Menopause and major anxiety

[anaa1]

Hi, I’m SO hoping someone might have some words of wisdom for me. I feel I’m well into perimenopause- had just four periods last year and haven’t had a period since December. In general I’ve felt ok and now I laugh bitterly to think that I thought perhaps I would sail through menopause........oh dear god In the last week I have struggled with huge health anxiety triggered by a mole on my face that’s gone darker. That’s been the focus and the trigger. I came home from work last Monday as I was in such a state. I have arranged a Dr appt to talk HRT/how to manage menopause but in the week or so I still have to wait I just wondered if anyone had experienced/got through this type of anxiety. I’m crying a lot, waking anxious, utterly catastrophising. Dr I spoke to on phone who triaged me did prescribe propanonol for anxiety which I’m popping like a good’un but I am still getting these paroxysms of anxiety and tears.......thanks in advance for reading/help!

Yes, Anxiety is definitely a symptom! I have not had the extreme feelings that you are suffering from but I do get bouts of overwhelming anxiety which is awful and all consuming. It is calming down now but the hot flushes are taking over! Oh joy of joys.

Thespian, thank you so much, it's so kind of you to reply. It is really heartening to hear that others have this anxiety too. Awful and all consuming exactly describes it. Honestly, my labour was 50 hours long and awful but I'd rather do that again than have this anxiety!!!!!
I'm so glad it's taking over for you though sorry to hear about the flushes! I hope for you that they are a short lived phase. It helps to think that this might be a phase to pass through. Are you/have you thought of HRT? xx

not 'taking over' for you - meant to say calming down for you* !

The same here a year ago! I just couldn't recognize myself psychologically, crying, feeling suicidal, anxiety, brain fog and forgetfulness. Now on hrt back to normal, we don't need to suffer!

@Emerald13 thank you! It's so great to hear your experience (though so sorry it was so bad for you!) That gives me a lot of hope. I will stage a sit in at the GP surgery until they give me HRT when I go in next week I think What you say about not recognising yourself psychologically is exactly what I'm experiencing. I mean I have had the odd bout of health anxiety (it always presented that way) in the past, but it was not like this and was very short lasting. This is brutal. Thanks again so much for replying. It really helps. x

I am much better now I am on HRT. I resisted it for a long time. PollyPerky on here, and others, made me think it wasn't such a bad thing after all, and I was such a Menopausal Old Bag I thought it was worth a go.... Yoga and excercise have also helped me.

@SpongeBobJudgeyPants ( I really LOVE your name!) thanks so much. It's so good to hear from people about this. I definitely approached this thinking I would try to get through it naturally (hah!) but I now feel more than willing to take HRT and it is SO good to hear from people who find it's improved things for them. I'd take pretty much anything to get this obsessive anxiety gone. Thanks for posting x

Thanks, I like it I was hoping to go natural....until I got worse, and entered the surgery like Gollum, having had a hormonally induced row with the receptionist to get the appointment. All of which illustrated how I needed more than some kind of herbal supplement if I didn't want to be arrested :)

I had crying for no reason, proper snotting bawling. Sage advice from Polly perky & hrt sorted it out

anaa1

Yes, this is me. Last week I had a MAJOR episode and now that I am tracking my cycle, I can see a pattern. So this time last week I had a major spike in anxiety. I then started having terrible thoughts and couldn't sleep which made it worse. By Saturday I was on the brink of a major mental breakdown. I really do not want to repeat what was going through my mind but it was triggered by things I read and saw in the news. At one point I was crying in bed saying it may not be the menopause and perhaps I am just going insane. I spent 3 days researching and feeding the obsession. My DH was really supportive but he must have thought I was losing the plot. Anyway, on day 2 of this my period started and then the anxiety started to ease off. It took a few days to calm the chuff down and now I am like - WTF was that. I also started to take St. John's Wort and not sure if this is the reason, but feel like my old self now.

I made an appointment with a Menopause specialist for the end of this week. This has been building up for a year now. I did go a year ago to my GP and was fobbed off. They gave me Propranolol but I am really angry about that now. From what I have read it sounds like I have a significant drop in something just before my period and it badly affects me. Like PMS on speed. This has happened at least 3 times to me now. Giving me anti-anxiety med is just bollocks. I need to know what I am lacking and it needs balancing.

My advice to you OP is that you go see your GP but if you do not have this addressed properly you need to see someone who knows what they are talking about. I am going to pay £180 to see my Doc on Friday and I don't care because I never ever want to feel that way again. I was terrified. Treating menopausal anxiety and depression with AD's or Propranolol is not on and a fob off. The imbalance needs dealing with. I have other symptoms and a messed up cycle. They don't bother me. The anxiety and depression is my no. 1 concern.

hi, I had to join to thank you for posting this, this is me all over!! Im so sorry you are suffering with this, Ive been thinking Im going crazy too with anxiety and weeping at the drop of a spoon on the damn floor! Im 54, no signs at all, regular 28 day cycle but recently varying by a few days in either direction so guessing its finally arriving! My eldest is in 3rd year uni and youngest about to go in autumn, just the thought of him going has me in weeping floods (not when hes around of course) Yesterday I cried all morning worrying abut money then got to work and was left alone on department for an hour, got a queue of customers, the till roll died, refill box was empty and a 'funny' customer kept repeating 'oooh you've broken it!' OMG I actually burst into tears!! in front of queue and my just arrived dept manager! seriously thought I was going crazy, then I googled and read this, thank you all so much for making me understand whats going on!! xxx ps I even cried because the cat jumped down off my lap and wondered off, the rejection ... poor thing probably needed some peace!!! 😂

thanks so much for posting you guys! I can't tell you how helpful it is - and to know I'm not alone in this. It sounds so bad for you @clareangel and @SakuraBlossom! @Nellyphants thanks for posting - so good to know HRT helped you as well.
@SpongeBobJudgeyPants you do make me smile. the mental image of you entering the surgery like Gollum
To update you, I saw my GP yesterday, who was brilliant, very understanding and is prescribing HRT. Annoyingly my BP was very high (no shit Sherlock.....) but they're giving me a week for that to calm down and then hopefully I emerge from the surgery with the prescription in my hot little hand.
It was helpful that the GP wasn't dismissive and she didn't make me feel that having anxiety as my main presenting symptom was at all odd.
I feel better for having been to the GP so to anyone reading this who is struggling - go, and get that HRT!!!!

Glad you're on the way to getting something done Annaa. Let us know how it goes for you.

Thanks SpongeBob - I will update!

I am off for an appointment at a specialist this morning. Feeling really nervous as I really want to come out of it feeling that I know what is going on and how to handle it.

Wish me luck.

Good luck lovely! I need to man up and do the same, bloody hate going near doctors but all of your great advice has convinced me to go too, hope it goes well for you this morning! I too was laughing at the image of Gollum! 🤣

Just to update, I have been on HRT almost two weeks now, and though it’s early days I am already having the odd day here and there where I feel brighter and more energetic...anxiety is much more controlled, far better than it was. The NHS GPs were brilliant - I saw two in the end as had to go back after checking BP for a week. They were both helpful, supportive and understanding and the second GP (60ish, male) said that if he were a menopausal woman he would be straight on HRT!!

Glad the HRT is working and hopefully you can gradually reduce and come off the propanolol. Whjat is it with these doctors that they dish out heart meds (beta-blockers) and ADs for women who have healthy hearts and are not depressed. It is shocking! Btw I cried buckets in peri-menopause and even before - when I had no idea why I was crying! Just let the tears fall - they do not need medicating and do not mean you are going mad or anything like that - just somewhat hormonal - extreme fluctuations!

Thanks Bella. Sorry I am so lax updating on here, am out of the Mumsnet habit! Almost a month now and I am SO much better. Anxiety almost non existent, and I’m sleeping more deeply than I have in YEARS. Bloody hoorah for HRT!!!

I have not long started HRT and i can feel my mood lifting even in a short space of time my mood was terrible the anxiety and paranoia was frightening. I explained all this to the nurse I saw she had no qualms prescribing meit whereas before the Gp wouldn't

So glad you’re feeling a bit better already MrsJayy! Agree re the anxiety, mine was out of control - I left work at 11am and couldn’t return for two weeks, and that was really out of the blue. Horrible to feel so out of control. Glad you’ve got your HRT, hope all continues well for you!

And you It was such a relief to be listened too and hopefully It will just get better and better. My aunt was hospitalised and diagnosed with a mental illness and she always said it was due to the menopause back then women who were still having periods were not really listened too by hcp.