AIBU to ask if you find anxiety changes with your hormones?

[BartiRum]

I am feeling incredibly anxious the last two days, I’ve noticed this seems to happen at a certain point in my cycle the last few months.
Has anyone else experienced this? I’ve only been off hormonal contraception about eight months, so feeling the ups and downs quite severely after not having cycles for many many years.
If hormones are the reason, anyone know what I can do about it?
thanks

In my experience, everything changes with hormones.

Yes, absolutely. Two or three days before my period, I get plagued by intrusive thoughts when I am drifting off to sleep. Always about completely innocuous situations that I'm facing that my hormonal brain magically transforms into absolutely insurmountable dilemmas.

This will be things like "Oh God, Baby, you've got a doctors appointment at 11am tomorrow and you're planning on catch the bus at 10.30am. What if the bus doesn't come? And then your can't get an uber? What if you're just on time but the doctor is running early and you miss your slot? What if you wear your pale pink trainers but it rains?" Stupid brain!

No suggestions for how to deal with it - just recognition of when it's happening, let it happen and look forward to laughing at yourself about it later.

Cant speak for others but 100% - especially when i came off the pill and opted for the copper coil so no extra hormones.

im anxious, and stressed then get snappy and cry then like 2-3 days later im like “ohhh makes sense” - i track my period and have been for a while (namely so im able to make plans around it where possible so im not all crampy and feel gross) but it could be a way to check and log the symptoms, flos an app and on the free version you can track your moods too.

Yes definitely. My anxiety really increased when I went on the Kyleena coil (unfortunately as it was great otherwise) and perimenopause can bring anxiety with it

Yes I suffer with this around my period and also almost uncontrollable rage. My GP has said that you can take antidepressants only at a certain point in your cycle just to stop these PMS symptoms. For some reason you don't need to take antidepressants the whole month and they will still reduce these symptoms. But obviously this should be done under the guidance of GP. I'm considering it.

Thank you all, this does reassure me.
I have points where I seriously question every life decision I’ve ever made, and feel helpless that I can’t change them.
I used to be so confident, I can’t understand how I got to this place.

I have been plagued with this for many years also but found adding both kefir and green leafy veg to my diet (daily) has helped to significantly lessen symptoms.

Yes, a big part of my pms. I'm on medication for anxiety anyway, but it really steps up a gear about a week before I'm due on.
I have PCOS too, so everything is all over the place.

I find a lot chances with hormones.

I don't get anxiety but I'm definitely a lot less patient & easily annoyed so have to be conscious of it.

I also seem to lose my ability to parallel park easily & my sense of direction is terrible in the 3 days before my period. It's like my spacial awareness gets wonky or something & it takes me twice as long.

Yes this is a known thing. for most the worst is the week before the period and a few days in. My anxiety is SO BAD I know when my period is coming without checking the diary. I take fluoxetine which helps only slightly .

Yes- I was getting such terrible anxiety around/before my period that I couldn’t drive my car, couldn’t go out with dc, awful. I ended up on HRT and it’s pretty much gone. I also get palpitations and they were also heightened in the week before my period and also when I ovulate. They have half gone, they aren’t anywhere near as bad as they were. The combination of anxious/intrusive thoughts and heart palpitations was terrible, I thought I was dying every month.

I have pmdd, which triggers severe anxiety in the luteal phase which is the week before the period starts.

Very much so. On becoming menopausal I was so anxious I could hardly function. HRT has helped, but not cured this.

Exercise, magnesium, CBD have also helped.

Yes, I had cycles of anxiety, stress, rage and then a giddy-like relief (from the 2nd day of menstruation) during my menstrual cycle.

Although I'm now pregnant and feel the most stable I have done since puberty. Had about 2 teary spells that lasted a couple of hours at beginning of second trimester.
Other than that generally really happy, feeling resilient and content, not irritable or worried at all so God knows what that is about.

Yes, it was actually a work colleague who noticed with me. I suffer from anxiety, but it has been pretty good of late, but the few days before I'm due on I can get very anxious.

Yes, hormones make me very anxious and moody etc. I'm now peri and although I'm getting different symptoms my anxiety is more level than i think it's ever been!

Yep. It’s very normal. Tracking your period is very helpful so you know when to expect the moods! And you can cut yourself a bit of slack.

Yes I have absolutely noticed this over the last few years since I have been off the pill. I have a week where my anxiety is worse than normal.

Of course. That's why so many women have such horrible issues with anxiety and panic attacks during peri-menopause.

Oh yes. And specifically, before the big M I used to get utterly PARANOID the couple of days before my period. Eventually I realised what was going on and used to shut myself up with a cup of tea and a packet of chocolate biscuits.

I was told this too, but when I asked how that works, as it seems to conflict with what we're told about the antidepressants taking a few weeks to begin to work and also with the bad side effects of stopping them suddenly, the GP didn't know, so I decided not to risk it.

100% I think this is true
I can tell I'm due on as my mood alters including anxiety before I get any other symptoms

Yup! Same here. I get really low too and then it disappears. I've learnt to recognise it and just manage it. Usually by having a quiet a day as I can, or keeping so busy that I can't dwell on things. It's difficult to find the energy though.

@SushiSuave and @Mrbumpssmile I take citalopram just in the run up to my period for PMDD and it works so well, I can come on and off it with no problems/side effects. It's been a game changer for me. It keeps me 'level' and feeling like me all month, rather than the severe rage, brain fog, anxiety, binge eating and lack of motivation I usually feel before my period.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/treating-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder

I pay for the moody app for this exact reason - so I can understand and explain why ‘for some reason’ I feel dreadful during the month - worst for me is when progesterone at highest levels. It’s about £3 a month and I know I could track it myself but I never would so it’s money well spent for me