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[paisley]

Does anyone find that stress lowers their HRT?
I started HRT nearly 3 months ago with an increase 1 month ago. I find that some days I am ok but as soon as any sort of stress kicks in & I mean something so simple as going away for 1 night & not being able to sleep in a strange bed or having a minor argument with my OH & a few days later I feel significantly worse again. Does it mean my HRT is still too low? What have other ladies done to overcome this. Everyone has stress, it is unavoidable

[Roseneath]

 I am not on HRT but have found that since in peri I start to feel the emotional/hormonal impact of a stressful event from from days to weeks after it happens.  A stressful family fall out last year resulted in terrible meno anxiety/gut/insomnia symptoms 4 weeks after it happened. The GP said she was certain that was the trigger. Same thing happened recently and it was a few days after that I felt bad. I think there is an immediate adrenaline survival rush then a longer term impact. It makes it harder to separate what is hormonal and what base line anxiety.

[Dierdre]

Stress definitely plays a part in worsening symptoms. When I'm stressed I can guarantee my VA will flare up within hours and last for a few days. 

[Letmein]

Reseneath, that's interesting what you are saying as I too found that symptoms hit me usually a week after a bad stressful event. After a lot of reflection, I have found that the biggest impact the menopause is having on me is my ability to cope with stress. I have always suffered stress as a result of a hectic life, but used to manage. I now find that the moment I get a hike in stress, my body goes into complete meltdown.

[Letmein]

Well it makes me feel a bit better to know I'm not the only one  It is frustrating because except for this issue, I am coping with the menopause quite well. Some hot flashes, but nothing horrible, sex drive more or less intact, no weight gain, moods and anxiety are only a result of the impact of the stress.

My coping mechanisms are actually better than they've ever been but I'm finding that the stress lives me totally mentally and physically shattered so my ability to put them in place is seriously compromised. This makes me feel even more frustrated! The difference is also how it is affecting my sleep. I used to actually seek the comfort of sleep when I was stressed before, but it's now the other way around. My sleep is totally disturbed and the worse the stress, the worse the sleep, so a very hard vicious cycle to break.

The only option is to reduce the stress, which means significant life changes, the prospect and process of which is highly stressful! The last decision I made to reduce stress was the worse mistake I could have made, so I'm now concerned about my ability to make rational decisions!

[Roseneath]

Loved your post Letmain, could have written it myself. Basically the only thing you can learn is that it is what it is and there is no miracle cure. We will all have good days and bad no matter what regime/App/Vitamin we are on. CKDT advice of eating and drinking little and often is key for me.  There is one post absent from site and that is someone saying ' I too X and in Y days I felt better'. It makes me cross that that is the situation but there it is. For what it is worth I had an awful couple of days last week but yesterday was OK. Hang on in there is bum advice but looks like the best one at the moment.
The free CBT App I am doing has made me think less about my nightmare parents and worry about sleep so I am grateful for that. I find the thought of another trip to the GP (which one this time) exhausting so I am going to do some self help for a big. Perimenopause Cake anyone? Cake is always worth a try for me!

[Letmein]

Thanks Roseneath, I totally agree with your post, accepting it is what it is is the only way to cope with it. It's like quick sand, the more you try to fight it, the deeper you sink. The worse part for me is how envious I am of people who are not stressed, and bitter that they get to enjoy life when I feel that I have everything to do so, but can't because stress and the ill feelings that come with it is tying me up.

I am not asking to live stress-free, who does, but I wish it didn't exhaust me like it does at the moment. It's the exhaustion that is umbearable rather than the stress itself.