I’m so anxious

[Reachingforchocolate]

Hello, I’m 52. I wonder if anyone has any advice? I’m four weeks in to my second attempt at HRT. First time I was on utrogestan and patches. I had to stop after three months as I felt so ill, so nauseous I could barely eat. This time I’m on gel, two pumps, and utrogestan. I feel so anxious. I’m crying constantly. I feel so depressed. I’m actually struggling to see any point in carrying on to be honest. I’ve never felt so low.

Could you ask your GP for antidepressants?

I’m so embarrassed of myself. I’ve spent the entire weekend in tears. My poor DH trying to comfort me. My teenage DCs trying to help but to no avail. I don’t know if it’s the HRT but I feel so wretched. I’ve had depression before but this right now is overwhelming. I just don’t know what to do😥

Find an alternative to utrogestan.

I live on a busy A road where the national speed limit becomes 30mph. I honestly thought long and hard about jumping out from our hedge into the path of a lorry when I was on Utro..

Switched to the coil and crying stopped and suicidal thoughts stopped.

Also OP i wanted to say please be kind to yourself. None of my family much cared, I spent a lot of weekends walking the dog and crying on my own.

It can get better.

My GP was lovely although suggested CBT which was Not the answer.

Did you start 2 pumps right away, might be you need to start low and slow, like half a pump and build up. Also it could be the utrogestrone, hard to tell. Its so horrible not knowing what is or isnt helping.

Thank you for replying. Honestly, I can say I’ve never felt so bad. I’ve suddenly lost interest in everything and I am not eating. Dh took me out for a coffee yesterday to try to lift my spirits and I just sat there with my hands over my face sobbing quietly. I’m filing up just thinking about it. I was so embarrassed. I don’t know what’s happened to me, I’ve completely fallen apart.

Please speak to your doctor. They can deffo help x

I previously tried the patches but they made me feel very nauseous so I’m trying the gel. Started off with one pump now on two mainly because of the night sweats. I had the mirena coil years ago for periods. Had lots of friends who swore by it. For me it was awful, no end of side effects. Had to beg to get it removed after seven months. 😞

Night sweats sound preferable to what you're going through and they do stop eventually!

That’s what I’m thinking too.

Sorry you feel like this OP. I'm going through similar. I'm on HRT and have also been prescribed Fluoxetine which has really helped with my anxiety, something I'd never experienced until menopause. I still don't feel like me. Luckily I don't have a husband or partner now as I don't think I could cope with one!

Speak to your GP x

HRT didn't work for me as I'm so intolerant to any progesterone. It doesn't suit everyone

It’s the Utrogestan probably - enquire into the combined patches.

One week on Utrogestan was enough for me - I felt like absolute hell.

Which gel are you using @Reachingforchocolate ?

Perhaps think about taking anti-depressants, depending what symptoms you were trying to solve in the first place, I did not get on with the HRT I tried (and I tried three different combos), and eventually have done well on Effexor, which is the brand name of venlafaxine. It is used for hot flushes off -label and I have found I have none now, and my depression/anxiety is much better, I also felt bonkers at one time. It's important to talk it through with a dr though, as this isn't the nicest med to withdraw off I understand, I haven't tried to do that, but I feel I should mention it. I have no intention of coming off it right now though!

I know that prescribing HRT for menopause anxiety is the first line treatment, but it didn't work for me and it's good to know there are other options.

Thank you for sharing your experiences everyone. I think it’s the utrogestan as my symptoms started pretty much on the day I started taking it. This was also was the day DS went back to uni so I thought it might be the empty nest at first. Is anyone not just not taking HRT ? My GP was heavily in favour of it and quite persuasive but if this is way it’s going to be for me, I just can’t do it.

Estrogel

Try antidepressants. I was menopausal and sitting crying when my son left home. Couldn’t seem to pull myself together. Dr prescribed citalopram and I’ve never been better x

I am not on HRT and many of my friends are not on HRT, but a few are. I would not go back on HRT even if I came off the anti-depressants as the oestrogen didn't suit me (perhaps due to latent endometriosis) and I also felt bloated and nauseous like a giant hot air balloon, so nope, I don't need that. I have friends that swear by it though, so it does seem very individual.

Ah. There's a whole thread about oestrogel if you want to check it out, lots and lots of women saying that the new packaging version of oestrogel has made them feel exactly like you do. So you aren't alone. I have gone cold turkey because I couldn't handle the anxiety and general sense of impending doom it caused. I do feel more normal now.

I really struggled with Utrogestan. It made me so tearful and sad every cycle. I now take Provera which is a synthetic progesterone and I'm a lot better on this. Sometimes I feel like stopping the HRT altogether but then I get worried other things going wrong due to lack of oestrogen.

Hi OP
I am on patches
i too suffered terrible nausea for about 3 weeks but I cut my patches in half and it cured the nausea almost overnight - I am back to using the whole patch now after 3 months with no nausea

I too have had terrible menopause anxiety and felt almost crazy at times. My Dr prescribed me Propanadol. They deal with the physical elements of anxiety and can be taken when needed - you don’t have to take them every day.
if I wake up in the morning feeling anxious I’ll take one or 2 and it does the trick!

It’s reassuring to know that some people aren’t doing HRT. Don’t get me wrong it’s great if it works. Everyone I know seems to be on it.

To be honest I was struggling with night sweats and was a grumpy cow which DH bore brunt of so I tried HRT for his sake and because my GP said it was marvellous.

Could you try adjusting the dosage to see what works? I was told to start on one pump, then increase to two if I needed to. Three was far too much for me. It seems to be a case of trial and error until you find what works for you. If this isn't working for you, ask your GP or nurse for support in changing it if you can. It's horrible having out of control emotions.

Utrogestan did that to me. It was awful. I’m on the combined patch now & so much better.