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[Redlocks]

My antidepressants (40mg daily) are not even touching my anxiety right now! I had a massive panic attack this morning and saw I've started my period.
I don't know what's physical and what's in my head anymore. I'm scared I'm secretly unconsciously doing this deliberately and that it's all my fault. Maybe I could think my way out of it if I wanted to but I refuse to? I wanted to be able to blame it on the hormones because therapy hasn't worked, but maybe everything is my fault and I just have a flawed personality.

[CLKD]

WHOA!  Panic attacks can appear out of the blue, mine floor me.  Without emergency medication I wouldn't be here.

If the body is hungry anxiety can spike.  Stress, time of year etc. can cause panic.  As can the waking hormone, Cortisol: in the early hours, it made me really ill for a while.

Antidepressant medication rarely helps anxiety so maybe an appropriate pill will help.  I have beta-blockas to stop the surges and have found 'rescue remedy' mouth spray useful.

One cannot imagine anxiety!  A Counsellor once asked me what I thought about B4 a panic attack and she wouldn't get it that actually, nothing.  It happens.  She also told me to 'remember how you feel on a good day'.  I never went back.

Deep breathing exercises can help too as can going to bed or having a warm bath.  HORMONES  stop blaming yourself!

[Redlocks]

Thank you to both of you lovely ladies 💕
Yes, I'm still having periods - once every two weeks on HRT. This one is my withdrawal bleed, so now have a progesterone-free week (not sure if that's a good or a bad thing now!).
CLKD, I hear ya! Unfortunately Rescue Remedy doesn't help me . The fluoxetine usually helps my anxiety - the only times the 40mg dose have failed me are right now and when I reduced my progesterone last year.
Do you guys think my anxiety could be hormonal? Maybe I'm just mentally ill.

[CLKD]

What is mental illness?  It can cover a variety of symptoms and hormones sometimes make our we feel a lot worse!

Speak to your GP about an anti-anxiety medication?

[Kathleen]

Hello Redlocks

I am so sorry that you are suffering so much and you have my sympathy.

I agree with Birdy, many of us on this site will recognise how you feel and are all struggling with hormonal changes.

I wonder if your negative thoughts are more a symptom of health anxiety which is also a feature of the menopause. During my journey I have never worried about my physical problems, probably because they have always been minor and transient. My emotional problems however have dominated my menopause and much like you I have doubted my sanity at times.

I am sure that your hormonal situation is at the heart of your problem. Hopefully some ladies who are  knowledgeable about HRT will be along to give you advice.

Hang in there, you are not alone and we are here to support you.

Take care and sending hugs.

K.

[Redlocks]

Thanks again ladies, and I'm sorry you have had to deal with this too, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
CLKD - good point! I meant I've been wondering if my depression is fundamentally hormonal or just made worse by hormones. I have managed to get some relief from lorazepam and diazepam, but am hesitant to take them as I'm scared about addiction and doctors are hesitant to prescribe them. I only ever take tablets in addition to my fluoxetine if I'm really desperate. I wonder if there are any natural alternatives that act like benzodiazepines?
Kathleen, I know what you mean - I can cope with pretty much any symptom so long as it's not emotional! I can deal with migraines and cramps as they do pass, but these feelings just drag on
I admire all of you for taking time out to help others suffering on this forum. I promise if I find something that works I will shout it from the rooftops! To think I was a functioning human just over a month ago...
X

[CLKD]

Nothing that I know of, if you find something do let us know!

The drugs you have been prescribed are for emergency use.  Have you actually taken either?  4 me it's that 1 tablet works to stop anxiety in it's actions: either it knocks me out completely so that I sleep and wake well.  Or it dulls the anxiety which enables me.

Yep they can be addictive.  I have an addictive personalty as well as being impulsive but have never worried about addiction.  Because I know that the Lorazapam.  Haven't needed 1 for over 12 months even though anxiety has been bothersome occasionally.  When it strikes I can be a shivering heap within seconds. 

How R U now?  The night B4 a bleed I would sob uncontrollably even if a period wasn't due.  Depression is different to that an un-affected by hormones.  Anxiety is different again, my 1st panic attack was ag age 3 

[Redlocks]

CLKD, I have had anxiety from a very young age too, but I didn't have a proper intense wave of panic attacks until I was about 11. Bless you, 3 is so young!
Then the anxiety I was experiencing in my teens gradually got to a whole other level until I needed medication at 18.
I felt like I was having a meltdown on Thursday and Yesterday, but yesterday I started my period and I am feeling a lot better today, maybe even a little hyper. Remind me of this next time I post some panicky ramblings on here!! It's a waiting game and I'm a very impatient patient.
You ladies are amazing, talk about the kindness of strangers! X
PS: I will defo let you know if I find a ‘natural' emergency drug! I've heard CBD is supposed to be good, but I'm a bit cynical as don't know if it's just had really clever marketing (I used to work in marketing).

[jillydoll]

Hi Redlocks
I'm post meno and still suffer anxiety. Ok, not as bad as some, but mine was really bad before I went onto HRT. When I get it now, it's not so intense as before.
I actually take an antihistamine when it's bothering me.
I take Benadryl  Acrivastatin. You can buy them from the chemist, this one suits me better, although I have tried the others, which either made me feel extremely tired, or gave me dizziness. It's trial and error. I have no problem with the one mentioned. Just one or two, gives me a good break from the anxiety.
I feel for you I really do, it's just awful isn't it.
My doctor wanted to give me antidepressants for it, but because of bad reactions I've had in the past to them, I declined, I'd rather take antihistamines as and when needed.
But please check with your doctor first if you decide to give them a go. You never know.
Good luck. Let us know how your getting on..
And your NOT flawed, it's not your fault. Hormones are little buggers! 😏
Jd xx

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies.

I've just come back to this thread and had another thought.  When I've experienced physical meno symptoms I've never worried about them too much as they are obviously meno related. Even the daily headaches I had earlier in my meno journey didn't worry me in themselves even though my mother died at sixty from a brain tumour so you'd think I would have panicked  that I was developing the same illness but I didn't. Also, at the time I did not  know that after six months they would disappear but of course I was relieved when they did stop. My point is that if something is affecting  my body I deal with it much more dispassionately than if it's affecting my emotional state.  I think this is because I worry that my personality is being changed by this whole menopause process and that I'll never get back to the person I was. I dread being stuck on this emotional roller-coaster forever, I certainly seem to have been on it a long time already!

A while ago someone revisited the forum to reassure us that all these horrible symptoms do pass eventually. It was great to hear that and I think we all appreciated her post for giving us some hope!

Wishing you well and take care.

K.

[Shannonplussed]

I am absolutely certain that my anxiety and mood are related to hormones. Before menopause, I would become very withdrawn and flat, and have a disturbingly short fuse in the few days before my period. After a few years of ruining relationships, the pattern became apparent and I realized it was PMDD. Now in menopause, I had hoped that with steady dosage of HRT that I could remove the SSRI that I was taking (sertraline/Zoloft). I tried this fall to go off it and it was a complete disaster. I am on continuous HRT to keep things even, but still, there are hormonal ups and downs. Just last weekend I was feeling so flat and grumpy and nasty. I chalked it up to Christmas anxiety. Sure enough, I got a period the next morning. I hate having to use hormones as part of my apology for my behaviour, but it is what it is. Your personality is not flawed. Some brains are wired differently, GABA-receptors and whatnot. If I could control hormone flux entirely, myself and everyone around me would benefit. I don't use this an an excuse, but as an explanation. Once I'm back to feeling like myself, it's clear and my apologies are sincere. But when I'm in the thick of a hormonal episode, that feels just as real and valid. Perhaps switching from fluoxetine to sertraline might help? It is indicated for anxiety.

[Tc]

Hiya. This is an issue for me too. I keep telling doc that ADs dont help the anxiety. Diazepam works but I've been refused it now. So I resort to taking things like night nurse. 

The psychiatrist prescribed me  me 50mg phenegran at night.   You can get it ovwr the counter. If you are going to take it for the first time I would say take 25 mg to see how you get on.

Its realy not an ideal situation, since the docs have stopped giving benzos.and dont seem to have found anything to fill the gap.   I dont want to keep having to knock myself out with 50mg phenegran (it's a pre med dose for surgery. ) it's.k at night but  no good for daytime whereas .  A low dose of diazepam takes away the physical manifestations of anxiety but I can still function well, during the day.
Has anyone any experience of propanonol?
 
Xx

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies

When I saw my GP the other day and complained about my mood swings he asked if I had them before the menopause. I said that I recalled having slightly tender breasts before a period and that I often had cramps and diarrhoea on the second day of the bleed but there were no extreme mood swings. However  as soon as my period started I felt more relaxed which indicates that some tension had been building up. I now think that I probably did have some changes of mood throughout the month but nothing severe enough to really notice.

I am taking a break from HRT at the moment but I still take the AD Venlafaxine that was prescribed a few years ago. In all honesty I do not know how much it's helping.

Sometime ago another doctor recommended Sertraline but I declined, perhaps now it's time to reconsider, especially if I don't want to retry HRT.

I would say that I feel normal ie my old self about 25 per cent of the time, then I feel my mood rise and I become more upbeat but then it can suddenly change and I experience the dreads and start to panic. This is about the time a hot flush kicks in and I have jitters in my stomach and feet I could cry. After a while all this turmoil subsides but before long the cycle begins again. It's exhausting. Incidentally I know some ladies find that panicky thoughts interrupt their sleep at night but whenever I wake during the night I always feel calm.

I did try Propranolol 10 mcg which was prescribed to treat the palpitations I was having at the time but I didn't notice any benefit. I don't want to jinx anything but my palpitations seem to have faded of late anyway and I'm hoping they don't return.

Sorry to go on ladies and apologies if I've bored you but it's a relief to share these things with people who truly understand.

Wishing you all well.

K.

[Redlocks]

Jillydoll, thank you - antihistamines might be the way to go for now! Nothing is helping at the moment apart from low dose lorazepam when needed. I used to feel great when I took 100mg of Utrogestan at night, felt really relaxed and comfortable and ready for each day, but not even the utrogestan is making a difference at the moment I'm having a meltdown, and cannot stop pacing.

[Redlocks]

Kathleen, that's a good thought to keep in mind: this too shall pass.
I don't know how long it will take to level out again, it's been about 3 weeks now since I went back to 100mg Utrogestan. I'm on my progesterone-free week and feel awful (this past week was especially bad).