Anxiety & antidepressants

I'm the same way with my grandkids.. I don't even like to go anywhere myself going through these stages of menopause, let alone bring any kids along, makes you quite nervous and on edge! egdge you feel guilty about there being a whole world out there.. And I know its different for you because she's with you all the time, but it is still similar with the grandkids .. I did just watch another summer come and go where I wish more fun stuff could have been planned and done, at least when they're with me, like I use to do with my kids when they were growing up, trips to zoos and water parks movies, but I did plan and do fun things at home which are movie times with baking cookies and popping popcorn, and coloring.. We even bought a lot of sidewalk chalk and had contests as to who colored the best pictures on the walkways, so lots of things that can be done at home until some of these symptoms go away ,with age, nothing will last we should get back to some normalcy sometime here.. Oh and I'm not on any antidepressants or anything so I can't advise for that I don't know how they make you feel , but hopefully some others on Here that are with more experience with them can let you know how they can help or not.. Take care ?

Hello,  I understand what you are saying.  I have no energy to deal with other kids, moms, etc.  My son is the same as your daughter , thank goodness school is starting soon.  We used to go do stuff, movies, shopping, etc. Now just too BLAH! I get very dizzy too, which freaks me out!  I am 9 weeks into taking Lexapro to manage perimenopause anxiety, etc  until I can get my hormones figured out.  I still do not have energy I was hoping for.  I am able to do things here and there.  But, I still mostly stick close to home.  I’m not sure that an AD is supposed to give you crazy energy, I think it more or less stops the worrying and evens out your mood...that’s what I’ve found on it.  I However, I do think in my case if my dizziness went away, I would be a little more motivated.  

You could always try it, low and slow.  Sometimes you have to try a couple of different ones.  I lasted 2 days on others, but I am very medication sensitive and stubborn about taking them in the first place!  The side effects stink, so you may want to take when you do not have a lot of obligations.

Good luck, whatever direction you choose!  😊

Imagine,

I can so relate to how you are feeling! My kids are both under age 14 and I am 48 going on 49. This peri nightmare hit me in June. I had a lot of the peri symptoms here and there starting at 45 but my hormones plummeted in June and that is when a ton of symptoms hit and it was awful!!!!!! For the first time ever I had the lethargy, adrenaline/anxiety rushes, doom and gloom, crying spells, aches and pains all over and ON and on. As of now June was my last period  - so I guess I have entered the Meno Hallway and graduate once I hit 12 months. 

I finally had to tell my girls what I was going through - that every woman goes through it and about 30% have a very rough time of it - and unfortunately I am in that percentage. We talked about how for the coming months I will be home a lot. I'm going out only when necessary. The guilt has been another very hard one for me. This summer over school break we did only the necessary. It's still the same. My husband has had to take so much on that I used to do and that has been hard for me to miss out on. They've always known me to be the non-stop, go-getting, zest for life woman in their life - now that woman is resting, resting, resting and watching movies a lot of the time. 

Last week I decided I was going to try the natural over the counter progesterone cream for all of these symptoms. I am tracking my symptoms every single day and have been since this started in June. I am noticing a lot of patterns with anxiety, congestion, allergies, muscle aches, every single symptom! I will try this cream first to see if I start noticing small changes here and there. I am starting to notice that before I have a hot flash I have a lot of symptoms just before it comes. I read a lot on that last night and that is common. Looking back in June - I was having a lot of hot flashes (I didn't know what they were until now because I don't sweat on my face - I started feeling in between my chest after I started feeling anxious and low and behold it was wet but I never had noticed that before - then 5 minutes later I am cold). 

This forum has been the biggest blessing to me right now. I have given myself the permission to be gentle with myself while my body adjusts to the hormones radically changing. I am SO much better than I was in June and July. In my mind now - my life as I knew it is in a holding pattern and as of today I am okay with that - more like I am learning to accept it. After reading so many stories on this forum - and after what I've been through - I've realized for the first time in my life that I would open to and anti-depressant/anti-anxiety and/or one of the natural creams they sell online. I'm starting with the creams.

I am sure many of the wonderful women on this group will share their anti-anxiety/anti-depressant stories with you. I have a good friend that is also 49 like me and her hormones plummeted last summer. She is on Lexapro and says it was a very good choice for her - she still is tired a lot - but the anxiety and other feelings have lessened significantly. My other good friend, who is a Pharmacist, recommended the otc natural progesterone cream as it worked for her - so that is what I am trying now. Take care. HUGS! you are NOT ALONE!

in my opinion no, I have had anxiety since before meni and it really didnt help me but everyone is different. I learned how to control it and now have it very little. when I do get anxious I get up and do something, like housework or exercise to get rid of the extra adrenaline. that is all anxiety is. I wish you the very best of luck and hang in there! because you have anxiety doesn't mean you have depression and if you do then maybe an AD would help you.

Hi there yes they have deffo worked for me I was in the same position as u and many others, I'm on 50mg sertraline and I'm 90 percent back to my old self, they did take 6 weeks or so to start working tho, I've been on them for 5 months now and I have my life back x

I tried the AD’s twice once 11 years ago for Peri and then just recently for meno as I was so desperate . They made me feel weird more nervous and edgy but if they agreed with me I would definitely say ... why not ! Do it !

I’m on BHRT now which has helped as it targets the problem which is hormones .