Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: karen3006 on April 30, 2021, 11:39:24 AM
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Hi, first time on here. I am already taking sertraline for depression and anxiety. I have been taking these for about 4 years and generally been good. Just recently (about 4 months) I have been having more good days than bad. I am definitely in the menopause and wondered if HRT would help with the low moods and anxiety even though I already take Ad's? Thanks :)
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Morning.
Some ladies require HRT as well, I believe that certain types can ease anxiety and depression. Some ADs can ease hot flushes.
MayB keep a mood/food/symptom diary to chart progress? :welcomemm: Browse round. Make notes.
I've been on ADs since 1989, well B4 I went into perimenopause. I also had a betablocka from 2001 and an anti-anxiety 'as necessary'.
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Thanks for getting back to me so quickly : I’ve also been on beta blockers on and off. It’s just such trial and error all the time and wondering what drug is doing what ??? I’ve been keeping a diary this last couple of weeks and I’ve definitely got worse. The doctor is ringing me next week to see how I’ve gone on and is recommending I use hrt
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If you are having good days, how much is the anxiety/depression impacting?
I never look forwards to more than half a day at a time ::). How is your diet overall as low blood sugar can trigger anxiety.
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I do just try and carry on and go to work etc but it’s tough putting a brave face on it all the time. I cried this morning but still got ready and went to work.
My diet is pretty good and I’m trying to avoid sugar and caffeine as well
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Don't cut out all sugars. The body requires a certain amount, 4 me it's in the form of chocolate: who would guess ;D
I have a drawer full of fixed grins ;-). Lock down was the best thing ever, my anxiety levels went below 0. 8). I'm trying not to ease into 'normality' too quickly!
Make sure you have a good diet, plenty of protein, fresh fruits and veg. as well as treats. My system becomes sluggish when I don't get enough greens through me. DH cooks lots of veg stir fries with chopped chicken, curries etc., he batch cooks so we have a freezer of things to choose from.
What caused the tears?
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I won’t be cutting out all sugars, don’t worry :D
My partner is so supportive, I just woke up feeling rubbish....again! That’s why I hoped hrt might help to level things out. It’s a blinking mine field
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The waking hormone, 'cortisol', used to cause me anxiety surges, anytime from 3.30 a.m. :'(. It would take until mid-morning B4 I began to feel well. It's the physicality that floors me.
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Yep, thats exactly how I feel! Thankfully its not as early as that! My chest is almost burning when I wake up and like you it can take sometimes all day to feel even a little better
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Propranolol helped those early morning surges. 40mg at night, then dropped to 20mg for years. I stopped them 14 months ago.
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Is it possible the anxiety and depression coincided with the start of peri? If it did then hrt might be a more appropriate treatment. My anxiety has completely gone with hrt though it did take 3 months. You might consider starting hrt then reduce the ads after 3 months and see how you are.
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Good idea.
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shelia99
The depression began initially when I went through an horrendous divorce so I knew it was circumstantial but I did get myself back to a good place and now I’m very happy with life so I know it’s nothing to do with my life etc. I’ve been told I’m in the menopause so I’m just assuming it that. I’ve been speaking to my doctor over the last month and she’s said it might be worth trying hrt, it’s so tricky trying to decide what’s wrong. Initially I just thought that the Ad’s I was on had stopped doing their job so I changed them about 6 weeks ago and felt better for about 2 weeks then it just came back and felt dreadful again. I’m just hoping that the hrt will help get me back to where I was (fingers crossed 🤞)
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CLKD
Did you take the propranolol every day to help your anxiety?
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Yep. Started off: 2001 : at 80mg 3 times a day for 3 weeks, then at night. Then cut down to 40mg at night, then 20mg. I began to get background headaches in the morning so stopped them and have been OK.
ADs can poop out, the brain gets used to the effect. I've had several different pills over the years.
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Yeah I know what you mean about the Ad’s stopping working. I just seem to be in a muddle. Are the Ad’s making me feel
Like this or is it the menopause? I’m very open to taking things that will help in anyway but it just the time it takes to see if it will actually work x
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Yeah, I was hoping that the Ad’s would do the trick and having to change them was a bit scary and then wondering if they will work etc. I’m not anxious about anything I just feel anxious! The bad days are definitely taking over the good at the moment. I’m very open to taking new things of they will help, it’s just the waiting to see if they will work, I’m not the most patient person in the world ;)
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I want to feel better yesterday >:( :-X
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For timescales - my anxiety started to improve after a month. The second month was very much up and down. I didn't see consistent improvement til towards the end of the 3rd month. So you will probably have an indication after 4-6 weeks if you will see any improvement. Do you have other meno symptoms?
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I’m lucky that I don’t seem to have any other systems, no hot flushes or anything I can think of that’s menopause related.
I seem to have a mind set of if it’s doesn’t work within a week it’s not going to which is unrealistic I suppose
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Yep. Medications isn't like food, sometimes they take a while for the body to benefit.
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So, the last few days have been pretty rough! The thoughts of having to deal with this day in day out is very disconcerting. Does anyone have any inspirational stories to give me a bit of ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ I speak to my docs on Wednesday so I haven’t actually started any hrt yet. She’s suggested a mouth spray and a progesterone tablet, thanks in advance 😊🤞
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Check that your diet is full of protein, veg. etc.; what would the mouth spray be that she is suggesting? I have used 'bach' rescue remedy spray with some success as well as relaxation therapy.
When my depression becomes worse I up my medication for 5 days, if that doesn't work: it always does: I go to my GP for advice. I have an emergnency anti-anxiety pill 'as necessary'.
HRT can help with anxiety; some require both.
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I think the mouth spray is the estrogen and then a separate tablet for the progesterone.
Do you think that eating well, fruit veg, protein etc really helps?
I changed my Ad’s about 6/7 weeks ago to see if that would help but it hasn’t so far, I upped the dose as well about 3 weeks ago. So I don’t know if the antidepressants are still settling down or if I need that extra help with the hrt or will the hrt make it worse!! Soooo many questions!!!
I’m coming back as a man next time 😆
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Of course eating well helps. Low blood sugar can cause anxiety surges when the body is searching for energy boosts. We are after all, carnivores with a liking for chocolate - whoops - fruits and veg.. ;). Exercise is also good, as it encourages endorphins etc.. We are hunger gatherers who would be on the move for most of the day - well the men would be hunting, the women would as normal, be child-minding, keeping the cave clean etc.. ::)
Let us know how you get on.
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Haha, you’re right on all points 😁
My daughter is a health and well-being coach and she said exactly the same thing to me today about the ‘hunting’ thing. She said we are made to move around more and my job is sedentary so I’m def got to up the exercise. I’ll take you advice on the food re the protein and veg, you’re obviously a very wise women 😉 thanks for all the help and I’ll keep hug you on the loop with everything as and when it happen 😊
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As a recovering anorexic I have to watch what I eat on an hourly basis. I was very focussed on eating the same thing every day at the same time but am more relaxed since 1998. When I sorted out my medication to stop anxiety around eating difficulties.
DH has fed me daily since 1975. I never cook. I can but he gets a meal together in the time it takes me to find the recipe books ::). I have fads; I do like pizza 4 lunch otherwise we eat relatively healthy meals. Chocolate kept me alive ;)
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CLKD, it sounds like you've been through the mill a bit, I like eating but not a fan of cooking :) so I'm going to have to get my finger out and do some healthy cooking for me and my OH who could benefit from it too :)
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Yep. It's a thin line 4 me to be healthy or not eating at all :'(
DH cooks in bulk, would that be the way 2 go 4 you?
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I don’t have much freezer space so it probably wouldn’t work for us. I’m definitely planning a head this week as to what we will eat which is something I don’t usually do. I’m more a ‘fly by the seat of my pants’ kinda gal 😁
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That's me when I'm in a garden centre ;D
We have a 14cu mt. freezer. A larder fridge as well as a fridge freezer - Mum was convinced that it wasn't working properly: that was 5 years ago ;D so we have had the benefit. So lots of bulk cooking by DH once a month. We buy meat, veg. etc. in bulk so he has a session!
Eating correctly can ease anxiety surges, I may have said that already ::)
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So I picked up my prescription for my HRT yesterday. I have been given ustrogen 100mg in tablet form to take on an evening and the new lenzetto spray to take 1 spray on each arm (so 2 sprays) in a morning. I took the first tablet last night about half an hour before bed as its supposed to make you sleepy. I found myself still wide awake at 12.30pm! I felt really sick in the night and this morning. Its wearing off a bit now but I honestly felt dreadful this moring. Is it because my body needs to get used to the progesterone and this will even itself out? I was hoping for good things from the HRT and don't relish feeling like this until it settles down (or not!) and feedback would be gratefully received :) :)
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That nausea is awful. I would stay awake when beginning new medication, 2 C if there were side effects. >:(
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It was pretty awful but its not as bad now. I wondered if it would be better to take it when I have my evening meal at about 7/7.30. Please tell me that things will settle down :)
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I believe that some ladies get through the initial nausea and improve. What does it suggest on the leaflet in the box about when to take it?
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The doctor said to take it on an evening as it has a sedative effect, do you know if it is common to feel worse before better on HRT, sorry, lots of questions :)
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If you don't ask you don't find out. However, I haven't taken HRT other than for VA [ovestin]. I can't give you much more so hopefully someone who has used the product will be along.
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Try taking it vaginally, there are fewer side effects this way.