Anxiety and the menopause

Anxiety during the menopause can have a negative impact on your lifestyle

Anxiety is a commonplace symptom amongst many menopausal women. In this page, our menopause expert Eileen Durward takes us through the home and natural remedies that can help you overcome feelings of dread and trepidation, seeing you through this stage of your life.

An introduction to anxiety and the menopause

Anxiety is when you are continually worried or tense. It appears to affect almost twice as many women as men and is a common symptom of the menopause.

In general, anxiety is characterised by a constant sense of worry over normal everyday events, much greater than the situation deserves. Although you may realise this, it can be difficult to shake off the feeling so that you are not constantly on edge and irritable.

Anxiety can also disturb sleep, leading to a host of other menopausal problems such as memory lapses and headaches.

Why does menopause cause anxiety?

Women may feel an increase in anxiety before other symptoms of menopause, such as hot flushes, set in.

During the early stages of the menopause (known as the peri-menopause), levels of the female hormones start to fluctuate. These changes can lead to PMS symptoms which appear and worsen in the week or so before each menstrual period. Other psychological PMS symptoms such as low mood may also be present as well as physical symptoms such as period pains, bloating or breast tenderness.

Part of the explanation lies with the fact that oestrogen plays an important role in managing the chemical activities in your brain. When the level of oestrogen is high you feel well. As levels drop, a number of symptoms such as low mood and anxiety can set in.

What home remedies are there for anxiety?

Home remedies should be your first stop for treating anxiety during the menopause. Although some take time and dedication, it may be worth the effort in the long run:

Relaxation techniques – yoga, meditation and breathing exercises have been used for years to counteract anxiety. Being able to calm your body and mind can significantly reduce the severity or frequency of anxiety attacks
Healthy lifestyle – We have heard it all before, but a healthy diet and lifestyle can have a significant impact on how you feel. Follow the link to find out more on lifestyle tips to overcome anxiety
Reduce caffeine – caffeine is notorious for making people jittery, so consuming a lot of caffeine will only make your anxiety worse.

Are there herbal remedies to help me?

Many menopausal women find that herbal remedies are a very useful way to manage their menopausal anxiety. There are two main ways of approaching the symptom:

Some women find that menopausal stress is one of a number of other symptoms of the menopause. If this is the case, start off by using a supplement containing soya isoflavones.

TIP: Menopause Support contains isoflavones from fermented soy, hibiscus and magnesium which can help with tiredness and feelings of stress and anxiety.

"Helped to eliminate all the unpleasant moments of my menopause." read more customer reviews

If anxiety is your main menopausal symptom, or if you need more help overcoming your stress and anxiety, use the herbs valerian and hops. These work synergistically to relieve mild stress and symptoms of anxiety from a variety of causes.

TIP: A.Vogel Stress Relief is a tincture containing the herbs valerian and hops. Take it as you need it – just once a day, or regularly twice a day if you are going through a tough patch.

"This is the best product I've tried so far."
read more customer reviews

What about conventional remedies?

It is worth trying home and herbal remedies first as these can provide the solution to your symptoms in the least intrusive way to your body.

However, if these do not help, your doctor can prescribe several conventional medicines. These include anti-depressants and sedatives. Many of these have side effects so discuss with your doctor which will be most suitable for you. You may have to try several types before finding the one that is right for you.

In addition, HRT has been used as a general treatment for a variety of menopausal symptoms.

Many conventional medicines for anxiety tackle severe symptoms. If you experience panic attacks or frequently feel overwhelmed by fear or worry, then it is important to visit your doctor. If you are concerned about your symptoms then seeking medical advice is also sensible.

23 Comments

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Mary Farmer — 02.10.2017 01:39
I don't know what else to do. Tried everything other than prescription meds. The Amberan is amazing. Helps everything except my anxiety. Please help!
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- eileen — 03.10.2017 10:05
  Hi Mary Most menopausal women need loads of magnesium to help with symptoms such as anxiety so you may find adding a magnesium citrate capsule 200mg daily can help, otherwise you could look at calming herbs such as Ashwaganda or Valeriana. Acupuncture can often be really good for this so worth looking into.
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Michelle harris — 16.09.2017 08:57
Can i take these vitamins while taking sertraline and menopace
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- eileen — 19.09.2017 07:48
  Hi Michelle Menopause Support is fine with Sertraline but we don't recommend it with Menopace as they both contain soya, sorry.
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JULIET — 23.07.2017 01:04
Creams for sexual desire.o rm
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- JULIET — 23.07.2017 02:00
  I feel like a prune like and dried up I need some help with my sexual health.
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- eileen — 24.07.2017 10:51
  Hi Juliet Please could you let me know how old you are and if your periods have stopped. You can answer me privately if you wish Eileen@biforce.co.uk
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Sue Rygate — 21.07.2017 15:35
Hello everyone - it's good to read here that other people seem to be experiencing the psychological effects of menopause. I am experiencing anxiety and depression for the third time in the last seven years. I am now 54 and two years without a period. The first couple of times antidepressants really helped, along with Talk Therapy. But this time the antidepressants don't seem to be quite as effective. I'm also having counselling. I'd like to try herbal supplements, but am unsure whether they're OK with my medication. I too find that my anxiety is at its peak first thing in the morning and gradually reduces as the day goes on, until I feel completely normal again by the evening. Weekends are the worst when I don't have to get up for work. I find it almost impossible to drag myself out of bed and then the anxiety lasts all day. I don't even know whether my mental health issues are caused by the menopause. My GP and counsellor keep telling me it isn't the cause. It just makes things worse for me, but I always used to be such a happy, optimistic person! Now I get an anxiety surge just thinking about feeding the family, food shopping or family outings!
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- eileen — 24.07.2017 07:47
  Hi Sue Please could you let me know what medication you are on and I may be able to recommend something suitable for you. You can email me privately, Eileen@bioforce.co.uk
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- Jo Ann — 07.08.2017 18:06
  I feel the same way. I have never had anxiety and now it's been so bad. I also struggle to feed my family and do everyday things.
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- Mary Farmer — 02.10.2017 02:33
  I feel ya. I've tried everything but doesn't work. I'm at the point of going to get help. I feel for my husband.
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Julie — 12.07.2017 15:22
Will this anxiety go away when my body adjusts to lower hormones? And how long does this take? I have had horrible anxiety and depression for nearly 2 years now. I am 50 years old. I had severe post partum depression with anxiety after each of my children were born that lasted 8 months for each.
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- eileen — 13.07.2017 11:57
  Hi Julie Most women find that their menopause symptoms start to ease off a few years after their periods have stopped but this can depend on a lot of things such as lifestyle, diet and general stress levels. The fact that you seem very sensitive to hormonal changes may mean that it could take a little longer for you, but... please don't despair, looking after yourself well, getting plenty of rest and relaxation and supporting your nervous system can often work well. You may find taking the herb Maca can help to ease the anxiety and reduce the depression, this should be OK even if you are on antidepressants. Go for a liquid one as this will work quicker, powders and tablets won't work as well. Acupuncture can often be effective in this situation so worth looking into and you could also check out EFT or NLP as these can reach you how to be more in control.
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Wendy — 12.07.2017 06:46
Have been anxious for the last few months and depressed I am on anti depressants now. Every time I have a hot drink or meal I sweat. Torso feels like it's burning up sometimes at night. I am twelve days late for my period. I am coming up to 51 years of age.
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- eileen — 12.07.2017 14:26
  Hi Wendy It does sound as if your nervous system is really under pressure just now. Often flushes triggered by hot foods and drinks are associated with this too. You could try the sage tablets and remember to drink lots of plain water, flushes will dehydrate you very quickly and dehydration will put further pressure on your nervous system making everything worse! You could also add in a magnesium supplement 200mg twice a day to help calm the nervous system and this should be OK with your medication.
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