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[latefortysomething]

Hello,
I wanted to ask if anyone would recommend AD's for depression, seem to be quite bad at the moment and really reluctant to go down the AD route, doctor thinks it maybe a good idea...I have looked at a few that claim to help with depression/concentration (issues).  Also read that AD's help with flushes...Any ideas or thoughts on this, can anyone recommend a an AD that may help?  - thank you

[Dancinggirl]

I've never used ADs but recently a work colleague of mine who was still suffering with flushes and depression even though she was on HRT was given Citalopram and I have to say she is a new women.  She's lost weight, she says she's sleeping much better, her flushes have reduced and from my perspective she is far nicer to work with.
I've always been very wary of ADs but it could be worth trying and in your situation I would be very tempted.  Quality of life is very important.  DG x

[Kelly]

Hi dancing girl I was given citalopram for bad anxiety due to a health problem. They are still on the microwave and I just can't bring myself to take them.the side effects scare the hell out of me! I had reflexology this morning so will let you know how that goes after a few sessions. It's hard I know . What have you been given? Someone will be along soon to advice on ads I am sure. Emailing dr currie was great for me when I was especially low. She might recommend some Hrt.
Good luck .xxx
Kelly

[Dyan]

Hi latefortysomething.
ADs have been a lifesaver for me.
I take fluoxetine for my OCD and Mirtazapine for depression & anxiety.
If you had something wrong with your heart you'd take a pill or insulin for diabetes,pills for blood pressure etc etc so there's nothing wrong in taking something for your brain.
Ignore the paper inside the box about side effects.
When or if you decide to take them you may feel worse before you get better.( Drs don't tell you this) This is when most people give up on them.
Persevere however bad.They are doing their job of sorting out your brain,the bad and then making you feel good but normal if you know what I mean.They do take a few weeks to start working some quicker than others I think but it won't be a quick fix.
I wouldn't like to recommend an AD for you as we are all individual and it depends on how you are but your GP would advise.
X

[Hurdity]

Hi latefortysomething

If you are reluctant to go down the AD route then you will need to investigate other options.

The critical issue is whether you have been depressed all your life - or have suffered pre-menstrual or cyclical hormonally induced depression, and/or whether your current depression is hormonal.

Where are you in menopause and have you tried HRT? Are there any issues in your life that you feel may have stimulated your depression, ro do you feel menopause has made you less able to cope with other issues?

ADs are not recommended for hormonal depression and certainly not the first line of treatment for menopause - so unless there is a strong medical reason why you cannot take HRT, and assuming you peri-menopausal, then I would suggest trying a course of HRT if you haven't done so already - before even considering the ADs. It depends on your answers to the above questions, and how you are coping at the moment.

Do you have any other menopausal symptoms - flushes sweats etc, and do you take any other medication? Where are you with your periods etc?

In the meantime have you tried any cognitive methods - there is a website re anxiety with lots of ideas (not sure where it is at the moment!) but I don't think the methods will work for true depression.

Do get an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible!

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

There are 2 types of depression, 'situational'/clinical and organic though many Practitioners do not recognise the latter  .  I have both plus anxiety which can cripple me at the drop of a hat 

All medications have side effects ……….. some are tolerable others not.  I had 4 goes before I found an AD which suited me, sort of; the side effects are present but far better than the depression which left me unable to get out of bed.

They don't help with concentration though ……… as my head feels muggy so concentration is difficult.


Did your GP do the 'depression questionnaire' before suggesting a prescription?  Low mood is TOTALLY different from depression ……… without medication I wouldn't be here.

[Mrs January]

Hi ladies

I se HRT and take Citralopam despite being totally against it last year. In all honesty it saved me from a very bad time, my GP says it is replacing the serotonin hormone I was lacking due to anxiety destroying me.

Onwards on Ad's take 30mgs a day and also beta blockers and HRT ...if I had diabetes I would take meds so why not to help my mind???

Be kind to yourself and do what you think is right for you as you are in control when your emotional and anxiety are not...

Love and highs

Mrs January xxx

[CLKD]

The brain is an organ not often remembered until it begins to lack serotonin etc.. 

[renee]

I totally agree with you Mrs January,

Why do we struggle so much to take meds for our mental state but would be more accepting if it was meds for diabetes etc.

We are human all over not just physically so our minds can be ill too.

Iv had anxiety and slight depression for nearly 10 years, which did get worse with the menopause, not our fault so Iv went down the route over the years of medication to help alleviate the symptoms so I can function at a level which keeps me happy.

Keep strong and take the help, in the end it's a win, win situation when you start feeling better. Xx

[Hurdity]

Yes they are interlinked sparkle & CLKD, but that is why the brain is an organ not like any other. The difference is that the brain and the hormones produced by it controls everything else in our body, and most wonderfully, our mind can actually control how some of this works.

Our whole body's phyisology and especially the endocrine system is extremely complex and governed by feedback mechanisms.

Therefore it is not always a question of - the brain is deficient in X (like the pancreas may be deficient in insulin) therefore let's replenish it - because in many cases these compounds are under mental control. The comparison does not hold for the brain. It is an extremely complex  "organ" and while I accept that there will be some physiological chemical imbalances, there is so much more, and it is important to rule out or find out physiological causes of our mental state that derive from elsewhere before giving drugs at the brain and hoping it recovers.

I am thinking of hormonal reasons for mental states exemplified by menopause. If you just look at the brain's response to this hormonal deficiency in isolation you are not treating the cause, and I agree sparkle that the mind and body need to be considered together, holistically where possible.

Hurdity  x

[bunnie]

Hi Latefortysomething I'm on Fluexotine 20mg a day been on them for a few years now after my meltdown the first month was hard as I went down before I came up but it has been my lifesaver and it works for me and CLKD is right you have to find the right one for you

[CLKD]

I did the on/off with ADs as I wanted to know what was causing the depression therefore if my brain lacked something we could replace it.  However ………. depression is treated as one issue and no one seems interested in finding out clinically what it needed ……… eventually I was diagnosed with cyclic depression which is organic: I would get so ill that I couldn't leave the bed, be prescribed ADs, feel better, stop meds.: all this took 22 months and I was advised to take a low maintenance-dose for Life. It took me a LONG while to accept this as I wanted/still do want to know the cause.  Depression runs through my family on both sides ……… 

However: DH and I have a Life together again.  Add to that getting the anxiety under control and if necessary taking an emergency drug ………… I used to believe in Mind over Matter but …..

[leony]

I take Fluoxetine only 8 mls a day and hrt as I got up 1 day and felt as though I had hit a brick wall couldn't cope at all loads of different things going on in my life I described it to my Physchiarist as if I was on the edge of a black hole (sorry spelling) am now 59 and they are trying to take the HRT away not without a fight. I tell family and friends as long as I have my happy juice even at a low dose I can cope. When at my worst couldn't go out cried and had a panic attack if left at home alone and was a real wreck. It gave me my sanity back.

[latefortysomething]

Many thanks for all of your help. As I sit here typing this, words not flowing as per usual.  I do feel like I am facing an abyss, low is not the word.  I could rattle on about myself however I realise that reading your posts we all seem to be "struggling/being tested" in pretty much the same way. (although you all seem to have done something sensible re. treatment)  I do take the point however that HRT may help, but my doctor just seems to think AD's are a good thing, and given the way I am thinking right now she may well have a point. 
I have never felt quite this low in all my life, but I have come to the conclusion at 51, that we tend to look at where we are in life and sigh(understatement of the year) - a big part of the problem.  Trouble is as I have recently realised it's being positive enough to change things..just getting enough energy and stop bashing ourselves over the head etc. which is where Ad's may help.
My rambling post aside, I thank you for all your help with this and just hope that you are all well!  Apologies for post, I know we are all going through same thing (near enough!)
LFS

[CLKD]

Every post here is valid!  Of course people are suffering which is why we are here, so sharing helps ……. a 6-8 months course of anti-depressant medication may be what you require right now, in order to see the wood for the trees.  Remembering that the brain doesn't get here suddenly so it will take a while before meds 'kick in'. 

If you get your mental health sorted, you can then decide which part needs assistance in order to get back on track.  This time of Life is called 'the change' - for a reason!

   DH often tells me 'if you took your own advice'!!!