I have been having heavy frequent periods for a while that have now changed to light and few and far between I also have just started having night sweats and hot flushes, coupled with neck ache and waking up at night. I guessed I was starting the menopause, although partly in denial. However, I've recently been suffering with acute anxiety for no apparent reason. Yes, my life is a little stressful at times but no more than usual. In fact, life has never been better and yet I'm very tense and anxious. Is this another symptom? my doctor has prescribed Citalopram, but I'm wondering if it's the menopause should I be looking at something other than antidepressants? I'm 52 by the way and don’t feel at all depressed.

As the menopause progresses, changing levels of hormones can stress the body physically. This in turn stresses the adrenal system which controls your stress response, causing symptoms such as anxiety, stress, stress palpitations, low mood / mood swings and depression. Some women find that these symptoms can come on suddenly with no apparent reason and can be quite distressing. This is why we pay a lot of attention to supporting the adrenal system during the menopause. I would suggest a good multivitamin and mineral supplement, extra magnesium such as Salus Haus Liquid magnesium and a herbal stress remedy such as Passiflora Complex. Do eat a good diet with plenty of fresh foods and drink enough plain water every day (dehydration can make both hot flushes and stress worse!). Learning to deep breath through the anxiety can be very helpful and 30 min relaxation a day is really important (you can get lots of good relaxation CDs through Amazon). For the flushes you could try Menoforce as this is traditionally used for hot flushes and night sweats. In this situation getting a good night's sleep is vital, if you don't sleep well, this stresses the system further and it can end up a vicious circle!

Eileen Durward