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[Dee46]

Hi I am new too all this, had a bit of a stressful year last year with home life & seemed to be acting a bit strange last summer, a month before my holiday last year I started getting breathless & legs shaking now & again, went to the nurse who said I had asthma, went on holiday & as soon as I got there I was all panicky, then the whole 2 weeks had trouble breathing, vertigo & didn't feel right, on return I had a swollen tongue so back to doctors who said I had acid reflux, got prescription, back 5 days later as felt dizzy & still not right, he said was I stressed & I said it hadn't been a great year so he put me on sertraline, well I was off the wall on it, within a few hours I was on a different planet, woke up in the night with palpations, hot sweats & thought I was mad, went back to the docs on several occasions over the 2 weeks & he said to stick with the tablets, I had to come off them cold turkey as I felt awful like I was going to die, from November to Xmas I was taking propanalol but really went downhill, crying everyday on another planet & not myself, I went back to doctors at the end of Dec & said I thought I was having a breakdown, she prescribed me Citalopram 10g & said give them 2 weeks to work but go up to 20mg after 1 week which I did, I was a mess dragging myself to work, sleeping about 2 hours a night & me & hubby rowing all the time my marriage was almost over. I had mentioned on several occasions could I be in the peri & could I have HRT to the doctor but they said no to continue with the AD's, I went up to 30mg of Citalopram in Feb & have been on that since then, I still get bad anxiety with it so not sure it these are for me, I still feel a mess & want to give up on it all, the doc said it could take 6 months for me to feel the benefit from the AD's, any advice would be grateful as feel rubbish at the moment.

[Dorothy]

Sorry you are having such an awful time.

What symptoms do you have that make you think you might be peri?  There is a lot of information on this site; have a read and see if anything strikes you as familiar!

[Dee46]

I have lots of issues over the last 5 years, high blood pressure, got dizzy/vetigo thought I had sinusitis & had 6 months of hell when it was nothing, I am 46 & have never had depression or anxiety in my life, so when I was put on sertraline last year I just thought I was going mad, as the sertraline bought on the palpations, night sweats, insomnia & detachment, I must say I am sleeping better now, but still get anxiety all day & want to cry/scream & some nights get night sweets, palpatations are around all day, suggested to doctor last year could I be B12 deficient & guess what I was, given 3 months of tablet which bought it up slightly & going back today for tests again to see in B12 levels are ok. Been told if I want blood tests to see if I am in peri I need to come off the mini pill first, just feel so rubbish this is not me.

[dangermouse]

Blood tests can't really prove if peri as hormones are all still fluctuating, the FSH may just be elevated a little. Symptoms are more important for diagnosis and if your doctor has discounted any heart problems etc. then, with your age, I'd assume you're perimenopausal.

If your oestrogen is starting to plummet then the mini-pill will be adding to the problem as its progesterone only so it lowers oestrogen. You may just need to add some oestrogen HRT, like the gel, but if your GP is like mine then they may prefer you to take the combined pill - if your BP isn't too high. If the mini pill is suiting you otherwise, I don't see the point in you stopping for a vague blood test but you could try stopping to see if you feel any better as you will not be challenging your possibly low oestrogen with it as you are now.

[Dee46]

Thanks dangermouse, this info is very helpful, it was suggested I had high blood pressure around 5 years ago due to feeling dizzy then a doctor took me off them last year as he said I was too young to have high blood pressure !!!

I also had a sore heel 2 years ago which then pain spread to my right thigh & lower back, I had physio & acupuncture & nothing worked, x-ray came back fine, then last August was told I just needed to do pilates, which also makes me think I was peri due to the undiagnosed pain which has amazingly disappeared !!

I questioned if the mini pill was the correct one for me & my doctor said it is better than the combined pill, but she is trying to dismiss this is the peri, everyone says I am too young but I feel I am not, I might ring the GP & see if she will call me back as I really would like some tests, periods are a anything from 2/12 weeks to now waiting almost 4 weeks for this one to arrive!!

Why doesn't anyone tell you about this sort of stuff or doctors just dismiss it.....

[Keepgoing]

Hi Dee you are not to young I am 45 and been on hrt for 6 months. I am peri and started getting symptoms at 42 the main one being anxiety which nearly sent me over the edge. Go back to your docs and demand the gel estrogel to try with the mini pill and if they say no ask for a referral to menopause clinic saying you want it investigated by someone who knows the ins and outs of it all...good luck and keep on at them xx

[dangermouse]

I don't know if the correct term is perimenopause of pre-menopause, but all the literature says this starts around 10 years before menopause which on average happens at 52. Therefore, 42+ should be within the normal realms of peri/pre but all we hear is that 46 (my age too) is very young for it??!! I suspect they think we are referring to the year or two before menopause when hot flushes are more likely.

It seems that GPs like to bury their heads in the sand about peri because its quite complicated to prescribe for. All that does though is confuse us and elongates our suffering.

[Dee46]

Thanks for the advice, have just been for my blood test for my B12 & spoke to the nurse, she said they do not prescribe hrt much anymore & that the antidepressants sort out all the hormones....but what about the anxiety the tablet has given me I said, she says to carry on until I have been on this AD dose for 6 months. I left a message at reception to see if the doctor could call me tonight to discuss AD with her.

Keepgoing did your anxiety come on all of a sudden? What did they prescribe for it? Did the gel sort out the anxiety then? It is just all confusing as all they say is I am too young or AD's are what they prescribe, she also then said that the citalopram will help with hot flushes which I never had before taking these AD's & now I wake up with night sweats, will update when the doctor calls back.

[Dee46]

Doctor just called back & she will not issue anything for hrt until she is sure, so having to come off the pill tonight & have blood test in a month & then discuss the risks of hrt if I am in peri.......she said hrt is not the be all & end all but when you feel emotionally drained you would try anything!!

[kpatton56]

Hi Dee
I would consider a different doctor! Also I would love to know what planet the nurse is from? I am also a nurse and I can assure you that ADs do not sort out all hormonal problems and HRT is still widely prescribed. If you don't get any joy with your GP ask (demand 😬) a referral to a menopause clinic. Hope you feel better soon x

[Hurdity]

Hi Dee46

I am horrified about your treatment and agree with katiecurrantbun. Your nurse is totally out of order to say they do not prescribe HRT and I agree you do not need ADs if your symptoms are due to menopause.

I'm not sure why they have suggested the Mini Pill but instead of this why don't you ask for the newer pill Qlaira - it is for contraception but contains estradiol - the same hormones in HRT and that is in our bodies, so not as strong as the synthetic Combined Pills. That way it would regulate your cycle and your bleeding, and also give you the extra oestrogen if you are in peri-menopause. Then it wouldn't matter whether you are or not (in peri) as it should help with your symptoms without needing ADs - well you could come off them before you get too dependent on them.

There is information about it here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/contra2.php

HRT type estrogen containing pill

A new combined pill, Qlaira is now available which contains natural estradiol valerate as the estrogen component, rather than the synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol. Ethinylestradiol is the usual component of the combined pill whereas estradiol valerate is an HRT type estrogen. This is a useful option for women in the perimenopause when it should control menopausal symptoms while providing contraception and good control of bleeding.

This would be much better than the POP.

You do not need to discuss the risks of HRT as they do not actually start to count until you reach the natural average age of menopause which is 51-52. Your practice ( or your doc and nurse) are SO out of date it is unbelievable. If you actually go through menopause ( ie last period) before this age it is advisable to take HRT anyway to help protect heart and bones so they should be advising you of the risks of not taking HRT. Have they not heard of or read the NICE Guidelines on Menopause and HRT released last November?

Please please read up on it before accepting you need ADs especially if as you say you have never had depression or anxiety - also one blood test is probably not going to tell you much either.

Do keep us posted!

Hurdity x

[Keepgoing]

Hi Dee I have lived with anxiety and depression most of my life and now when I look back I realise it has been hormonal I have never been right since starting my period. I was already on anti depressants and was settled and happy even popping over to oz every couple of years to see my sis. Then at about 41 I took tonsillitis which I have had before but this really floored me and anxiety hit me like a train at full speed. Because of my history was sent to therapists shrinks the lot, they tried all different types of ads about 4 in total none of them agreed with me. For 2 years it was hell on diazepam 3 times a day just to get through the day, I asked to go back on my original ad which is seroxat and I picked up a little bit but anxiety was always there. All this time I was complaining of being really itchy especially my back but we all thought it was side effects from ads...never knew this was a symptom of peri menopause. Because of all the pills they had tried I put a lot of my symptoms down to these especially my hair which was so dry and brittle...then the night sweats and that's when I finally realised what it all was.

With the gel I am really beginning to feel like my old self...I have lost a lot of confidence over those couple of years, but as I'm beginning to feel settled and better I will build this up again.

So yes I would say the extreme anxiety just hit me with a bang and now with the gel and utro as I still have my womb, this is gone...still get stressed and anxious as you do going through life but the crippling all consuming anxiety has gone.

If I was you I would just say to your doctor you want to be referred to menopause clinic cause blood test don't always show up peri...my blood tests were all fine but my doc went on my symptoms...demand a referral it's your right, take someone with you if you can't demand it yourself.  Your doctor is just faffing about and meantime it's you who is suffering, if they won't refer you try another doc in your practice and ask them to refer you.

I feel for you I really do my doc was great.  Hope this will help you but please remember when you do get the right treatment it does take a wee while to work.

Hang in there and good luck with your doctors xxx

[Miss Lemon]

Hi Dee46. It definitely sounds like peri to me. I had a very similar experience. I had never had anxiety or depression before in my life (but did get bad PMS), then when I was 42 anxiety hit me like a ton of bricks. I was convinced I was going to die and my GP at the time was no help at all; when I asked if it could be hormonal he told me that hormones don't affect mood or mental health!  I lived with it for six years, feeling horrendous most of the time but then, quite by chance,  I saw a different doctor at the surgery who is interested in menopause and she has been great.

I would recommend you find out if you have a GP st your surgery who specialises or is interested in meno and see them if you can. I'm 48 now and have high FSH and have only just started HRT. It's early days for me still but I'm feeling so much more positive.

Please keep us posted. We're all in this together! X

[Dee46]

Thank you all for you advise, the doctor is putting it all down to personal stress I had last year, I am going to ring the doctors today & find you if I can speak to someone else who is of menopausal age, I did say to the doctor that I have been like this since last September, I don't want to be dependant on AD so again was thinking about coming off them with the help of the doctor.

I told the doctor about this website & was told not to take notice of all this chit chat, but to me you guys are going through it so that is where I am going to take my advice from.

Will keep you updated

[CLKD]

Change your GP!  No GP should make statements like 'they don't prescribe HRT' or 'all this chit chat', they are there to prescribe.  If they refuse to prescribe HRT then ask for a referral to a Menopause Clinic!

Is there a Practice Nurse? You may have the GP in the Practice which is anti-HRT.