Menopause depression

Hi Joan152, it certainly helps to hear other people feel the same (not meaning that nice to hear others are suffering of course!) someone mentioned Menopace helped them so maybe that is an option

Yes I have heard of that and wellwomen but I am past the menopause which I think they help with.

Ah ok, might help me though

Hi, tearful.

I've been on the menopause for nearly 5 years now. I've had just about every symptom known to man! (Or rather woman!)

If you want some herbal advice etc about flushes and other symptoms, let me know and I'll share it.

But the worst thing for me has been the depression and anxiety. I have suffered from depression in the past, so am prone to it, but never anxiety until I hit the menopause. I won't take HRT for many reasons, firstly the health risks, and the way it's manufactured, (cruelty to animals), but also because it doesn't 'cure' the menopause, it delays it. Once you come off the HRT it starts up again!

For depression, apart from the obvious, healthy diet, exercise etc, Vitamin B complex can help, as can Magnesium which a lot of us are deficient in.

I have had to resort to antidepressants though. I was on Dosulepin for a while, which worked quite well, but I weaned off them as they were being withdrawn anyway, thinking I was going to be ok now. But I dropped again, so have now been prescribed Citalopram 20mg. I'm in my 5th week and am starting to see an improvement now. I still have bad days, but overall am starting to feel like me again, truly like me, for the first time in 5 years, and that's such a good feeling!

A good book to read is Passage to Power by Lesley Kenyon, which goes into alternatives to HRT and which I found very helpful.

If you do decide to take the Citalopram, there is a forum 'anyone NOT had side effects on Citalopram', which has metamorphosed into an extremely helpful thread where people who are at all stages of taking the tablets help each other through any side effects, and encourage each other to stick with it etc. And show shining examples to show light at the end of the tunnel!

Good luck, and let me know if I can help. You can get through this, and sharing it with others really helps.

Thank you Jules60344 that is very helpful, I have ordered a couple of books but I will also try the one you suggested, I'm still holding off taking the Citalopram but will let you know if I start them. Good to hear you are feeling like yourself again, I hope that continues for you. Thanks for your support

Hi Tearful1 - I'm not sure where you are in the scheme of things - have you decided to go with the Citalopram yet? You havent mentioned if your doctor tested you for low thyroid function or Vitamin D deficiency. I ask because I have both of these and when I was going through the menopause (which was from about 50-56. I am 58 now) low mood did become an issue. Whilst I have been hypothyroid for about 15 years, menopause certainly messed me around in this respect and I needed to adjust my thyroid medication accordingly. But it was only a couple of years ago that I was told I had very low Vitamin D levels.Taking Vitamin D supplementation did help my mood and even if you havent been told you have low levels, after the winter we have had I would imagine most of us are deficient and taking a low dose supplement may help. Also getting as much natural light as possible can help. As we come out of the winter and into longer days I know I feel as if I am coming out of a fog and my mood starts to improve. It wont hurt if you wait until we get into March/April to see if the promise of longer and lighter days gives you a boost.

My husband suffers quite badly with what we think is SADs and we have bought a reasonably priced light box - again this does definitely help improve things. And, despite all the bad press sun beds get, during the winter months it isnt going to cause massive damage if you use a sun bed 2 times a week at its lowest time levels - I use just 3 minutes for a boost. If you read the articles about this you will see it will not increase your risk of skin cancer, as will getting out in the sun (when it finally gets warm enough!) for 15 minutes a day without sun cream protection.

The menopause has been for me a roller coaster ride. It seems to have gone on for ages and at its worst, when I had hot flushes night and day and wasnt sleeping properly, I was at the end of my tether. I was offered anti-depressants at one stage and HRT, but with a strong history of breast cancer in my family I decided against the HRT and when I saw what anti-depressants did to my Father, I decided I would try to work through it my way. He just became a Zombie on them.

You have to remember that when a patient presents to their GP with depression the easiest way is for them to write a prescription. I think some of them work on the basis that is what the patient came for anyway because many people see them as the answer. And just like handing out statins and many other drugs, you also have to remember that GPs are driven by the incentives to hand out those drugs by drug companies and Government initiatives which give them rewards for every patient they sign up with a particular health problem - GPs tick boxes to meet their statistics - patients are very often just that - statistics!

Tearful1 - YOU are in control of your health! NOT GPs, not the drugs. The less crap you can put in your body medication-wise, the better. By eating well, reading relevant publications, by talking to others, by perhaps taking some supplements, continuing to exercise, get out in the sunshine and exercise the power within your own body, you can work through this. As the menopause progresses this too shall pass and if you can come out the other side without drugs in the knowledge that you and you alone did it, think how good that is going to feel.

I wish you all the best and hope the clouds lift and the path ahead is less troubled.

Thanks Janice31, I found this very helpful. My GP didn't do any tests, she just asked if anyone had passed away & then prescribed the Citalopram. The box is still unopened!! I have wondered for a few years if I suffer from SAD as I do feel low in winter months. I have spoken to people on HRT who have had to go back on it after trying to come off & I really don't want to take either ADs or HRT, like you say there will be an end to it at some stage. I did buy Menopace & started that last Monday & I do feel slightly better. I have also tried eating nuts & soya & drinking lots of water. I am determined to go through this without drugs if I can & I appreciate your post. I may invest in a light box too. I will read up on the sun beds as well as I had thought them to be dangerous. Many thanks for your advice, much appreciated

I totally understand. I'm 53 and have been going through menopause for 3 years. I am depressed and have decided not to take antidepressants. I tried them once and I was a total zombie..i just read, pray and listen to music. No one would ever understand what we go through unless they have or ate currently going through it. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy...evert day a struggle. Can't wait for this to be over...