is hrt the answer?

[battenburg100]

Hi everyone
I would be grateful on your thoughts and advice on this subject.
I can't work out if the anxiety and tearfulness and overwhelmed feeling I have had for the past year is down to menopause or simply a change in our work environment - and therefore whether HRT is the answer or leaving the job is the answer.
I have always been happy in my job, but the past year new management have come in and created such a toxic, horrific and punitive environment, that 50 per cent of our staff have left.
I have been struggling with working in this toxic environment and have been tearful and anxious and down, but cant work out if it is due to the menopause that I am not coping with the stresses of work or it is work itself - my outside life I have no real problems with so I am thinking it is work and not the menopause .But even in my outside life I talk non stop about work and even wake up thinking about it
I am nearly 54 so I am aware hormones might be playing a part in all this (though many of the staff that have left are way younger than me and obviously not menopausal)
I can't even tell if I have gone through the menopause or am going through it, as I am on the contraceptive mini pill which hasnt given me barely any periods since my late 30s and definitely no periods in my late 40s.
Im scared to stop my contraception just yet as I dont want to get pregnant, but I would have to stop it to be prescibed HRT.
Have any of you any negative side effects to HRT ? Is it worth me trying to see if I will be able to cope better with work if I take it ?
I definitely feel I am at a crossroads of losing my job as I have had to take so much time off due to stress. I am in education by the way - not sure if that helps!
Thank you

My own personal experience was that my anxiety, and the way I handled stress at work (NHS /Covid!), was greatly helped by HRT. No negative side effects at all.
Obviously it’s not a magic fix, and if your management are so awful then it’s likely that it would be a good idea to look for a new job anyway. Have you spoken to the Dr about your stress at work? Other medication may be helpful too.
Sorry things are so difficult for you at the moment, I hope they get better soon

Thank you so much for your thoughts and advice about this situation. I haven't talked to my doctor yet, but I feel as the new term is approaching and with the escalating toxic work environment , I may have to talk to him.
I dont want to let the kids down and I don't want work related stress on my record via a sick note and how it would look to a future employer, but I know my mental and physical health are being destroyed and how broken I feel, that I might have to choose me. and then deal with the consquences to my future career when that time comes,
Thats why Im wondering if maybe I take a magic hrt pill, everything might be alright......

If you’re menopausal (or pre or post menopausal) then HRT is very likely to improve all of that

So sorry you’re having so many problems OP. I’ve been on HRT for 5 years & it is an enormous help but it’s not a magic pill either 😊 as well as HRT, I started to exercise, lose weight & drink less. All of it helps. Definitely talk to your GP & see if you can try it

I found that HRT was brilliant at sorting out my anxiety due to waning hormone levels. I love my stressful job in the NHS, but could hardly face getting out of bed before I started taking it.
It is definitely worth talking to an understanding GP. Sometimes a practice may have a menopause specialist. Don't be fobbed off, you sometimes have to be a bit persistent and try a few different things. I think if you are worried about contraception then they can sort that too
Good luck

Could be both

I started HRT in November … and my anxiety, sleeplessness, mind fog etc are all much better.

Go see the Dr (and ask for the menopause specialist in the practice), they can do blood tests, see what’s happening with our hormones

I guess Im wondering have I gone through the menopause and so it might not even be in the equation, in regard to the blame for the exacerbating work stress?
But how will I know if I have gone through it,as my contraceptive pill hasnt given me periods for about 6 years?
I know at 47 I started to feel different - not getting joy from my usual fun things.
I had night sweats a year ago - at 52 and now they have gone .
The blood test doctors do for the menopause, as far as Im aware is not particularly reliable, so I dont know how much to blame the menopause for all this work stress and whether HRT would help me therefore to cope better with my job.
Is it still worth taking HRT AFTER the menopause?
At nearly 54 I should be through the menopause shouldn't I?

Tbh OP menopause is just the state of having a massive loss of oestrogen accompanied by progesterone & testosterone. In that way you’re never really ‘over’ menopause because the oestrogen & co will never come back. It’s now just the permanent state of your body and some women sail along and never really have any problems with that and some women really struggle