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[KarineT]

Hello,

Has any of you ever felt overwhelmed with the horrible feeling that things are going to get out of control?  Do you feel scared,  insecure and low at the same time? 

I used to also ecperience these feelings when I was still having my periods but I think the menopause is exacerbating everything.

What's your experience?

Thanks

Karine

[Floo36]

Yes I’m like that right now. I’m scared of everything even though there is nothing to be scared of.  I’m in a state of panic which comes and goes, bag of nerves.  Peri is awful.  Trying to get the HRT in and right is a constant battle? Are you taking HRT?

[KarineT]

Hi Floo36,

Thanks for your reply.   

I don't think I'm still peri as I haven't had a period for 16 months now.

I used to have similar experiences during my reproductive years but I think the menopayuse is making things worse. Sometimes I get the impression  I'm going crazy.  I can only imagine that all this is due to low oestrogen rather than fluctuation.  In postmeno, I don't think hormones fluctuate that mucb, if at all.
I'm not on HRT.

[sheila99]

Fairly similar and, coupled with insomnia, my worst symptoms. I know you don't want to take hrt but I would urge ypu to reconsider. It obviously depends how bad you are but quality of life is important. If you're bad enough you need anti anxiety meds you could be better on hrt.

[Taz2]

Although the hormonal fluctuations of peri change once you are post meno the continuing loss of oestrogen makes symptoms such as anxiety, panic and low mood increase in lots of women. Why not give HRT a try? Youve been feeling unlike yourself for a while now and quality of life is so important. If it doesn't help you can always stop using it but you may find it makes you feel much better. You are young and need to be enjoying life.

Taz x

[KarineT]

Thanks everyone for your reples.

I will never undrstand why a single hormone such as oestrogen has the capacity to cause so much trouble.  I am hopjng that the anxiety & low mood will not last forever.  Why shouldn't things settle eventually?  I know a lady who reached the menopause at 51.  She told me that, at the age of 55, she no longer has emotional/psychological symptoms. Physical symptoms such as VA might be permanent but I don't think emotional ones are. 

Mine at mild to moderate but they seem to be persistent and at times they make me feel orried, strange and isolated.  I cannot see a change in intensity though.  It might be because my oestrogen has not yet reached its lowest level.  I did a blood test in February this year and it was 586 pmol.  It's bound to go down even more.  I think the lowest in postmeno is around 100pmol.  I'm hoping that it will resolve and that I won't need HRT after all.

The problem with the menopause is that it's very uncertain and we don't know what will happen until we get there.

[KarineT]

*worried

[sheila99]

Other 'single item' deficiencies are just as bad. Look how bad you can be with B12, D or iron deficiencies (plus many others, these are just the more common ones). Your body never gets used to other deficiencies so I'm not sure why it should get used to oestrogen deficiency. I would hate for you to look back in 10 years time, still feeling awful, and wish you'd spent the time living your best life. I come from a different perspective as I felt so bad life was hardly worth living but I just don't see the point in suffering when you don't have to.

[KarineT]

Shella99, what you're saying makes sense but I know a few postmenopausal ladies who are doing well.  Maybe not everyone is affected.  Also, during puberty, it might have been difficult at first but things eventually settled down.  Why should it be different with the menopause?

[Justjules]

Karine, you may find the post menopause ladies never suffered badly with anxiety. I’ve got friends who sailed through peri and menopause but if you suffer from anxiety in general then rather than ADs, HRT might be a much better option. I wish I’d taken it but it was the height of the breast cancer scare so I opted not to. Anxiety has been my nemesis and continues to be well past post meno. You have nothing to lose by trying.

[Postmeno3]

Postmeno for most, as well and truly evidenced here, is not much fun. There may be ladies who claim to be okay, but I think there's quite a serious risk of that mental state becoming a "new normal" and subsequently going without the recognition or awareness that a better, more consistent normal is indeed possible; as sheila99 says "living your best life"? It's, of course, your choice and everyone here is trying to respect that whilst encouraging you to ask yourself, "What have I got to lose?"

[Kathleen]

Hello KarineT.

I too know women who have not used HRT and are fine in post meno. I met up with a friend last week who was amazed that I am still struggling emotionally and said that for her she reached a point where she didn't panic about things because she no longer cared.  Another friend has urinary problems, an ovarian cyst, several fibroids and now a prolapse but can cope and has never experienced anxiety and low mood. I have other friends and neighbours who have different stories and have never used HRT. Perhaps it comes down to an individual's symptoms and their lifestyle.

I understand what you are saying about our bodies adapting to low oestrogen in time. My GP told me that crying spells resolve eventually and my trusty meno book states that all emotional symptoms fade away by your mid sixties.

Perhaps decide to give yourself regular reviews, say every three months, and keep a record of how you are feeling. If you detect an improvement you can expect that to continue but if things become worse you can give yourself permission to chat to your GP.

I am sure you would like to hear that say, eighteen months after your last period everything settles down and returns to normal and that may infact be the experience of some women but there is no way of knowing if that will happen to you. The best you can do is hope that you feel better soon and keep an open mind about treatments.

Take care.

K.

[KarineT]

Thanks everyone for your input & support.  I make a note when i get these symptoms so I will be able to see if there is an improvement or not.  If it gets worst of course I will try HRT.

[Taz2]

Hi Karine. Can I ask why you are waiting until it gets worse before you try HRT? You sound as if you are quite low already? I know I felt that using HRT would be like giving in somehow but it's not a mind-over-matter thing. Some women need it in order to continue enjoying life and some don't.

Taz x 

[KarineT]

Hi Taz2,

There is a lady from A Vogel, a naural supplements company, who specialises in menopause.  According to her, hormones continue to change after the last period but the maximum for meno symptoms to persist after that is 4 to 5 years  in most women.  If symptoms continue past this they are often caused by a health problems mimicking the menopause.  I can see that on this forum some of you already have problems with their thyroid or have other health issues.  I had a full thyroid function and everything is fine.  Before I consider HRT I want to see whether this lady is correct and if she is my symptoms will wane and disappear.  As for HRT, the best way around it is to go to a private menopause clinic as there is a lot of choice available but not everyone can afford it.  The NHS only has one type of progestin, i.e. Utrogestan and I know that some of you have issues with this.  So if you can't go privately and can't tolerate Utrogestan what do you do?