struggling with anxiety/mental health

[jeanswithatwist]

am 51, haven't had a period for nearly a year. am feeling fine physically (fingers crossed) but my mental health STINKS. have always suffered mild depression off and on but has got alot worse. feel i am living a nightmare half of the time. I am not depressed, actually, love my life apart from being stuck with me as i am ruining my life, not wanting to sound dramatic. My worst issue is living with health anxiety. I worrying about stuff constantly and when i am not, i have this permanent knot almost waiting for something bad to happen which is ridiculous as i am wasting my life but i can't turn it off. i don't want to go on ad's. I guess i am stuck with it

[BOTTERSNIKESandGUMBLES1971]

I am a couple of years younger. But suffered exactly as you are when my periods stopped (though I didn't have a history of mild depression). I was very anxious all the time and low level miserable. I also had night sweats.
I am now on HRT and the anxiety has completely gone. The only reason I went to the doctors was the anxiety - I had never suffered from it and it was actually destroying me (or it felt like it was). Please go to the doctors. I can't say I'm completely 'happy' now, but I feel so much better.

[jeanswithatwist]

thanks for your response bott. i can't go on hrt or any hormone treatment due to close family uterine cancer history. over the years i have had various therapists but (for me anyway) they haven't helped so have just got on with my life as best i can. i was on ad's for a year when i had had dd. they were great but they only mask the problem, ultimately you have to come off the buggers and true to form, within a few months all the shite mental side irritating issues returned. i look upon it as my brain or the serotonins are just a bit 'imperfect' so you just accept it. outwardly i appear 'fine' but inwardly it is a (mild) battle which dh doesn't 'get', bless him, not his fault. his family have a history with mh issues (not him) and their way of dealing with it, is to ignore and pretend it isn't there. it stops me finding it easy to actually enjoy anything that a regular person would enjoy ie going on holiday. on the up side, when i am on an upper as i call it, i feel euphoric and enjoy the most basic thing that a regular person would take forgranted

[PollyPerky]

Hi Jeans

I'm sorry you are suffering but family members having uterine cancer is not a reason to avoid HRT.

I'm not a dr of course but I do know a lot about HRT through my own consultant and can assure you that (unless there are other factors) you could use HRT.

HRT is not linked to cancer of the uterus unless it is prescribed incorrectly ( ie oestrogen only for women with a uterus.)

Please go and see your GP ( and if they have said you can't have HRT, insist on a referral to a menopause specialist. You can also find a lot of advice on Menopause Matters and the consultant who runs the site will answer questions by email for £25 if you draw a blank at your own GP.

You can also ask your GP for help via CBT and counselling.

Do go and seek help!

[jeanswithatwist]

thanks for advise pollyp

[PollyPerky]

Jeans- some kinds of HRT such as those using the Mirena, may even protect against uterine cancer as they keep the uterine lining thin.

Also, using HRT that is continuous- ie no bleed- will keep your lining thin.

Out of interest, which members of your family have had uterine cancer? Has anyone suggested a genetic link?
It's usually caused by late menopause and in women who are overweight (both add to a higher risk.)

[jeanswithatwist]

hi pp, my grandmother died of it, my aunty and my mother both had it so doesn't get much closer than that. my mothers oncologist specifically said to keep away/make sure your daughters keep away from hrt so that is enough for me. upon another suggestion, i will go down the cbt path and have already sourced local support group and two therapists!! which has already helped me a bit mentally as i feel i am doing something positive. so far....i don't suffer from ie insomnia, hot flushes etc so def won't go down the hrt path and if i have to, i will seek out something different although nothing against hrt, if it wasn't for the close cancer connection i wouldn't have issues with it.

[PollyPerky]

You have absolutely nothing to lose by asking for a referral to a consultant and discussing this, rather than basing your choices on something one dr said.

HRT does not cause endometrial cancer.

Uterine cancer - or rather endometrial cancer- is highly curable if caught early. If you did want to use HRT then you would most likely have scans regularly to spot any early changes.

Anyway- whatever you choose, hope it helps you.