Anxiety due to perimenopause, or is life just shit?

[TheOldSwitch]

I'm 43, still have regular periods but they are getting weirder. Big clots, brown discharge, mid month spotting. Under investigation for gynae issues but still waiting for ultrasound. I get hot flashes, dry skin, aches and pains which makes me think I might be in perimenopause.

For context, life is horrible. The past few months has been endless cancer treatment or scares for me and most of my family. I'm getting very panicked every time the phone rings. I start shaking uncontrollably if I have to open an NHS letter. Constantly going over the awful possibilities all day and living in dread.

It's entirely possible that this is a normal response to life dealing me a shitty hand. However I am reluctant to ask the GP for anxiety meds without first considering the possibility that peri could be reducing my normal capacity to cope. I know peri itself can cause palpitations and anxiety.

I wonder if the GP would consider HRT for the anxiety instead? Or is that not an option with regular periods?

I'm just hesitant to throw anti-depressants or beta blockers at a problem that could be hormonal. How do you even tell the difference at this stage?

Hi op, sounds like you have been going through a stressful time but just wanted to say that’s the type of anxiety I experienced; as if someone had turned a dial down on what I could cope with. My other symptoms were lack of joy and motivation, like the world was grey. Irritable, low mood, night sweats, overheating during normal exercise. How is your sleep?

Oh and I forgot to describe the anxiety also had an existential dread to it.

Strangely sweating isn't an issue. I feel super hot and can't settle, my husband says he can feel the heat radiating off me in bed, but I never sweat much. My mother was the same and then she found out she had an under active thyroid. I did have it checked last year but perhaps I should ask for it to be done again.

Low mood, irritable and terrible brain fog are the worst symptoms. Once im asleep I stay down but it's always taken me a long time to get there. I do feel the anxious thoughts are keeping me up longer than usual even for me.

I wonder if the doctor would entertain HRT before my periods stall?

I had regular periods when my symptoms started, just different. Heavy flow for one day and then very light. Then my cycle became shorter but still regular. I started hrt even though they are regular. Definitely worth getting thyroid issues ruled out first as the symptoms can be similar.