Perimenopause and anxiety
Posted , 14 users are following.
hi there,
im 47 and so glad i found this forum. I have felt so alone and like im going crazy. i actually have my husband look up symptoms of mental illnesses to see if i have it.
my anxiety and depression is crippling - I cant handle stress at all. im so up and down and never know what the day is going to bring.
thankfully, i have an awesome and supportive husband but i constantly feel like im letting my kids down because i dont like to go out anymore.
has anyone gotten on lexapro for this? i was on lexapro before and weened off and bam it came right back. would love to hear as im in the process of weaning back up to my prior dose.
thank you for the support!
3 likes, 12 replies
SallyGoldie keri62051
Edited
im 50 and feel exactly the same as you. my anxiety depression is crippling. most days im crippled so much with anxiety that i cant leave my bed. im like this all month but days leading up to and during my period is unbearable. like you, i have a wonderful husband whos had to take the last two months off work to look after me. i cant engage with my children anymore and havent seen my grandchlidren since the summer. ive now been on sertraline for 8 weeks and still waiting for it to help. had one good week but everything now seems to be back to square one, im just praying it will work.
bev27429 keri62051
Edited
I'm 53, and am now in the very late stage of perimenopause (I hope). I am now 91 days without a period. I, too, have had the most horrendous anxiety and depression; sometimes I just didn't want to go on, as there were points went it was completely unbearable. I recently came off of two weeks of feeling amazing, and I was certain that this was it, but it wasn't. I then descended into four days of hell: fear, depression, rage, crying bouts, and screaming fits. I was out for a walk with my partner yesterday, trying to rise above it all, but then I ended up breaking down in a grocery store parking lot, telling him that I just couldn't take it anymore. I proceeded to cry loudly, and I walked down the street crying and moaning for the next half hour, with my lovely, supportive spouse walking behind me. Then, later that afternoon, I started to feel better, and by the evening I was even laughing. It's absolutely heartbreaking to have to live this way, but I want my life, so I go on. I am currently on 15mg of Lexapro. I don't know what it's doing, if anything, but I don't want to change anything right now.
My heart goes out to you. I completely understand how you feel. You don't have a mental illness: you are going through "the menopause".
The world needs to wake-up, especially the medical community, and understand just how debilitating this time of life can be for women.
Reach out to me anytime; I will always respond.
Big hugs,
B xo
paulina475 bev27429
Posted
Hi Bev,
I hope you're doing better. I've been reading your post and can totally relate to everything your going through. It is so frustrating when we have a window of feeling totally normal to only be thrown back into to the peri abyss of not feeling well, at all!
I want to ask about the 15mg of lexapro. I take 5mg of escitalopram, the generic version of lexapro. I've had difficult time with this medication, never felt stable on it after trying to come off it 2 yrs ago. Do you feel the medication helps you with peri symptoms at all? I will be seeing a psych MD next week about the medication. I am pretty sure the MD will suggest going up on the dose-which I really do not want to do. In saying that, the psych peri sx's are terrible and scary to say the least. While I know everyone's experience with SSRI's are different, it helps to hear other's experience's-help's me to put things in prospective.
Lastly, thank for reiterating we do not have mental illness; rather, we are going through perimenopause. This is so important for us to remember when we are caught in the grips of peri psych sx's (symptoms).
Thank you for sharing and Stay Strong!
bev27429 paulina475
Posted
It has definitely helped me with sleep, and I don't feel that I am experiencing any side effects on it, so I am going to keep taking it, until I get through perimenopause. I have weaned myself off of it in the past, without issue.
paulina475 bev27429
Posted
I appreciate your response, thank you! Wanted to gain some perspective while figuring this time out.
It's good to know it's helping with sleep. Any moment of relaxation during this time is so important.
Thanks again Bev!
toria_07298 keri62051
Edited
antidepressants wont help a hormonal imbalance xx
beth58277 keri62051
Posted
Look into Motherwort. It's a flower and it's been called a warm hug from mom, because it helps with anxiety. I've been on it for a week and feel a bit better. It takes a full month to really tell. It also says it balances hormones. Look it up and see what you think. I'm 46 and been dealing with this since 42. This has been the most helpful thing for me so far. I think you can't take it if you have low blood pressure. So far no side effects.
lian44869 keri62051
Edited
hello, my girlfriend seems to be suffering with similar symptoms. however, she keeps pushing me away and wont let me support her to the extent she has actually broken up with me a couple of times. im pretty sure it driven by her perimenopause and I dont want to walk away but im not sure anymore. When you were all going through this how were/ are your feelings for your partner affected? thanks
corinne62311 lian44869
Edited
Hi Lian, thank you for reaching out on this site. I understand your confusion I am still going through this and cant imagine how hard it would have been on my partner. For myself it would be hard to explain to someone how it truly feels.
I cannot tell you if this will slowly go away for her, and it is very hard for people that have been truly independent to depend on people, its another layer that we have lost. I have had to reach back out to my ex husband for help and he has been great. That is all you can do. if you are willing to be there when she needs you, you will have to also be patient when she needs to be alone. You are a good friend either way.
jenifysmith keri62051
Posted
i just joined this today because i was looking up perimenopause, anxiety and nausea. Im very glad this popped up because Im reading everyone's responses and it made me feel not so alone.
i am almost 45 and managing the waters of all of this. but many months I feel my energy slip into almost not being able to do anything . and this month when my period started I was feeling dizzy and nauseous as well as fatigue. and every time this happens I notice my mental state deteriorating until I'm a crying, anxious puddle on the floor with feelings of hopelessness . For me it seems the physical symptoms always precede the mental symptoms. Can anyone else relate to that?
Im feeling extremely low and treating myself very gently right now, Im afraid if I move it'll make it worse
starwoman keri62051
Edited
I have been feeling very similar, especially before my period. I have just turned 48, it was mild last year starting with not being able to sleep through the night, but the last few months since before christmas, anxiety/ depression so acute and intense yes those feelings of not wanting to be alive. It feels like 10 dark things and traumas from my life are at me at once. and anxiety builds up in me. I am so wanting to accept this as normal, understanding its the hormone fluctuations causing it, really wanting to accept and name it as the same time, trying to look for ways to help manage it, finding right herbs, diet. My problem is wanting to be honest to people to say what is going on, normalising it, and not make it such an elephant in the room. If I try to hold it in, pretend things are ok, then it gets worse. I notice it is not great around younger women, who are not understanding it at all. there s a separation between us, a lack of understanding to the point, that my presence is not great for them. then I feel worse as feel I am wrong, but I am crying out just to be honest, just say I feel anxiety in my body, and by saying it helps, and just carry on. I've noticed by trying to hide it, and pretend everything is ok and carry on with happy small talk makes it worse. It's a surprise to some people the dark feelings. Anyway, just wanted to voice this as a normal thing happening in my body right now that is affecting my psychology! just wanted to say this.. kindness to us all going through it and not feeling acknowledged/heard.
leena13601 keri62051
Posted
Hi, I'm glad I found this. I'm 46 this year and think I've been starting the change over the last year. I'm constantly sweating, needing to sit in front of the ac. I can't bear to go outside for any length of time in the summer. I've literally wasted my whole summer this year. I don't want to leave the house. I broke today when I went to my inlaws for our regular family dinner since it's long weekend and I found myself breaking out in a sweat and getting extremely uncomfortable. I felt nauseous and faint and had to have Hubby drive me home. I've never felt this way. now I'm home alone while family is all together eating and I'm crying and looking for answers. Thankfully hubby's bringing me a doggybag but I feel so awful bailing on them. I'm just glad to see I'm not going crazy and I'm not alone.