Perimenopausal - Anxiety
Posted , 2 users are following.
Hello everyone
Brief history - ive just turned 40, last July I weaned off citalopram after being on them for nearly 10 years, i felt fine! Then my mum got diagnosed with bowel cancer, and I was also due on my period - this all happened just before we went on a family holiday to cyprus. In cyprus I spiralled down to a very very dark place, wanted to end my life, questioning my marriage. I rang the drs while out there and asked to be put back on citalopram.
Since I have have the most horrendous time of my life, debilitating anxiety constantly, scared of absolutely everything, intrusive thoughts about my marriage, thinking im never going to get better, it will be better to just end my life then live like this. Dont see my friends anymore, I still do what I have too, ie walking the dog (so do get out in nature), food shop, work from home etc, but my joy for life and zest has gone.
I have been with my husband for 25 years, and he is the most supportive, loving, patient man I know and is definitely the best thing that has happened to me - so why am I getting these thoughts.
We have spoke about it all for hours and hours, its killing me inside im going through this and so is he, as well as our 13 year old daughter.
Rang the doctors a week ago and again explained everything and how nothing is helping, she agreed to a trial of a low dose of HRT , evorel patches 25mg and utrogestan 200mg day 15-26. To note I am also having night sweats, brittle nails, periods slightly changing, thinning hair, sleep problems and going to the loo more frequently. I have also suffered really badly with pms all my life but more so in the past couple of years, very low libido too!
So im a week in and already feel a slight improvement, like the dark cloud has parted.
I am just so so scared that this is just my head thinking its working, a placebo and I will crash back down - has anyone had a similar story or had massive improvement on their anxiety after starting hrt? Does it sound like it will work for me? Im so desperate for this to work. I would take any other symptom but this anxiety has ruined the past 7 months of my life - I have never ever experienced anything like it.
Thank you everyone xx
0 likes, 2 replies
claire57329 tracy76922
Posted
Hi Tracy,
I just want you to know that I'm sorry you're going through this, and that you are not alone. I am 41, 42 in a few months. I think all of this started for me around 39/40 but I didn't recognise the early symptoms back then as peri, as I didn't even know Perimenopause was a thing. I feel like my life has been turned upside down. I never laugh anymore, I have zero sex drive and a myriad of horrible symptoms, the worst being health anxiety. I am so very tired of being frightened. I do not want HRT due to the health anxiety. I was on citalopram for around 18 years. I had to be weaned off them, very gradually, 5mg reduction per month, it was the only way to get off them as they are highly addictive and the withdrawals are horrendous. Are you in the UK?
tracy76922 claire57329
Posted
Hi Claire
I'm so sorry you are struggling too, it really is absolutely awful. Thank you for replying to my post. Yes I am in the UK, are you? I feel very lucky that the dr agreed for me to try HRT, I know read about alot of women being refused it before they are 45. I totally understand why you dont want to go on HRT with your health anxiety and I wont try and persuade you, I would just say you have to weight up the pros and cons, can you carry on the way you are? and if not HRT is worth a try - you never know it may turn your life around for the better, and if not you can always stop it, there is no weaning off needed for it, but again I totally understand.
If HRT does work for me, and Im guessing ill need an increase as im on the lowest dose, I definitely want to wean off citalpram, I hate being on it especially all the side effects that come with it. Whatever you decide I hope it helps xx