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Perimenopause and extreme anxiety

Posted , 21 users are following.

dora_39625
dora_39625

Hi Ladies,

Do any of you suffer from extreme anxiety?

Mine has gotten so bad that I'm finding it so difficult to function on a daily basis.

I'm trying to push myself and face my fears but it's still crippling and debilitating.

Currently, I'm unable to go into big shops and anywhere busy.

Struggled to go into my local shopping centre the other day and felt uneasy and panicky. Left after one shop. The rest of the day and night I felt so on edge and anxious. Today that feeling remains and I hate it. I can feel the tension in my throat, back and chest. I woke up in the middle of the night with a racing heart and feeling like I was gasping for breath.

My question Is, has anyone else experienced these extreme symptoms and do they take any medication to ease this?

If Yes, what and are there any side effects?

I've been prescribed Sertraline, but scared to take them having read the side effects.

Any advice and reassurance would be great.

Thank you

6 likes, 49 replies

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  • carlycat
    carlycat dora_39625

    Posted

    Yes I suffer with the exact same things! I don't take meds because I think they often cause more issues than just trying to deal with it cold turkey. The drugs are strong and often have physical and mental side effects.

    I wake up with heart racing (it's just adrenaline and IF you can not worry about it, and stay calm, should clear within 10 to 15 minutes. I wake up with it every day and sometimes during the night too. Like last night about 2 hours after falling asleep I woke up with racing heart and anxiety. I didn't panic just turned on the tv, set the sleep timer, had a glass of water and fell back asleep. I just don't worry anymore about the nighttime or morning heart racing because I assume it is a cortisol/adrenaline imbalance related to age and perimenopause hormones. It's awful but I've had it steadily increase for the last 8 years or so.

    As far as going out I have good days and bad days! Again, I try to stay calm as the more I focus on it the more I will give myself anxiety. That is easier said than done I know! If I have a really bad day I just come home and scrap my plans for the day and take it easy. Most days are some kind of struggle either mental or physical but I just try to endure it as best I can. I don't take any medication.

    • lori93950
      lori93950 carlycat

      Posted

      That’s so admirable and yes medications just put a band aid on the problem and have terrible side effects ... I’ve tried a few briefly and were awful . So if you can recognize it know what it is and realize that you’re ok I think that’s much better. 

      I never knew hormones could make you so crazy I had no clue about all of this . 

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