symptoms exaggerated by perimenopause

Just wondering if any of the women here find thier anxiety/depression etc increase with thier pms/peri/menopause. For me my anxiety gets really bad.

Hello. I'm new here. (This is my 5th post so I'm hoping to be able to enter chat soon.) Anyway, I've noticed, since finalizing menopause a couple of years ago, that I'm more depressed, but less anxious. I'm also noticing memory problems. Ah, the ol' aging process. I'm not as quick with comprehension either. I had to ask my daughter to help a bit with my new computer programs.
Well, hope to find friendship and support here in this psych forum. Have a Happy New Year!
Carol

my depression gets unbearable when i have pms. have told pdoc and he monitored it for a while and agrees that it's the pms, and not some other factor, contributing. he has asked me to take a slightly higher dose of my AD in pms week, but this is difficult for me to do, because my cycle isn't regular. will need to figure something out... the last time it happened, i ended up with a crisis team on my door.

My anger increases... and this time I've been extra weepy, at practically nothing but it turns into a bad, bad depression. It will last a few hours at the most. ... I'm still learning about myself and BP ...Sometimes I think it's the BP, sometimes I wonder if it's the peri. I still have a lot of learning to do and I need to start a calendar of some sort. That's how I found out my migraines are period related.

I know I haven't helped but just wanted you to know you aren't alone.

Absolutely true. I have just gone into perimenopause, and my anger level...well...don't ask. No, you are certainly not alone.

englishmajor - you have the cutest little av.

Thank you

Hi Lyn!
i am also going thru that period as well...and it took me a while to realize, that doctors dont give a darn about you..so, now i just go in there, and take the best out of them, as much as i can..i realized, that nobody knows my body, better than myself, our bodys talk, we should just learn how to listen to it..
So now i monitor all my symtoms..
take my temperature every morning, to know when im ovulating, check my weight( by the way..lol)..take my medication (AD)..try to have posive thoughts, keep up with my teraphy session, see my ps, read a LOT about psycology, hormonal changes, depression, insommnia, etc..
i do yoga, everyday, that helps a LOT too!!, try to watch what i eat, have accupunture, massages, and mostly important, hang out with family as much as i can..im trying to find balance..its hard..because i like the hundreds of people here, i have a LOT of issues, and im trying to conquer them, as much as i can..its ot easy..ist a struggle every freaking day..but im trying..im trying..i have very ggod days, but i also have very horrible days..so, im hanging in there..so, Lyn, my best advise is: read, read as much as you can and take advantage of all the options you have around you..oh i almost forgot..dont forget to use a progesterone cream at night...its the best!!! you can get it at natural health store..
Good luck!!bye!!

I used to get suicidal two days before my period. It took me a while to figure out that many of my most severe suicidal thoughts were linked to my cycle.

My ob/gyn prescribed a low-dose hormone (yasmin birth control pills). I take them continuously--meaning steady hormones and no periods. This has had a huge impact on my mood stability (diagnosed BPII). In fact, this has improved my life more than all of my other meds combined!

I'd highly recommend at least looking into hormone treatment. I wish I had known about the connection sooner.

Wow interesting that you have had such a profound effect. I, too, noticed a pattern several years ago of being hospitalized around my periods...days before...then starting my period while in the hospital. My obgyn wanted me to try BCP's but I could never take them they always made me ill! At that point I started trying to get hormones but couldn't find anyone to prescribe them. It has taken me 5 years to find someone to prescribe them and I took my first pill when I was starting to hallucinate in the luteal phase of my cycle and it stopped the hallucinations and psychosis...hasn't touched the depression yet but that was major. I had psychosis for 10 days EVERY MONTH. Happy to hear that someone else has improved a bit with hormone therapy....

Best Wishes,

TJ