I was advised by my doctor to seek out this web site and it has helped a lot.

I am 45, and am peri-menopause, my worse symptom is anxiety, I have been on HRT Evorel 50 for 4 weeks and felt great after two weeks but anxiety returned with avengence this weekend, I was supposed to go to the hairdresser today but couldnt felt so sick trying to get ready, so have taken a diazepam and gone to bed to see if it takes the edge off.

 I need to take ds to his saxophone lesson later so hopefully the anxiety will start to calm down.

I am also on Prozac which I started at Christmas when the anxiety got really bad and before HRT my GP has recommended putting up the HRT to 75 so hopefully that will help.

I have also started taking lemon balm and Bachs but doesnt seem to be helping

I would love any advice as to how to cope.

I have been trying the 321 method and concentrating on my breathing as well.

[Taz2]

Hi tink - welcome to the forum and it is heartening to see that you arrived here through the recommendation of your doctor.

When you say "Evorel 50" do you mean Evorel sequi which has Evorel 50 patches but also a second lot of patches containing progesterone to be used in the second half of the month? If so then it could be the progesterone element causing your anxiety to rise especially as you felt better during the first two weeks of oestrogen only HRT. The progesterone used in Evorel is norethisterone and this is well known for causing PMT type symptoms and anxiety, low mood or depression in some women. I was on this for a while and my partner used to call the second half of the box "Mr Nasty patches"! It can take a while to settle though so after the first three months are up you would have a better idea of whether it suits you or not.

There are other HRTs available using different progesterones so don't lose heart.

Taz x 

[Suzi Q]

Hi Hunny
has anyone mentioned Beta Blocas? They are brilliant for anxiety
I had palpitations a feeling oif utter terror and dread they work brilliantly xxxxxxx

[tink]

Hi Taz 2, suzi Q

I have had a mirena fitted at the same time as starting Hrt. But doctors tell me eveything should have settled by now hence the reason he wants to increase to Evorel 75.

I have read that a lot of ladies take beta blockers so might mention this to GP is things dont improve with the increase in HRT.

I have Multiple Sclerosis and take so many many medications that i am always frightened to start more.

I cant believe how debilitating this anxiety is.

Thanks for your support

[honeybun]

Welcome to the forum from me too.

I have just stopped taking Evoril Conti to see if it helps my anxiety. If you have a coil the I guess you are getting your progesterone from that. Perhaps that does not suit you.
As Suzi mentioned BBs can be helpful. I take those and they Do damp down the anxiety. I would advise taking a very small dose. My GP gave me 40mg and I was ill.I am now on 10  and that is strong enough for me.

Browse around and join in. There is always someone here to help.

Honeyb
x

[smudgesmum]

Hi

I am worried by the amount of medication you are on and stopping those medications can cause the symptoms you started taking them for...

I have found the best thing for anxiety for myself is high intensity CBT.

Smudgesmum xxx

[sweettooth]

welcome tink. I remember having a mirena fitted in my 40's and using everol patches but mine was 100mcg to treat the anxiety and mood and i found that dose very effective. You could try going to 75 first and you would need to give it at least 4-6 weeks. Good luck x

[Suz]

Hi Tink,

Welcome. I may not know enough about Hrt but if u have mire a already why do u need a combined Hrt? Miranda already has progesterone and if u take another one with progesterone surely u r overdosing the body on progesterone.
Progesterone is responsible for depleting serotonin levels which affect cortisol and therefore u get into anxiety etc.
May b raise the q with ur doc.
Also if u have so many meds to take may b ur body is finding it hard to cope now with all the extras. It may b an oversimplified way of looking at it but too much of anything is never a good thing.
Relaxation techniques, yoga,Pilates meditation or therapy/counselling is a good place to start for some non-medicinal ways.
Xxx

[Hurdity]

Hi tink - welcome from me too
I agree with smudgesmum - I would not want to take any more medication than you are already on, especially with MS, and some of these may be reacting with each other to make things worse. Also do you think the Mirena could be making the anxiety worse - depression and similar symptoms can be one of the side effects?  It uses a synthetic progestogen. Why did your doctor prescribe this - was it because of heavy bleeding?
If you can possibly do so I would try to get help from a meno-specialist maybe at a meno clinic because your doctor does seem to be offering a lot of medication to help you to cope, but I understand why as you have to cope with your family responsibilities. Maybe as Suz suggests try some non-medicinal ways to help with the anxiety rather than the meds?
Btw Suz - tink is not on combined HRT - she is on Mirena and Evorel patches (oestrogen only) from  what I understand.
Good luck tink and hope you manage to sort out what's for the best.
Do come and ask anything on here whenever you need to .... someone will always be able to help
x

[tink]

Hi everyone

thanks for all the advice, i am on mirena and evorel 50 (oestrogen only) at the moment. I have been attending the pain clinic so they have given me a lot of relaxation and cbt exercises to do as well which do help a little.

Tried taking lemon balm but it made me feel sick and gave me diarrhea so have stopped that.

will start evorel 75 tomorrow when i am due to change patch and hopefully that will help.

I feel I can't cope with the anxiety as it stops me going out, DH is brilliant and so are both my boys being 15 and 19, but I had my second panic attack on the plane to California in June and am terrified it will happen again. we are booked to go to Vegas for our 25th wedding anniversary this year in June.

I keep trying to stay focused on daily tasks but its horrible when I can't do something simple like going to hairdressers.

[tink]

Hi again,

Just one more thing, it was after seeing a specialist at a meno clinic that I was put on HRT, GP started me on Prozac over Xmas as she didn't think it was peri-meno, but specialist thought it definately was, they fitted the Mirena as I was bleeding all the time and having flooding which I had never suffered from berfore.

I also had night sweats,  flushing and had completely lost all confidence just before june which is when the panic attacks started.

[CLKD]

So your GP thinks you are too young for meno symptoms   

   without betablockas I wouldn't function.  It took years before my GP even thought to prescribe them    but now, since 2002, I feel so much better and can cope with most events.  The intense deep rooted terror was awful.

[lesley998]

Hi Tink

Just wanted to say hello, and say that I totally identity with your post on anxiety as do many of the ladies here.   Along with physical aches and pains, this was my worst symptom of peri/menopause.  Personally, I am not sure if it was meno itself or the HRT that made my problem worse.  I suffered mainly from waking anxiety, palpitations and *severe* panic attacks as soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, which are apparently all to do with raised cortisol/adrenaline levels linked to these fluctuating hormones.  The anxiety is incredible and I found it hard to cope, or to describe how bad it is to my GP.  It is a terrifying feeling of fear, impending doom and being out of control.  I get a nervous butterfly stomach and feel unsettled and worried all day about nothing.  I can last until about 3pm, I always feel better in the evenings, and  don't suffer so much with it when I am out of the house as I know other people do.  Because it is linked to adrenaline beta blockers do seem to work well as they block this chemical.

Just wanted to post to say you are not alone, as I know how scared I was when I kept having these anxiety attacks, I thought I was going off my head.  It IS menopause, and you are not alone! I hope you get relief soon.  Chin up. 
x

Edit PS here is another thread on the subject
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php'topic=15459.0

[Suzi Q]

Welcome to the forum from me too.

I have just stopped taking Evoril Conti to see if it helps my anxiety. If you have a coil the I guess you are getting your progesterone from that. Perhaps that does not suit you.
As Suzi mentioned BBs can be helpful. I take those and they Do damp down the anxiety. I would advise taking a very small dose. My GP gave me 40mg and I was ill.I am now on 10  and that is strong enough for me.

Browse around and join in. There is always someone here to help.

Honeyb
x

Mine gave me 40m INderal I take half for a couple of days 2x a day then I go down to 2x1/4 that worls for me

[tink]

Hi Lesley 998

 thanks for the encoragement,

 i will give the new patches a go and if not then try beta blockers,
I have rearranged my hair appointment for a week so heres hoping i make it

My main concerns are my son is playing in a piano concert on the 2/3/13 and we have rugby tickets for the Scotland vs Wales match on the 9th of March and i'm scared i wont be able to go.

my anxiety fluctuates sometimes its in the morning in which case I can't go out during the day, and if I am particulary fatigued it can be horrendous at night, all i want to do is sleep

Thanks for all the advice ladies it is really helping to give me hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel