Please help - debilitating anxiety in perimenopause

[PopRay80]

Morning ladies. I’m 43 and going through this horrendous perimenopause. I feel like it’s ruining my life 😢
I’ve never had anxiety before but this was one of the symptoms that made me go to the GP to ask for HRT as I knew it was hormonal.
I’ve been off work for about 3 weeks now and don’t know how I am supposed to work with such crippling anxiety and tiredness.
I wake up at around 4am every morning and the anxiety hits. I have a really tight chest and my brain is in overdrive.
I have been on HRT (gel and utrogestan) for around 10 days (prior to that I was on Evorel Sequi patches for 2.5 weeks, which made me feel worse) and desperately want to know if anyone can tell me if this will help with this debilitating anxiety??
Please let me know if HRT will help with anxiety as I’m desperate.
I’m SO unhappy right now and can’t cope with this 😢

What HRT are you on?
Have you stopped alcohol and caffeine?
What supplements are you on?

It can help, but takes longer than you would like. Are you on any other medication for anxiety symptoms? It might help to have propranolol or some AD to take the edge off whilst waiting for the HRT to help.

How long does HRT take to stop anxiety? Mood changes associated with menopause should improve or go away within 3 months of treatment. If you had anxiety before menopause, HRT may not make anxiety go away. You might need another treatment for anxiety, such as talking therapy.

Hi. Thanks for your replies. I’m on 2 pumps of oestrogel daily and utrogestan (2 capsules) on days 15-26.
I take magnesium (1000mg), vitamin D and 1 CBD gummy. No idea if any of them help!
I have an appointment with my GP on Tuesday so will see what she suggests - waiting to see if HRT helps or putting me on AD.
I have cut out all alcohol, made improvements to my diet and exercising more (this definitely helps with the tight chest).
Thank you for reading and replying. I have been so low lately 😔

Keep a little symptom diary and see if you’re worse around the progesterone days. If so, consider the mirena coil instead

And the GP can add in another 2 pumps yet, so don’t despair, give it time to settle.

Hrt didn’t do much for me so I’ve resorted to antidepressants.

It won’t help but really bad anxiety is very common with the menopause and believe me, you are not alone.

Only other thing I can suggest is plenty of self care, and using meditation, mindfulness, breath work, grounding techniques. Stop and notice 4 things you can see, 3 you can hear, 2 you can touch, 1 you can taste.

Best of luck

Thank you. I guess it’s trial and error.
I have been journaling and also keeping a diary of food, exercise, mood and sleep to see how things change.

It can take 3 months to have any effect so stick with it x

My anxiety was much worse around progesterone days...the mirena has smoothed it out.

It does take a little while for hrt to start working I think. And a bit of trial and error.

If it helps I've had to cone off hrt in mid 50s for various reasons and was really worried the anxiety might come back. It hasn't. So this might not ve with you for ever.

Thank you. I do wonder if the progesterone is making it worse.
I was on Evorel Sequi and when I put the progesterone patch on, I was awful. Didn’t sleep and suicidal.
my GP had not heard of progesterone intolerance so had to educate her!
I’m also on mini pill (synthetic progesterone only) so wondering if too much progesterone for me.
GP put me on body identical progesterone (utrogestan) as she said coil appointments are weeks away!!
Thanks for your advice.

Second and third the mirena coil for progesterone. I am highly progesterone intolerant. This has worked amazingly for me. Plus testosterone.

A year ago I was sobbing and all over the show using utrogestan.

A year later I'm on much more of an even keel.

I was put on HRT for peri anxiety. It didn't work fast enough so put on Mirtazapine which has been the miracle I needed. I think a combination of HRT and Mirtazapine for me has been the perfect combo

That sounds like a lot of hormones. The first hrt I went on was qlaira which is all so birth control ..

it’s supposed to be better for hormone sensitive people.

I’m just having an awful time of it right now 😔
I went to bed at 10:30pm last night and awake at 2:30am and then that was it. I’ve been awake ALL night.
I walked 20,000 steps yesterday so was expecting to be tired but it’s not helped at all.
I don’t know if there is a light at the end of this tunnel 😢

Call your GP tomorrow morning and get some anti anxiety medication. Honestly it is a game changer. You poor thing. I have been where you are. And it does get better but you just need some meds and help x

Have you had any counselling/CBT or looked into breathing techniques/meditation? Something to help you in the mean time.
Ive been known to have the occasional night of taking an antihistamine or Night Nurse when I’ve needed to sleep.

I didn't realise but the Oestrogen I was taking was making my anxiety and insomnia worse. It also gave me cystic breasts (according to the consultant who scanned me). When I came off HRT and took an anti depressant it was much better.

You’re not alone, although it can feel that way, particularly feels horrendous overnight and into the early hours. There’s been times I sat outside at 3am taking deep breaths and wondering if I was losing my mind. Personally, I absolutely spiralled on HRT, due to a progesterone intolerance same as other posters on here. If you’re already feeling worse than you did before the HRT, you probably need to adjust it so you can get through each day. The advice to do 3 months before adjusting is just too hard if it’s not right for you. Hope you can easily get back to GP and make some changes, if that’s what you feel you need.

Hrt completely sorted out my (never experienced before) perimenopause crushing anxiety.
It was quite quick for me luckily and the first thing I tried worked (patches). My friend on the other hand also got the improvements needed but had to tinker with the dose and methods quite a bit before she found which worked for her.

So I'd say, hold on in there, you'll get there. Keep taking to your doctor about what's happening so you can work to get things right...

I would recommend antidepressants. It worked for me. A combination of AD and HRT along with supplements and exercise have helped tremendously. Anxiety is a bastards it stops you living and exhausts you at the same time.

Thank you so much for your message. I have a telephone appointment on Tuesday so will be requesting anxiety medication. I like hearing positive responses like yours as I feel there is no end to this, when there obviously is.

I literally wanted to die at points the anxiety was surging through all parts on my body. I have found nose breathing helped to a point whilst in the heaviness of it all but it really is so debilitating. I am through the worst and even if I get twinges now they dissipate quickly. Big love x

When I was on Evorel Sequi, I went onto the progesterone patch and within 2 days I was suicidal.
I went crying to the GP and told her about progesterone intolerance. She said she’d never heard of it 🙄I directed her to a website (Newson Health one) and she said to try Utrogestan.
I do wonder if the mini pill and Utrogestan is too much progesterone. Unfortunately the GPs just aren’t trained enough in menopause.

Anxiety is awful. The intrusive thoughts I have had are really scary. I’m just so tired and low all the time.

I have been trying all sorts - meditation, journaling, exercise, no alcohol.
I can get CBT through work so going to call them tomorrow to arrange it.
Does the antihistamine or Night Nurse help you sleep all night? I wake up between 4am and 5am every morning (last night it was 2:30am 😔).