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[Hurdity]

Yes it's a good idea not to do exercise too close to bedtime due to possible over-stimulation (so I'm told) - although a walk would be fine.

By the way those of you that are doing the "eat little and often" remember the best way to stabilise blood sugar levels is to CUT OUT sugar and refined carbs and go for slow release foods and especially more protein. High sugar snacks boost blood sugar in the short term and in an extreme emergency ( I once had to eat half a muesli bar in the middle of my Zumba class due to v low blood sugar - but should have had a bigger breakfast!). High sugar/refined carb foods will spike blood sugar, release insulin, but then it will crash and this can lead to insulin resistance and actually make things worse long term ie perpetuate or exacerbate the problem..

Always eat something energy giving ( but not pure sugar) an hour before intense exercise - but I know it depends on how your metabolism works to some extent and also what your hormones are doing on that particular day.

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

I would never cut out sugar.  Little and often saved my Life.  Slow release foods and a little of what I fancy 

[CLKD]

Himself often says a little of what he fancies would do him good 

[sn00py]

Cutting out sugar would be hard for me. i don't overdo on sugar or sugary snacks. In fact i don't have appetite for these snacks anymore. So a little bit of sugar is o.k. for me. Last night i had a hot mug of Horlicks before bed time. And it helped to have a less wakeful night. I woke up at 2:00 A.M but after potty break went back to sleep. Otherwise i am jolted out of sleep at 3:30 and it takes a while to fall asleep.

[CLKD]

What is in Horlicks ? not something I ever took to ........ Ovaltine was the other one, there was a Club apparently 

[Roseneath]

SnOOpy, parklet, CLKD. I LOVE you ladies. The power of sharing. You all could be me. I actually felt something other than anxiety when I  read this thread today. Tears prickled in a good way. I think back to my 20s / 30s I just ' got on' with life. I hate where my head is at the moment. I know what I do (run a B & B) is the worse thing for me as I am alone with my anxious thoughts all day. I am convinved I have early onset dementia at the moment (I went through this about 6 months ago!). I know that it is just Day 14 when I seem to loose it for a few days and think I have something terrible...if I had job with other people I would probably be fine (B & B on market by the way... has been for 18 months).  Yes eating helps..just had breakfast (11:55!! Had banana at 7:00am) and feel much better than 15 minutes ago.
Have been thinking of anti-depressants. (Triend HRT..not for me at the moment...still hv regular periods). GP has mentioned Citilopram...a seratonin booster? I take 40mg Proprananol at night since bad insomnia. Ladies am I a bit scared to go down this route but the last 5 years have been crappy with health anxiety if I am honest.   What do these meds make you feel like? Do they stop your brain whizzing round my health anxiety 24/7 ? Do they have side effects like some HRT does? Have tried exercise/Mindfullness  etc. Advice?

[sn00py]

Hi Rosenath,
I was averse to ADs or any medication 3 1/2 years ago. But when i went into severe insomnia resulting in horrible anxiety over night, i had no choice but to take an AD. I emotionally struggled taking it for many months. I tried HRT, but they were not for me. So my only option was AD. I also had and still sometimes have health anxiety after getting horribly sick on a trip to a tropical country. That was scary. And i still have that fear on a lesser level.

First they tried Citalopram but it was not for me. Then the doc tried Mirtazapine and i am still taking it. My doctor thinks i am more sensitive to the fluctuating hormones than most women. I am also sensitive to lots of medication. So she tries in very low doses with me and raises it carefully after observing how i am reacting to the dosage. Now i am taking 15 mg Mirtazapine with 20 mg Promethazine and later before bed time 10 mg Promethazine. The Pro is sedating.

In the beginning, you will go through an adjustment time with the ADs. Take a couple of weeks off from regular job. But after one or 2 weeks you will start feel better. It might be a slow or quick recovery depending on how your body reacts.
I weaned myself off of it in 2015 and 2016 as i was feeling better. But this year, everything started getting worse again and i went back on it. Coincidentally i haven't had a period for 6 months now. I guess i will be on it until i am well over menopause and my hormones have stabilized. Or even longer. I don't know. I am back on the AD since only 2 weeks. My depression could be better but the anxiety is reducing and the sleep is slowly getting better. I won't go into side effects as each person reacts to meds differently.

So instead of prolonging the suffering, give it a try. If Citalopram is not for you, then your doctor might try another AD. So have some patience. For full effect, it will take 6 to 8 weeks. Mirtazapine helps insomnia, depression and eating disorders all in one. The side effect with most AD is weight gain.

[CLKD]

You are where you are.  In 2-3 year's time you may be somewhere else.  What's to lose?  These medications are designed for specifics but as with many, they often ease other symptoms: this is true across the board of medical knowledge in various specialities apparently.

I have to take ADs for Life.  I found that 40mg Propranolol was giving me morning headaches so I split it into breakfast and evening which has helped.  Prescribed for me in order to ease anxiety surges.  My GP is happy 4 me to self-medicate.  I can't remember the AD though unless it's in my hand  .  Some people find that ADs cause them to feel - nowt - but that's never happened to me.  I've had nausea.  I feel a big hung-over some mornings but the drug enables me to get out of bed every morning as well as giving me a lighter look at the World than previously.  I've taken ADs since 1988.

I had a chat with our GP recently who has told me that even if a lady is approaching menopause, if the main symptoms are anxiety/depression, that is what he and the other GPs at the Practice will treat.   Apparently experience has shown that other symptoms may then ease and if not, then HRT can be discussed.  At our Surgery apparently this is via the Nurse Practitioners who generally have more time available.  So once the lady feels less anxious she is encouraged to go back to update on how the drug is working with a list of other symptoms.

[sn00py]

I am really having a hard time today with severe anxiety, depression and drowsiness. The past two days my sleep has been bad. I am still on 15 mg Mirtazapine and Promethazine. All day today i sat on the sofa and surfed on the net. Also have had missing heart beats for the past two days after a long time. it was bad yesterday. Also having lots of egg white discharge after a long time. Its been 6 months since i had a period. I wonder if it is going to come again  i have no motivation or interest in anything. Just thoughts and feelings of doom and gloom and dread. my ears are ringing with tinnitus. That was always a problem but now intensified. Tomorrow a relative is visiting us for 10 days. i am so nervous how i am going to cope like this. this is the third week since i started the Mirtazapine. I feel horrible.  When is relief!

[Snoooze]

Are any of your symptoms side effects of your medication sn00py?

My friend was on AD's for a long time and they just made her want to go to bed and sleep and she had no sex drive or no real interest in life. I think although they can be helpful for some sufferers, for others they just make things worse. That's my own personal opinion.

I know how you feel about the dread of having a relative visit but maybe it will distract you and you won't be able to focus so much on all your symptoms?

[CLKD]

I would argue that your friend had depression that took over.  Prior to medication I was exactly that: in bed, too fearful to move, unable to summon any energy in order to get out and as for washing and dressing  .  And why, if she felt like that, did she continue 'for years'?  Stop comparing yourselves with others who may not have told the 'whole' story!

If the relative is close, explain that you have felt unwell recently which means you are sleeping a lot.  Is he/she amiable enough to suggest that he/she goes out and about?  I hated anyone staying overnight  ........ I hated having to justify myself.  I hated the change in routine.

Mirtazapine has good results usually.  I've known a couple of people who found this particular drug more useful than others.  But added anxiety about a visitor may well over-ride any benefits right now 

[sn00py]

Hi All,
Thank you for your prompt replies. Brought tears to my eyes.
I have had mirtazapine 2 years ago and it helped me. I have started taking it again as things got worse. My doctor will come back only on the 26th. I need to talk to her. And may be raise the dosage. Meanwhile she told me to take a Promethazine for emergency if anxiety gets too much to handle instead of taking a benzo. That's what i just did.
On the other hand, it could be that my body is still adjusting to the AD. I took 2 Promethazine last night instead of one. May be that made me drowsy and lousy all day.
I need to stick to the original routine instead of experimenting. Also, today is my day off. And whenever i am home alone, i don't do well at all. Praying and hoping that the weekend will go eventless.
The relative is my husband's niece, a young thing. Hubby has taken off next week and will take her around. While i go to work. I'm glad i don't have to travel.

[CLKD]

So now that you have worked out the route you took, i.e. added an extra dose, do you feel 'better'?  I know when I don't take any meds. at night, I have to keep reminding myself the next day that my muggy head is that, muggy - because my brain is missing the usually 'hit'.  It really does take effort for me to not go into anxiety mode  .  As for being alone, I can kind of relate: when DH is going to do some hobbies and I am left here, my anxiety may rise and I feel quite ill.  Again, a change of routine!  Other times I'm fine, I get on with gardening, clearing the ponds, pruning ......... if only I knew how I would feel I wouldn't be anxious [clear as mud?]

Glad that your Husband will be in charge of the niece.  Does it mean that you need to cook for them or will eating out be more appropriate?

Keep letting us know how you are? The brain doesn't get where it is suddenly so any medication that it requires may take a while to improve it.  It is an organ often forgotten ;-)

[sn00py]

The Promethazine curbed my anxiety a lot. It just makes me more tired as it is an anti histamine. I am still on 15 mg Mirtazapine. Feeling a bit nauseous today too. Had a ginger candy and it helped the nausea.
I cook almost everyday anyway. So it will be a mix of eating outside and cooking at home.
I hope tomorrow will be a better day. This anxiety just wears me out.
I looked through my journal when i took Mirt for the first time. It had taken a couple of months for me to feel better. And I had more side effects then than now.

[Hurdity]

Hi sn00py

I missed the beginning of your post when you mentioned your periods and trying BHRT - and just picked up on the eating and sugar part! If you didn't suffer anxiety depression before you bega  the menopause journey and there is no other reason for you to feel this way then it is likely due to your hormones and especially oestrogen depletion.

Low oestrogen is a strong element in anxiety/depression around this time - and as CLKD mentioned you might find this helpful (HRT) - and I am thinking perhaps more so at this point. I am wondering which type you tried and at what point in your peri-menopause? I ask because I didn't start HRT until I was late peri-menopause having not had a period for 5 months and the previous one a while before that. It was the best thing that I did and lifted my mood permanently so that for a while I felt completely back to where I was. I'm still feeling fine 10 years later (a bit older and more tired as I'm now mid 60's  )

BHRT - if you mean the private treatment of compounded hormones in creams or lozenges - is not recommended anyway by the medical profession so you might have been given a weird combo that hasn't been shown to work well in menopausal women. You can get these hormones - body-identical ones (estradiol and progesterone) - on NHS so might be worth revisiting this option, especially if you are under the average age of menopause of 51/52 ( sorry not sure of your age)?

Just a thought anyway

Hurdity x