Dear Bane, nearly50 and Hurdity,
Thanks all for your welcome and replies, appreciate you taking the trouble.
Nearly50- my periods continue to take me by surprise as been irregular for12-18 months and I've no idea where in the cycle I am most of the time. I've no clue whether my oestrogen is high, low or non existent. I really need to revise some biology and find out what should be happening and when! I haven't been recognising when my bad moods were PMT as I'd got no clue when my period was due so when it actually arrived I could look back on my moods and sugar cravings and realise after the fact that it was PMT.
Hurdity - what made me go to the doc was realising I didn't feel like myself, I was very moody and up and down, and had a meltdown one Sunday where I felt like I couldn't cope with anything- fed the kids then got in bed and pulled the covers over my head and cried till my mum came and scooped me up and took me round to their house to look after me like a 6 year old. Tea and toast and cake etc, hugs and sympathy. Worked wonders. I hadn't been sleeping well, kept waking up about 4-5am, couldn't settle at home in the evenings, I would be wandering around aimlessly downstairs till late on, struggling making decisions, wanting to be alone a lot, sitting in my pyjamas half the weekend which is very unlike me. So when I saw the doc, I was at the point where the psychological symptoms were far more troublesome than the physical, so I was happy to try citalopram rather than start HRT quite young when those symptoms seemed less of an issue. If I get more physical symptoms or the psychological ones return, I will consider HRT, it was just that I know you're not meant to take it for ever, and I might need it more in 3 or 4 years time.
I did an anxiety and depression questionnaire after I saw the doc out of curiosity and came out with moderate scores for both. I was surprised as I hadn't recognised myself as depressed, and it actually helped me to realise that. I've read the NICE menopause guidance and I've seen that women should be offered HRT, and I'm not anti, I suppose I would like to wait and see if I feel I do need it. I had migraine when younger and was taken off the COC and took Noriday before kids, then been on IUD since, so only natural chaotic hormones
.
Thanks for all your help and info. I have a medication review booked with the doc so maybe I will ask her if she thinks the AD is the most appropriate choice at present, but to be honest I feel so much better at present that I'm quite happy.
Many thanks again.
I will have a look at the article you mentioned, info would be great.