Anxiety

[Brightlights23]

Hi,

I have been on HRT since December, which did help ease the anxiety for a bit, but has since increased. I have increased my patches in the past month, but the anxiety is not calming down really. I know it can take longer for the effects to be felt when you go up a dose but I have another 2 months until I can go back and increase again.

the anxiety is overflowing into other parts of my life and making me question my job as I have recently taken on added responsibility with a view to the next level up.

the usual home life of teenagers and relationships which probably isn’t helping and it’s the 10th anniversary of my mum passing this year.

I do feel the anxiety in general makes everything else worse and the perimenopause is the cause.

is it worth just continuing with my new hrt dose and see if that helps, or should I look at seeing the dr for mental health support / anxiety medication?

Over the years I have toyed with mental health support (I had counselling around 8-10 yrs ago for my mum and marriage issues) but then it gets better and I forget that idea.

want to do something and no idea what will provide the most help, when I can’t see the perimenopause getting any better soon.

lack of sleep is not helping either.

any advice would be great!

thanks

Hmm, I am on Setraline and I was just browsing this board wondering if I need to go on HRT because my anxiety has ramped up and I don’t really want to increase the dose of Setraline.
not much help to your query.
So I guess my takeaway is what else can I change?
I go to the gym 3-4 times a week and I started meditation last week. Probably try and also get out and do some gardening. What is annoying about this bout of anxiety is that usually I know the trigger and it passes, whereas now I think it is just workload and feeling overwhelmed with being the person who has to sort everything out all the time. So I think maybe circumstances as much as perimenopause.

I took sertraline around 8-9 years ago for a few years, after marriage issues the 18 mths after my mums passing.

it is the anxiety that is affecting everything else. Makes me question my ability to do anything.

i do need to find more time for exercise - not been well with cough/cold since weekend so haven’t done anything. That is probably not helping.

I just wonder if medication will resolve it or if I need some form of counselling. I did CBT before due to marriage and have revisited a few times since but didn’t find it massively helpful over time.

Hi @Brightlights23

give the HRT longer to work it takes 3 months for your body to settle and you have just increased too. Which HRT are you on are you taking progesterone? If so is the anxiety better or worse when taking it? X

I’m taking 50 evorel. No difference when I’m taking the progesterone.

I have had the anxiety before that comes and goes, although it appears to be worse and more prolonged with perimenopause.

I'm sure it’s more than one cause as lots been going on in the past year alone, along with historical events like my mum.

will see how it goes over Easter and if no better when kids go back to school, I will see about counselling, as some of the anxiety causes I feel need this. Gives 3 more weeks of the new dose.

I think the fact that you are questioning whether you need counselling maybe means that you do. I get bouts of anxiety from time to time, got an increase of it recently due to a change in patches because of supply issues but I know mine is completely hormone related and counselling would do nothing for it. I had terrible post natal anxiety as well. You seem to have other things going on that are having an impact, the anxiety, although exasperated by menopause, is possibly the result of something else that you might need to address. You mention you are not sleeping well, I find my anxiety levels go up when I don't get good sleep, is there something you can do to help with this?

Yes, there are other underlying issues I feel. I have had several courses of bereavement counselling and counselling relating to my marriage, but all was over 7 years ago.

last few years lots going on, so although I keep toying with counselling again, it improves and then I don’t. The added anxiety from perimenopause is just making it worse. Plus taking on added responsibility at work with view to promotion is making me question myself and all not helping. Thought CBT would help but no. Will look at what counselling services are available locally as I know I can self refer to the local mental health service

Look into Vitamin D, Magnesium and Ashwaganda

I've been on several different anxiety meds and am now on Mirtazepine. I take additional supplements of the 3 above and OMG the difference.

I am 4 months in. Im sleeping longer and better and the anxiety is held at bay.

Conflict, difficult situations etc that would have be spiralling for days are now met with a gentle numbness. For example, I had a nasty run in with a work colleague who took a joke wrong on purpose (they have form for this) and yelled at me. I was so calm! I apologised and whilst it was upsetting, I didn't have a panic attack and days of insomnia and over thinking. This has been life changing for me. I feel like I am getting back to who I was before the anxiety took me over.

Ashwaganda has a high iron content and must not be taken continuously (I take it 2 months on 1 month off) but it has worked for me alongside meds.

I take the gummy form of all 3 BTW. Dunno if that makes a difference but tastes better.

One thing I thought, reflecting on your further posts, was that I also had a period of anxiety some years back during a prolonged and messy separation. And I got thought that and it went away. This too shall pass.

i didn’t find CBT at all helpful, really. Counselling was variable, I think I tried it three different times and then I was lucky to get a wonderful counsellor who was very helpful. I was getting back on track then the pandemic came along and I had long covid and for the last couple of years, it’s just been a lot at work. And I think it is the last thing that I am just now exhausted with. I just want a break. So I know it is a circumstances issue as well, but my ability to deal with the circumstances is getting progressively less. I keep thinking I need to speak to someone, and then yes, it improves and so I just plough on. But I think it’s now about six months since I have felt like I am okay and the last three months have just been a case of getting through.
I think insomnia doesn’t help and I am interested to read about the magnesium and ashwaganda. I already take vitamin D.

If you are taking on a role with the idea that it will help towards promotion, I would say to be really, really sure that it will help towards promotion. That’s one reason I took on my current role and what I have found is that it takes up so much time (all my time) and I cannot get to the other things I also need to progress for promotion. I think that has massively knocked my mental well-being. Well, I know that it has.

Can’t help in the hrt but 2 things that massively help me are carving out some blank time where you’re not rushing around. And going for a run. The running makes a big difference.

Hello, I feel the same as you. I have been on HRT for nearly a year and my anxiety eased a little when I increased my dose. I had problems with oestrogel new bottles and my perimenopause symptoms returned with horrific anxiety to the point I couldn't manage at work. I've ended up taking sertraline along side the hrt which is helping, but I'm wondering if I need to increase again. I have never suffered with significant anxiety before, it's truely horrible I just want to feel back to my normal self again. Have u discussed ot with your gp?

Thank you for all the suggestions. I am going to look at all including the supplements.

I am going to see if I can increase my exercise and see if that helps. I know not being able to go to my running group on Tuesday for 45 mins has not helped. Will see if there are some workouts on you tube I can do, along with my running. Think I need to exercise for my mental health and physical and try to lose a bit/tone and that might also help.

im sure I can do my job, even the next step up. Just need more time to learn more. No one has said I’m doing anything wrong.