Can HRT cause depression?

Posted , 7 users are following.

I’ve been on the patch 3 weeks now and although it’s helped me with the dizziness and somewhat the fatigue I’m feeling so DEPRESSED. I have been down with all this stuff going on but not like this .... getting worried and scared!

0 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Lori, I think that you have not given the patches enough tone for the full benefits to be achieved. It took me 3 months of pills, followed by 2 months of patches before I really got the full benefits. Give it a bit of time and I'm sure you will improve. X

    • Posted

      Thanks Tina. Yes only been 3 weeks and boy they have helped me with the constant dizziness and the fatigue . I still get tired early but nothing like I was before. I do have depression though ... unlike anything I’ve ever experienced but this is maybe just hormones regulating 
    • Posted

      I imagined that HRT would be some sort of 'instant' cute. I was amazed at how long it took to really get into my system and then settle down so I got the full benefits. But I'm glad I stuck with it and have it time, as I feel so much better in myself. I hope you end up getting as much from it as I have. Lots of hugs XXX

  • Posted

    What patch are you on, I was given evorel 50 cm, I am 58, frightend to try them as I already have anxiety and depression,
    • Posted

      Hi Susan 

      I’m on Climara Pro which is both estrogen and progesterone . Definitely made me feel more normal as I was sooooo bad before . Could not go anywhere due to the dizziness and fatigue but now I do have some bad depression . Hoping this subsideds as its helping me so much with the anxiety when I’m driving doing errands . 

    • Posted

      Hi Susan, if you don't try, you'll never know and you'll end up in a what if situation. The good thing about any HRT is it doesn't always have an instant effect. I was in a terrible state with every symptom you can think of and so severely, I couldn't function. I was wary of HRT But my dr assured me, especially with the patches, that if they don't agree with you, you must stop them and they are out of your system in a couple of days. So I tried it, now I dread the day when I have to stop taking it, for whatever reason. Give it a go, you can always stop, but remember, it varies from person to person how well or how quickly it works, it took 5 months worth for me, so it can require patience. Best of luck hun, hope I've been of help to you. XXX

  • Posted

    Hi Lori, 

    I was on Evorel Sequi for 6 months and the progesterone in the dual patches made me really down. 

    I don't cry, I'm quite tough but suddenly I would just break down in tears for - well, really no apparent reason! I remember driving home from a fun night out and getting half way home and suddenly knew I was going to cry! I just couldn't understand it... I then got a few more side effects and in the end came off that particular patch... 

    I've since tried other regimes of patches and none have affected me as badly as that particular type at all. 

    I do want to stress though that it was the progesterone side of it - the Evorel oestrogen only patches did not make me feel bad. (My doctor told me quite a few people have issues with that type of progesterone). 

    Hope you're feeling better soon. Take care. 

    AJ. xx

    • Posted

      Yes same here I don’t cry and I’m tough but almost burst into tears in Starbucks . I thought you couldn’t take estrogen without progesterone ?  I’m so confused with all this ???? 😖😖😖 feeling physically better on the patch as I was a complete mess with dizziness and fatigue but this DOWN feeling . Agh!!!! 

    • Posted

      Yes, unfortunately if a woman has a womb, so no hysterectomy, then she needs to take progesterone too to instigate a bleed. 

      So the Evorel oestrogen patches I am great with but as soon as I went on to the dual(oestrogen & progesterone) patches I started to feel really crap!! On stopping the progesterone patches each month I did have a bleed so it all was working ok but I just couldn't take anymore as I was so emotional and my breasts hurt sooooo much and were like concrete!!! 😱 I did stick it out for 6 months though first.

      I then tried Femseven sequi for 3 months and although I tolerated the progesterone better I just couldn't keep them on so wasn't getting the correct dosage... 

      so now I'm on continuous Evorel oestrogen patches and then adding utrogestran tabs for the last two weeks of my cycle.  Just tried my first month... will try for a good 3 to 6 months before I make a decision on if I can tolerate them as I too agree that you need to give it quite a few months to feel the benefit ( or not) and let your body get used to it... of course that is unless you have serious side effects which cannot be ignored. 

      AJ. xx.

  • Posted

    Hi Lori

    I have been on hrt for 2 weeks now and definitely have more energy but feel quite low some days including earlier today but an unsympathetic nurse didn't help. It's called Tibolone and has estrogen, progesterone and a bit of testosterone I take one tablet daily but not helping so far with mood and anxiety. Hope you find some relief soon Lori, sending you Hugs!!

    • Posted

      Hi Sarah 

      We should definitely keep in touch as I’m on week 3 but I don’t have testosterone .. I think my levels came back normal . Did almost burst into tears at Starbucks today though for no reason so must be all the hormones . 

    • Posted

      Yeah we definitely will Lori 🙂 I looked at the side effects last night but like with most prescription drugs there's a long list, most I was aware of anyway, it does say depression for my particular hrt but says in the rare list 1 in 1000 women.

  • Posted

    Hi Lori

    I wanted to mention that i did not do well with bhrt/hrt although im not against it. I really wanted it to be the answer to my symptoms especially my crazy low moods. But it never balanced out and i tried believe me. So maybe just maybe you might want to think about the hrt and if it isnt affecting you. You might have relief of other symptoms but if your feeling really icky scary low, then rethink it.

    Im for it if it can help a person but it also can make things worse. (for me it made everything too heavy, surreal, pms on steroids, depressing especially the progesterone ugh)

    just throwing it out there

    x0x0x

     

    • Posted

      No Mauiblue 

      I’ll give it some more time. Its definitely got me moving in the morning and more energy throughout the day . I’ll just have to overcome the blue moods as I was soooooo bad before. 

      I could not wake up during the day lying in bed until 2pm then ready for bed at 5pm so now I know depression is a side effect going to try and overcome it. It’s also helping my anxiety and panic and the constant dizziness has gone which was restricting me from going out. 

    • Posted

      No mauiblue!

      that's funny I didn't notice til you brought it up! I'm always full of typos anyhoo.

      yes you should continue to stick with it while you are in the middle of it just see how it works for you.

      I think it works brilliantly for many women and then for the other group it doesn't so much it's very individual.

      It takes a while though so just be patient.

      Xoxo

    • Posted

      Well my skin is amazing in it so there’s one plus point ... I actually took a b vitamin and went out tonight woohoo !! I was out of the house !!! 

      Yes will stick with it for a bit longer can’t go back to the way I was ... I was a complete mess. 

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.