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[Mindfulmoomins]

Hi everyone,

I am wondering if anyone can help me understand why anxiety seems so common during perimenopause?

I am doing much better but still get anxious and overwhelmed much more easily than I used to and I think if I understood more about the role hormones may be playing then I might be able to make peace with it more.

I exercise, meditate, drink no caffeine or alcohol and have very little sugar so I am doing everything I can to support my body but it's sometimes hard to accept it's new limitations.

Thank you xx

[CLKD]

HORMONES  .  How were you during your menstruating years? 

[Mindfulmoomins]

Hi CLKD,

I occasionally got anxious a day or so before my period but rarely really.

I have had anxiety in the past but was managing well without experiencing it before peri.

Is it to do with the role oestrogen plays in serotonin?

Thank you xx

[dangermouse]

Hey, I thinks it's more to do with the volitility of oestrogen, zooming up and down in peri which leads to stress hormones also being triggered.

[Snoooze]

I've always had anxiety but it became so bad in peri. It was literally 24/7 and I found it hard to cope with but I don't like to say it too often in case I tempt fate but since last October I am a lot better. I'm not cured but it's back to how it used to be which was just occasionally, not constant. I do believe the hormones have played a part but then I know a few friends and relatives going through peri and they haven't suffered from anxiety, so I just wonder if it's because you are already predisposed to it?

I have always suffered badly from PMT and I did read that those who have will suffer more through peri so perhaps it's the same with anxiety?

[racjen]

Mindfulmoomins, are you also aware of the role low testosterone plays in anxiety? There's a big connection there that many doctors have no idea about. My estrogen level is now pretty good (over 1000pmol) but  I'm still getting anxiety. However, since introducing testosterone almost a week ago I've definitely felt a reduction in anxiety and improvement in mood. If you haven't already, go and get your testosterone level checked o it could make a lot of difference xxx

[racjen]

And I should add that I never suffered from anxiety before perimenopause - when it struck at age 45 it was a complete shock,so I don't quite buy the predisposition thing - that may be the case for some but it's not always.

[Snoooze]

And I should add that I never suffered from anxiety before perimenopause - when it struck at age 45 it was a complete shock,so I don't quite buy the predisposition thing - that may be the case for some but it's not always.

I did say 'I wonder' about the predisposition thing. I didn't say it was true!

[MIS71MUM]

I can't give you a scientific answer but having read Ruby Wax's A Sane New World, it's to do with your brain sensing that chemicals are amiss, it then misfires and throws out adrenaline. When I say amiss, I mean lack of Oestrogen/hormones!

I can't recommend the book enough, after suffering a breakdown she studied neuroscience which studies how the brain works. It helped me understand what was going on up there.
 
At my worst, I had crying fits/meltdowns/panick attack's over someone mentioning the word tomorrow. I had idea what tomorrow would be like so couldn't handle it. Was scared to go to sleep, scared to dream, then scared to wake up. Anxiety is a cycle - the CBT model also helped me understand the physical responses too.

[racjen]

Snoooze, i didn't mean for a moment to make out that you meant it must be true. It's just that I've read a  lot of women on here saying that they suffered from anxiety before menopause so somehow it either isn't connected at all, or is just being made worse by hormones (and also are on ADs already because of pre-existing anxiety). I just wanted to point out that for plenty of women that really isn't the case; the anxiety comes on out of the blue with menopause and suddenly they're being offered ADs, diazepam etc. when it's just not appropriate they should be getting hormone treatment primarily.

[wombat62]

Hi there

It's very strange isn't it but it must be to do with hormones as so many meno ladies report this! I've alway been a worrywart but never had much anxiety (other than normal nerves) until after an op. I think it was the impact of that plus running low on hormones etc that sparked it.

I ended up seeing a naturopath and she explained the GABA thing to me. I don't know if you've looked into this but GABA controls our anxiety, so we have these cells that are all jumping around going crazy and anxious but GABA keeps them all nice and calm. If a part of the GABA chain/process breaks down, from not getting a nutrient then the cells start to go crazy again. She said if you are on HRT then CQ10 can run low so she put me on that together with a load of herbal stuff and vitamins to help repair the GABA. She also gave me an adaptogen (this is usually Indian Ginseng) so you body just takes what it needs. So maybe as we get older and into meno, with the lack of oestrogen then GABA chain becomes more unstable leaving us open to more anxiety?

I don't know if it worked or whether taking something acted as a placebo but after a few weeks I did get better. Every now and again I get a bit anxious again (maybe hormones are running low again) and I've found a herbal tablet which contains the ginseng or  Ashwagandha, together with magnesium and B its and a few days of them seems to put me right again!

Maybe try it and see if it helps? 

[Spangles]

I did read that prior to our peri years our oestrogen and progesterone buffer the effects of cortisol. However as we go into peri and our hormones reduce, the bufferering effect also reduces, hence higher cortisol levels = higher anxiety.
It makes sense to me.
Shellb
xXx

[aspie65]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who posts as I have learnt so much about what is happening to me.  Way more than I can possibly glean from just googling anxiety nor that an doctor, even the experts, seem to know.  You ladies rock!

[Annie0710]

From what I know now, I'm pretty sure I suffered some form of anxiety in puberty.  I had out of body experiences that scared the living daylights out of me and my mum took me to the dr, all I remember him saying is it's a phase because of my age and I'll grow out of it, which I did within the year, it must've been the imbalance of hormones during puberty

Between then and meno I was fine, no anxiety, a spell of PND after 2nd birth but it was only a year after my stillbirth, so kinda acceptable I think.  A spell of depression after an op went wrong too which I got out of pretty quick with my mind over matter thinking. 

Peri.....whoa!!! Too scared to go out, too scared to meet up with people, it's been awful.  Anyhow started testosterone and although it's not gone completely, it's definitely reduced and we have a social life again, some things I actually get excited about attending !

[Mindfulmoomins]

Wow, thanks everyone. That is all so helpful. I am convinced it's hormonal but doubt myself at times.

I will investigate the testosterone. My level came back as ‘1' and my Gp and specialist said that was ok. I am going to ask the NHS specialist about it in March.

Xx