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Can perimenopause cause increased anxiety and depression?

Posted , 53 users are following.

Anjipanji66
Anjipanji66

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I'm 48 and have always been a 'bit of a 'worrier' since childhood and have suffered from bouts of moderate depression since my early thirties, however, back then it seemed reasonably manageable...however, KABOOM! I hit the grand old age of 47 and I felt like something had turned up the amplification knob!. I started having bouts of intense anxiety resulting in insomnia (in particular early waking) which then manifested into depression, the most awful feelings of doom, gloom and helplessness, intense fear, shame, guilt etc. My periods were becoming lighter and later and blood tests confirmed my hormones were fluctuating, I was put on anti-depressants which I'm still on but they don't seem to help with what seems to be the most crippling PMT which I have at the moment. Only a couple of days ago I just crumpled into a heap on my bedroom floor and cried, no I 'wailed' like a banshee!.....I feel like I'm losing my mind and am feeling very scared at the moment as I can't see any end to it and feel very alone...is this normal? has anybody else felt this way? and what helps you cope?

9 likes, 61 replies

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  • brimbo67
    brimbo67 Anjipanji66

    Posted

    Hi lovely lady

    That's exactly what happened to me seemingly out of the blue. I'm also 47, looking back been in peri for 7 years, but the real onslaught started 6-7 months ago. Things are generally less intense now & I am managing much better. Still have some painful crashes but keep telling myself that this will pass. I hope things ease in intensity for you soon xxxxx

    • Anjipanji66
      Anjipanji66 brimbo67

      Posted

      Hi brimbo67

      Thankyou for your kind reply, it's good to know I'm not alone or going crazy and that there is light at the end of the tunnel, I guess I have to convince myself that these feelings will pass. I'm glad you're coping better now. x

  • marlene21102
    marlene21102 Anjipanji66

    Posted

    I was 48 ,when things began for me ,out of the blue. I even remembered the day a Thursday .got up normal ,came downstairs and Wham  pulpatations ( non ever before ) ,stayed with me all day on and off. Went to drs several times as I had anxiety / panic attacks ( never had those before either ) so I knew something was wrong .Not one of those drs mentioned menopause ,it took the last Dr Id not seen an old one ,who said about my age ,he then said lets do blood test for the menopause  hey week later there it was the answer the younger drs hadn't even considered  as to my symptoms .

       Once I got that diagnosis  I settled over time ,just accepted it  along with hot flushes  knew it wasent a disease. Never had depression ,just the anxiety which was bad . 

       So try and get into a menopause clinic ,insists on it .They see your symptoms everyday as your describing ,they even have walk in clinics  check your area out .

      Jay on site has placed on here  through research ,some 65/66 meno symptoms  it's still up  as of yesterday I looked .Go check it out. Having a read might just help you ,I know it has many females. By just reading what she placed.,you will get a clearer picture  in how your feeling .Its completely normal .Then go from there .

    • Anjipanji66
      Anjipanji66 marlene21102

      Posted

      Hi marlene, thanks for your reply, it doesn't help when Drs don't do a thorough diagnosis. I think your idea about going to a clinic is a good one, I may get my GP to refer me to a Gyno clinic so I can have a thorough check up and I'll also look up that list of symptoms x
  • anita31460
    anita31460 Anjipanji66

    Posted

    Hello. Im so sorry to hear you're having such a rough time. I am 48 and you could be telling my story. I have always suffered from anxiety with bouts of depression but 5 months ago my anxiety went through the roof. I was so desperate I didnt know what to do with myself. Lots of visits to the doctor and mental health worker later I was finally referred to a lovely lady who specialises in menopause. I finally felt someone was hearing what I was saying. I now have a mirena coil and started on HRT 4 weeks ago. Things have improved for me hugely but I still crash... am having a particularly bad day today so I empathise with the sitting on the bedroom floor and wailing like a banshee...that was me 3 hours ago! I took an 8 week course in mindfulness which has helped hugely and I find talking to good friends helps too. I am still talking anti depressants too and i know what you mean when you say you think theyre not much help. This time of life just sucks! It helps to know youre not alone and youre definitely not going mad but its really scary.

    hang on in there and be kind to yourself. Big hugs xxx

    Anita

    • Anjipanji66
      Anjipanji66 anita31460

      Posted

      Hi Anita, thanks for your kind reply, sounds like you've had a rough time of it as well. I guess, as you rightly say, it's finding that somebody who actually hears what you are saying and not just being a voice in the wilderness which is a scarey place to be. I'm getting so much support and advice on this site, it's quite overwhelming (but in a nice way). I was put on HRT for a year by one GP, then another GP took me off it! so I think I need to see somebody who is a little more sympathetic. I've heard of Mindfulness, so that could be something to explore as well. Its so unfair isn't it?.....I'll try and hang on in there though. Thanks for your support. Hugs xx
  • justlease
    justlease Anjipanji66

    Posted

    You are totally normal!  This exact thing has happened to many of us.  It won't go on forever even though when it's happening it certainly feels like you're going mad.

    You may want to consider supplementing with magnesium and B6.   Magnesium will help you sleep (I had the same insomnia and early waking and anxiety issues), and I feel tremendously improved since I started on those particular supplements.  There are tons of recent threads in this forum about magnesium and the B vitamins, and you can also find a ton of info about both via Google.  I wish I could link you to specific articles/brands, but we're not allowed to do that.

    • Anjipanji66
      Anjipanji66 justlease

      Posted

      Thanks for your advise justlease, I'll certainly look into some of those supplements....glad to know I'm normal, I feel I bit more 'grounded' now and less 'at sea' x
  • anne52691
    anne52691 Anjipanji66

    Posted

    Have to say I wrote on this website a few weeks ago, feeling like I was going out of my mind (am 47 nearing 48). Same symptoms really as yourself, really anxious, extremely bad mood swings, panic attacks, generally feeling awful and teary a lot of the time as well. Did go to the doctors, suggested I look into HRT cake!! So I was glad to find this site to note that I wasn't the only one feeling this way. Its been very helpful to go through a lot of the other titles and see what is shared. I can only say that I do a yoga class, skip a bit and have started taking Vitamin B6 high doseage and sage tablets (memory was going as well). So am giving it time to kick in. I think the very fact that there are many women online discussing all these different symptons is a real help in itself. Someone also told me that if I cut out the sugar and alcohol that may help. Which I did for a week, ate a fair bit of chocolate and had some wine and felt absolutely hideous, so back off of them. Can't offer many practical solutions but only that maybe read more of these discussions see if there is anything that you think may help you and give it a go, can't make you feel any worse than you do already and who knows something may help. But you're not alone and you're not losing your mind and it is scary but like you I'm hoping it will get better. So keep posting.
    • Anjipanji66
      Anjipanji66 anne52691

      Posted

      Thankyour reply Anne, it is helpful to read these posts and realise that that my symptoms, as awful as they are, are normal and that there are activities I can do and supplements I can take that can help. I sometimes go for a run, when I'm not feeling too 'blaargh' and that does help. I am trying to reduce my sugar and don't drink much alcohol. I was on HRT but another GP took me off it! so I may try and get a referral to a gyno clinic where I may get a more balanced oppinion. It is a scarey place to be, I so desparately want the 'old me' back! but I guess I've got the 'weather the storm' x
  • Ruthie49
    Ruthie49 Anjipanji66

    Posted

    Hi Anjipanji, 'KABOOM!' - I know exactly where you are coming from! You will have many replies and YES! These are definitely peri symptoms. I have been going through severe (health) anxiety and depression (as well as many physical symptoms) since last summer (I'm 49). I've been wailing this very weekend and often just feel like a different person, like nothing feels the same as it used to - lots of weird thoughts, feelings and sensations of feeling out of control, impending doom etc, sometimes the anxiety feels very physical too. YOu are certainly not a lone. Hold on! You will get lots of advice here. It's a great foruma dn very active. Hugs to you x
    • marlene21102
      marlene21102 Ruthie49

      Posted

      Hi Ruthie  lots of drs put patients on these sites,especially the drs who haven't got answers for patients .Maybe even meno drs look up these things here in regards to there own meno symptoms .We will never know,end of day they get the symptoms as we do,and not all can go on HRT for various health reasons  females we all are regardless 

         I was lucky in the end  I got an old male Dr ,suppose he'd seen and heard a lot over his doctoring years  shame he wasent the first Dr Id seen. Could have saved me weeks of symptom worrying .

         So I always say now to any female ,I this age grouping  see a Female Dr with few years behind her,she's got same female parts as we  so she knows what and where your describing symptoms .Failing that. Get in to an older male Dr as I did  or go to a menopause clinic .Lessons I've learnt I my meno life .watch the sugars you have  as with anxiety. It can shoot it really up.Messes up hormone levels big time ,as they go up and down at will .You have no control ,but you can help minimise affects to anxiety and depression if you suffer from that or both .I find anxiety worse AM then tapers off as day goes by  like its stored up overnight .The joys of female life ,to all this at end .? 

    • Anjipanji66
      Anjipanji66 Ruthie49

      Posted

      Hi Ruthie, thanks for your reply, it sounds as if I'm not alone in my 'wailing' bouts, it is awful, like yourself I feel like a different person and a sense of loss of who I used to be and fear of who I've become. A bit like being possessed by some kind of demon!. The impending doom is by far the worst feeling sad....but I've just got to get through it the best I can. This site is very supportive and full of great advice. Hugs xx
  • sheri54049
    sheri54049 Anjipanji66

    Posted

    I was 55 and was hit by extreme anxiety and depression was put on drugs which seemed to help in the begining but did not like taking them when they quit working, so i took myself off to quickly as my thinking was jambled, was the scariest thing i have been through...i figured that i could deal with anything for awhile the anxiety has lessoned a whole lot (almost gone now) but other things gave raised their ugly head...im 61 now and i have been dealing with periods out of the blue (this has been going on since i was 54), i take ladys mantel for this (stops the bleeding) wish i had known about the herb sooner, i am dealing with severe muscle aches and pains, trying to learn on my own as doctors have not been helpfull for me, they just want to give me pain pills, so i am learning as i go and found some ideas on this forum i am going to try.

    • Anjipanji66
      Anjipanji66 sheri54049

      Posted

      Hi Sheri, anti-depressants are not for everyone and the side effects of some of them are unpleasant, I'd rather not be on them but they have been helping a little bit. I'm sorry to hear you're in a lot of pain but it sounds like you've found a remedy that works, sometimes it takes a while to find the right one. This forum is full of useful ideas and suggestions, I may try some of the herbal remedies but my problem is lack of patience and you have to take some tablets for quite a while before they begin to work! Good luck x
    • marlene21102
      marlene21102 Anjipanji66

      Posted

      For anxiety  Im not into meds as when they gave me one packet ,it increased it to whole new level. Binned that  now what I keep handy is Bach Rescue spray  can get it chemists and any supermarket , I'm okay with B12 ,but B6 gives me upset stomach  got to be one ingredient doing that  go get some Magnesium Chelated ,Jay said that doesent upset stomach .
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