Never suffered with anxiety, nearly a year in on HRT its starting

[AlwaysPrettyOnTheInside]

I've never, ever suffered with anxiety so this is unusual for me. I'm 10 months into HRT so I 'm not sure its down to that. I have changed my vitamins, and might be taking a little bit too much b vits but will shortly be back on my usual ones, so I can see if it sorts itself out then.

If you never ever suffered with anxiety, but developed it after starting HRT, how did it start? what happened?

I've started to feel quite anxious about going out, or having things with deadlines that I need to do. Once i'm out, i'm fine, its just the anticipation of going out. I don't even know what I'm anxious about, I don't think i'll crash the car or anything, theres no particular thing i'm worried about.

TBH I think this might just be part of getting older.
I'm like this all the time, have been for years and just accept it. I feel it's just 'me'.
Been on HRT for years and years.

If it is, i need to do something about it, I can't live like this as an ongoing problem, and it getting worse

I've been on HRT a year now, I had a little bit of anxiety before I started it but the last month or so its been awful, I am going to the docs on Thursday so see if I can get my HRT increased as I can't carry on feeling like this

CBT is worth trying.
You can do online courses (free) or use a book like CBT for Dummies and follow the exercises.

It makes you face the anxiety and work through the emotions behind it.

It's also supposedly the first line of treatment GPs are supposed to offer before meds.

I don't want medication for it. I'm going to start getting up earlier and start exercising because that's fallen by the wayside recently.

@AlwaysPrettyOnTheInside Hi - Taking HRT can be a long road in finding the right balance for you. I have found i have needed to tweak it depending on how i am feeling. Are you on oestrogen and progesterone?

@Kat1122 I'm on a combined pill. It may just be because I was really stressed about a particular thing, I've been ok since yesterday morning. I will give it time and see, but I will be making an appointment with my GP soon about something else, and I want to speak to her about testosterone/libido as mine is through the floor.

@AlwaysPrettyOnTheInside If i get super stressed i find CBD patches take the edge off. You don't need to take them all the time, but worth having when things get overwhelming. The testosterone could be a good shout, i know a couple of women that take it, and say things have improved for them. It's worth exploring all avenues to see if it works for you.

What tablet form of HRT are you on?

Very few women are now using tablets, although Femoston is a good tablet form. Patches or gel are safer and more drs are prescribing these now.

Do you need your type or dose changing?

It's 1mg Estradiol and 0.5mg Norethisterone, the lowest dose available. The anxiety seems to have dropped off for now, I think it was linked to a specific thing that was really stressing me out. I'm more concerned about the libido aspect now.

I have had similar, I just saw the GP this morning as I feel that the HRT is taking the edge off the worst of it, but that I am still not right. I have other issues going on like an underactive thyroid so she has ordered a full range of blood tests to rule out anything else before upping my HRT.

Could be that if you're on the very minimum, you might need a wee bit more.

Yes I'm going to speak to her about going up a level, and incorporating testosterone. I've given it nearly a year on these ones.

Is it only testosterone that helps with libido? or would the next dose up make any difference to that?

I think to a certain amount when you are older life has kicked you more, you've usually experienced more loss and have teenage kids, elderly parents to worry about as well as getting older yourself. I do think HRT helps with mood more than anxiety, well it did me and that helps over all.

I find utrogestan (vaginally) helps with my libido.