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[Sadelly]

Hello lovely ladies,
I am so very grateful to have found this forum and have been reading non stop for the last four days. Anxiety is what has prompted me to reach out for HRT and to search for others who are going through the same experiences. After reading how anxiety is one of the more common symptoms, I do not feel so alone. Thank you to everyone who has been transparent in sharing, and how you have embraced other ladies who are also struggling. I am hopeful that things will get better for all of us. 

[SarahT]

Hi, and welcome!

So many of us work with anxiety, as you have been browsing around, and  I can see you at Last are feeling not as isolated in what you are going through with symptoms and adjusting with the hrt.
You cannot course tell that many are very honest about how they themselves are coping (and when we're not). There is so much info and advice on this forum, and just as importantly so much support and understanding.

Just ask anything as you need to, or for a little rant! Someone will come along to help.

Welcome and take care x

[discogirl]

Hi Sad0307

I just also wanted to reach out to say that I too suffer from chronic anxiety; sometimes its okay, low grade but other times its just a constant feeling of dread and its awful so you are definately not alone.

This is a great forum with great advice and help

Take care xxx

[Penguin]

Hi
Welcome to the forum. I'm another anxiety sufferer, mainly health anxiety now and it ebbs and flows but is never gone completely. Perimenopause completely threw me and made things 10 x worse and for ages I felt very alone. It was only reading this forum that I realised this impacts so many women and in many different ways. Knowing I'm not alone and can say pretty much anything on here to people who 'get it' and without being judged has been such a relief. I hope you are able to pick up and use some of the suggestions here, or at least feel supported in your journey xx

[Sadelly]

SarahT, Discogirl and Penguin, thank you so so much for your reply. It has been a whirlwind of events the last few months and just having this forum has made me feel a lot better. How have the three of you been able to cope with the anxiety? HA definitely can send me into a tail spin no matter how much I try to talk myself down. I am post meno and  currently talking bio-identical Estrodiol/Testosterone for the past 5 weeks. I was prescribed progesterone, but found it was making me more anxious/depressed so I stopped taking it. I've started on Sertraline 50mg which has seemed to help some (only 6 days in so far)so hoping it will provide more relief. Sleeping issues are getting me down and I feel like if I could get a good nights rest that I would feel a lot better. Any tips? Benadryl and melatonin have not helped and my GP refuses to prescribe anything for sleep. 

[CLKD]

welcome.  Anxiety is the pits.

Do U still have a womb? 

[Sadelly]

CLKD, I do not. Had a hysterectomy in 2001. I was taking the progesterone as was told it would help with anxiety and with sleep. Sadly the opposite happened.

[Penguin]

Poor sleep is the worst, always sets me up for a bad day.
I use YouTube sleep hypnosis by a guy called Michael Sealey. He's really good and doesn't have an annoying voice.
Magnesium glycine helps too.
How long did you take the melatonin for? Ideally you need to take for a few weeks to get a proper reset.
What time of day do you take the sertraline, maybe switching that around might help sleep?
I don't find falling asleep a problem, but have gone back to waking early at 4am or 5am and that is horrible too.

[Penguin]

There's no simple answer re the anxiety I'm afraid. Sometimes I think I'm better only for it to flare up again. Hrt has helped, so does exercise every day (yoga and walking for me) and making sure I get out and see people even though i rarely feel like it when its really bad. It is early days for you with both the sertraline and hrt so hopefully things will start to improve and you'll have some good days x

[SarahT]

Yes I am like Penguin in that it can be workable then flare up again.

Walking (on my own, away from people.too) is a good stress reliever for me when I get over anxious.
 I have found little methods that work for me. Mine is more general anxiety rather than health anxiety. I am a right one for notes and lists. I try not to set myself up for the unachievable in a day as when I can't do all I want or need to I get anxious and think I am letting others or myself down. So as far as is feasible I write a list of the priorities and anything I do above that is a bonus. I cannot deal with much that comes up unexpectedly, I will panic. So I have been very honest with those around me who I work with on a daily basis and they try to work with me on this.

I have increased my hrt to 100 strength patch, and I do feel more stable physical symptoms and the psychological ones too. I took to using herbal sleeping tablets each night and I think, after a Rocky time, I am beginning to get my sleep patterns back. But the 3 am wide awake happens to me too. I try not to worry about not sleeping, to relax as I can. Stick to a routine time for bed, then off all phones etc and do a little stretching or yoga to relax my mind. Oh, and earplugs...I have always been noise intolerant!

It's a bit of trial and error, I think some of us seem to have some symptoms ease then others come along. Do use the search bar to read previous threads that may offer advice too.

I have been on sertraline in the now at and It did Take a few weeks for me to feel the full benefits.

Take care. X

[CLKD]

Cutting back the progesterone might help ?  If it isn't necessary mayB drop it as part of the regime?

Let us know how you get on.