Help please! Is it peri or Pnd or both

[Sunnyscot80]

I am feeling desperate and could really do with some advice.

Ive been unwell mentally for about 15 months.

My symptoms are severe
anxiety and sleep issues (waking very early with major anxiety/panic feelings of dread), never feeling relaxed or tired. Just aggitsted and wired /restless.
Derealization, panic attacks etc.

This started over a year ago when I stopped breastfeeding my second child. I was 41 at the time.

I always feel worse and experience crashes of crying and very low thoughts around my period.

Hormone tests show lower progesterone
, high estrogen. Apparently these fluctuations are typical of peri.

After trying mirtazapine for 9 months which made me very unwell, I saw a private menopause doctor who has prescribed body identical hrt for perimenopause.

It's one spray of estrogen per day and then progesterone pessaries mid cycle for 12 nights.

Wondering if anyone else has used hrt for hormone disruptions after a baby /breastfeeding /peri? Does this sound like peri or more depression?

I'm two days in to the hrt and feel even more aggitsted, anxious and very restless, tearful, generally bonkers. Is this normal? Does this feeling pass? I've been in such a bad place I'm not sure I can deal with it.

I also wondered about using just the progesterone (vaginally) as I believe this can be good for anxiety and insomnia.

Sorry for long post. I'm so confused and looking for advice from the wise women on this board xx

Sorry to hear... I imagine it's too soon for the HRT to have kicked in. What did the dr say? Can you have a follow-up?

How old was your DC when you stopped breastfeeding OP? How’s your and DC’s sleep?

@TheVanguardSix she was 4 months when I stopped, over a year ago. When I stopped feeding her I changed over night. It was like I had a breakdown. I was full of adrenaline experiencing Derealization(all the time) , severe anxiety, couldn't go outside, total insomnia. Highly aggitsted.
My dd sleeps very well. I don't! I sleep better than at the start of this but still wake v early with waves of dread/panic feeling before I open my eyes.
I can't nap any more. Just full of nervous energy.

Oh sorry to hear, that sounds incredibly tough. Have you tried any other anti-anxiety meds??

@bluejelly thank you, it is. Its been the hardest experience of my life
I just want balance back.

I tried setraline for 7 weeks and it sent me through the roof, even more aggitated. Then the mirt I mentioned above. I most recently tried escitalopram but lasted a week! I can't tolerate ssri's as they all seem to make the aggitation worse 😔

Sorry things are so difficult doesn’t sound like the HRT is helping either.

Have you had any other bloods checked? Thyroid?

That certainly sounds like my perimenopause symptoms OP, and no breastfeeding here. You poor soul, with young kids as well you must be exhausted. Give it a good couple of months - that's the standard advice I'm afraid. A lot of women see benefits in 2 weeks though..

@Summerhillsquare thank you. Were your peri symptoms as severe as this? I felt like I had a full breakdown when I stopped breastfeeding and my hormones went crazy. And no gp was wiling to even accept it could be related to peri.
I think the estrogen is actually taking the edge off my panic feelings a little , but I've a long way to go with all the other symptoms. It's very early days.
I don't really feel tired as it's like I've got lots of nervous energy all the time. Hyper alert. It's horrid. I am really hoping the progesterone part might bring some calm.. And sleep 🤞 gp wants me to consider venlafaxine as well but im pretty terrified of antidepressants after my experience so far!
X

@MildreadRatched thank you lovely. Yeah all thyroid tests completely fine. Had it tested a few times now xx

@Summerhillsquare I still wake up every morning to a panic /awful dread / adrenaline feeling. It starts in my sleep and leaves me feeling scared, shaky, heart thumping. Did you have anything like that?

Not quite as severe as yours, but the 3am waking to panic, sweating, heart thumping definitely. The general dread permeates through the day, even now. I have other classic peri symptoms, a sudden change in my cycle, aching joints, skin problems and so on.

I had bad PMS all my life, this is PMS on steroids as I try and joke about it. Hormones are a bugger, no two ways about it.

They really shouldn't prescribe you anti depressants if its peri, look up the NICE guidelines.

@Summerhillsquare it's awful isn't it. Have you tried hrt?

@Summerhillsquare I think because this happened to me after breastfeeding/having a baby, the doctors just won't budge on Pnd. I've had to go private for my hrt treatment.
I would take an antidepressant if I thought it would get rid of this god awful dread feeling 😭 I know there's ladies on here who have found venlafaxine helpful for pmdd and menopause. I'll try and give the hrt time though. You think a month?

And hrt seems to be making me feel more anxious today!!

Yes, taking HRT. The first couple of weeks saw some benefit but it's fluctuated since then, I have only recently started on gel.

@Summerhillsquare do you take progesterone with it too?

I'm just a week into estrogen spray and feeling worse/more tearful and depressed . Hoping this settles.

Hi! I know this is an old post but did this get better for you?!