Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Geraldine]

Hi All
I'm Geraldine and I have just been 50 this year.  I am currently very confused about my anger, irritation and mood swings and I have come on here to ask advice as when I read through some of them topics everyone seemed really knowledgable 

I had to have a hysterectomy in 2011 due to having fibroids and because I was over 45 they took away my ovaries, uterus and cervix.  Immediately after the operation I was placed on HRT, 2 mg and it took months for me to settle down until I was reduced to 1 mg which I have been on ever since.

I cannot remember the date or year but it was within the last 2 years when my mood swings began and I began to be very angry and irritable with everyone!!!  I went to my Doctor who then stated I was depressed and put me on anti depressants.  I went away with the pills but felt this was not the reasons for my mood swings as I had been depressed before and new it was different.  I returned several times to the docs and again even though I was seen by several different doctors they all came to the same conclusion and I was given several different anti depressants all of which after a week or so of taking I threw down the toilet.

Since then I have struggled and my work and my marriage have both suffered as a consequence of my mood swings (work has been crazy anyway due to been taken over)!  My marriage is something I don't want to lose but I know my mood swings are turning me into somebody I'm not and making us both miserable, even both my daughters have noticed now and have insisted I try and figure this out.

My confusion is that because I have had a hysterectomy and was on HRT I wouldn't experience any symptoms of menopause but now this is the only explanation I can think of as I am not depressed.  I am lucky enough not to suffer with hot flashes just the mood swings which are ruining my life!! 

Due to being on HRT for 4 years now I am a bit hesitant in asking the doc to up the dose and have been looking into alternative therapy and any help or advice would be very gratefullys received,

Waiting with anticipation from people who understand my plight
Geraldine

[CLKD]

You're body has had a shock! with complete removal.  How did you feel before the procedure, were you accepting of what was about to happen or did you feel rushed into surgery before you were ready?

As for the mood swings, why not take the medication  - some ADs do ease mood swings and lift any depression present, therefore allowing the patient to see the wood for the trees.  There are 2 kinds of depression: clinical due to situations that the person is unable to alter, organic when the brain lacks chemicals to keep it running on full - I suffer with both.

How is your diet?  Low blood sugar can cause anxiety/anger swings, think of a baby who is hungry: it cries, rants and raves until fed  .

[Hurdity]

Hi Geraldine

 


Sorry to hear about your mood swings.

I must say I am puzzled about the "swings" aspect of it, but low mood can be caused by low oestrogen and my first thought is that 1 mg is a very low dose of tablet HRT for someone who was in her forties and had had everything removed! You should have remained on 2 mg at least and the doc should not have given you ant-depressants for this - if as you say, it is not due to actual depression as you seem to recognise.

Usually if you have your ovaries removed (as well as uterus) , then you go into surgical menopause and your hormones drop dramtically and then stay low - and you don't go through the usual hormone fluctuations of menopause. The other thing is ovary removal will also have caused a dramatic reduction in testosterone production which is also responsible for mood, energy and sex drive - and its decrease seems to affect some women more than others, although if you're not excessively tired and lacking in energy you may not be deficient?

Here is the info about it:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/aftermeno.php (scroll down for the testosterone bit)

There is also some more info on it here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/testosterone.php

Unfortunately it is rarely prescribed on NHS as there is only one preparation licensed for women and these are implants. Mostly women are only prescribed testosterone from private gynaes using small amounts of gel that is actually manufactures for men.

Can you ask to be referred to a specialist meno clinic? You can see from the map if there is one near you? If not can you afford a private consultation (although it is appalling that many women have to do this to get treatment)?
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/clinicfinder.php

What is the actual brand of tablets you are taking? You might be better off changing to a patch or gel oestrogen which would give you a more constant amount and you can adjust the dose more easily without having to take such a large amount (much of which is lost rthrough digestion). Here are the different types ( scroll down for patch and gel): http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/oestrogens.php

There is no need to worry about the time you have been on HRT - breofre the average age of menopause ( 51-2) the risks don't count anyway, and Dr Currie says (on this site) that between the ages of 50 and 60 the benefits outweigh the risks anyway: http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/balance.php


As CLKD says good to keep blood sugar levels constant and I presume you 've had blood tests re thyroid, diabetes etc - the doc should do this anyway just to make sure all is OK, rather than give you ADs!!!

Hope this helps and do get back to us with any more questions 


Hurdity x

[CLKD]

If a part of an ovary remains due to 'poor' surgery then it is possible to get mood swings …….. it only has to be a tiny part which clings on