Hi, I have suffered severe stress for about five years but always coped with it okay, Then six months ago I began to have really bad anxiety that became quite debilitating. I was put on low dose valium (just 2mg/day) and was on that for a couple of months and then came off it. Then about a month later I got the severe anxiety again and had to go back on the meds (also sometimes take xanax if I am feeling really bad). Just recently I realized that through all this, beginning at the same time I have had a change in my periods and I have always been extremely regular even through very stressfull times. I am 37 and other than the anxiety symptoms, mood swings and altered periods I don't have any hot flashes etc. My period was always regular to the day and very heavy and painful. Now, I get mild cramps and for three days have nothing but a smear of blood when I wipe after going to the toilet (sorry for the grossness!). Then the flow starts and I am very painful for the 1st day and reasonably heavy though not as heavy as I used to be. Then for a couple of days I have mild bleeding and it fades out again. My problem is that I have never been like this, even through having 2 children, when my periods started again they were dead regular. I am wondering if this is perimenopause for me and that the anxiety is attributed to that? My doctor is putting it all down to the stress my body has been under due to the anxiety but I am not sure, maybe the anxiety is a result of menopause starting as I have been under stress before and never reacted like this. What do you think? I am kinda reluctant to trust in my doctor as he has put me down as a panic disorder sufferer and everything is due to that. I am so much more irritable than I used to be and the mood swings are fairly extreme. I am also much more irritable than I used to be. Please help if you can or if you have similar symptoms as I am quite concerned and just want to get to the bottom of things.

Thanks heaps for reading my ramblings
Amanda

When i'm going through a spate of anxiety my periods run riot. i'm 37 also, not sure if it's attributed to peri though. I've always believed that anxiety is brought on by hormone changes anyway. Guess we have to accept it and everything it brings with it.

Anxiety can alter your periods. Also, it sounds like you may have some ovarian cysts. This can play a big part in anxiety as your hormones may be off a bit. i just went through this.

Yes hormones can cause anxiety and stress can cause hormonal changes so it is difficult to say which is causing which. Can you take a low dose birth control pill to see if that helps? You are a bit young for perimenopause. Hope you get this straightened out. Godbless:angel: