Anxiety much worse in 2nd month of HRT?

[Frumpylab]

I'm coming up to the end of my 2nd month of HRT patches. 1st month was fairly smooth. In the last week ( week 3 of the 2nd cycle) I have had the sensation of being highly anxious. Physical sensation rather than anxious thoughts. Feel dreadful. I am bleeding this week so wondered if tied in. I wondered if anyone else has had worsened symptoms and it's calmed down as you adjusted to the patch? Nurse said to try and do one more month before quitting or changing. I'm counting down days until wed so I can rip off the progesterone containing patch, in case that's the cause.

My main reason for doing hrt was flashy temper and anger. Although I've had a bit of butterflies before starting , I didn't have anxiety feeling like I've got now, I wouldn't have said it was one of my main perimenopause symptoms

Progesterone can cause problems in some women. It is necessary to protect your endometrium ( reduce risk of overgrowth and potential for cancer).

I found that the Mirena coil was a good alternative. It is a targeted local dose of progesterone so has less of a systemic effect. I had one fitted after DS was born, I had a long history of endometriosis so it was a life saver. I had one in place throughout my 40s and early 50s. There is a lot of evidence that it helps during perimenopause and pretty much sailed through that stage. I added in oestrogen patches when the dragon moods set in. To be honest it helped my mood and stopped the very mild hot flushes, but had no effect on the other symptoms. This seems to be the experience of a lot of menopausal friends.

Unfortunately I was diagnosed with hormone positive breast cancer at 57 so had to stop HRT and now take hormone blockers.
The good news is that post menopause is fine. I have to live with no hormones but I think of it as going back to the levels of an 8YR old. I was pretty happy aged 8. It does rob you of libido but I will not be on them forever. They are my do or die meds.

Despite being the probable cause of my breast cancer, I was one of the unlucky statistics, I would still have used HRT, but having read extensively, would have used them for 12 mnths, to get me through the worst, then stopped. Evidence shows that when used for just 12 mnths they do not increase the risk of BC. After that they pose a long term risk.

And before anyone piles on, the increased risk is small, but it is a reality for some of us. The statistics reflect real people, something that I sort of dismissed. I have been lucky so far and have been NED for nearly 4 yrs. But it has made me more cautious about risk assessment.

Thanks for response and sorry to read about your breast cancer. That was another reason I wondered about switching as my GP friend told me recently that transdermal progesterone is the less good way of delivering progesterone in terms of breast cancer risk. I didn't know that. Unfortunately the gynae team couldn't get a mirena coil in , my cervix was firmly closed!! So will need an anaesthetic of some sort if I pursue that route. I think feeling anger and hatred is preferable to this jitteryness! What a thing our bodies go though. I like thinking of it as returning to my 8 year old self!