Perimenopause and anxiety

[myradee]

I’ve been taking .5 Klonopin once a day for the past 5 years for anxiety and it’s worked great. I am now 51 and have missed 2 periods and my anxiety has been horrible also terrible headaches and a headrush feeling throughout the day. Dr. Upped my Klonopin to 1mg which helps. I’ve tried Celexa and Lexapro and all they do is give me more anxiety. I’m afraid to try any other antidepressants as I do not want more anxiety. Has anyone else’s anxiety gotten worse since their periods Have stopped? Thanks

[Hidden]

Hi Myradee, yes, I believe my depression and anxiety worsened after I stopped taking estrogen. I had a hysterectomy when I was 41. Then, about 2 1/2 years ago I had a breast lump removed. The lump wasn't cancerous but it had abnormal growth in it (hyperplasia). I stopped taking estrogen because my lump put me in a high risk category for breast cancer. Since then I have been really battling my depression and anxiety.

Perhaps you can take estrogen?

[myradee in reply to Hidden]

I’ve never taken estrogen and the more I read about it the more I’m Leary of the side effects but I may Minot have a choice. I can’t stay like this. Feel better😔

[fauxartist]

yep!....never had a migraine in my life till menopause. Then I started getting cluster migraines...my hormones put me in mood swings from hell, my fatigue was unbelievable, I was always energetic and ready to tackle what ever the day brought on...now I don't sleep well and don't want to get out of bed some days because I am so tired. Your hair starts to thin....weight gain....water retention.....it just sucks. And then some women have no symptoms at all....

[myradee in reply to fauxartist]

Hi sorry just reading this now. What did you end up doing about your pre-menopause menopause? I’m still getting in around it. And my nerves are a mess

[fauxartist in reply to myradee]

I was prescribed natural hormone replacement supplement by my doctor, and my pharmacist made up the compound. It worked great. It takes years and years for our bodies to get through menopause and start calming down. So hold on, and read everything you can, and try and remember when you feel like you’re going over the edge....it's probably a mood swing. I also take SSRI's for my depression, I don't know if you have depression, but it does help.

[myradee in reply to fauxartist]

Thank you so much for getting back to me. May I ask which doctor gave you The natural hormone replacement? Was it your regular medical doctor or was it a gynecologist? I’m finding it very hard to get help they just tell me to take an anti-depressant and it’ll go away. I’ve tried taking antidepressants they just don’t work for me I’m on an anti-anxiety which used to help wonderfully but lately that’s not even helping unless I up the dosage which I don’t want to do. Ughh. So Frustrating

[fauxartist in reply to myradee]

I'd go online and do some searching....my doctor is probably retired now...it's been over 10 years ago. But this was the alternative many women were using because of the high risk patients for cancer from taking synthetic hormone replacement therapy. The health food stores do have the replacement therapy, but they really vary in quality and products used. It's going to sound wacky and like it wouldn't work, but it was basically a synthesized compound from soy and red yam that made up my hormone replacement therapy. There are a lot of overlooked products because they just sound too simple. But aspirin comes from the bark of a tree. Nausea is cured with ginger. And sour stomach and gas is cured with peppermint tea. So there is validity to natural remedies and they work.

[myradee]

Exactly!!!! What can be done to lesson these effects? I’m afraid to take the migraine medicine bc they have caffeine which exacerbates my anxiety. Ughhhh

[fauxartist in reply to myradee]

it is a catch 22....and it is the lesser of the two evils when we suffer from one malady and then another.....for me though....the cluster migraines were and are so debilitating that I can't function, so any relief for me out weights any effect the caffeine may have...and frankly I don't feel the caffeine anyways really...maybe you won’t either if you’re really deep into a migraine.

[myradee]

Exactly. So what can we do to stop these headaches and won’t add to the anxiety? Tia