Anxiety or perimenopause?

[velmadinkly]

I've had a bad bout of anxiety for the past 4-6 months and even though I've been back and forth to the gp about my periods and suspect Peri fir the past 18 months he said he thinks my supposed peri symptoms are more to do with anxiety.
I had bloods done October 2016 and they came back fine and no indication of perimenopause, but I was having flushes, irratability and erratic spotting. My cycles are never regular, but I average a 38 day cycle, but at the time if the bloods I had a 18 day cycle.
This last month, my anxiety has been the best it's been for ages, but I've had one of my longest cycles (44 days) with erratic spotting and generally it takes ages to get started and to finish. I found my anxiety was non existent this weekend and the horrible cloud lifted. My period started this morning.
Could this be perimenopause? I'm nearly 43. I know anxiety can affect cycles etc, but I'm sure some of the symptoms I get are hormone related, but I don't want to keep going to the GP, but I also don't want have to 'cope' with the symptoms and the anxiety if a bit of HRT will help.

Your hormones aren't right are they, otherwise your periods would be more regular than that. Is there another GP at the practice you could see? Otherwise ask your usual one for a checkup at the hospital, either gynae or endocrinology.

It's 2017 - you shouldn't be being fobbed off like this in this day and age.

My anxiety ok levels are reduced since starting hrt. I have just turned 50. My periods were still regular, no flushes but I just wasn't 'right'. The dr was reluctant but agreed on a trial. Hormones can indeed cause anxiety if they're out of whack. If I were you I would go back and ask to be put on a 2 month trial and see if it makes a difference.43 is certainly not too young to be in peri.

My periods started to become erratic last year and this marked an increase in anxiety. It can definitely be hormone/peri related. And anxiety is a vicious circle! I’m 46 and haven’t had a period since August, I’m in no doubt that whatever is going on with my hormones is affecting my mental state!

I think I'm going to go back and suggest a trial of HRT to see what happens. After my brilliant weekend the anxiety has been a little worse and I haven't come on yet like I thought. I had the spots of blood this morning, I've used my menstrual cup all day and there was nothing in It other than cervical mucus stained a bit brown, the usual 3 -4 days of it getting going then 3 days of bleeding then another 3 -4 days of spotting /brown blood. This will then stop for about a week and then the intermittent spotting will start and while all this is hapoening I'll have varying levels of anxiety ranging from a small amount of bubbling to full blown fear.

I just feel so 'not right' and disengaged with everything with an underlying bubbling of anxiety.

Trust your instincts, if this isn’t a normal level of anxiety and your period is acting up, there’s a very good chance it’s hormonal, and at your age, peri. You have both my sympathy and empathy, I’ve been on and off citalopram for anxiety for years and it’s really not touching the peri anxiety! I’ve trained myself to cope because I know its cause is definitely physical, I’m seeing a gynae next week and will be bending his ear about my treatment options! Def worth a chat with your doc. If you don’t want to go straight to HRT at this stage, there’s other, supplemental things you can try. I use a supplement called l-theanine that’s really good for anxiety. Maybe consider a good B-vit supplement too. I’m basically trying out whatever I think might help! X