Print

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

[Nellf]

It's so hard for us wome.  I was prescribed Sertraline in my late 40 for severe pmt.  I know think it was because I was peri.  Post menopausal 5years on an feel utterly exhausted both mentally and physically, not to mention emotionally.  My HRT journey began on normal cyclical regime but it became apparent that my mood was becoming lower and lower.  At that point I was so low and scared that I decided to seek help from a private menopausal specialist.  Within 10mins of us chatting she suggested I may be sensitive to progesterone.  My regime changed to evore plus utrogestan.  For the first few months I felt amazing, just like the old me.  Then my mood plummeted.  My gp still to this day is insistent that I am depressed and not hormonal.  I am taking 200mg Sertraline daily now.  I am currently trying utrogestan 200mg vaginally and it's only a few weeks in.  I'm so tired and a few weeks ago around my birthday had a meltdown.  Sobbing, feeling useless worthless and just genuinely miserable.  I just didn't see the point anymore.  My gp and specialist say that I would be a great candidate for the mirena.  Why does every alternative fill me with dread.  My mood is slowly getting better.  But I'm still tired and emotional.  My aunt said to me yesterday when are we going to get you back.  And I'm sure my partner thinks that too.  I want me back.  But not sure how long I can keep truing all the alternatives.  This is such a wonderful forum gull of strong women who deserve to feel themselves again.  Knowing there's women who are experiencing the same issues helps immensely.  Hopefully we will all.get there xxx

[lilbebel]

Nellf i’m so sorry you had such a rough time. I can very much relate. I had thought that it was the progesterone and causing the depression, but then came off at for a few days and realised my mood was actually worse. Also checked my diary and realised that I was severely depressed last year when I wasn’t on any one on replacement therapy and was in late stage perimenopause. I no longer believe it’s progesterone. I realise that I had taken birth-control for decades which contains higher doses of progesterone and I only felt bad PMS on the week before my period which was the week when I stopped taking the pill. I actually went into the hospital two weeks ago to access a psychiatrist for an emergency consultation on the advice of my family doctor. It’s the only way to actually get to speak to one. The person was a young male doctor and he was very validating and said that it’s well known that Menopause can have a serious impact on women’s’ brains and cognition and mental health. He said the reduction in sex hormones can have a profound effect on mood and can even cause some mental health conditions to develop such as schizophrenia. It was so validating to hear him talk and acknowledge the reality of what some women go through. So, he did the research and found an anti-depressant that won’t damage my heart and I started it two weeks ago. It’s early days and I remain hopeful. It’s called Trintellix and is a new generation antidepressant. You Mentioned your mood is improving. Is this since you started your antidepressant? How long ago did you begin? I now believe that I am and have been suffering MDD made worse or initiated by perimenopause and menopause but is a condition by itself. HRT isn’t enough for me to lift this and it is a mental health condition for me at this point that needs additional treatment. I wish you the best. Isn’t it unbelievable what we have to go through. Stay strong. Xx

[Nellf]

Lilebel.  I've been on anti depressants ie sertraline for well.over10 years now and had my dose upped less than a year ago snd feel no difference.  I'm not ruling out the fact that they may need changed, but have never experienced such low mood as I did when taking synthetic progesterone.  I'm currently trying utrogestan 200mg vaginally and have requested a call with my Gp to talk about different anti depressants.  I don't want to change too many things at once as I won't know the cause.  Still on this journey and determined not to give up. 

[lilbebel]

Lilebel.  I've been on anti depressants ie sertraline for well.over10 years now and had my dose upped less than a year ago snd feel no difference.  I'm not ruling out the fact that they may need changed, but have never experienced such low mood as I did when taking synthetic progesterone.  I'm currently trying utrogestan 200mg vaginally and have requested a call with my Gp to talk about different anti depressants.  I don't want to change too many things at once as I won't know the cause.  Still on this journey and determined not to give up.

That seems like a good idea to adjust one thing at a time. Otherwise there can be too many moving parts and it’s hard to know what is affecting what. I had been on Celexa for a long time and it was no longer doing anything. Many antidepressants stop working after a period of time, especially when someone has been one them for years. I hope you have a helpful chat with your GP and that they are supportive and work with you to find a solution.