I know this is a menopause forum, but my severe depression began during perimenopause. I know many on this website have been through depression. What I am curious about is the occasional brief times of normality that I experience. Maybe once a week, maybe more often, it all clears off and I feel much better. Actually it doesn't always clear all the way off, but sometimes it does.

Is this typical of clinical depression? Please let me know if anyone else has experienced this. Feeling depressed most of the time with occasional return to normalcy.

I don't know about clinical depression, but I do know that estrogen and thyroid play a huge role in mood. Add in fluctuations and they can wreak havoc with mood. I don't think clinical depression has these periods of wellness you describe. My first thought in reading your post was: hormone imbalance. Can you get your levels checked? When I was in peri, it seemed that I was in depression most of the time. I was being flooded with hormone, then starved for hormone. Back and forth. I think for awhile my system just shut down. I'm sure others here with more thorough knowledge will offer help soon.

My best guess based on my own experience is that it is hormone induced depression which is why you have the week of normalcy that I too used to have! That week of normalcy is when estrogen is at the HIGHEST in your body, therefore, eliminating or negating the depression! I'm not sure if you are considering BHRT, but you may want to consider it! Look at a simple graph of the menstrual cycle which you can find at womentowomen.com in the estrogen dominance section...there is a 10 day span right before ovulation until right after ovulation when estrogen is at its highest...this is the time for me when I feel best!!!

Best Wishes...

TJ

Oh I don't get a week of normalcy - I wish! No, what I mean is about once every 7-9 days I get a window of normal. It may be just a couple hours, or a good part of a day. Sometimes more often. I do think some of my worst depressive swings have been during the 2 weeks before the period though.

I've had my hormones checked several times and I am definitely swinging wildly in perimenopause.

I have started on bhrt - estradiol and estriol. It is day 9 and I have not had any improvement. (Thyroid has been ruled out.)

I'm just trying to figure out what my condition is. When the depression clears off, it doesn't seem like there is anything wrong with me. But of course something is wrong because the normal times are the exception.

How did you treat the condition during peri? (I have had major troube with AD) I have been on hormone replacement for 9 days; so far no improvement. I definitely have hormonal imbalance because several tests have documented it. I'm just trying to figure out if there is more to it.

With me there were three things compounding the situation - grieving a beloved, having a few injuries/illnesses that kept me out of commission, and NOT REALIZING this was peri. At first I thought my mood was from that and that the night sweats, prolonged migraines, irregular and long periods, rages and all-day hot/cold flashes, and endless insomnia were the only things peri-related. I didn't realize the depression was hormonal. I believed at the time I was mildly mentally ill and just shut myself away. Sorry to say this was how I 'treated it'. btw I also had attention difficulties but chalked that up to my being inherently undisciplined and scatter-brained, which is not so - I just believed it then because that's how I functioned then. A feature of this mental state was fear of hormones, which I now know would have helped me through everything. The menopause books I glanced at, when I gave a ***t, focused more on basics like hot flashes etc., not the profound mood changes. When I came out the other side I kept thinking of all those poor, poor women of long ago. The crazy aunt in the attic.

I must tell you, and assure you, that now I am six years post-meno, supplementing with BHRT and feel absolutely 100% un-depressed, focused, positive, and well. If my E is too low, I will feel crummy with a depression that is 'lights turned off' more than mental or mood-oriented. I kept a notebook in peri looking for clues. I just read through it and the pattern of random mini-stretches of 'normalcy' is as you describe. Long stretches of low, depressed days, with a week or so every now and then with "feel great ????" jotted here and there. Wish I'd found PS back then. If I may offer you a {{ }}-ing word of advice, it's this - try, try, try not to overthink or worry, believe in estrogen helping you, give it more time and perhaps a slightly higher dose after another week or so, and keep the faith. It sounds very much to me like estrogen is going to be your new best friend, with testosterone coming in a close second.

Dear gillk
Am behind your wise words one hundred percent.When I was first Menopausal had no idea of all the physical,emotional and yes mental pain that I went through.And yes Estrogen has brought me great relief for many years

I am not afraid of HRT at all because my fear of not functioning like a normal human being,without it,is worse.I have been told to get off it as have been on so long but when I did it was horrendous.Besides my attic is too small and dull.

I know there are many lucky ladies who go through Menopause relatively smoothly but for those who really suffer they are entitled to make their own decisions about their choice of treatment.
I wish you well

God Bless
Elizabeth

dear'surfin4answers'
When I was depressed there were not even brief moments of normalacy.The whole thing was a nightmare.I was a trembling woman losing weight rapidly and had lots of weird fears and phobias.I did not know at the time I was in full Menopause,only being 39 so I was started on Prozac.


The remaining piece of the puzzle was when I had my annual Gyno.check up and he told me that even my vagina was starting to atrophy.I went onto HRT-BHRT not available in this country-and after about two months about eighty percent of my symptoms had abated.


The lack of Estrogen in some women does lead to debilitating depression in some women .I just wish this Site had been available at the time because I felt I was really mentally unstable at the time.

Anyway good luck,my friend
I do hope you find the answers you need

Warm Wishes
Elizabeth

Is it you I always think about when it comes to PRYING THE ESTROGEN OUT OF YOUR HANDS... That thought has got me through the last 10 days!!! I, agree, I am NOT AFRAID of BHRT, I am instead MORE afraid of INSANITY!

You are terrific Elizabeth!


Best Wishes,

TJ