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[racjen]

I've just been back to my GP for the umpteenth time, trying to get help with acute anxiety and depression brought on by chemo-induced menopause. I am on HRT but progress is painfully slow and I'm not convinced I'm on the right regime yet. I can't afford to keep seeing the private specialist I've been seeing for much longer, so I also want to look at NHS referral. My GP maintains that there are no menopause specialists in my area (South West) and all she can offer is a psychiatrist. Is that in any way appropriate? I  get the impression that most psychiatrists are pretty clueless about menopause and I'll just get pushed further and further down the mental health route when it's my hormones that need sorting. Has anyone seen a psychiatrist who's been able to help them with hormonal stuff? IF not I guess I'm going to have to blow the rest of my savings on going to see PRof. Studd or Nick Panay. REcommendations anyone? and hugs please - I feel so awful everyday is a struggle right now xxx

[Dotty]

What hrt are you taking ?

Have you seen a menopause specialist already?

If your problems are hormonal then I don’t think a psychiatrist would help but I’m not an expert.

What about Dr Sarah Grey or Mr Tim Hillard? They are in the south west.

[Brainless]

It has helped me in terms of support and medication to help me sleep and occasional medication for extreme anxiety (antidepressants didn't work for me. I tried many) but other than that it has been up to me to try and get to grips with the hrt for the perimenopause which I'm convinced is the cause of all my problems, psychological and physical. It's difficult to find the help you need when these things are kept so separate. Things are slowly improving for me as the hrt builds up in my system but it's the anxiety and depression that are so hard to deal with and so slow to improve. Antidepressants do work for a lot of people and may work for you while you find an hrt that works for you. Sorry I know that's not offering any real answers for you but that has been my experience. I hope others will be along soon with their experiences.

Warm hugs racjen

[Salad]

Would you be willing to travel to see a NHS Menopause Specialist?

Having chosen who I wanted to see (from information here), my GP referred me as there is not a Specialist locally. I had my first visit before Christmas and go back in February for my first follow up.

What they suggested was getting me steady with a good hormone level then the outstanding symptoms are related to another cause.
This not only made sense but has highlighted a problem that I am now getting treatment for.

Good luck 

[Brainless]

That's great salad😀

[Mindfulmoomins]

Hugs to you Racjen,

If you can travel then as Salad said you could get a referral to a specialist menopause clinic out of your area.

The psychiatrist may be able to help with medication (I realise antidepressants didn't work for you but there is other medication) to see you through until you see the menopause specialist.

I feel for you. Xxxxx

[racjen]

Brainless, I've tried every anti-depressant in the book (or that's how it feels) - they don't work for me, leave me feeling suicidal. It's pretty clear to me that my current problems are hormone related, as I never had anxiety before my mid-forties and now that I'm menopausal it's through the roof. I've been seeing Dr. Sarah Gray privately for several months, but I can't afford to carry on for as long as it could take to sort this out, so I was hoping to find a similar service on the NHS.

[Brainless]

Me too and that's one of the reasons I'm convinced it's all hormonal for me. I hope you manage to find someone on the NHS. Salads experience sounds positive

[Dotty]

St Austell Community Hospital, Porthpean Road, St Austell. Cornwall. PL26 6AD

Is this clinic still running?

[racjen]

no, don't think so.

[Sarai]

I can't beileve your gp has access to a psychiatrist, they are like gold dust and even very mentally ill suicidal people are struggling to see anybody.

[CLKD]

Every GP has access to every speciality across the UK ........... it depends on how much knowledge a GP has on any specific speciality as to when they will refer patients.  It also costs apparently.  Because geriatrics and mental health issues are way down on the Government targets in that they don't attract requests for Research Grants so are not often in the public eye: whereas breast disease, heart conditions etc. get media coverage as they can show that research gets results.   

Anxiety is different to depression.  I suffer from both.  So am appropriate medication for each illness.  It may be that the ADs didn't work because you require treatment to ease/counter act anxiety ?   

[Emerald2017]

I've just been back to my GP for the umpteenth time, trying to get help with acute anxiety and depression brought on by chemo-induced menopause. I am on HRT but progress is painfully slow and I'm not convinced I'm on the right regime yet. I can't afford to keep seeing the private specialist I've been seeing for much longer, so I also want to look at NHS referral. My GP maintains that there are no menopause specialists in my area (South West) and all she can offer is a psychiatrist. Is that in any way appropriate? I  get the impression that most psychiatrists are pretty clueless about menopause and I'll just get pushed further and further down the mental health route when it's my hormones that need sorting. Has anyone seen a psychiatrist who's been able to help them with hormonal stuff? IF not I guess I'm going to have to blow the rest of my savings on going to see PRof. Studd or Nick Panay. REcommendations anyone? and hugs please - I feel so awful everyday is a struggle right now xxx

Hi! I feel that it's better maybe to try hrt first and not antidepressants or other drugs! I was feeling terrible at the beginning and I saw an improvement later on hrt. Maybe your anxiety is more due to your hormonal fluctuations and not due to mental issues??? 🌹

[racjen]

Yes, my anxiety is most definitely down to hormones but try convincing the GP of that. CKLD it's not true that anxiety and depression are treated differently, many antidepressants are routinely used for anxiety because the two complaints are closely allied and they work equally well for both. Just unfortunately not for me. But beta blockers and diazepam both made me depressed after a few weeks of use too, so it would seem that my brain doesn't like any kind of mood altering drug right now, and I'm starting to wonder if that could be an after effect of chemotherapy. I don't think there's a lot left for me to try in terms of anti-anxiety drugs anyway, so i've just got to grin and bear it and hope the hormones kick in eventually.

[CLKD]

Is your anxiety and depression cynical?  The conditions re certainly different but GPs do tend to slap them together, however it does depend on how the patient presents their symptoms.  I have organic and clinical depression and some 'experts' don't recognise that there are 2 types!

Beta-blockas were prescribed for me in order to ease those awful anxiety surges - apparently a lot of sports people took them B4 they were banned as being an enhancement.  They worked for me, however a friend goes absolutely hyper on the same which is opposite to what they are designed for. 

Certainly some more recent ADs can help to ease anxiety.  It can depend on what is causing them to surge too.