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[Robin]

Hi Kathleen,

I've struggled with awful anxiety and deep depression since I became peri menopausal.  I had lots of difficult side effects from antidepressants and they didn't work for me however for a friend of mine they have been just what she needed.

 Pregabalin gave me dreadful side effects in the longer term and I found it the worst BY FAR to withdraw from. There are several lawsuits going on in America due to problems with Pregabalin and yet many people find it extremely effective especially for pain relief.

I have found diazepam to be the best medication to help me through the most difficult times while I sort out my hrt regime (several years now) and it really works well for me. Its prescribed to me in very small quantities so that I'm unable to become addicted to it and I only use it to help me get through very difficult situations. Never on a daily basis.

I suppose my point is that we're all so individual and as with all medication, hrt included, what works for one may not for another but if used in the way I was told to use it then I really think diazepam can be useful for some. Same as CKLD it's been a life saver for me.

As it's been a while since you were prescribed it I wonder if it might be useful to have a chat with your doctor to go through the best way to use them if you decide to and to talk through your fears. I sometimes have a telephone consultation for things like this.

Hope this makes sense as I've written it in a rush without my glasses on

[Peripurple]

Hi Kathleen,

no I don't really practice anything, but I suppose working in mental health I more or less know what I should do, but don' t always practice what I preach!!!  I think over the years I have just learned that it's good to talk when I am anxious, and occasionally know it will just get the better of me, and let my husband support me when I am feeling really bad, again more talking out loud to try and see things more rationally.  Unfortunately my current difficulties with peri- meno has set me off again, but am hoping with the right HRT will get this under control.  This site has helped hugely.

[MIS71MUM]

Hi Kathleen

I've been prescribed both Diazepam and Effexor in the past.

Diazepam is a short term measure that will knock your anxiety on the head. What doseage have you been prescribed? It does calm you down and give you time to think but it can also make you very flat at the same time.

AD's are taken for a longer period and should sort out any anxiety and depression over a 3 to 6 month period.

Both of them have side effects.  To be honest, I think i'd prefer to have a course of AD's over benzodiazepines but that's just my personal opinion. Effexor is recommended in menopause for the treatment of flushes. Also the starting dose for Effexor is 25/37.5 mg twice a day. The withdrawal for Effexor isn't easy but I managed it, so it is possible.

Hope this helps.

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies.

Very interesting comments and thank you all for taking the time to post.

MIS71MUM - I had been taking 75 mg split into two doses of 37.5mg per day but the GP I saw in March increased this to 150mg XL which means long release I think.

Emmapurple - Thank you for your insight. Have you found over the years that you have particular trigger that sets off your anxiety? The last time I felt similar to the way I feel now was when my children were very young and I had disturbed sleep. That being said, the meno brings delights all it's own!

Robin- Thank you for your post, it does make sense so no glasses required today!
 

I will try and see  GP to discuss how to sensibly use Diazepam if needed plus I will ask about changing the dose of Effexor or even trying a different AD. When I was researching on the net some people said it was the Devil's work and for others it gave them their life back!

Wishing you all well ladies.

K.

[Abba Fan]

I'm sorry I don't have the time to read the whole thread (at work), I just wanted to add if you really have to use benzodiazepines, then please don't use them for more than 3 days in a row. If you still need to use them then please leave a 3 day gap.

Benzos ruined my life for 3 years and the hell coming off them was painful, just be very careful with them, it doesn't take long to get hooked on them.

I wish there was another way to sort your panic attacks xx.

[Kathleen]

Hello Abba Fan.

Thank you for your post. I didn't know that about benzodiazepines so your comment is very helpful.

Take care and I hope you don't get into trouble with the boss, or perhaps you are the boss!

K.

[Lisa1966]

Hi Kathleen,
I'm on 225mg Effexor and 45mg mirtazapine also have diazepam for when I am not coping,sometimes I don't take a diazepam for weeks,then sometimes I can take 4 times in a week,as long as you only use it when you really really need it you will be fine. Last year I was climbing the walls with anxiety,i wanted to die as I couldn't take anymore,I didn't see any way out,but it will get better,you have to believe that,I think my estrogen level was through the floor,it's taking ages to get it up to what it needs to be,I'm on 6 pumps of gel at the moment and am having another blood test on Tuesday,to see how my levels are doing,I actually had a good laugh at work today for the first time in 3 years,I saw a glimmer of the old me,you have to keep trying different doses,I think they make you feel worse before they make you feel better. I think you need to do a sequential regime as I don't think continuous progesterone is helping your problems,also ask to try provera,it's not too bad.
Keep your chin up and fight for what you want and need,I had to fight all the way,but hopefully I'm getting there and you will to.
        Take care
          Lisa xx

[MIS71MUM]

Sorry Kathleen - I hadn't realised that you already took Effexor already.
I used to 37.5mg twice a day, then I increased to 50mg but that was discontinued so I was switched to 75 mg XL and that was amazing for me and gave me my life back but I wasn't in peri then - just very anxious after giving up smoking!

Good luck

[Peripurple]

Yes I was really bad when my children were young, I suffered with antenatal depression and anxiety with 2 out of my 3 pregnancies, again those damned hormones . After my third pregnancy the anxiety decided to stay.  My main trigger is stress really, and I know it's not very helpful but sometimes it just comes over me for no obvious reason, I become irrational and ruminate over things, like at the moment it's my symptoms of atrophy, I spend an unhealthy amount of time googling.  But yes lack of sleep definitely exacerbates it.  At least you know there are lots of us out there 

[racjen]

CLKD, my point really is that I'm not sure the anxiety you suffer from is the same as menopausal anxiety - you yourself have said that you've had it since age 3 and that it's triggered by certain things, therefore you can head it off by taking diazepam when you know a stressful event is coming up. Purely hormonal anxiety isn't triggered by anything except hormones - the feelings of dread and impending doom are just there every morning, not brought on by anticipation of events or negative thoughts but just there and not responding to any kind of talking therapy. Mine was so bad after chemo that I very quickly ended up on 15mg of diazepam because nothing else gave me any relief and no-one recognised that it was hormonal. As patients we shouldn't have to rely on doing all our own research and being totally responsible for our drug taking in this kind of situation - I was in no state to manage this, but my GP allowed me to become dependent on this level of diazepam and now I'm having to suffer the consequences. I find it offensive that you continue to promote benzos as a reasonable treatment for hormonally based anxiety - they are not,  NICE guidelines state that HRT should be the first line of treatment in a case where anxiety has clearly only started with the onset of menopause. Your situation is different and it's misleading and dangerous of you to continue to suggest otherwise and make out that you're the expert on hormonal anxiety.

[Peripurple]

Racjen, I don't think that is really helpful for this thread, Kathleen I'm sure is able understand the warnings we have all given regarding diazepam, but also how helpful at times it has been.  We are all just offering our experiences not telling Kathleen she must take diazepam.  I am very sorry you became dependant and your GP was not supportive, however ultimately we must understand what we are taking and make that decision based on how well we understand ourselves, and also the support network we have.  I hope that makes sense!!

[Lisa1966]

You have had a bad experience of benzodiazepines,but that doesn't mean we all will,I have suffered anxiety and depression for 27 years,I've also suffered hormonal anxiety and depression for the last 3 years, I've been on hrt for over a year and I am only just seeing a chink of light at the end of the tunnel,how do you suggest people cope while they are waiting for their doctors to pull their heads out of their arses,I take diazepam as and when I need it,but I am an intelligent woman and I know the dangers,everyone is big enough to make their own decisions,it makes me angry as I was suicidal for 8 months last year and maybe without a low dose diazepam i may have been tipped over the edge,it just common sense. And do you know what this site has been a godsend to me but I'm sick of all the bitching that is going on lately,it's time you put your big girl pants on and got on with it,we are supposed to be on here to help and support each other,we are grown women ffs

[racjen]

Blimey, no need to get so offensive about it. I'll keep my opinions to myself from now on and you can see for yourselves what a nightmare benzos are - in my opinion they should be banned. And I too have been suicidal with this whole thing, doesn't change my opinion - would you have taken heroin when you were suicidal because it promised to make you feel better in the short term? I probably would've done if it'd been offered to me and I dread to think what situation I'd be in now.

[Lisa1966]

No I wouldn't have taken heroin,I have never touched an illegal drug in my life,and I'm not gonna start now,when I was ill my son got me some cannabis butter,as my kids were at the end of their tether,but I wouldn't take it,all I'm saying is just because you became dependent doesn't mean everyone else will,like I said it's common sense really,sorry you were offended,but we have to do what we have to do to survive this shit

[Conolly]

Hello ladies,


I'm sure you all are only trying to help by telling Kathleen your own experiences with medication. All experiences are subjective though, let alone opinions. If benzodiazepines were pure and simple evil they wouldn't be one of the most prescribed drugs in the world. That said... maybe it's better to stick to the general guidelines?


https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/treatment/


The Royal College of Psychiatrists has this highlighted Benzodiazepines should generally not be prescribed to people over the age of 60

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/treatmentsandwellbeing/benzodiazepines.aspx


I'm not sure you are over 60, K. 


Conolly X