Perimenopause anxiety - aargh!

[FortunataTagnips]

I’m 52 and have been feeling really weird for over a year now - palpitations, breathless, a bit lightheaded and “fizzy”, tight throat,
sense of impending doom, night sweats - which has made me very anxious. After loads of blood tests to rule out thyroid, diabetes, etc, my GP and I concluded that it’s probably perimenopause and I started HRT nearly a month ago.

I’m on 2 pumps of oestrogel in the morning and 200mg of utrogestan in the evening. So far, if anything, my symptoms are worse, and now I have the added health anxiety that my symptoms are a sign that the HRT has given me a blood clot or something.

How long before the HRT starts to work on my symptoms, if it’s going to? Should the anxiety have started to ease yet? I honestly feel as if I’m going mad.

Have you got a medication review? You may need to increase the oestrogen.

@DustyLee123 Nothing scheduled yet. Should I ask for one at this point or is it too early to expect to be feeling different?

Were your symptoms better then worse, or have they stayed the same?
What are you doing to address your anxiety?

My hrt doses are still being tweaked after a couple of years. I’ve just gone up from 2 pumps to 3. I get reviewed every 3 to 6 months.
I think that your hormones fluctuate a lot during peri, so it’s normal to require some adjustments.

@DustyLee123 My symptoms had improved a bit before I started HRT, in the sense that they weren’t making me feel so panicky. But having started HRT, my anxious brain is reinterpreting the symptoms as something new and sinister.
I’ve been on higher and higher doses of sertraline over the past year, which has made no difference at all. And intensive CBT, which helped me deal better with the physical symptoms.

Which symptoms are worse? The anxiety? Personally I found the gel just too much of a dose daily and flared up histamine symptoms but the patches are slower and I use just half a patch, maybe you do need a review and consider patches over gel to slow down the dose.

Yes, the anxiety is worse.

Though I suspect it’s psychological rather than an effect of the gel.

2 pumps isn't enough. Go back to the GP and ask to increase your dose. Turn it will work and you will feel better really quickly.

Did the gp test you B12 levels?

It’s a bitch being a female sometimes. All these fucking hormones. Anxiety is the worst so I hear you.
I had a partial hysterectomy six months ago. Not been right since . Perimenopausal too. Oh the joys .

Not a lot to offer from me other than a huge hug and handhold.

xx

@BananaSplitsss A big hug back to you. It sucks, doesn’t it?

@TheLurpackYears My B12 was bang in the middle of the normal range. The only thing that was a bit off was my T4, which is always slightly below where it apparently should be, but my GP didn’t seem concerned.

I would give it the full 3 months recommended to take effect. How are you taking the utrogestan? 200ml for 2 weeks of the month? Do you feel better or worse when you take them? X

I hear yah. Hysterectomy, awful anxiety...HRT, B12 injections, trying Fluvoxemine as I can't tolerate other ADs....and all considered 'mild' by my GP. Solidarity!

OP you are not taking 200mg ustrogen continosly are you? Should only be every 10-14 days. If not 100mg continuously.

Up to 3 pumps oestrogen.

@adriftabroad Yes, I was told
to take it continuously. Is that not right?

I’m not convinced my GP really knows what he’s doing - he seemed a bit vague about the Mirena coil and admitted that the practice menopause expert had just moved on.

Hoping wise MNers can help me work out what I should actually be taking!
I’m still having periods, though there was a 3-month gap between my current one and the previous. Up until then, I’d been very regular.
And I’ve been taking 200mg of progesterone daily for almost a month (plus the two pumps of oestrogen).
Would this explain why I’ve been feeling weirder than ever?

To be honest HRT may just not be for you. I'm a year in to my HRT journey - main symptoms are insomnia and anxiety. I've taken 2 different types of tablets at the highest dose, now on patches with estrogen recently increased and not one of these has made a jot of difference to any of my symptoms. It's quite soul destroying when you read other stories of overnight relief from symptoms. The HRT nurse has admitted they're running out of options and I've been referred to the menopause clinic. I have a GP appointment soon where I'm just going to request anti depressants. The question is whether I just stay on HRT because of the health benefits.

@Heatherbell1978 I’m so sorry you’re going through this shit, too. I hope you find something that works.

I am sure I am correct it is 100mg continuously or 200mg sequentially.

(I have done both) No wonder you feel like shit.

Is @jinglinghellsbells around?

I've been trying acupuncture for my perimenopausal anxiety. It really has helped. Is it something you'd be able to pursue?

@ChickenSoupAndLokshen That’s really interesting - at this stage, I’ll try anything! (In fact, chicken soup and lokshen might also help…)

@adriftabroad THANK YOU! I’ve just been on the phone to the pharmacy where I collected my
prescription and the absolutely
lovely pharmacist said you’re right. So no more progesterone for me for a week or so. I would never have twigged if you hadn’t mentioned. She said this could well explain why I’ve been feeling so weird.

I am so pleased OP!