Hi, I have been perimenopausal for 6 years now (since I was 39) back then i was having very long heavy periods and then missing a period on occassional months so my GP send me for a blood test which confirmed my hormone levels had dropped so I was entering the change a little early. At the time I was on citalopram anti depressant which i had been taking for many years. Then just over a year a go i had to come off of the citalopram due to it causing me a heart problem which is very rare but once off of the citalopram my heart went back to normal. 3 months after finishing the citalopram i started getting very tearful, dizzy and hot flushes. At the time i thought i was getting depressed again, but my GP said that the citalopram had been helping with the symptoms of perimenopause. My situation at the moment is that I am unable to take any antidepressants as I cant get on with any of them and the 2 i did get on well with made the heart condition return! So now I am scared to take any medication. The last 6 months i have been suffering with terrible anxiety which has got so bad I have lost my job due to it. Heart palps, feeling like I am going mad, sense of doom or dread, hot flashes, then feeling chilled to the bone like I am going down with flu, my joints ache and crying for no reason or for silly reasons, oh and dizzyness and ringing in my ears. I've had 3 periods in the last year. I also have no sex drive. Can anyone relate to these symptoms and are they all down to menopause?? I have had bloods tests all come back normal apart from the hormone fluctuation, I'm waiting to get the results back for a 24 hours ecg check on my heart and the MRI scan i had last year came back normal ( i had the MRI done on my head due to the intense dizziness i was feeling. I am taking a multi vitamin and a natural form of HRT. Any advise or help would be welcome, especially on the crippling anxiety which is the worst for me at the moment. Much love to all of the women going through this at the moment!!
Julie GA,
I too am dealing with anxiety as a symptom of peri 😯 I have opted to find natural ways to manage so I cant comment on whether your previous choices are now given you side effects-
I can say that I have found a tremendous comfort in my mental by drinking warmed ginger water throughout the day, vit b6 & b12 seems to be giving my energy level a wonderful boost as well- & every other day I'm now downing a shot of ACV in 6ounces of water-
Hopefully one of these tips can aid in achieving a calmer/manageable you.
tc ☺
Dear Julie,
I can definitely relate to all you've said ! I have had all of those symptoms myself for the last 10 years, it's an absolute nightmare isn't it. I managed to get my Doctor to prescribe Diazepam for me, I hardly take it but I have to tell you it's fantastic for Anxiety. Maybe you could ask to try it.
Also try to accept it and don't think you have to find a cure. Easier said than done I know 😘 big hug to you love Deb
Hi, thanks for your kind reply! Its nice knowing that I'm not alone in this 
I'm trying to go down the natural route now. I think I will try the vit b6 and b12 along with the ginger water. I never realised that peri would cause such anxiety along with all of the other symptoms.
Take care!
Hi Deb, thanks for you reply! My GP has spoke about Diazepam but I seem to react so badly to these types of meds i decided against it. My anxiety gets worse when taking new meds now as I have had to many bad side affects from meds the past year.
Peri certainly sucks!! Take care.
I can relate with your symtpoms as well, infortunately 
I am 42 now and started symptoms around 38/39. I was on AD for anxiety already but when it seemd to quit working as my symptoms heightened and we tried others until one "sorta worked" lol. I still have bouts of high anxiety and extreme , making me feel crazy...crying, anger, weird dizzy feelings out of nowhere, etc. Very frustrating. I have just started trying essential oild to help with some of the anxiety so we will see.
Wish you luck and support always!!
Julie I am going to private message you
Hello julie i have just turned 50 and for the past 6 years i have suffered anxiety started off fluoxortine whilst helped me and came off them 2 years ago. My periods were irregular every 2 wks or 6wks then i started crying a lot for no reason and feeling really low and not motivated to do anything so i went to a new doctors who said its perimenpause and gave me sertraline and they have worked after about 4 weeks. I had my last period August which was only spotting and now im at the stage of hot flushes and night sweats and sleepless nights every day. Im not going on hrt as it just delays the symptoms and will get them back when i stop as well as the cancer risks. I take sage, black cosh, cod liver oil, osteocare and not so many night sweats still get hot flushes. I drink camomile tea every night have 2 or 3 cups which has also calmed me down and sleep 5hrs right thru. As you cant take medication Kalms is a natural remedy for anxiety. Also there is a spray you can use under your tongue think its st worts in a yellow box. Hope this helps and you feel better soon. Be glad when its all over really.
Yes... My periods have been long and heavy then light.. Fatigue, non-stop hunger--mainy junk food, dizziness, and just an awful feeling!! Took a blood test and no red flags. At that time I did start a 'womens health' vitamin from HSN--many reviews. I also started a low dose of Lexapro because I thought it could be anxiety. A few weeks went by and I found that Cod Liver Butter Oil is great for teeth so I started that too as my teeth have been cavity-prone lately.. Last week I missed a few days of the Lexapro but still felt good... So I have stopped the antidepressant all together. I think it was either that vitamin or the cod liver oil that is helping me feel much better!! I have energy and actually want to get 'stuff' accomplished where before I just didn't care! Exercise and making healthy food choices also is good.
Hi there.
Big hugs to you. Horrible symptoms that I can relate to. I have also taken ciprlopram for anxiety for many years and recently during a pre op assessment for a gynaecology op my ECG showed an irregular trace. I'm wondering if I have the samended as you? My anxiety is worse now during peri. Some days I can hardly function x
hi julie.
i can relate to your anxiety and heart palps and light/ heavy long short periods. I have suffered terrible fir a few years now with extreme anxiety. to the poiint i was afraid of everything. i was afraid to be alone , i got panic attacks when driving alone. i would not eat if i was alone, i was afraid to go walking by myself.. omg so unreal. i used to have palpatations and then panic attacks.
but then a few months ago i put on weigh around my middle like a swimming ring. and so i cut out choclates whicj i had been craving for months. and sweet stuff, well omg, i couldnt believe the effect it had on my anxiety levels, the just seemed to disappear . i couldnt believe it. i got my life back, now i would get a bit anxious around my period now, but other than that , its just so rare . as before i actually thought i was losing my mind or having a mental break down or something... but know i now it just happens abit around my period and just tell my self it will be gone in a few days, and dont eat sweet stuff .and all is good. i had ecg also but it came back normal after a 24 hour one , and i even had palpatations while that was on, so that reassured me.
at the moment i suffer from regular really bad migraines and dizzy spells, but i think this is hormonal. although i asked my dr about it and she said at 44 i am to young to be thinking about menopausal symptoms. so she just referred me to neurologist to get checked, but i know someone else my age had same complaint and she said she has high blood pressure and was put on tablets for it and then her dizzy spells went,, but i always have low blood pressure so. , i think it maybe coincidental thats hers went with the tablets, but my ear feels like its a bit blocked or fluid in it so, i think this maybe something to do with it. but doc didnt check my ears.. it all seems to be linked to menopause,,,going by all the women on this forum and same complaints,
but i have went back walking and driving alone since i cut out the sugary stuff, it definitely causes high anxiety,,,,, but i am stilll really tired and some days feel like no energy and very weak. but i have just started taking floravital to see if it helps. boost my energy. so stop stressing its all normal if you could call it that,
and as for cold. i get that cold . i feel like i am going to cease up as all my muscles get stiff, and across my shoulder feels so tight like i cant breathe. but i have lately just filled a water bottle and carried it around with me. as its the quickest and easiest way to warm me up, its brilliant,,,and a cup of tea.
before that i used to go to bed to get warm. but the water bottle is actually quicker at warming me up..
if someone actually blew cold air at me. i would be cold to the bone and that is no joke. i think its just a very sensitve skin i have, extremely intolerant to cold and hot,, but i actually find the extreme cold is worse around my periods, so i usually wrap up more around then. so i dont get cold as quick
Hi Julie, you are definately in full swing of the menapause in my opinion
and I think I should know, I have had it all and still getting symptoms at
56 and postmenapausal.😕
All I can say to you is you will get through it. I can't take any meds as I
have high bp, so I have learned to cope with each symptoms as it is thrown
at me.
Whichever route you choose to go down (HRT?) Stay positive and you
always Have the support of us ladies.
Hope you are feeling better soon, all the best😊
THIS IS ME!! I have all same things and had all same tests. the constant unstable dizzy feeling is making me crazy! i hate to leavr the house 
my anxiety is so bad. i think its causing off balamce. i started low dose xanax 2 weeks ago and was feeling great but now xanax isnt lasting as long and i get this weird feeling and i can feel it in my teeth wjen my body wants more xanax. this scares me after just 2 weeksm but when i take i feel sooo much better. i feel screwed either way i pray the amxiety part doesnt last long. i have kids and its ruining my life.
Yeh Michelle, same. It's all relevant.
Hey Kim. I had the same problems with the anti anxiety meds. Benzodiazepines are really easy to become dependent on. Very hard to get off. I finally just quit taking them and now just try to talk myself out of the anxiety the best I can. The more you do it, the better you get at it. God bless you. I hope this gets easier for all of us.
All these suggestions are great and I'm going to try them too since I'm going through peri. I agree about stopping sugar. It really does help diminish my anxiety. Also getting out in the sunshine for brisk walks and fresh air. I've been thinking about getting a sunlamp, for rainy/winter days or when I can't summon the energy to go for a walk. I've read it helps with depression and anxiety.
I can also vouch for diazepam - I only take 1/4 or 1/2 of a pill, 3 or 4 times a month, and it takes the edge off scary or intolerable moods. It's wonderful. You should only take it rarely though because it loses it's effectiveness if you take it regularly for some reason.
Beware of caffeine if you struggle with anxiety and crying. Cut it out completely if you can. It just intensifies irritableness, anxiety, and feeling emotional.
I also wanted to suggest Taurine, an amino acid vitamin, for daily mood stablizing. It has helped me so much and is really subtle. It doesn't make me feel anything - I'm just significantly calmer when I take it. I take 500 mg. in the morning after breakfast.
Best wishes. Julie! You're not alone!
Thank you for all of your replys! I don't feel so alone in feeling the way I do now! I have tried to reply to each of you but for some reason I am unable to?! Take care and best wishes to all of you lovely ladies! xx
Hi Anne! yes the ECG showed that I had a long QT which was down to the citalpram although you can get this with many other medications, so having to be careful and look into medications before taking them. Hope you are ok, take care. xx
I've come off of anti depressants and i have no desire to go back on them due to the side affects which i had with them. Its been 3 weeks since i started taking a natural form of HRT and I feel that my anxiety is very slowly starting to ease, will keep you updated. xx