Please help. Mental health issue or meno?

[cosmosforall]

Is anyone here with previous experience of mental health problems going through meno?

If so how did you tell the difference? And how did you manage - HRT / drugs / both?

What's happening?

How do you feel?

The guidance is that if it's new for you and coincides with a change in your periods and other peri symptoms, the treatment to try first is HRT. THis is in the NICE guidance.

and if it's not new for you, then what treatment have you had and did it not work?

Sorry forgot I had posted!!!! I'm on HRT 4 pumps and was doing ok. But never really got rid of low mood. Low mood is severe but feels different from previous episodes of depression. But could be depression?

Have asked for bloood test at gps to see what my oestrogen (?estriogen?) leavels are Incase I am not absorbing properly.

But gps say no, try a patch and perhaps antidepressants?

There is no difference between a patch and gel - both transdermal estrogen. The only reason to swap is personal preference for which you like.

Can you do some kind of assessment for your MH? There are quite a lot of these questionnaires online which you could try.

You could also look online at MIND and the helpful advice they have which includes lifestyle changes. A lot of evidence that daily exercise (especially in green spaces) can help mild to moderate depression as much as drugs. Are you able to link your low mood to anything in your life that makes you unhappy?

Following as I'm in a similar boat in that the MH issues I've had have only cropped up in the last few years (ie since 41) no idea what's hormones and what is not.

@Closterfack how you doing? What are your symptoms?

GP says whatever I need help so starting antidepressants today and changing to patch.

Dreading it really but can't really carry on doing the same thing.

So for me this all kicked off when I was 40, started getting bad anxiety out of nowhere. My GP gave me antidepressants (sertraline) which sent me a bit bonkers. Then I got pregnant and was fine throughout but got PND afterwards.

It only struck me a couple of years ago when I started getting the odd nightsweat and my periods started going awry (every 2 weeks for a while then the odd 40 day cycle) that hormones may have something to do with it.

I'm not on HRT tho considering it as I'm wondering whether my issues or hormonal or MH or maybe a bit of both?

Have you had your vitamin D levels checked? I hadn't realised I was chronically deficient - had a big impact on my energy levels and mood

How are you doing @cosmosforall?

@Closterfack not brilliant! But better than last week.

Have swapped to patches for HRT. But still having anxiety rush when I wake up, depression symptoms till about 3 and then normal me for the rest of the days.

I have a box of anti depressants sitting in front of me. Not sure wether to start or not!

What about you?

Sorry to hear that @cosmosforall

Have you heard of this Dr, she is the co-author of the peri menopausal solution. She did this live talk last night on Instagram which I found helpful - she did a demo of how to use the various HRTs and talks about low mood

www.instagram.com/tv/CYFEePvo9ky/?utm_medium=copy_link

I find that 'low mood' is not really a very good description for what I experience! For me it's either excruciating anxiety (which for some totally unknown reason is worst at ovulation) or crippling can't be bothered fatigue where I don't want to do or see anyone and every tiny thing is a huge effort...

That sounds awful @closterfack, really sorry to hear that. I think Dr Harper used the word depression, not low mood, although I can’t remember.

I’ve posted a new thread this morning with my symptoms and I also feel really anxious. So confused if it’s MH or perimenopause.

How are you both doing @Periperinotchicken and @cosmosforall?

I'm having a day of heightened anxiety, everything seems scary but for absolutely no reason. Going to try and go for a run later to see if I can shift it.

Are either of you taking antidepressants?

I've always had anxiety but the menopause has changed the nature of it a bit. Before my head and body were more in synch with the anxiety, in that if I was feeling calm my body didn't have any symptoms, since meno there'll be times my head can be quite calm but I can feel my body pumping out stress hormones!

Exercise helps and I take Centrum for Women 50+.

Sorry to hear that @Closterfack - I hope the run helped. I went for one this morning and I’ve been walking every day. Wishing you a calmer evening and a good night sleep.

I’m not on AD but taking herbs in a tincture - I’ll DM you them.

@HPFA yes my anxiety feels different too, not as you described but definitely different

Joining in here to say I could have written so many of these posts.

Out of nowhere this autumn I started to get anxiety off the scale of anything I've had before. Adrenaline surges in the morning and flat mood. I'm on HRT but it hasn't had an impact on my anxiety or mood really. I am now on beta blockers and amiltriptiline to help with sleep and pain (another story).

Not sure what the way out if it is? I'm barely leaving the house at the moment

@Closterfack I'm not on antidepressants although I have been prescribed them.

Had such awful depression and anxiety over Christmas it felt like I was having a breakdown. If my partner had not been around I do think that I would of hurt myself. I got these surges of anger and rage about feeling so low. So doc changed me to patches from gel and prescribed sertraline.

But I don't want to take the antidepressants until I'm sure it's not Peri related.

But the million dollar question is how do I tell????!!!!!!!

@feettothestars surges is such a good way of describing some of the symptoms.

How was the rest of your day?

Do you take vitamin D?
I found that even though I had the balance of HRT right, I was still experiencing low mood and frequent anxiety .
I keep a mood diary and since taking a high dose of vitamin D3 I am feeling better.

@cosmosforall hello, nice to have some company with this beast! I too am moving from gel to patch in some faint hope that I'm not absorbing the gel properly I don't think the meds I'm on are touching the sides of my physical anxiety really but like you I'd like to see if I can address this hormonally before I try something a little bit more robust AD wise.

Today I have done a bloody jigsaw (I say done, I have done the edges) which sox months ago me would have eye rolled at. But I'm trying to find things to stop me thinking about the anxiety as well as feeling it bodily. If that makes sense.

I am taking vitamin D and just about any other supplements known to man. Tried cbd gummies but they didn't do anything except leave a bad taste in my mouth. I actually work with people with anxiety so this is all a real ironic teaching.

@feettothestars I often dream about opening up a commune for meno women where we can all just sit around talking about our symptoms doing jigsaws, taking the waters or some other such Victorian feeling activity.

This was not me a year or two ago - oh how things have changed!!!!!

Vitamin D seems to be a pretty solid suggestion. How do you know what to take and how much?

I take a spray, it's easiest.

Well the commune sounds like exactly what I need! NONE of my same age friends are going through this. And blank over a bit really when I talk about it though they are supportive, i suspect they think that their experience when it comes will be fine. I also suspect some of them are very peri and haven't realised. So it can be a lonely game.

I am also grappling with Vag Atrophy and that is playing all kinds of havoc with my anxiety. Another thing I blissfully was unaware of this time last year.

Omg. The vag atrophy!! No one tells you. The creams / lotions / potions!!! The uncomfortableness, the loss of feeling like a woman etc etc

I consider myself a relatively well informed modern person, in charge of my health and choices. I knew nothing about the majority of meno!!!!

I am sorry that you know about it but also feel very comforted to not be alone! It all happened with a bang to me, the vag saga. I went from never thinking about it to being acutely aware of it and spending money on All The Products. None of which seem to be the elusive one that makes it all better. It feels like a well kept secret but really, I just think I'd had my hands over my ears thinking it would never happen to me!