Hi all, I started what I now believe to be peri about 18 months ago. At the time, it was diagnosed as anxiety and I was put on antidepressants, which did help to alleviate some of the symptoms. It wasn't until I experienced other, new symptoms such as muscle twitches, sore throats and periods becoming less regular that I realised all of the symptoms that were put down to anxiety could well have been related to peri hormone fluctuations. However, I have recently reduced my antidepressant medication as I feel much better and as though I can cope without them. The effects of the reduction in medication have coincided with me being pre menstrual.

Last night, for the first time since I started on the antidepressants over a year ago, I started having some of the weird symptoms I used to get - adrenaline surges to my head which woke me up several times and then when I got up this morning my inner thighs were aching as though I'd done some unaccustomed exercise (not had this one before but have read posts from others describing the same thing). My throat, which has been much better recently, also felt sore in the night. My question is, what does all this signify?? Am I starting to suffer from anxiety again due to the reduction in medication? Or have the symptoms always been peri related but the antidepressants helped anyway? I don't feel consciously overanxious so I can only think that the peri symptoms must have been at least partially reduced by the antidepressants. Has anyone experienced anything similar? I don't want to return to my original dosage but nor do I want to go back down the road of severe anxiety which I was experiencing 18 months ago. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks, (a very confused!) Jess xx

jessie

I used self help books to get me through my anxiety and panic and they really helped. One was called "Don't Panic" and the other "The Anxiety Cure". They help you to cope with the FEAR of anxiety (which makes it worse) so that you can mentally overcome it. I highly recommend it. They helped me from naving to take medications. I think our hormones during this time can bring on the initial feeling, then the fear takes off.

Jo Jo

Jess,

It's hard to know why you've begun having the adrenaline surges again, but you might want to watch and see how things go for the next couple weeks.

I was on Lexapro for 18 months, and got off last September because I was feeling so good. Then, a few days before Christmas, I began dipping back into depression (I realize your problem was more an issue of anxiety). It became necessary to go back onto the Lexapro - very disappointing!

For the time being, I'm remaining on the medication. The peri-menopausal phase can take a few years, and of course, I'm hoping that somewhere down the road, I can get off the AD's again FOR GOOD.

Your best approach is to watch and see, and if you begin to suffer again, and you did well on the AD's in the past, think about going back on.

I wish you well!
JJ

Hi all, thanks for your helpful replies. I agree that the most important thing is to remain emotionally stable and if that means staying on the meds then so be it. I'm happy to report that since those initial symptoms flared up, I've been feeling much better. I'm finding it harder to get to sleep and seem to be twitching and jerking more when in bed but am possibly just noticing it more because my sleep is lighter. Having thought about this, I think that what the anti depressants have helped me with re: peri symptoms is all the sleep related stuff as they do have a sedative effect.

Coming off these ads has been interesting - like you joliejacq, I've tried before and because my physical health was still a worry I got to a point where I realised I wasn't coping very well and returned to the full dosage. What I've noticed this time is that as the effects of the ads wear off my mind is more sharply focused and I feel more emotional generally - not in a bad way, just in a more intense way, which I think is the real 'me' that was being masked by the medication. I feel I'm emotionally and physically strong enough this time to learn to live with and successfully manage those feelings again. Fingers crossed!! I may yet check out a few of those self help books! Thanks again, Jess

Jess, the answer to your question is BOTH!

It's not a case of is it one or the other. When you are stressed, because of peri, or because of other factors, your body produces adrenaline and corsitol. When your adrenal glands are depleted because of extreme stress (whatever the cause) your body will take progesterone (the calming hormone) and use it to convert to adrenaline and cortisol.

It is the time of life. It really is that simple, although it is also incredibly complex. All of these hormones and tens of others fluctuate in your body all the time, and then add to that outside stressors, genetic factors, diet etc, and that's the mix that you are, and it's unique.

At the age that we are. And being female. From late thirites to late fifties, (and wider perameters in certain circumstances) any physical or emotional symptoms we experience, will undoubtedly be, in some way, connected to our hormonal fluctuations. Not just the obvious culprits, like estrogen, progesterone, adrenaline, cortisol, but tens of others also, all moving, and fluctuating, up and down ... to cause all the horrific, unpredictable, physical and emotional things we are experiencing right now.

There isn't an easy answer to this. It's like a key in the door. If you are lucky enough to find the key (treatment, medical, holistic, psychological) that opens your particular door then that's fantasic. For so many of us, we try this and we try that and it doesn't work, or it does work up to a point, but then it causes another set of symptoms from offside, and we have to weigh up if the treatment is worse than the 'illness' that made us seek the treatment in the first place.

Anti depressant drugs are 'suppressors' (hormonally speaking), in that they focus on brain chemistry, and serotonin uptake. Serotonin is the 'feelgood' chemical, and they will boost that in your body, in the same way as they boost it in someone who is not going through peri, but they don't address the underlying factor(s) that have caused the brain chemistry imbalance in the first place. There is a better than average chance, that for women 'of a certain age' that underlying factor, will be hormonal.

The 'key' to this is realising, first and foremost is that you are unique. You have to find what works for you and go with it. It might be soy or HRT or exercise or meditation or supplements or AD drugs, or it might be a combination of some or all of these things.

But the point is, not to question but to do what you have to do for you. 'Whatever gets you through the night. It's allright' (wrote John Lennon). And he actually made a very valid point. Don't deny yourself anything that is going to make you feel better in the moment, and support yourself in every possible way you can, and you will come through this.

x

Jenilou:
Great response to Jess -- I feel like you answered many of my questions, too. Thank you.
Wendie

Anxiety/Peri... No confused: BOTH!

Sorry to be flip. Have to agree w/ others here tho'. When my peri started, it was the anxiety that hit me the most. [Also heavy period bleeding, fatigue, brain fog, later hotflashes, headache, irritability] But I remember worrying so much. What was wrong with me? WAS there something wrong w/ me? Was the sky falling? Was I dying? It all seemed foolish, but man it was real!

Jenilou's description is excellent. My GYN & I have found very good relief w/ NHRT. Not for everyone, but it's helping me get through and function.

Am sorry it's hitting you too, Jess. Wonderful support is here at P-S and lots of terrific information as well.

Take care.
new

Jenilou, and others, thanks for taking the time to reply with your very informative and helpful ideas, I couldn't agree more with the sentiment that we should all be as kind to ourselves as possible during this difficult physical and emotional rollercoaster. What you say about hormones and anxiety being inextricably linked to one another makes a lot of sense, Jenilou - when I started on the ads I thought I was suffering from severe anxiety and was unaware of the hormonal connection. Although I felt in some vague way that hormones might play a part, didn't make any connection to perimenopause until I found this site (alleluia!!).

It's good to know that antidepressants can help (or obviously helped me) with many of the sleep related and severe anxiety issues relating to peri. I would not hesitate to return to the full dosage again if I felt it was necessary. This stage of life is too difficult without beating ourselves up because we need a little extra help to get through it. Having been through the severe anxiety/sleep problems/feelings of impending doom and death syndrome, I can say from personal experience that until I started on the medication I was falling apart emotionally and a wreck physically. I am so grateful that we live in a time where even though there's a lot of ignorance surrounding perimenopause at least we have access to medication that can enable us to function at a normal level. Down to two tablets a day now, fingers crossed I could be off this stuff in a couple of weeks' time! Thanks again, Jess xx