Can menopause cause anxiety?

Yes. Many women feel anxious for the first time in perimenopause, often when nothing is actually wrong.

Fluctuating hormones affect the brain chemistry that keeps mood steady, so anxiety can arrive in perimenopause even if you've never felt it before. It often shows up as a constant background hum, a racing heart or dread before ordinary things.

Small, steady changes help: slow breathing, keeping blood sugar level, cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, and moving your body most days.

If anxiety is stopping you living your life, speak to your GP as well. You don't have to just put up with it.

This is general information, not medical advice. Please talk to your GP about your own health.