Perimenopause Menopause and Anxiety??

Story of my life starting at 47, Lisa. I'm sorry. I'm many years into this and finally entered the realm of menopause, and without HRT, I have your symptoms IN SPADES. It's really awful.

The best thing I can recommend is to research ways of mitigating it with diet and lifestyle, and hang on to your seat. It's a bumpy ride.

Hugs!

My experience was that peri-menopause and menopause DO increase anxiety.

So, yes, it could be caused by peri-menopause.

I had a few episodes of anxiety at age 51 and recognized that this was always hitting during my PMS week. I went off of birth control pills and haven't had an episode since. I also know that the best cure for anxiety is exercise. I was able to put on my running/walking shoes and be rid of the anxiety in 3 miles!

Only about half of women have hot flashes. There are several other possible symptoms/indications that peri-menopause is occurring. This is a period of life that average 8 years in length, so it's worth taking the best care of ourselves (diet, exercise, sleep, vitamins) possible during this time.

you can't be 100% sure until you take a blood test to find out your hormonal levels. However, 47 is NOT unusual to be perimenopausal.. That said, I am now 49 and first began that sudden rush of anxiety when I hit my early 40s.. Having never been Claustrophobic before, all of sudden I was becoming VERY anxious on buses, planes and other forms of transportation and couldn't get off the vehicle when I chose to do so. .That said, after no relief from the mainstream doctors............... I began reading up on the topic and discovered that as our Estrogen drops, we can become more anxious. What you need to know is that Estrogen controls your cortisol (stress hormone) well with diminishing supplies of Estrogen going down, the cortisol can cut lose and raise your anxiety........ couple that with a diet of too much caffeine, alcohol and sugar.... and the every day stresses of life (that once didn't bother you) and BAM...anxiety...

I got a lot of good info about women and their hormones, in a book called, Screaming to be heard.. by DR. Vliet.. it details that which is going on in our bodies from early on and later on in life.. It was a good read and to this day is still helpful.... you may want to check it out...

I wish you all the best

Have an FSH level drawn and you will know for sure.

Thats the way it happened with me. You can try Estroven, over the counter.
Or I found some relief with 600 mgcalcium and 400 of magnesium and 1000 iu of vit D3. But I was low in D anyway. Find that out by a blood test, also. A glass of ice water by your bed at night is helpful to drink if you get a hot flash.