Cures for Depression

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were you depressed? or was it just a case that depression is a symptom of the menopause?

There are as many symptoms or ramifications of menopause as there are for periods, none of which are good and of which depression is but one. Others include chronic insomnia, hot flushes, hair loss, vaginal dryness, amorphia (extreme skin itchiness because you feel like you’ve got ants crawling all over you), memory retention problems, panic attacks, severe mood swings and extreme anger/agression, etc. etc.

I deeply envy those fortunate women who breeze through menopause without a single problem.

Many women do suffer from severe depression during menopause and there’s certainly nothing wrong with properly prescribed anti-depressants to get you through the worst. The problem with these though is that they can literally become a habit that you simply can’t live without, even when menopause if over (they don’t call them "happy pills" for nothing!).

Instead of anti-depressants, HRT (hormone replacement therapy) is worth serious consideration (unless of course you are simply not able to take this because of breast cancer, etc.).

Is there any reason why you don’t take HRT? Have you talked to your doctor about this, and in particular, canvassed with him or her the possible benefits to you of HRT? A lot of doctors (particularly males … funny thing that!) simply don’t believe or really accept that menopause symptoms can be so severe and debilitating that they take over your life and make you crazy (after all, having even only a couple of the symptoms listed above is enough to make you chronically depressed!). Hence, many don’t believe in the value of HRT and won’t prescribe it. They also tend to give you lots of scary statistics about increased risks of breast/cervical cancer, heart attack, stroke, etc. to put you off wanting it.

Whilst it’s true that taking HRT does VERY SLIGHTLY increase these types of risks, the value you may get from it in terms of getting the quality of your life back can make it very worthwhile despite the risks.

How do I know all this? Because I’ve been there and done that (and I mean every single one of those nasty symptoms listed above – yes, I had all of them!). HRT gave me back my life and continues to do so because I’m still on it. I even went off it once last year but within a week, all the symptoms started to return, so I very quickly went back to my doctor and told her I just had to have it back. She agreed – thank God!

If HRT interests you, do some research before you visit your doctor to discuss it so that you can present a truly informed front to him/her. If you don’t get a sympathetic hearing, find yourself another doctor.

The bottom line here is that for 98% of women, there is absolutely no reason these days why they should have to suffer through menopause when there are therapies out there to help.

Whatever you do, hope it works well for you.

were you depressed? or was it just a case that depression is a symptom of the menopause?

There are as many symptoms or ramifications of menopause as there are for periods, none of which are good and of which depression is but one. Others include chronic insomnia, hot flushes, hair loss, vaginal dryness, amorphia (extreme skin itchiness because you feel like you’ve got ants crawling all over you), memory retention problems, panic attacks, severe mood swings and extreme anger/agression, etc. etc.

I deeply envy those fortunate women who breeze through menopause without a single problem.

Many women do suffer from severe depression during menopause and there’s certainly nothing wrong with properly prescribed anti-depressants to get you through the worst. The problem with these though is that they can literally become a habit that you simply can’t live without, even when menopause if over (they don’t call them "happy pills" for nothing!).

Instead of anti-depressants, HRT (hormone replacement therapy) is worth serious consideration (unless of course you are simply not able to take this because of breast cancer, etc.).

Is there any reason why you don’t take HRT? Have you talked to your doctor about this, and in particular, canvassed with him or her the possible benefits to you of HRT? A lot of doctors (particularly males … funny thing that!) simply don’t believe or really accept that menopause symptoms can be so severe and debilitating that they take over your life and make you crazy (after all, having even only a couple of the symptoms listed above is enough to make you chronically depressed!). Hence, many don’t believe in the value of HRT and won’t prescribe it. They also tend to give you lots of scary statistics about increased risks of breast/cervical cancer, heart attack, stroke, etc. to put you off wanting it.

Whilst it’s true that taking HRT does VERY SLIGHTLY increase these types of risks, the value you may get from it in terms of getting the quality of your life back can make it very worthwhile despite the risks.

How do I know all this? Because I’ve been there and done that (and I mean every single one of those nasty symptoms listed above – yes, I had all of them!). HRT gave me back my life and continues to do so because I’m still on it. I even went off it once last year but within a week, all the symptoms started to return, so I very quickly went back to my doctor and told her I just had to have it back. She agreed – thank God!

If HRT interests you, do some research before you visit your doctor to discuss it so that you can present a truly informed front to him/her. If you don’t get a sympathetic hearing, find yourself another doctor.

The bottom line here is that for 98% of women, there is absolutely no reason these days why they should have to suffer through menopause when there are therapies out there to help.

Whatever you do, hope it works well for you.

depression started for me 30 yrs ago with the birth of my daughter. Nothing has ever helped. Now im peri menopausal and the symptoms are BAD. I take black cohosh for sweats and starflower to help mood. Im also on prozac. My life seems to be one hellish day after another with an odd good day thrown in. Im not suicidal ,(today at least). i find some comfort in my spirituality. But weighing up pros and cons ive spent 90% of my 50 years on earth more mizerable than i could ever describe.

i think ive heard all the advice there is. dr,s are useless. if you can come up with anything new, pills, potions or other id like to hear it… no…im desperate to hear it
. thanks in advance
this is something that has crossed my mind and i believe you may have a point… but where do i go from here,?

I am where you are, but I am 43. I have bipolar disorder and am in mixed moods almost 100% of the time, which is hell on earth. I am suicidal very much of the time. I have tried over 15 different meds, also in combinations, and none of them have worked.

My psychiatrist told me to go inpatient at our university hospital. (university of minnesota). She said my case is a hard one. Your case also must be a difficult one. Universities also have outpatient clinics, so if you are not on your last rope that you need to be inpatient, that is probably the way to go. In a university setting, they will rethink your medical history and spend more time with you, plus you will get the young doctors with fresh ideas. Their will possibly be a team of docs who look at your case. The other option my doc told me was to go to NIMH the national institute for mental health in washington DC and she would arrange for it. I guess you go in clinical trials and they must give you housing and stuff. Anyhow, that is my suggestion – hit up a top-notch medical school for help.

I hope you get some help. I am in the same boat you are in. I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to navigate that area of town now that my favorite route is wrecked (the 35W bridge collapsed) and I live 3 hours away & get hyper driving now that I don’t live in a city anymore.

If I were better, I would be able to work harder at oil painting than I am now. I could learn to make more kinds of pies. I could help my husband on remodeling projects. I’m sure you will have a list to think of too.

So I hope you do look into going to a nearby medical school for help. The professors there are a LOT smarter than most of the regular docs you see in private practice.

All the best to you

I am only 43 but believe I may have some of them already. Are these the menopause or my previously diagnosed depression?

The current average age is around 51, however 43 is not rare. Age of onset of the menopause is often inherited. Did mum have an early one too?

Some people claim black cohosh is what you need during menopause. It’s worth a try.

FWIW, a loss of interest in most things is one of the hallmarks of clinical depression, even if you don’t feel especially depressed, so it may be unrelated to menopause.

There are many factors that lead to depression, one of which is hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. Not all depressed persons have this, and not all hypothyroid persons are depressed. not all women who are in menopause have an under-active thyroid.

But, in some cases, depression is cured by taking supplemental thyroid hormone. While this treatment is often given empirically, it really should be used after investigation of other causes of depression.

I must have been one of the blessed ones. I was so busy at the time, working part time (at least it was supposed to be), kids home, husband who likes to eat, I didn’t have time to think about it. For me, menopause came and went. No hot flashes. No anxiety. No depression that I would attribute to menopause. Any depression or anxiety I had was because of my teens being @#$%^ teens. Get yourself constructively busy and see if it helps. If you can get out, volunteer work is good. I used to visit the elderly in a nursing home and got them playing cards. They looked so forward to my weekly visits you would think I was the queen. Sadly, they are gone now and I decided to volunteer at our local hospital.

Ok, I need to get this under control.
I have basically been in the house since Dec. 2006.
I switched from Paxil (20 years) to Lexapro 15 mg in Dec. 2006 because I felt the Paxil was not working.

I have crying spells, depressed mood…..like no hope.
My body aches so badly. I even went to a chiropractor…
I don’t know if it is depression or hormones. My hormone levels came back as being in the correct range??

I feel like I am crazy….I can’t make decisions, I can hardly stand up i am so weak…..could it be physical?

Anyone have any luck with a certain medication.

Did I mention that I had a full check up and all is ok??? Everything

My mind is slow…..never use to be this way.
I avoid people.
I have many regrets about things that I wanted to accomplish in my life…..

I don’t know what else to say any suggestions??????

I am seriously considering checking into a hospital, but I don’t know if I would go to a mental or physical one.

:please help

Dianne

Hi Dianne:
You don’t say how old you are, so it’s hard to tell if you are menopausal or not – but you certainly do need help. You say you switched medications – was that on the advice of your doctor or on your own initiative? You could be reacting to the medication.
One thing for sure – if you haven’t been out of the house in eight months, you aren’t getting enough exercise, and lack of exercise can exacerbate whatever symptoms you are having, whether they originate in depression or in menopause. There are support groups that can help you get back in society – to experience the stimulation and pleasure that comes from interacting with other people.
Check with your public health nurse to find out how to locate a support group, and get yourself out of the house. That’s the first step! Then find something to occupy your time and your energy. There are hundreds of organizations crying out for volunteers and believe me, when you help someone else, you help yourself more.
It’s good that you recognize that you have a problem and are willing to work towards a solution. So – talk to your doctor about the medicine, call the public health nurse, join a library discussion group (they’re free, and very stimulating) and volunteer your services for some upcoming charity event.
Good luck to you.