Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[GypsyRoseLee]

Getting increasingly fed up with random anxiety and mood dips. I stopped taking ADs over 3 months ago, and have generally felt absolutely fine. Just a day or two of anxiety, mood dips and some insomnia around the time of my period.

My gynaecologist offered me HRT 6 weeks ago, but I refused because I felt fine and that my symptoms were under control.

But, this last week my anxiety and moods have been all over the place. My period started last Thursday. Felt okay, but emotionally numb (which is normal for me). But Monday night I had terrible insomnia, so Tuesday was horrible. Felt exhausted and my anxiety was high. Wednesday I felt much better after a good night's sleep, but still felt drained after the anxiety pangs. Yesterday I felt perfectly normal again. But today I am back to feeling anxious and weepy. And, I'm on Day 9 of my cycle so SHOULD be feeling absolutely fine now, really good.

Oh, and my libido has disappeared. Typically, my libido is fine for the first 14 days of my cycle, quite strong actually  But, this month - there's nothing happening.

So sick of this. Hate not knowing if tomorrow will be a good/bad day. Or whether I will have a good night's sleep or not.

My peri physical symptoms are very slight. Just Shorter cycles, much lighter periods. Few more headaches. But that's it. But, I would swap my horrible psychological symptoms for 10 hot flushes a day and a moustache, I really would 

[GypsyRoseLee]

Sorry, forgot to add that I feel really weepy and on the verge of tears which is not like me at all. I rarely if ever cry about anything.

I just don't understand, as less than 2 weeks ago I was buzzing about the place, excited about Christmas, loads of energy, getting tonnes of stuff done and really looking forward to a mini break my husband and I are taking in the New Year.

My period was especially light this month, barely 4 tampons worth over 3 days (sorry if TMI). Could this be a factor?

I really hope some sensible, more knowledgable person than me can explain 

[Briony]

I can't offer you an explanation other than to say that what you're experiencing is probably related to being peri and the anxiety, rather than totally random, is likely to be linked to your fluctuating hormones.

How old are you? Have you had your FSH/oestrogen levels measured? You say you refused HRT as you thought things were under control, but if you are  lacking in oestrogen, then your body would probably respond well to replacing  what it is missing. This could help avoid potential future physical symptoms, as well as ease  the anxiety, so I would not dismiss it totally. Some  of the really experienced people on here (I am not one of them!) often point out that you are not giving yourself an extra drug with HRT  - you're  simply resolving  a deficiency (as you would a vitamin deficiency). When I thought of it like that, I was a lot less reticent about taking HRT.

I think I am right in saying that if you are in your 40s, it is particularly important that you do not starve your body of oestrogen (for the sake of your bones and heart, especially) and the risks of HRT are much lower than if you were older.


Hope this helps, B x



PS Saw your other post too. Please don't take it personally/ to heart when people read but don't reply. I was one of the ones who read it and didn't reply (sorry!) simply because I was tired last night and didn't think I could add anything useful. Then I felt guilty just now when I read your newer post! 

[DebsMK]

I had lots of symptoms but no hot flushes, night sweats or anxiety.  Like you I didn't want to take HRT, but got to the point where I thought the lack of Oestrogen was making my life a misery, so I went to the GP.  So many of the horrible niggling problems vanished along with the ones I thought it would help, for example I have had dry eyes for years but this symptom vanished when I started taking HRT  .  Obviously it hasn't helped with everything, but it may be worth giving it a go for a few months just to see how you get on.

[Hurdity]

Hi GypsyRoseLee

Sorry to hear about your symptoms. In fact many of the "psychological" symptoms are in fact caused by hormonal deficiency as Briony has said and it does sound like your oestrogen levels are decreasing.

How regular are your periods? If they are lighter and shorter and you are feeling weepy - these are sure signs. The lighter periods mean there is less oestrogen to thicken the lining.

As Briony says HRT should help with this provided you pick the right one that suits you - it is usally the progestogens that can cause problems as most of the HRT types have bio-identical oestrogen.

If you need help with this then do ask and we can try to advise - there is a lot of information in the menu on the left!

Hurdity x

Edit
PS Just saw your other comment. I haven't been logged into the forum properly for a couple of days so was probably one who read your other post but didn't comment. I'm not logged in on my phone but if I have a quick moment sometimes have a look but obvs can't post - I don't want to post on my phone as too small and too many typos! Haven't had time till today.... I'm sure others are the same and busy especially now!! 

[GypsyRoseLee]

Thank you so much for replying. And, I'm so sorry if I sounded sorry for myself on my other post. I just felt at the end of my tether when I posted it and I felt dreadful all the following day. Very low and weepy and regular waves of dread/anxiety. Then I suddenly felt much better late Saturday night. I mean literally within about 20 minutes my whole mood changed. That can't be normal?

I woke up Sunday morning feeling perfectly normal and like my usual self and have felt fine since. But I still have NO libido. Nothing at all.

If I am ovulating this month then this is now the time I would usually ovulate. Is this why I suddenly started to feel so much better 2 days ago?

HURDITY - I am 44, and my periods are still quite regular with a cycle that is now roughly 25 days (used to be more like 28). But my periods have been getting progressively lighter for the last 12 months. This month my period only lasted 2.5 days and I only used 5 regular tampons (I used to be a 5 day period girl and using 4-5 tampons a day).

I am concerned about the progesterone element of HRT because I didn't react well to the Mirena coil. What would be the most sympathetic type of progesterone to use?

After reading everyone's very kind replies on here I have decided to go ahead with HRT because I just cannot stand many more days like last Friday and Saturday. I was really at my wit's end.

But I have tried to get another appointment with my gynaecologist, and she doesn't have a single appointment until next July!!! And I am now panicking because I just can't face many more of these mood dips and anxiety and I know it will happen again next month.

[Briony]

I know just what you mean - I can go from normal to lower than low in half an hour, with no apparent trigger apart from hormones!

Having not liked taking the progesterone only pill, I too had your concerns about this part of HRT. On the advice of people on here, I pushed for Utrogestan . This was a battle! I take this vaginally to reduce potential side effects (though my GP doesn't know this). Strangely, I think I feel better during the days I have Utrogestan with the patch - not at all what I had expected!  Good luck  X

[GypsyRoseLee]

Thank you BRIONY, I will make a note of the brand. Has HRT helped with your mood swings?

I think this weekend has finally, finally made me realise that it MUST be hormones causing my problems. For a while I wasn't sure. I've had a very stressful year, and I wondered if it was just normal anxiety caused by the stress. But for my mood to shift so dramatically and quickly (and my real life stressful situation remain exactly the same) I realised it MUST be hormonal.

Plus, other symptoms like much lighter periods, the tearfulness (so not like me) the total lack of libido and feeling cold and shivery all point toward low oestrogen levels. I didn't know this until reading other people's posts on here, some people are so knowledgeable.

The gynaecologist mentioned I would be given oestrogen patches to wear all the time, then progesterone for just a few days a month. She mentioned the progesterone could cause PMS symptoms, like irritability etc. I can cope with the irritability, but I can't cope with many more days of this crushing anxiety.

I am furious with myself for not accepting her prescription now  as I can't see her for 7 months! I am now praying my GP can prescribe for me instead.

[Briony]

There are lots of posts on Utrogestan so do have a look. It's much kinder than synthetic versions, but not well known by GPs. Taking them vaginally can only be  done off label, which many docs won't do - though since the oral tablets can go in 'either end', you can make the decision yourself regardless of your GP.

It's still early days for me as I am only on week 7, but so far, my mood has massively improved. Took a month to notice this. I still get some physical symptoms, especially random fatigue and headaches/nausea, but it scares me less than it did. I seem more rational. That said, had a really down day yesterday!  My GP is keen for me to try Qlaira as it controls fluctuations better than HRT. It's worth reading Pixiegirl's post on this if you haven't already. Good luck x

[Amandajane46]

Hi you gp will be able to prescribe hrt