Can peri cause anxiety and nothing else?

[HRTUncertainty]

I’m 43 and have been getting anxiety before my period. Most months there’s always something swimming round my head and then I’ll check my cycle tracking app, realise I’m a week before my period and it’ll all go away in several days time. And it does.

Last months was horrible and snuck up on me, I didn’t realise what it was when I was in the thick of it. I sent an econsult to GP, then my period started, I realised what was going on and felt so much better.

So I told all this to GP and that my mum stopped her periods completely at 46 so I wondered if it was peri and should I start HRT. I was offered a choice of SSRI or HRT. I chose the latter.

I used 2 pumps of the gel yesterday morning and last night started worrying about cancer risks and if it’s too early to be using this. Periods are regular as clockwork though cycle is shorter than it used to be (26 days now; used to be 30+). No hot flushes. One night sweat a couple months ago.

So my only big symptom is the anxiety and exercise usually helps, last month I wasn’t doing as much as usual. I’m also crap at going to bed at a decent time which isn’t going to help. I haven’t been tested for any other potential causes of this. Could peri cause this cyclical anxiety and nothing else?

This morning I didn’t use the gel. I’m not sure I want to continue. I feel need time to think and try other things. Can I just stop after one day or, now I’ve started it, should I carry it on for the whole month (got the 12 days of progesterone with it too) then stop?

You can get any combination of peri symptoms, in any order. You have had more than one and have a family history of it being early. So it's very likely that you are indeed in perimenopause and that's the cause.

The cancer risks are tiny. Most of the worries are based on misinterpreted old research, using the older formulations. They don't apply to the gels & patches or the bio identical types Unless you have a family history specifically of the oestrogen related cancers. For the vast majority of women the risks of HRT are much, much lower than the risks of not having it.

Having said that, if you want to stop, you can. There's no need to complete the course, and certainly no need for tapering down after such a short time.

Yes, could definitely be peri, and sounds like HRT is exactly what you need. As @BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn said, bioidentical hormones in the form of gel or patches are safe and nothing to worry about. HRT is just giving your body and brain what they need to continue functioning well