Hit 40 & anxiety has gone through the roof

[VinoVeritas1]

I don’t know what’s happened to me this year. I feel knackered all the time, even when I get a good night’s sleep I still feel washed out. I’m juggling kids, a full time job and I’m just exhausted. But I have also noticed an increase in general feelings of anxiety/being overwhelmed. It’s almost like I’m waiting for something bad to happen and I can’t let myself relax. Anyone else had this as they hit 40 or thereabouts? Or is it just life??!!!

Peri menopause?

Classic peri menopause symptoms

I am in exactly the same boat. I've been told by many friends that it's peri-menopause and to investigate magnesium to help with the anxiety symptoms.

It's incredibly overwhelming some days, so much so that I've had to confide in my boss after having an anxiety induced meltdown at work.

It's menopause.
I'm currently convinced I'm going to prison for (only maybe) messing up my tax credits 🙄.

Isn't perimenopause fun 😭 42 and I'm struggling badly with anxiety. Going to get hold of some magnesium if it will help me.

I am much older than you and would like to reassure you that you will get back to a version of yourself you recognise and can live with, but peri and menopause is a serious reset for most women.

Have a chat with your GP. Classic peri menopause symptoms.
Magnesium might help, you can get a skin spray that has lavender in so you can spray it on before bed so it aids sleep. Bachs rescue remedy on the tongue helps when anxiety gets bad. Acupuncture helped me when I had it but hrt was a game changer. Anxiety lifted overnight

I agree this is classic peri menopause. I'm on HRT now at 44 and feel much better.

I have had this since 39, some days I genuinely feel like there is a black cloud of doom over me, this awful ominous dread. I was having almost constant palpitations which have now stopped since taking magnesium but the anxiety is still there. I’m now 40 and will be fighting my gp for support for perimenopause now I’m “old enough”. I read Davina’s menopause book and it made me cry with relief because I genuinely thought I was going insane.

This is really interesting. I'm 39 and have all of these symptoms and I don't even have a full time job! I have a three year old, work part time for myself and most days feel like I'm ready to go to sleep at 7pm. I also feel low and generally run down, lots of weird hormonal stuff going on, it's like I could have written your post. I hadn't considered peri (I think I maybe did a little while ago but then presumed late 30s would be too young)

Check out Dr Louise newson. She's all over the media/TV. Watch davina mcall's 2 programs relating to menopause; eye opening. Menopause Matters website too. Please read up on it as much as you can; there is so much info available and chat to your GP, see what options are available for you.

I will be 65 next month. Come off all social media for at least 2 weeks. See if you feel differently.

You have exactly described how peri menopause hit me like tonne of bricks. 7 sodding years I tried everything to stop the constant worrying and anxiety. All I got for my pains was an addiction to xanax.

Going on anti depressants after Covid helped. But then the peri took it up a notch.

Been on HRT for a few months. The good news is it’s working really well for me, head and body wise I’m mostly back to who I was before it all went bent. The bad news is, I’m not getting those lost years back. And that’s annoying as hell. I genuinely had no idea it was peri. I was expecting hot flushes and missed periods. Not a personality transplant.

Have you genuinely not considered/ investigated peri meno op?

I was 41 last year and experienced the most crippling anxiety, full fight or flight mode for days and days on end. Waking in the middle of the night sweating with anxiety. Making up awful scenarios in my head, it was horrible.

I tried all the self help stuff but nothing really worked. Ended up seeing GP. I now take a low dose of escitaloprám and it's worked wonders.

Oh my god, this is a revelation to me. I am nearly 42 and have never felt anxiety like it. I can mostly mask it, but the worries and thoughts going through my head are crippling some days and it is exhausting!

I would say its been creeping up for a year or 2 now but never once thought it could be menopausal. I will keep an eye on it but op you are not alone.

I'm 43 and have just started showing signs of peri menopause. It's scary.

The occasional hot flash, not sleeping, struggling to motivate myself, then the brain fog is awful. I forget really obvious things like when someone asked how old I was - I just couldn't remember! It was weird!

Your symptoms sound very perimenopausal so I'd go see a doctor!