Well, I am finally going to the doctor this afternoon....just can't live with myself anymore! The constant anxiety, depression, anger, agititation is just getting to be too much.

I had my first skipped period this summer, period lasted 5 days, then went immediatley into sore boobs and am having another period at 16 days. So my hormones are definately in flux. And I am going to be 50 in two weeks, so I am also in their age wise

I can live with the physical symptoms, cramps, sore boobs, night sweats, aching joints, etc. But the mental issues are making me mental! I guess I need some recommendations on what I should stress with the doctor this afternoon. The anxiety or the depression? The rages, lack of sleep, or loss of libido? Or should I just spill it all? I was on prozac several years ago for bad PMS and it just made me flat and no libido so I stopped. But this is different....the anxiety, agitation, and coonstant cycling of thoughts is very different.

Any suggestions on the best way to approach my GP will be appreciated!

Debbie

Many of us have been there with the anxiety & depression and a host of physical symptoms. It helps if you go in there knowing what you want and expect from your doctor. If you only concentrate on the depression and anxiety, then your doctor may only treat those symptoms. If it were me, I wouldn't hold back. It has been my experience that replacing the hormones lacking after my hysterectomy made all my mental & physical symptoms better. Not perfect, but almost. None of this is easy but it is well worth it.

You can always get past the libido issues I suppose, but the anxiety and depression are killers. I'd just lay it all out there. See if he can offer a solution to the side affects of the AD.

If your doctor seems good and is a listener, you might want to say that you feel your hormones are changing rapidly and that they are giving you a host of symptoms, physical and mental, that are really interfering with your quality of life. You might want to emphasize that your anxiety and depression feel like they are a result of the hormone turmoil, not situational. For me it felt like a bad weather system in my brain--not a result of life events.

If s/he is not so good, you might want to go in with a clear idea about what you want to get out of the session ("I really want my hormones tested" "I really want to try HRT" etc) and make sure to insist on it directly so they don't hustle you out on their way to the next patient. (I had a little laundry list of what I wanted; To try bcps, ADS, and vaginal estrogen, but then again I was desperate to feel better and didn't trust my doctor to think as deeply about me as I had)

You can read other threads on this topic, but xanax, when used carefully can bring short term relief for the anxiety while you figure this out.

try not to blubber all over the office when he asks " what brings you here " not that id do any thing like that !!!! or for sure he,ll label you right away as deppressed and all in your head !!!

nc53215: Thanks for the laugh, I needed it...I had the same thought, which is why I wish I could do this over the phone. I don't want him thinking I am a blithering idiot.

Sissyl, I think you are right about the bad weather system in the brain, that describes it really well. I really think it is hormonal.

Tidalwaves: I have no libido now, so taking the AD's wouldn't change things for the worse So I am willing to go that route again if it makes sense. I have typed up a list of mental and physical symptoms so I can lay it all out there for him. I am hoping that he can look at the whole and come up with the best solution.

I am really frightened that if I can't get this under control then it will really impact my family life (which it already is), as well as my work life. It is hard to be a good worker/supervisor when you are anxious about answering phones and talking to people. And worrying if you remembered to do something critical.

Thanks to everyone for their replies, it is so good to have people to talk to who really understand this crazy stuff!

Debbie

Update on my visit....it went fairly well. I am SO glad I had typed up a list of issues, as I started to get teary at one point. He spent a fair amount of time talking about options, etc. and we decided to go with Zoloft for now, 50 mg, and check back in a month. He felt that it was the best selection for the anxiety and should help with the night sweats. Not that I care too much about being sweaty, only crazy! Also said it wasn't addictive, or causes a lot of side effects. I had expressed my concern about addictive drugs as my father suffered from alcholism, so I have been very careful not to go down that path myself. And I am not quite ready to do HRT as female cancers run in my family (ovarian and cervical)

I will do some searches for everyone's feedback on Zoloft to see if it really helps. Again, thanks to all for your help!

Debbie

Update from me. I took my first dose (50 mg)of Zoloft on Wednesday, felt a bit of a headache on Thursday...no big deal. Took another dose Thursday and by Friday noon I had a migraine from hell that was totally disabling! Couldn't keep anything down for two days. So needless to say I haven't taken another dose. I have a call into the doctor to inform them of this. The migraine/nausea could be a total coincidence, but I am afraid to find out!

Why is nothing simple anymore!

Debbie

I'm sorry the Zoloft isn't working. I had a similar experience with Prozac, then wasn't willing to go down the AD route again. But, after it all became too much, I went to my psyche Dr. and asked for Lexapro and he gave it to me. I have been on it almost 6 weeks and I feel a difference. I had very minimal side effects (nausea and a bit of sleepiness and unmotivation) however, I will say that AD's work differently for everyone. My experience with Lexapro may not be yours for instance if you decided to try it. Some women hated it and some like myself love it. It is a good one for anxiety/panic/depression. Effexor is another one. Of course you will hear that these AD's are very difficult to get off of. Maybe or maybe not, again it may depend on how you go about it and your particular body chemistry. We are all so different. Just wanted you to know my experience. I went from a blubbering mess to the ability to redirect my obsessive thoughts, my health anxiety thoughts, to looking forward instead being stuck in the groove of a record and not enjoying one minute of any day I was in. I still have a little bit farther to go, but, hopefully I will get there. Hopefully the postive's will continue. I certainly don't want it to be my hormones giving me a break because I don't trust them. I would rather all the good be coming from the Lexapro. I hope you find relief soon, I know how very very difficult it is to live in that state of mind, it is debilitating. Keep trying to find the answer that works for you. Take care, Mich

I am surprised that the starting dose of zoloft was 50 mg. My doctor prescribed 25 mg. but had me start at l2.5 mg. by breaking the pill in half for 5 days. After that, I could go up to the full dose. Same thing when discontinuing. I have had no problems starting or stopping but always half my dose for 5 days before begining or weaning off zoloft. It takes about 4 weeks to evaluate whether it is working or not but I guess you need to address the migraine issue with your physician.

yes zoloft caused me head aches also, i would suggest trying the lexapro, start at 10 mg and go to 20 if needed good luck

How unfortunate you got the migraine with the Zoloft, and I certainly understand not wanting to try it again. I would not do it either, if I had a migraine like that!!

However, having said that, like the poster above suggested, it is brutal to start ANY anti-depressant at the full dosage. I really do not understand why doctors do this to their patients. I take Paxil, and I started on 10 mgs for 10 days, then 15 for 10 days, and finally to 20 mgs. I had no noticeable side effects doing it this way. The first time I tried it back in 1997 I tried the full 20 mgs for about 3 days and had to back it off. I felt like I was high as a kite on the full 20 right off the bat.

I have reduced the dose now down to 10 mgs. I did this over a few weeks. I thought I was ready to come off it, but had to stay on the 10 mgs...at least for the time being.

If you decide to brave another AD, tell your doctor you want to titrate it SLOWLY!! It may take a little longer to feel the positive effects this way, BUT you will most likely not get any of the wacky side effects.

I never did well with Zoloft. My doctor also started me on 50 mg which I think was way too much. I got nausea very bad. I lived on saltine crackers for weeks and could eat little else. Perhaps if he'd started me on a smaller dose, my body could have adjusted to it better--who knows. After about a month and a half, I quit. I just couldn't stand the nausea anymore.

I am on Celexa after Paxil XR put me in a panic attack so bad I almost ended up in the emergency room.

Celexa is said to be one of the more well tolerated and is available as a generic (and Lexapro seems to be the souped up new version with less side effects)

I agree with wise posters above you may want to start with a teensy dose and creep up slowly over days and weeks til your full dose. These are powerful drugs tho docs hand them out like candy with no good instructions. ANd even so, you may feel worse before you feel better. It took me a month on the full dose to feel the full effects and to have the side effects go away.

I am feeling much better and am very grateful to Celexa but it can take some fiddling and teeth gritting to get right.

Thanks to nc53215, gevalia, floater, bookworm56 and sissyl (hope I didn't miss anyone).

You are all confirming what the doctor wants me to try next. He said to cut the dosage to 25 mg. Then if I still have side effects to try Lexapro. I can handle mild side effects (and usually don't get any from prescriped drugs).

I think I will try again tomorrow morning for my first 25mg dose. Before I had taken it in the evening, so I am even changing that strategy!

I sure hope this works,,,this agitation/anxiety stuff is awful!!!

Debbie

Your doc sounds pretty good if he agrees with us!

If you are nervous about that first dose, you could even try 12 mg, just to build up your confidence.

And if your anxiety and agitation is really bad (and I have been there, pacing around the house like a zoo lioness), you could talk to your doctor about using an anti anxiety benzo while you wait for your AD to kick in. Xanax helped me til I got up to speed on my Celexa and and now I rarely ever need it. And I had a lot of weird but minor side effects with Celexa that all gradually diminshed as my body got used to it.

Let us know how you are doing on the Zoloft second try!

the thing is -just thinking that the zoloft is gonna give you a major head ache is enough anxiety for it not to work for you, at least thats how,d id be, and the power of suggestion is a powerful thing......

nc53215

The same thought crossed my mind also! So I am doing my best to "forget" that I took it this morning

Debbie

I am on Zoloft. Started with 12.5 for 3 weeks, the first day I went up to 25 I had debilitating anxiety. I think Sissy described it as pacing around like a lioness. It was exactly like that and it was bad!!! Went back to 12.5 and got some xanax, which helped tremendously! Started with a psych doctor. He wanted me to stay at the 12.5 but I was willing to go up another 1/4 of a pill (hard to cut, they
really small, and I feel like a cocaine user with my little cutting board and very sharp knife!). Anyhow, about a week and half at 3/4 of a pill and now up finally up to 25 mg with no side effects. I am very sensitive and need to go VERY slowly! Next appt next tues, so I'm wondering when I'll up the dose again. Keep us posted!

I know what you mean mainemom about feeling like a cocaine user with the sharp knife and cutting board...I did the same thing! I also have the caged lioness feeling, making it very hard to sit still. Feels like the fight/flight syndrome where you know you have to DO something or your going to explode. I am hoping the Zoloft takes care of this agitation/anxiety.

Took the 2nd 25 mg. dose the AM and so far no headache....keeping my fingers crossed

Debbie