Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Postmenopause => Topic started by: aja on September 26, 2025, 06:26:49 AM
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Hello!
I was always good at handling stress in my life with a lot of work and everything. But perimenopause completely destroyed my resilience to stress.
I am now 48 and i am startled and shaking with every small stressor.
Is this normal for perimenopause? Does it get better after menopause? do we regain that stress resilience?
thank you!
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Morning. Often in peri we notice issues that alter due to hormonal fluctuations. Plus at this time we may be having aches and pains; caring for children/teens and elderly relatives. Which may mean that we are here, there, everywhere much more.
I had to slow down completely. In the 1980s I was in a very busy job but by the Millennium I knew that I could not do that type of work in future. So I began doing a job that I loved in my own time.
....... and breath!
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Sadly it isn't unusual. You can't tell now if you will get better post meno, for some symptoms subside whilst for others they're lifelong. If you want your old self back you're best option might be to replace the missing oestrogen.
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MayB keeping a mood/food/symptom diary will help to chart progress as well as the 'better' days ;-)
It's The Change - does what it says on the tin. I think that we are more aware of those changes than when we were teens, going into regular periods.
As oestrogen levels drop the body may become dry: inside and out; skin, scalp, nostrils, deep in the ears, vagina, anus. And muscles may become lax = aches and pains. All natural but can become problematic short or long term.
There is plenty of help out there as long as the GPs are up2date with how to treat symptoms. Ask away, there's usually some1 along!
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The same thing happened to me, and so I was diagnosed with GAD and OCD at 47, then went on to take antidepressants.
Prior to that, sure I'd get stressed, but absolutely nothing like how it's been since my late 40's. It's no coincidence that many mid-life women take antidepressants.
HRT can help, but only the right combo. I'd love to be of more help but don't know how, sorry :-\
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The same thing happened to me, and so I was diagnosed with GAD and OCD at 47, then went on to take antidepressants.
Prior to that, sure I'd get stressed, but absolutely nothing like how it's been since my late 40's. It's no coincidence that many mid-life women take antidepressants.
HRT can help, but only the right combo. I'd love to be of more help but don't know how, sorry :-\
Oh, I am sorry to hear that because I know it well how desperate it is.
For how long are you on antidepressants? or did you quit them?
I tried profesterone, estrogen … with bad side effects…
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The same thing happened to me, and so I was diagnosed with GAD and OCD at 47, then went on to take antidepressants.
Prior to that, sure I'd get stressed, but absolutely nothing like how it's been since my late 40's. It's no coincidence that many mid-life women take antidepressants.
HRT can help, but only the right combo. I'd love to be of more help but don't know how, sorry :-\
Oh, I am sorry to hear that because I know it well how desperate it is.
For how long are you on antidepressants? or did you quit them?
I tried profesterone, estrogen … with bad side effects…
Well, I continued on various different ones up until I was diagnosed with low sodium at 60, so it was unsafe to continue. Nevertheless, having no help for the anxiety, I took tiny (2mg or so) doses on an as-needed basis when I needed to, plus CBD gummies and sometimes Benadryl as CBD gives me histamine issues.
In total about 13 years on antidepressants but they don't do a thing for me now, it's more of a case of adverse reactions. So they kind of quit me, rather than the other way around ;D
Sorry to hear you had side effects from oestrogen and progesterone. I get some too, so have to take breaks from the patches to let the build-up out.
There is help out there for your anxiety, maybe you could try a different kind of HRT? Lots of us cannot take utrogestan. Or would you be prepared to try antidepressants? They help millions of us. No need to suffer more than we need to.