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[Anna67]

Hi ladies, I was wondering if anyone takes anxiety tablets along side their hrt ? And does it help with the anxiety or am I just being fobbed off with more medication? 

[CLKD]

HRT can help over-all symptoms.  Anti-depressant medication can ease anxiety surges as can beta-blockas.  I have an emergency drug when anxiety over-takes me.

[cubagirl]

I'm on Citalopram for anxiety. Used to be 10mg daily, now every second day. It has helped.

[renee]

I was on hrt and also on my regular anxiety tabs and they worked well together. No interaction and gave great relief. i have complex ptsd and anxiety plays a huge part of that so when I became menopausal my anxiety became worse! Im on propranolol and trazadone. Life is short so if your offered help then take it and live your life without anxiety....youve probably put up with menopausal symptoms so why put up with anxiety too. Hope you feel better soon 💟

[Anna67]

Thank you for your replies ladies, my doctor gave me some setraline 50mgs to help with the anxiety as all my other symptoms eased off with the Premarin, the thing is I didn't suffer with anxiety until peri menopause kicked in, so I don't know whether to just keep on taking the hrt for a while longer to see if the anxiety gets better ( been on Premarin for 3 1/2 weeks ) or to start taking the anxiety meds as well, I'm just worried in case I start to feel worse, I think I'm hoping for some positive feed back here 

[renee]

Anna i wouldnt stop the hrt....take both and give the sertraline a few weeks anyway to get into your system. im sure your doctor would have told you that sometimes the anxiety can get a bitty worse when initially started these meds but that will pass. if it does then think of a way to take time for yourself....some quiet time etc. its coming up to Christmas etc a busy time for most women so give yourself the help you need and take your medication xx

[Anna67]

does it really get worse ? That's put me right off  I don't think I could handle the anxiety worsening it's bad enough now, how long before you start to feel better ? I don't want to end up a nervous wreck xx

[walking the dog]

Ana67  I have been on 50mg sertraline just over two weeks now and my anxiety hasn't got worse. However it's affected my sleep badly , however I'm hoping this will pass.
Dont be afraid to try them you can always stop them if you want

[Anna67]

Have they helped your anxiety walking the dog ? Or are you still suffering, do you also take hrt ? I carntvwait to get this menopausal crap under control 

[walking the dog]

Not yet but I think they take 4/6 weeks ? I'm primarily on them for my severe pms symptoms but also have anxiety.
I'm on hrt I had the mirena in just over three weeks ago and I use estradot patch , I have tried other hrt but none of them  help my anxiety or PMS, I have also had other ADs in the past which haven't helped either, I'm re trying sertraline out of sheer desperation!
Good luck 😊

[renee]

Apologies Anna..Im not saying your anxiety will definetly get worse for a short period of time whilst first starting Sertraline but it was something my Doctor told me. Its all for the better in the long run so take the help your offered as you WILL feel better soon xxx

[Anna67]

Thank you it's the thought of my anxiety getting worse that's freaks me out, do you think if I took half a tablet it would be better ? Just incase they do get worse    my brain is slowly dying over this, I don't get a racing heart just a really bad anxious feeling like I want to run and disappear... I wish I was a menopause doctor xx

[CLKD]

I DREADED - for years++ it was food/eating , in case my nausea got worse  whereas my body was probably hungry.

I DREADED taking new meds in case they made me feel worse  .  However!  Try the medication over-night but don't lay awake waiting for side effects  - done that myself.  I take 5mg in the morning and 10 at night of AD plus Propranolol at night ……… works for me!

[Hurdity]

Hi Anna67

I'm going to give a different perspective!

Personally I would not even think of starting the ADs at the moment! You have only been taking HRT for a few weeks and it can take several months for all the emotional symptoms to settle after starting HRT. Also - you said you did not suffer from anxiety before starting peri-menopause so that indicates a hormonal cause, for which a hormonal solution should be the answer.

I can't remember where you are in menopause and if you have a Mirena or have had a hysterectomy so you don't really know?

What exactly do you mean by anxiety anyway? I mean I would only contemplate taking medication for this if my mental state was such that it greatly interfered with my being able to lead a normal life, and prevented me doing things I would otherwise want or need to do. If it is simply worrying about things or mild feelings or surges, then there may be better mental strategies for learning to cope with them than taking more medication as you say. If you have only experienced them at peri-menopause then they will eventually calm down anyway but you don't want to have to take ADs for the rest of your life if there are other ways of coping.

Women who have had life-long anxiety or depression or other issues in their life are in a different category from women who become like this for the first time in menopause and without serious underlying reasons to feel like this.

I would wait a while, let the oestrogen do what it's going to, look up websites about dealing with anxiety ( eg nomorepanic) and if you can cope, reassess how you feel in two or three months time, if you can.

I hope you feel better soon anyway whatever you decide

Hurdity x

[Meg]

Anna

I totally sympathise with your dilemma.  Many women find the anxiety inflicted by menopause very very difficult to cope with.  The waking anxiety really is the pits and the feelings that something is threatening you and you need to get away.  I think it is to do with the adrenal function but I wish more research would solve this one for us!  Like you I have heard that initially antidepressants can make things worse for some and I personally am afraid that I could not cope with that.  I hope that others may be able to offer further advice  It is a big dilemma but maybe someone will be along with their experience. Sorry I cant be of more help in this.

Meg