Print

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

[Noheroicsplease]

That's interesting, ancientrunner. That's pretty much it. SO WHAT!

So maybe I need to keep an eye on whether I've got high enough dosage of HRT.

Is Femoston your first stab at HRT?

[Love_vodka]

Noheroicsplease, this is how I feel. I'm not anxious or depressed. I have always eaten a healthy diet, I exercise daily, love my job ect. I just feel like I can't be bothered. I'd quite happily just get up and lounge in front of the tv all day if I could get away with it. It's so totally removed from the type of person I normally am (a do'er!) I've started keeping a diary too to see if there is a pattern as I only recently started hrt.
Anyway sending love and let me know if you find any answers xxx

[Menomale]

Sometimes I think I feel apathy, sometimes I think it's depression, or anxiety, or both. Sometimes it feels like a total lack of motivation, but then it feels like dysfunctional upbringing or lack of emotional intelligence... I have always felt like this but I managed somehow. After perimenopause (but then it could be just ageing) I can't manage anymore. When I plan to do different things, or think in a different way or just relax, then something nasty comes and I feel lost again. It's one thing after another, no time to breathe really.

I was browsing the internet and found a website (won't display it here for the sake of the rules) with interesting texts on motivation, communication, lyfestyle, work, etc and there is some good advice there, although I can't say they work yet, I guess it's worth a try. One of them states that anxiety is not about worrying too much, it's about caring too much. Then I thought, well if I care too much, then it's anxiety, if I couldn't care less, then it's apathy. It's a good start to put things into perspective and find what exactly I am struggling with now.

[Lizab]

Could you send that site to me in a private message, menomale?  I'm willing to explore any info I can to bring these emotions into balance.

[Menomale]

Sending you right now... 

[CLKD]

Keeping a list gets 'it' out of my head and onto paper, therefore I can remain numb but continue with chores.  Without too much thought!

[Hurdity]

Sorry to hear about your lethargy and apathetic feelings noheroicsplease. It could well be progestogen from the Mirena affecting you - it is at its highest initially and very gradually decreases over the next 5 years..... I can't remember when you had it fitted but your body will take a while to acclimatise as well, I am sure.

The other thing is (sorry can't remember where you are in menopause!) that some  of us on here a few years ago were discussing this - that after menopause we lost our "zest for life" - the hormones are no longer surging up and down - so you don't get that excitement and enthusiasm at ovulation and early/mid cycle - but you don't get the downs either. In other words hormones are on an even keel. So not depressed at all nor anxious but just a little flat a lot of the time. I am a very positive person so I recognise this difference and don't let it bother me - but it can come as a surprise/shock and it would be easy to say one was depressed when not actually. However I never get worked up about things - anything - in the same way that I used to - my hormones are just not having a party any more!! Some women may want to take higher doses of oestrogen - which would undoubtedly make a difference but getting the right level is tricky - not too high that you are permanently stimulated, and have to take too much progesterone (which has the opposite effect).

Personally I feel I have the right balance - my mood is never low but I'm not easily excited either - and I can cope with the progesterone on a long-ish cycle (in my 60's!!!).

I don't know if this is helpful but if you can recognise it then that's the first step in not letting it get the better of you - and flipping to the positive side. If it's the progestogen - hmmm....the effect is more physiological than psychological I would say!

Hurdity x

[Noheroicsplease]

Hi Hurdity,

That's really interesting. I hadn't linked it directly to the progesterone but maybe it's that?

I started the coil a month ago. I don't really know where I was in menopause? I hadn't had a period in about 11 months and my FSH was near 90.

I realise the HRT has to settle down but the idea that I'll feel this unmotivated for months to come is frightening....I'm wondering whether to increase estrogel to two pumps a day? Maybe I should go and my oestrogen levels checked first?

Aggh. It's a minefield. I do care that I feel flat. I'm not long enough into this to be casual about it. I'm about 8lbs overweight (in the last year since no periods), dozy, flat and not myself. It does make me feel depressed!

XX

[CLKD]

I doubt that as you are on HRT blood tests would be reliable?!?

It is dull.  Cold.  Grey skies ......... enough to make many people feel apathetic!

[elsie001]

I definitely felt like that after having my coil fitted.  I also had an overwelming urge to eat comfort food (constantly), and absolutely no urge to eat fruit, which is very unlike me.  Not sure if it's related to the coil in any way?