Dear all ,
My name is Debbie I'm 52 and I've been Perimenopause since 2017 .
I still have periods , 3 weekly
I'm wondering if anyone can help ...?
Please bear with me it's a long story ..
In 2017 , completely out of the blue , I started getting , Anxious !! About nothing .. just odd feeling .(. I have had anxiety as a teenager but not really since ,)
Actually started at bingo , went to start a game and realised I'd. Forgot my glasses ..
And could feel this panic starting ..
Getting more annoyed with myself and I couldn't seem to control it ...THAT WAS THE START OF THIS HELL ...😞
Days went on , and things would panic me , .uneasy feeling ... Had no idea what was wrong ..
I started to think was going crazy ..I mean why is this happening, What's wrong with me ..,?
.
I went into deep anxiety attacks and was told. Was having mental breakdown ....
I've been on antidepressants since age 24 , and occasionally had bad times ..but this was something else , dred fear , panic attacks , couldnt eat or sleep ... Life was hell ..
My meds was changed, but not once was perimenopause mentioned ... The new meds helped me sleep , and I improved very slowly ..
I kept searching the internet , why this would happen why I was feeling so odd , numb , anxious!! All time ..
I saw a article on menopause , ... Thought what that sounds like me ... Could I be going thro menopause?? ... I mean menopause is just hot flushes right ? .
I went drs so many times as was made to feel I was going mad ... No empathy at all ..and he said wasn't menopause I'm way too young..(.43)
At this point I decided , I will do this alone ..and never told anyone else how bad I was feeling again ..
I never in my life would of thought ... perimenopause could change me so much ..
I have always been so happy , calm confident and now I'm a shell of the girl I once was ...
The symptoms continued, but I learnt to live with them because I have NO CHOICE ....
Even writing this is making me anxious 🙈
I stopped seeing my friends , going out ..
Only saw close family ...and lived in my bubble , longing for me to come back one day ...
My daughter kept saying , try hrt ?...but it scared me so much .. I worry about everything and anything .. avoiding conversations if I think may makee feel slightly uneasy.and bring on attack...
Things slightly improved... But I was still so anxious all time .. till 8 pm then it seems to ease..
Last February, I decided to see Dr ...
I wasn't sure I would even start hrt , but got it to see my options ..
Finally , I plucked up the courage and put patch on ... And continued course for about 4 months when I noticed .. I don't feel as anxious? .
Let's not get ahead of my self .. it's early days ..
By last sept , I felt the best I'd felt in 6 years ..
And was so happy .....
My anxiety was still there , but was controlled.
I felt I was living again ..
But , Nov 23 ..... I started feel anxiety was creeping back but , I managed pull back and Christmas was good ...
2 weeks ago , it's started again. ..this awful feeling down bottom my tummy , can't concentrate, over powering worry xxx panic attacks ... .Doom ..
I've researched so much ...but I really don't know what to do ... Should I stick with the patches ..as I can feel it's a dip in my hormones.... I feel different ..
Or is there anything else I could try ..,?
I saw vagifem , maybe could help as I feel I need extra something ..
So sorry it's so long ...and if you have got this far I' thank you !!!
Any advice gratefully received xx
Hot flushes have started now too
Thanks
Much love to all of you
Debbie xxx