Depression and Menopause/Peri
Posted , 16 users are following.
So it appears that I have fallen into a rabbit hole of which I am struggling to climb out of.
Im almost 53 yrs old, with somewhat regular periods up until 6 months ago, and poof gone.
Now I find myself so dark, no joy, no meaning to anything really other than to focus on getting through each day, praying that I sleep, and trying to talk mysef into hope for recovery.
My docs after seeing my hormones completely bottom out from estrogen dominance to Zero estrogen, progesterone and T.
I briefly tried a few antidepressants which made me feel sooo horribly creepy, I had to stop. I am on a very low dose of bio identical hormones which arent doing anythin.
My question is...which way to turn? I feel like it has to be menopause but i dont hear other women with such mental challenges (depression, anxiety) like i am experiencing. I have never had even much anxiety or dperession to speak of with the exception of a few low moods, but now Boom..ive landed somewhere horrible and scary.
Im hearing that bioidenticals arent any better than standard hrt. Im really struggling. How do people hold down jobs in this state? Im barely able to cope with decision making and work and my two boys, its just basically survival at this stage. I dread each night wondering if i will be able to get enough sleep to get through the next day, and i dread dealing with people socially, when before i could handle anything, people, stress, anything! Now i am disenchanted with life and i have to fake it for my kids sake. This is criminal that women should suffer with this. I just feel like my depression is over the top.
Any support would be so appreciated. Blessings to all you women out there who deal with these things...
elizabeth
4 likes, 54 replies
betty90997 mauiblue
Posted
I know what you're going through I've had the same experience but I've managed to always remind myself it's not me it's the hormones and try and focus on the food things in my life try and don't believe what your thoughts are telling you the mind can play a game on you don't believe it big hugs
betty90997
Posted
mauiblue betty90997
Posted
I agree that the mind does a number, and its up to us to be in charge of that dialogue that runs us.
Thank you Betty
jude84900 mauiblue
Posted
kauaiblue,
What kind of bio identicals are you on? Is your bloodwork being montiered regularly to ck your levels? Doctors who prescribe bio identical hormone therapy should start out low and work up depending on what your lab numbers show and how your symptoms are. Are you doing any progesterone, especially at night to help with your sleeping? I am 57, post menapausal for over 2 years and have been on bio identicals for almost 2 years. I am on the transdermal creams with estrodial, estriol and testosterone and OTC progesterone. A good dr. will take the time to run labs, listen to your issues and adjust your hormones accordingly until you feel better. Almost instantly I was able to sleep better just with the use of progesterone. The changes going on in our bodies from depleted hormones is tremendous. Getting on bio identicals has given me my life back and I feel my health for the rest of my life. Bio Identicals are much better than synthetics, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Synthetic estrogens have pregnant horse urine in them and they do not belong in a womans body. We never had horse estrogens in our body before menapause why would we put it in our body now? Most GP's are not trained or take the time to further their education into hormone replacement and most look down on it as a bad thing from the scare women had from synthetics and rightfully so. But now we have bio identicals and with the right dr. they can be a beautiful thing. My own GP a woman didn't want to hear about HRT so I dove into tons of reading and videos and made an appt with a holistic dr that has been fantastic. Best move I could have made at this point in my life. I too was experiencing the gloom and doom. Having thinning hair, nails becoming brittle, skin looking bad, lost sleep, hot then cold. Its no wonder women feel a mess. Anti depressants are not the answer but that is what many docs will prescribe women going through this. Then they feel worse because the anti depressants are just covering up the problems temporarilly not fixing the issues. Is your bio identicals being made specifically for you at a compounding pharmacy? Are you on any testosterone? Believe me, testosterone can make a huge difference in a womans attitude also. We need testosterone in our body and it is at the bottom right along with the rest of our hormones at this stage of life. Hope this helps, good luck!
juanita93228 jude84900
Posted
My doctor was very good to me. He did put me on a old school antidepressant called Trazodone. It really helped me. I don't take it every day anymore and probably will be off it completely soon, but antidepressants aren't for everyone, but it helped me through a rough period.
gailannie juanita93228
Posted
Juanita, I also have Trazadone. It's only a 50 mg tablet. Was yours stronger? Or a lower dose? I haven't taken it yet, just wondering if you took it at night before bed?
juanita93228 gailannie
Posted
I'm on 100mg of Trazodone(I started with 50). I take it at night before bed. My doctor was adamant about that. He told me if taken during the day it will make you dizzy, because not only is it an antidepressant, it's also for sleep.
gailannie juanita93228
Posted
Did you feel like it helped as an antidepressant? And has your sleep improved?
juanita93228 gailannie
Posted
Gailannie, yes it has helped me as an antidepressant(although we ended up upping my dosage from 50mg to 100mg). You have to find just the right dosage, and yes my sleep has improved. I had some really wild dreams at first, but those went away. I didn't realize how well it was working as a antidepressant until a doctor(my old doctor decided to move)decided to put me on Celexa(which I never took because of the side effects I read about). She decided the first time seeing her that Trazodone "wasn't a very good antidepressant". So she didn't renew my Trazodone script. So I was cutting it in half and just taking it every other day until I could find a new doctor, becasue I didn't feel that she should have just decided for me that Trazodone "wasn't a very good antidepressant", I had no complaints about my Trazodone. Well, I just went to my new doctor yesterday and she had no problems with anything. I gave her a list of the meds I was on(Trazodone was on the list). She gave me a thorough exam, listened to me, and then called in all my meds. I took my first 100mg Trazodone(remember the old doc wouldn't refill, and I hadn't had a full dosage in a while) last night and felt so much better this morning! I was waking to doom and gloom thoughts, barely able to roll out of bed to go to work when I was cutting it in half and taking every other day.
I tell people, I believe in God as my Saviour and I do a lot of praying, but sometimes some of us do have to take something to help us out. I hope that one day I will be able to get off the Trazodone, but until then.......
I hope this little rant of mine helps you Gailannie.
gailannie juanita93228
Posted
Not a rant at all my dear. Glad to hear it's helped you. If I remember this correctly, you aren't on any HRT. Correct?
I need something for sure. Wish I didn't look like an old hag. (There's that doom & gloom thing 😳
.
juanita93228 gailannie
Posted
No, I'm not on any HRT. I was on it for about nine months total. The first time it made me have a light period the entire time I was on it(3months). The second time it made my hair fall out, I felt like I had been run over by a truck every day, and it bothered my fibroids.
Some people swear by it though. My sister was on Estrace(pill form) for five years and she loved it! She said it made her feel good and young again. But My sister had a partial hysterectomy years ago and she didn't have to have progesterone like I did. But her doctor would only let her stay on it for five years.
juanita93228 gailannie
Posted
I'm sure you're quite lovely and don't look like a hag. Be kind to yourself honey!
gailannie juanita93228
Posted
For heaven sakes, that's right! I should have remembered your story, but there's that meno brain again.
I've had some specific good moments with replacement. But as many side effects as "good moments" My hair happens to be one of those things that is severely effected by hormones. All the experts say that estrogen helps your hair (and again, I've experienced a few days of that) but for the most part, it seems to be progesterone that helps my hair. I'm really scared of it all falling out. And like you, I had dramatic hair loss (using vaginal estrace) really scary to see it fall out by the handfuls. But I actually felt better than I had in years. Plenty of energy, happy mood, sense of humor again, good sleep. Too bad my hair had such fits.
Thanks for your responses, it's always good to see what other women are doing.
gailannie juanita93228
Posted
OH YES I DO! It's actually quite frightening. It almost hard to even recognize myself in photos any more. Possible just that aging thing, but boy this is scary.
juanita93228 gailannie
Posted
I've decided to age with grace and dignity. and LOTS of moisturizer! I feel pretty blessed though. I breezed through peri and had my last period in November of 2010, but had no menopausal symptoms until June 2014. Then the depression and anxiety, especially health anxiety started. Then the aches and pains. I know this will pass(I have two older sisters, so I know it will). Until then I just pray, remain positive, take my Trazodone(and the occasional Valium).
juanita93228 gailannie
Posted
Oh dear, you can't expect to remember every little thing! Don't beat yourself up so! My hair got so brittle on HRT. It's not even close to being as long as it used to be, but it is thick at least. Lol! I'm sorry that HRT was so hard on your hair, but helped everything else. Bummer!
Some women seem to have luck with natural remedies. That didn't work for me. I do try to eat right and I meditate when I have time, and I watch funny shows on TV because laughing is good for you. I fell off the exercise wagon, so I just climb the two flights of stairs at work in the morning to get to my 2nd floor office and stretch every day(I figure it's better than nothing).
mauiblue jude84900
Posted
Thank you for all of your words!
It took me awhile to respond as I couldnt remember where i had posted or signed up. How is that for messed up!
I am on bio identicals now, estradiol, progesterone and a little T.
I am hoping it helps over time, and yes I believe 100% also in these. They make them at the pharmacy-compounding. My estradiol last year was 900 mg/dL - basically through the roof, and the last lab they did showed that it had plummeted to 17. No wonder im feeling like this. The good thing is that i have periods of feeling pretty normal, then i revert to the dark mood, its really difficult to deal with.
As I was saying in another post, sleep is PARAMOUNT. It effects every aspect of your health, and one can not be without it especially during this time. It leads to anxiety, depression, wt. gain. the list goes on.
I appreciate your response. Its nice to know in a morbid way that others understand and also suffer.
Thanks again Jude. I will be posting here more now.
kauaiblue