Hi ladies,
Hurdity: my GP says the medication for anxiety and depression is the same and my reading seems to bear this out. I am certainly becoming depressed lately! I had a hysterectomy but ovaries still there. The patch was increased to 50 from 37.5 but it caused too much nausea so I went back to the lower dose. Have just had blood tests as my GP wants to check on thyroid function. I had a thyroidectomy for goitre 15 years ago and they accidentally removed my parathyroid glands too as I haemorrhaged during the operation. The parathyroids help with calcium metabolism and I have to take a lot of calcium tabs to rectify the problem. He's also checking my vitamin B levels, magnesium, vit D, calcium etc which I usually get checked twice a year anyway but it was all forgotten with the onset of this anxiety!
Greenfields:I do not drink alcohol, do not have caffeine, exercise, meditate, have tried acupuncture (way too expensive to continue and did not help), practice Tai Chi regularly and , when not nauseated, eat healthily. The only thing left is hypnotherapy. Having read extensively on this subject of menopausal anxiety I have come to the conclusion it makes absolutely no difference if you lead a healthy lifestyle or not when it comes to being more susceptible to the anxiety. I have friends who sailed through menopause with absolutely no worries at all...two of them smoke, drink and think the lettuce on a Big Mac is their daily quota of vegetables! I agree that being generally healthy has to assist in managing anxiety but I have run out of ideas. My GP doesn't want me on medication either but I don't think I can manage to cope much longer. I will get the prescription but I will wait a few days and think about whether or not I want to take it.