Do you think wine is making my anxiety and depression worse?

Hi Ellacraig, I'm just the same. Ive just started hrt, so

I tell myself that as soon as it kicks in I'll be OK and won't need wine. I don't want to give it up totally just cut down. My anxiety started in December, so I think it's now begun to make me depressed too.

If I could sleep it might help. How do you sleep?

Xxx

Hi. Well if I drink too much.... I wake up very dehydrated and I wake up soo ashamed of myself

im not on anything ie hrt but I swear I'm close to asking for anti anxiety meds...

im in the early stages too. I swear I got home today and just cried my eyes out, I hate being alone since all this started.

welk I hope the hrt helps you I really do, this is no sort if life.

i myself am trying natural pills which take longer etc unfortunately 

Don't feel ashamed!! It's a coping tool. Who can blame us really when we feel so rotten. Have you no one to talk to? Feel free to message me anytime. See your doctor for medication. I take antidepressants too. I've had Valium, but scared to take that as I don't want to get hooked. Xx

Thanks Caroline il do that. I don't know about you but I have a beautiful daughter who just doesn't understand what I'm going through. I try to keep composed with her around but at times I fail. Poor kid has the soul of a much older child because of me and I feel aweful as a result

I detest drugs but I hear them calling me... :s

Thanks though glad I'm not alone

Hi pinkcatfairy,

I agree I'm having a bout of anxiety and as it possibly

Makes me slightly more nervous, the wine is such a welcome escape. Take care xxxx

Thank s and you x

The medical review is much longer but I only posted page 1, just so you could read why doctors here tell you not to drink alcohol while on HRT. I recall my doctor telling me not to drink, but since I'm not a drinker, this wasn't an issue with me. Your cells are probably screaming STOP, you're poisoning us but your not listening. So many women think it's a game to take a chance with there life drinking while on medication, it's only when they're diagnosed with cancer that they realized they did wrong or some never realize it while others prefer to stay in denial that they didn't believe the medical information given. Do what you want, just know that chemo brings back all your symptoms 10times worse. Good luck.

I have never taken HRTS, a few years ago I was drinking moderately a few days a week, I read the data about women and alcohol and its not very good for us period unless its in small amounts, I just quit altogether because I read where weight, alcohol, and HRTS play a key role in breast cancer, as soon as my knee heals I will be back to my exercise routine to lose the weight. I will say this, the emotional toll that menopause wreeks on us is hard and its very tempting to resort to alcohol, I do use other aids to help relieve the tension but not alcohol. 

I can tell from how your writing lennie, your petrified about getting breast cancer, My school of 43, she was always over weight at school, but was always active, turns out, she had a underactive thyroid, she is obese now, and had to give up work due to severe spinal injury, so, she is now, more or, less housebound, cant drive at the moment due to problems with her foot, and legs, has a mobility scooter for when shes able to get out, she was a smoker until she developed COPD, which, shes on meds for, shes diabetic, so is on metphormine, constantly on antibiotics due to infections in legs and feet, caused by her immobility, morphine, gabbapetin, trammadol, and ibuprofen for pain, she had a hysterectomy 20 years ago, has been on HRT patches ever since, gets no peri, meno symptoms whatsoever, and with all her health probs, and meds shes on, know one has suggested she comes off it, there is no immediate cancer in her family, genetic, or, hormonal.

The reason im telling you this, is, not to encourage you to take HRT i cant do that incase it doesnt work for you..................but you seem petrified of it causing cancer in you, so would you take it, if there was no risk of that happening, because at the end of the day lennie, we could get cancer anywhere in our body, without taking HRT, so why suffer now, but i understand and its entirely up to you, on the otherhand you sound determined to get fit, and cope with this through alternative lifestyle changes, and if you can do that, then great, im not trying to pressure you, just dont like people to suffer unnecessarily. best wishes xx

HI Elaine, yes, cancer scares the crap out of me, its not due to family or genetics because mom and dad, nor grandparents have it or had it, I was not afraid like this before meno. My best friend died of colon cancer and she was morbidly obese for years and she did eat poorly and she smoked, I am not in that situation, I am overweight, and of course I see it on the news constantly. You are right in everything you said, there are other cancers. And, I think if natural items do NOT work, I will get a mammogram, colonoscopy essentially get myself checked out, which I will do anyway and if it does not get better I may consider the HRTS, you are right about me being petrified. I have changed my eating significantly to address this fear with healthy foods. 

Hi Lennie

Your doing everything you should be doing lennie, but yes it could be the fact that your peri that has increased your fears, it is a symptom unfortunately, it can do that.   Like you i have an illness, so i have to keep myself as fit as possible, and i am careful with my diet  and exercise etc, it is our bodies afterall, and knowone else can do that for us, and if we listen to too much advice from specialists, or, scientists, we would never eat anything again, would we. 

Thats great that your family have no history, that is a plus lennie, but very sorry to hear of your loss over your friend.   Unfortunately there is quite a bit of cancer in my family, dad, sister, nan and auntie, doesnt always follow you will get it though, but chances are higher for us obviously, but, will cross that bridge if or, when i come to it, not giving an illness like that any of my energy worrying about whether i will get it or, not.

And of course, if you smoke, or, overweight, drs will always blame this, one minute there telling you its ok to eat this and that, 10 years down the line its oops....................sorry its  now not, so, what and who are we supposed to believe,   I do believe your risk to be high, when both parents have genes for certain illnesses, think its pretty safe bet to say you are then at a very high risk, of developing the same illnesses as a result of that, still doesnt always follow though, you have to live your life!!

Let me know when your post, fingers crossed its soon for you, will always check for your messages.

Best wishes

Elaine .

Hi Elaine, totally agree with you about the family genetic issues, I am blessed that my mom's side is extremely healthy, my grandmother is 100 years old! AND, nothing wrong except glaucoma which I do have, my dad had mental illness and died from heart disease, however, I believe that the mental illness was the real culprit because had he just taken care of himself, got medical care etc he could have addressed this with lifestyle changes and meds, so because of his schizophrenia he did not and so it could have simply been his mental disease which I suspect led to his heart issues. He never went to the dr, did not take his medicine, and ate everything and smoked.  But, with diabetes, I realize that heart issues are a risk and I have changed a lot of the food I eat. agree 1000 percent that the fear factor is DIRECTLY related to peri. menopause. I never had this type of fear before. I paid attention but never fear.  I think the symptoms created the fear and the fear is out of control. I am seeing someone for it because it is a significant problem.  Thank you for your warm thoughts. By the way, I do feel better as far as not being as filled with anxiety.   

Hi lennie

Thats sad about your father, it is tragic when people dont look after themselves, yet you can see where they are going wrong, but if they dont meet you half way with you trying to help them,, or visit doctors,  what can you do, and our older generation, were like that, they didnt take kindly to the medical profession, and  they certainly didnt take to taking  pills, so, its understandable, but generations change, were taught to take care more  of our own health nowadays, and not rely on drs as much, so the onus is put more on us,i feel, thats partly down to how crap the drs seem to be i know,  but with  some people, its like they have a death wish,and however much, you try to help them, and get them to try and see sense, they dont!............very frustrating for their grown up children, my mother in law was like this, would not allow us to send for drs, and when the dr came, she refused to go to hospital, even when the drs said, if you dont, you wil die in this house alone, still refused, it was a very frustrating stressful, sad time for us, and it all could have been avoided.

My sister had several phobias as a child, where dogs were concerned that were off leashes, petrified of them, she also had a fear, of walking over bridges, and going up shop escalators, as she got stuck on one once, and during peri, these fears came back, and really went out of control, she was not offered therapy, just meds which, really just controls the symptoms, shes not as bad now shes post and is off her meds also, which is encouraging, and yet, as a person, i consider her to be  very strong emotionally,  my elder sister on the other hand, who has always been on the nervous side, and doesnt cope well generarlly, whilst, she did have panic attacks, but no childhood phobias, or, new fears, her anxiety only lasted a short time, so you would think if that was going to happen to any of us, it would have been her, doesnt always follow does it............  whilst i did have some panic attacks during early peri, they were few and far between, didnt have any heightened fear over things, and my anxiety was something i could live with, i use to do yoga, where i was taught relaxation and breathing exercises, so, that may account for it, because i have been able to  stave the attacks off when i felt them coming on,  So i feel for you that it is so bad, especially when you seem a strong person, who seems to have a handle on things as well, just shows you how it can affect people, there seems to be no set rule for any of us.

Elaine, next week I am joining the YMCA, I believe they have yoga classes. It was really cold here this week and I teach part time so I did not get to go, but I am next week, probably Monday since its a holiday here in the U.S (Presidents Day) which is funny because half of the country usually hates whoever is president. LOL, but I digress. Anyway, I think it would be good for me to get involved with something else beyond teaching 3 days a week and obsessing about perimenopausal symptoms. It won't make it all go away but it will help me. As far as your mother in law, I suspect something like that would happen to my mother, she is 74 and extremely stubborn, thankfully she is in great health but she adamantly refuses to do anything that would require medication, hospitalization ect.  One thing I realize is people have agency and many feel like I just don't want to have anything to do with hospitals and medication. As far as your sisters, the panic attacks are very debilitating and yet they are really hard to get a handle on. I used to be afraid of dogs too. I am still afraid of elevators.   

Thats great lennie, unfortunately all we can do, is act on whats happening around our body when it happens, and whilst it would be great to take one pill to take the lot away, if you can come through it without doing that, then thats great, just dont suffer uneccessarily, that would be my only advice to people, sometimes i think the elderly have the right attitude to medication and drs, but sometimes it can be tlo our detriment to do that.

Yoga is much more gentle ont he body, and the relaxation part i found brilliant, your a teacher, your use to structure in your life, opretty sure that would help you control your anxiety, good luck lennie, let us know how you get on, i always tend to think, ill do it when the weather is warmer................ha we tend to hibernate in the winter dont we, swimming i have found another good one, for gentle exercise, now that one really made me feel well all over with the fatigue, but one for the summer i think..............ha

Yes swimming is really, really relaxing too. Anyway, I agree with you about medications ect. I am not 100 percent opposed to meds, if its necessary I take them and will do it, I try to see if it can be resolved without them, but sometimes you have to do it, the last few days the tendonitis has been really bad but when its gets awful I break down and use ibuprofen. It helps, I have large breasts and the medical assistant was saying that the pulling from tendonitis during perimenopause aggravates the sensation. I cant wait to do the yoga classes. 

nothing wrong with breaking down and using ibuprofen, if you feel you need it take it, i have, works great for inflammation, when that lifts it makes you feel pretty good, just take it in moderation, thats me, everything in moderation you wont go wrong then, yes thats the problem isnt it, perimenopause seems to aggravate everything thats going on elsewhere in the body, especially if you have inflammation, let me know how the yoga classes go, when you can make it. 

Elaine, as far as meds like Tylenol, ibuprofen ect. here is my philosophy, go with the natural stuff first, but when the pain is too much to bear use pain relief, do NOT suffer with pain, I have sort of a high threshold for most pain, so I try to use other remedies like turmeric, but when that does not work, I use pain killers, since I hurt my knee I use them but in moderation. 

totall y agree lennie, im exactly the same.