My anxiety is it linked to hormones ??

[pamplemoussee]

I feel like I do quite well the first 2 weeks of my menstrual cycle and feel pretty positive about life, then the second 2 weeks before my period everything spirals I get anxiety I completely lose all tolerance for things I'm irritable low mood and probably just awful to be around. Then after my period starts I pick up again. I think the anxiety is always there but ... it just feels like something is wrong with me - are my hormones have such a huge impact ?? I think I fixate on things too like things trigger me like the house being a mess
I've always had anxiety. I got postnatal anxiety depression and that's the first time I took medication but gradually came off that as I felt better
I feel like at the moment I can't employ many coping strategies or do things for myself that would actually help as I'm really just thinly stretched too. I feel like I'm letting my family down really as it probably is like a rollercoaster living with me
I'm not sure what I'm asking but has anyone ever felt similar or any thing that helped you? Thanks

Yes.

I have an official diagnosis of PMDD since my mid 30s. Been on citalopram since then. I can't take hormonal contraception at all as it gets worse! I am now 45 and on HRT which has actually helped a lot.

My symptoms have been utter rage to sobbing wreck to numb and suicidal thoughts.

Hormones are strange.

Sorry meant to add anxiety is a other PMDD symptom. I'd suggest looking it up.

*Another

I've found this since having my second daughter. Currently trying the pill to see if it helps smooth things out a bit but too early to tell..

Thanks yes the sobbing wreck and utter rage resonates ... and just like over relatively small things and I have no control over it
Thankyou I will look that up

Yes. We are completely driven by our hormones. You might find Professor John Studd's work in this area interesting: www.studd.co.uk/dep_pms.php

So often, women struggling with hormone-driven depression / anxiety are sent away from their doctor with antidepressants, when what we need is hormone-led intervention. There is still far too little will to understand any of this. Makes my fecking blood boil.

Yes, I've felt similar since having my second child too. I have always been fairly 'level', with no major PMT symptoms. Now I feel very anxious and upset in the week leading up to menstruation and then I level back out. It's pretty awful, my rational mind knows it's 'hormones' but I slip into a weird mindset. I don't want to go on hormonal contraceptives, and I'm loath to try any other medications as it's not all the time.

@countrypunk thanks for that link it's v interesting that it mentions libido too I completely lost my libido !!! It's like it never came back after having my DS

I am EXACTLY like this since having my daughter. Happy, energetic, positive from period to ovulation then full of rage, suicidal, can barely bring myself to do anything, keep bursting into tears. I hate it. I've been on antidepressants before and not keen to go on them again, hormonal contraceptives make me worse. I've just started taking Agnus Castus and praying it will help.

Yes definitely. I laugh when people say they were crazy and hormonal when they were pregnant because it's the only time my hormones have been stable and I've never been so sane!

I could have written this OP. This is exactly how I feel today and I can predict it coming based on my cycle. Im normally quite level headed and cope with a decent amount of stress. When I feel like this I go from feeling like the worst person in the world to angry at everyone and everything in the space of 30 seconds. It's very frustrating and upsetting. I know in my mind it's my hormones and I have to grin and bear it for a week or so, but it's not getting any easier. Hoping someone will come along with some useful suggestions because I don't want to go down the medication route, not for one week out of every four anyway.

I'm sorry you're all going through it too though I do feel abit less alone so Thankyou so much for your replies !!

I would take meds if it would help I'm just hoping to have another DC so ideally don't want to start meds at the moment though when I'm feeling bad like today I think why am I even considering another child I can't inflict this on any one else ! I even wondered if I'm going through early menopause or something as it just feels so extreme before getting my period

I think I could do with doing more exercise get some endorphins flowing might help??but again it's just capacity to do that I'm stretched thin v thin with work and then with my DS and everything else

Could you get a coil?
Failing that st John's wort for low mood - my husband takes it actually even though its mainly marketed for women. It makes a noticeable difference for him.

It's also worth a general check up - bloodwork. I get like this when I am low in iron or folates, plus once when my thyroid was starting to struggle.
I've been great since HRT so it was hormonal but I think it was worse when I was physically weak in other ways

Yes this exactly
I feel so bad after too and beat myself up so much if emotions have taken over me
I feel awful for my DH sometimes he triggers my anxieties abit and he gets the worst of it sometimes, it makes me feel such a bad person, like he would be better off with someone else but I suppose luckily he doesn't feel that way. all this rage or upset kind of pours out of me and I feel terrible after for not controlling it better

I have just managed to book a phone appt with GP today which was v lucky !
I can let you know what they say

How did it go @pamplemoussee

The GP was nice thanks

He's doing a blood test incase any thyroid problem but he said that's unlikely

He agreed with what was said earlier in the thread and that some women unfortunately really suffer terribly linked to their cycle. He said ways of treatment would be
-contraceptive
-or SSRI antidepressant

I do think the antidepressant would actually help as it did help with my postnatal anxiety but I'm going to just try some exercise over next couple of months and see how that goes ?? Just with potentially TTC I would rather not take anything but then I don't want this getting worse for everyone's sake !!

Maybe we can keep chipping in on this thread if we find anything that does help

Hey OP any positive updates?