how does periods affect your anxiety?

[blondedonnakebab]

hi im just asking how does everyone cope with anxiety at the time of your period it affect me more

[chappellhouse]

I think my period is the main low of my month which brings on anxiety. I get situational anxiety (my girlfriend). Can cope with anything when things going well but if I get no contact from her for a few hours I get worried. Always so much worse around time of period. GP put me on propanalol which I take on days I feel low and anxious. I think I need a mood enhancer as my lows now make me very low to the point I hardly function.

[LilMissWin]

"it's just your hormones dear" - the response I got from my doctor! My anxiety only really exists once a month. I take every recommended natural remedy, have given up drInking, smoking and 90% of my usual caffiene intake but still, for about 10 days a month I am struck down by anxiety! The only thing that takes the edge off it is exercise! So I eat healthily, live healthily, treating my physical being like a temple yet I am blighted by this dibilitating mental illness! An excellent example of life just not being fair!

[nindanoodle]

I am exactly the same, from about 10 days before my period starts my anxiety is 100% worse. My doctor told me this is a good thing because it means the paroxatine has not numbed my feelings??? Not very helpful. I feel so tired on the build up to my period I find it hard to function properly. If anyone has any tips that would be great. Feel better knowing its not just me lots of love xx

[sasha88 in reply to nindanoodle]

Know I'm not alone in this make me feel better cause I've been going through the same things.

[Pickle165]

Hello all ladies suffering with there cycle. ive had this problem for years, anxiety hits the roof about 10-14days before my period. this makes life harder than it already is with anxiety and panic. ive found that rescue remedy spray is calming, i burn lavender oils, i drink camomile, 2 weeks prior i start my strong fish oils and all the vitimin b's at the highest recommended dose, i use a handheld massager with inferred light and a tens machine. when i comes to the pain i take paracetomal and codine from boots chemist as i find they help with pain but also the codine seems to relax me as an added bonus. i like to keep my mind on something as well like a good book so im not concentrating on how jittery i feel. hope this gives you some ideas to try but i find nothing really makes it totally go away so if anyone knows of a magic spell please let me know. take care xxxxxx

[Leta]

Oh it is so good to know that I am not the only one suffering from this... I thought I am not normal... But looks like it is ok... I feel extremely tired before and during period like I don't have energy at all it seems like any time when I walk I will faint... Well truth is it has never happened so it must be just hormones and anxiety it is at it is other people have even more serious health problems... I try to relax listen to music have a long walks, talk to friends... Hope all of us can feel better even during our periods x

[Hidden]

I have horrendous PMT, and it's become worse over the years. Three days before my period starts I get extremely anxious, the OCD comes back, I feel alternately furious, and sad, and I have a terrible urge to smoke/drink/eat sugar.... I'm unreasonable and irrational. I also bloat up to the size of a small whale. The worst part of it is I lose all insight at the time and it's only in hindsight that I realise it's PMT. I take lexapro, starflower oil and vit B and I still go mental! Hate it.

[rouri]

worst nightmare, i am 34, i don't have kids and i think my depression and anxiety kicked off my perimenopausal period, i have my period now every 25days, usually my breasts are sore like 10 days before and then it goes away for few days and back about 10 days before ovulation, now since my last period my breasts stayed the same, sore and tender for the past 25 days, i got my period last night. i used to have few days relax and now every day i am suffering pms like symptoms, it is very annoying and my anxiety high, it feels like i have 2 stones on my chest cz of my breasts feels very heavy and that temper with my breathing and anxiety and panic kicks in it is upsetting as i don't drink,smoke,or take caffeine, i take V b comples, omega 3,6 and i am vegetrian. i don't know what to do, every day struggle for me now.

it is hormones, it is estrogen, testosterone and progesterone, it seems when we get older we don't produce some of them, is liek the body is saving them for ovulation. therefore our hormones are up and down and nothing we can do about it. GP will kaugh his head off if i told him give me someting for that. i did look up on the internet there are some kind of creams you can rub and some sort of herbal supplements but the problem we need to see a professional first before and we can't just take some random stuff especially when it is related to hormaones!!!

ANY SOLUTIONS GIRLIES????????????

[Pickle165 in reply to rouri]

HI, really feel for you im tatally the same. try progesterone cream, i gave that a go and it helped, unfortunately i couldnt offord to keep buying it. x

[blondedonnakebab]

im so glad for all the answers it good in one way that we r not alone but its a horrible time and you cant tell yourself its on your periods i keep a diary and it does help im on 20 mg of fluoxitine it will be a year in december i was on 40 but i cut them doen by myself i dont think i would put the dosage up any higher just grin and bear it im getting older too so that doesnt help im 42 in a week it would be nice to keep in touch with any ladies on here x

[Pickle165 in reply to blondedonnakebab]

Happy birthday for next week. xxxxxxx

[Jaynebutch in reply to blondedonnakebab]

Hi Donna the doctor has just put me on these tablets for the same reason , how are you on the iv only been on them 9 days an today felt terrible but I am due on my period so am thinking its that , hope u don't mind me messaging you xxx

[ellabella]

Hi, I always knew my anxiety was linked to hormones but no one would believe me. I went through an early menopause, never had another period after my 40th birthday! but....I still get the symptoms without the relief of actually coming on a period. I can remember physically feeling the tension lifting when my period actually started!! My doctor at the time never offered any treatment , just said I was lucky, as some women went through the menopause at 18 and I was lucky I had had my family. I suppose she was right. There is a definite link though. Maybe the symptoms are just worse with water retention?? Whatever it is....it's a bugger lol x

[rouri in reply to ellabella]

wow never had a period after 40??? waw i wonder as some women their periods stops at 50 or something. i am just upset cz i don't have kids and i might want one and then it will become very difficult!! waht can i do, but we should find a solution for this. i can't bear the feeling i have, maybe private doctor can sort me out?? i am not sure!!!

i have never heard of someone going into menopause at 18??? how weird!!!

so my symptoms will be everlasting?? goodness me!!!

[ellabella]

Oh Rouri please don't worry it is a rare menopause at 18! or even 40! That is just what happened to me and it played havoc with my anxiety. I thought I was pregnant!!! and having a later life baby. It is rare. xxxxx

[AmandaPandah]

Man am I glad to have found this page. Every single month since I was diagnosedoing with anxiety disorder....my period wreaks havoc on my body.

I feel like hell. Nauseated....bloated.....light headed...etc. I feel completely drained, and my anxieties are at an all time high. The first two to three days are hell. I'm on anxiety medication..but I think this is something I need to bring up to my doctor and see what she thinks about it.

Some months it's not so bad. Others it's almost unbearable.

[Whizz4]

Anyone get checked for magnesium ?? You could be low, I only started taking it today because my anxiety was always high that time of the month, you should look it up , I'm hoping it helps me. Anyone from Ireland??

[Cheche1207 in reply to Whizz4]

So glad im not the only one going through this every month. But i agree with you Whizz4 taking magnesium is a big help for me. I came across this article online about the original chill pill: magnesium. It gave me a deeper insight about how helpful magnesium is to our body and brain. I am still taking it every day with vitaminD. I love it. I get some bad days but not as bad as before. Maybe it will help you out ladies.

[lorena_huerta]

Hi lm so glad l find this page l had anxiety for more than one year after a big panic attack l was getting this bad anxiety simtoms during my period and l was thinking l that l had brain cancer or something bad because of all this thing l feel in my head so now l glad to know that l'm not the only one my body is ok all is going to my head and those feelings scared me .

[Musicoflife3 in reply to lorena_huerta]

Same here, but with me it's been around 7 months since that full-blown panick attack that triggered everything. After that I was horribly depressed for a week or so and I couldn't cope with it, then was prescribed Escitalopram Lundbeck 20mg/ml drops, which actually helped me a lot with the depression and significantly lowered my anxiety levels. Except before and during perods... I took them for 6 months (the minimum recommended time) and now it's been nearly a month without meds. The side effects after i stopped the med were pretty bad - dizziness, irritability, problems sleeping, anxiety... But luckily they went away after 2 weeks and i was feeling good until it was time for my period again. The past days im anxious and very emotional, very easily irritated. I just hope it will pass when my period is over.

I'm so happy i found this page though, its really calming to know you're not alone. Thank you guys for sharing!

[Worriedmomma in reply to lorena_huerta]

How are you doing now?

[Smilewm123]

I get this too. Luckily, it ends up being only 2 days before my perood and 2 days during. The two days during are hell. My anxiety (almost depressive) is about 10X worse than normal. Anything I am not be in total control of is a huge stressor. Little normal worries are catastrophic. I am looking into coping mechanisms. God forbid I am actually in a high stress time (like school finals) because I basicallt melt down. Definitely something I need to work on. I do find magnesium helps. Sleep helps too.

Glad I found this. Makes me feel more "normal".

[Sandraan]

Hi Donna, awful, horrific, horrendous all them words and more every month since January this year has been different but always, the very worst you could imagine, I have had sever depression and anxtiey so the week before just made things unbarable for me ( I mean unbareable ) how have you been feeling ??? You MUST let your GP know every month just how bad you are feeling at them times, you message me anytime for support, that's the only thing that got me through was this site xx

[Hannahx]

I've just made the connection of my anxiety being extremely bad 10 days around my period, thought I was legit going mad at times. So happy to see that I'm not completely insane!! I take anxiety meds but find myself really struggling before my time of the month, just wish it wasn't so severe!

[gldavis447]

I'm exactly the same when its my period, i find its the tiredness that keels me over more then anything, mine are always so heavy. How to be a woman ay! I recently had a blood test too which showed very low progesterone so Ive started to take evening primrose oil every day along with vitamin c, vitamin b12 and iron vitamins. In the past I have been quite anaemic so with the blood loss I make sure i drink plenty of water and take the iron tablets too. 

Ive started to listen to mind calming music and ridiculous as it sounds have started to buy colouring in books. I find it really relaxes me and clears my mind at the same time. 

I hope this helps, love and hugs to you all xxx

[Jaegera in reply to gldavis447]

You found low progesterone was the culprit for you? I'm wondering f that's not the case for myself. I th this because I can't keep a pregnancy. I've lost 3-4 babies and I'm only 24. I know having low progesterone can lead to miscarriage. I'll have to test and see. Funny the moment I am pregnant all anxiety goes away. A few weeks to a month afterwards it comes right back

[gldavis447]

If you are trying to conceive then yes I would have your progesterone levels checked. I had 2 blood tests done earlier this year where my progesterone was very low but I am now currently 11 weeks pregnant and have my 12 week scan next week :). Babies do produce their own progesterone, I have recently found out I have a cyst too which I think is feeding the pregnancy too (corpeus luteum cyst).

I know its hard but try not to worry, I had a miscarriage 2 years ago and still think about it but I promise you it will come good in the end. Speak to your doctor and tell them the situation and I'm sure they will advise you on whats best :).

Let me know how it goes xx Love and hugs

[abbyregine]

I am so glad that I am not alon in this kind of journey but we all have the same condition. I am having this anxiety every 10 to 14 days before my period and it was like hell, tonight I am about to sleep but I wake up like every 5mins its like I am having a shortness of breath an I was like this every month with my cycle and I am very emotional and irational. I dont know how to control it. And when I walk I feel light headed like I was going to faint but not. At least now I know that I am normal. I thought that I am having a heart attack. Lol!

[ValerieAnn2017 in reply to abbyregine]

Hello...Im new to this site and I noticed the same thing. I have bad anxiety around the time I ovulate and then again the few days before my period starts up until a couple of days after. I totally affects my sleep. I either have bad dreams or wake up with shortness of breath as well. Ive been reading up on stuff and everything points to perimenopause but Im only 31. Ive had worsening PMS symptoms since the month before I turned 31. I went to the doctor and he said my hormone levels are normal so I dont know. I just hate feeling like this. Im glad I have a group of ladies who understand me, though. Well wishes to everyone.

[Cheche1207]

Hi ladies! I am so glad i found this site. It made me feel that im not alone. Back then i thought im going crazy! I was clueless what was going on. It was not normal for me to feel anxious before my period. I get so emotional, i cry i get upset so easy and just depressed. My symptoms started this january. For 2 weeks i couldn't sleep, my heart is beating like a drum, i have that butterfly in my tummy kibd of feeling. I was struggling trying to figure out what is wrong with me. Then things felt better all month of february. Then march hit and i was feeling down and depressed. My doctor told me i am experiencing some seasonal affected disorder. It was also my first winter here in upstate NY its horrible, always dark all the time. I dont get enough sun and im from the philippines, so naturally apparently according to my doctor my body needs that sun exposure(vitamin D). I think its true because during winter, whenever the sun is out i am happier abd i would chase it(yes i was thay desperate) and park somewhere where i can get a little sun exposure. Sad right? Anyway, from feeling down all the time like i am carrying a heavy weight on my shoulders i just have to cry it out sometimes to feek some relief. I also started isolating myself from my friends. And i was out of a job that time too. So i have nothing to occupy my time. Now 8 months later i still get the anxiety, less depressing feeling, i guess coz its still summer(sort of) but i noticed days before my period my anxiety shoots up the roof and i get into nagative thinking all the time. Whatever it is it just pops in my head and sometimes because i tap inyo the confusion of my mind i get more anxious and i hate that feeling. However, 20days ago i started doing this meditation my other doctor suggested i should give a try. It helped a lot along with magnesium instake and vitamin D. So this month im hoping my anxiety and negative thinking is not going to be as bad. I have been calm. My breasts are now tender and sore again and i noticed im getting teary eyed at just about anything, so i know im approaching that few crazy days in a month again. Im trying to be positive and hope its not going to be terrible this august. So help me God. It is hard, but im so thankful i am bot alone battling this. I hope all of you are feeling a little better since your last posts? Hope to hear from you ladies. God bless!

[Agora1 in reply to Cheche1207]

Hi Cheche1207 and Welcome to the Anxiety Forum. You are certainly not alone in the ups and downs of anxiety. Finding what helps you most is the way in taking that first step. Whether it's hormones or life situations, meditation can help immensely in giving us some tranquility. I am long over my bad days with anxiety (but I do remember them) and still do daily meditation and deep breathing. I wish you continued peace and calm. We are always here to support and understand each other through the good and the bad days. Take care x

[Cheche1207 in reply to Agora1]

Agora1 thank you so much. I like to think that meditation is going to help me get rid of these negative thinking and anxiety. They both go hand and in hand. It gets worse when i just stay at home. It helps however when i get out and be with friends. My bestfriend came for a 4day visit 2weeks ago and my life was awesome! I have someone to talk to all the time. I took 4 days off work too. These all started when we moved here in upstate ny. I hated the long dark winter. I used to love it when its gloomy anf its its raining. Since coming here because of dark winters, i have come to dislike it. And my mind seems to know it. When there's no sun, i get so down. When im.down i get into negative thinking, and then anxiety again. Sigh. I cant wait to get out of this place. We have until september next year so i need all the support i can get. I am never coming to this place ever. It triggered too many things at once for me.

[Loubian]

Hi all. I know this is a little late but I read the whole of this thread thinking I can help these ladies. I just hope you come back to see my reply. Last year I was diagnosed with PMDD. Its a much more serious form of PMS. From reading your posts I can tell a lot of you might have it. For me it causes extreme anxiety during ovulation and a week or so before menstruation. I feel horrible anxiety, I shake, I'm irrational, I'm angry and so much more and feel so much relief when my period starts. I have had some hormone treatment for it last year I had injections to stop my periods (the first month worked wonders), I then had estrogen add back therapy (which didn't suit me). I know docs needed to get my estrogen levels right for me but my gynecologist said I would have to go to a endocrinologist for that. So here I am 12 months later waiting to see an endo. Finding out u have pmdd is no quick fix, but the label can help when the symptoms attack. I still hate the way I feel but at least I can tell myself its not me, its my pmdd. When I'm feeling really anxious a bath in Epsom salts or magnesium flakes really help to calm me and help me get a good nights sleep. I've Aldo just started evening primrose as they are meant to help to regulate hormones. Fingers crossed xxxx

[Hidden]

Oh yes! Mine is horrible right before that time