I have been given antidepressants and various other medications over the past 2 years for my depression and anxiety. I am 46 years old. The meds seem to work at first and then fizzle out, especially during my PMS time of the month. I get horrible anxiety and depression. Now my psychiatrist literally does not know what to give me and has suggested that I go to my gyno and talk to her about my issues. I am afraid that the gyno will put me on hormone replacements and I am afraid to take them. I have no other PMS signs other than the anxiety, depression and headaches, but it has gotten so much worse over the past few years. I am seeing a therapist and doing all that I know to do, but nothing seems to work. Has anyone else been on this merry go round? How do I get off of it??
Thank you,
DJ

DLJ...what AD are you taking and how much? have you tried other AD's?

I am on Celexa and sometimes trasadone to give me any extra kick...for at night..I cant take the it during the day because it wipes me out.

There are the BioHrts..made from plants instaed of the synthetic HRTs....

What other kind of symptoms to you have? Are you in peri yet?

Sorry for all the questions, dont mean to overwelm you..just need some more info so we can give ya some more options...

Welcome To PS hun!

DLJ: I can sympathize with your experience. Over the past twenty years, I have been on ALL the SSRI's. It started with Prozac, then Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Celexa, etc. I even went on Ludiomil for a while, which is supposed to target a different neurotransmitter than the others. My first husband was a shrink, so I had lot of access to information and psychiatrists. My experience was, that they would all work in the beginning. I felt more energized, less depressed...sometimes a bit 'speeded up.' Each SSRI had their own unique set of side effects--some were worse, others a bit better.

However, the one commonality in all of them was that they did indeed 'fizzle out' after a couple of months. My doctor's response to this was to up my dosage. Eventually, I just stopped taking all of them. I know what it is like for a psychiatrist to tell you that they "don't know what else to try." At this point, you can feel really helpless. My solution has been to keep a log over the years of what worked, and what didn't, and then to combine it with my own remedies.

Here's what worked for me:

-Exercise. I haven't always been diligent about this, but at the worst peak of my depression/anxiety/panic attacks, I started running. The effects were dramatic. Granted, I don't do this anymore, but I find that exercise has a potent effect on depression.

-Fish Oil. It's been documented that fish oils help with depression. It took months of fiddling around to find a dose that didn't make me sick, and that helped. I now take 1250 mg at night with a meal.

-Dosage. The most effective SSRI for me was Prozac, but I had to tweak the dosing of it. For example, when I was on 20 mg a day, I found that if I took 10 mg in the morning, and 10 at night, it helped me more than taking it all at once.

And finally, my two cents on hormones. I may end up eating my own words someday, but frankly, I won't take HRT's. I haven't done enough research of my own on this Bio-Identical stuff, so I can't give an opinion, but I think synthetic estrogen is dangerous, and raises the risk of certain cancers beyond my own comfort level. Other women are willing to take the risks; I think it depends on each person. My own family history predisposes me to certain diseases anyways, so it's not an option for me at this time. It doesn't mean it's not right for you, however. I'd see your gynecologist anyways. Just make it clear what you are comfortable with and what you aren't I'm always amazed when I hear women say "I'm afraid my doctor will make me do so-and-so." Your doctor can't put you on any medication you don't want to go on. Part of caring for a patient is supposed to involve addressing ALL their symptoms, and that includes fear of certain medications. You could always say "I want to address my hormone issues with something other than HRT. In your opinion, what are my other options?" If they 'don't know', then I'd find another doctor.

Hope any of this has helped. Please know you are not alone...I've been on a merry-go-round for years...sometimes I like the horse I'm riding, others times I hate it. Let me know how you are doing.

Peace,
Robin

RRRRRRRRRRRobin, so glad youre here!!!

Thank you for your input. As far as what meds I have tried: Celexa, Prozac, Effexor, Cymbalta, Paxil, zoloft, Wellbutrin, Buspar and others that I can't even pronounce. Then he went to the mood stabilizers - Lamictal, Depacote, Lithium and Topamax. Most started out well, except for side effects, and then fizzled out. It's not as easy as the commercials say. I really thought it was just me and I really am crazy if nothing works. Others have mentioned Perimenopause, but I didn't think that it could cause such anxiety and depression. It's good to read your boards and feel that my issues are shared by other women. Werent things supposed to get better in our 40's?

Thanks again ladies,
DJ

DJL,

I visited with a menopause specialist recently. She told me that the psychological and emotional symptoms like depression, anxiety, moodiness, weepiness, etc. are due to low progesterone. Her recommendation was natural bioidentical progesterone cream. You need a prescription for it, from a doc or gyn or nurse practitioner, and it is made for you by a compounding pharmacy. If you look up "Pete the Pharmacist" here at PS you can get more info on it, and he can test your hormones and compound the needed hormones for you.

You can also get a less potent form of progesterone cream over the counter. Read up on what types and brands are good, as some are not really progesterone but are "wild yam" I think.

I myself am waiting on doing the progesterone. I'm trying supplements for 6 months to boost my adrenal function, and then I will try the progesterone.

No doctor can "make" you do anything! They are simply "partners" with you as you learn and research and decide what is best for you. If the anti-depressants aren't working, then maybe natural progesterone will help. I would stay away from traditional HRT. If your doctor or gyn doesn't work with bioidentical hormones, then find one who does.

That's great that you're doing therapy. Keep it up! I find it helps me a lot.

Oh, goodness, yes it can! Nothing, absolutely nothing, has been as destabilizing as perimenopause in terms of depression and anxiety. I've been a nervous nellie since I was child, and have depression in my family, so it's always something I've had to deal with and manage. I thought I was doing pretty well, until peri-menopause hit. It wasn't even something I KNEW about, and I have a degree in pharmacology. It was never discussed in school, my mother didn't mention it (we're not that close about such matters), and I just thought you got a few hot flashes in your fifites, and then that was it. I even had a gynocologist who told me there was "no such thing as peri-menopause." (I no longer see her, and secretly hope her tongue falls out.)

It starts insidiously...you think you're just stressed out, but then as the various symptoms start presenting themselves, it becomes undeniable--it's your dwindling, fluctuating, hormones.

I don't think there has ever been a large scale drug study done on the effects of anti-depressants on peri-menopause, but now that I've just written that, I'm going to do some research and find out. I know that prozac is being used in many clinical trials to treat PMDD (which is a fancy name for super-horrible PMS). I think PMDD, and PMS get much, much, much worse during peri-menopause. I used to feel weepy and moody a couple of days before my period, but now, I'm lucky to have 3 days a month without raging emotions. (I wasn't going to admit this, but yesterday, my DD got her driver's license, and I broke down and wept uncontrollably at the Dept of Motor Vehicles. People were staring...strangers offered me kleenex, but I just kept sobbing...I had to go to work looking like Tammy Faye Baker, with the big mascara streaks running down my face. )

I keep saying to myself "this can't be happening because of peri-menopause...I've got to have some other, horrible disease that is undiagnosed." But to be honest, after reading through hundred of posts here, I'm convinced that's just what it is: The beginning of the end of my reproductive years. It's unfair, and certainly not given enough attention by doctors.

I'm willing to bet that by the time today's teenage girls hit their forties, medical science will have more to offer them.

Let's hope...

rsgreen, what supplements are you taking?

RoundRobin- boy can I relate to the crying. I was never much of a crier, always in control and "strong", now I cry and commercials. I am a bit of a realty series junky and balled my eyes out at the recent finales of some of those stupis shows!!
When will this end???

fishlady: Ya know what I hate the most? That crying is seen as a sign of weakness. I remember this true story from a course I took in graduate school:

When Geraldine Ferraro was giving her acceptance speech July 18, 1984 as the vice presidential running mate to Walter Mondale, there was a camera man who was scanning the faces of the women in the audience. He was able to capture at least 6 women who were silently mouthing the words "Don't Cry" while Ms. Ferraro was giving her poignant speech. These women, as I'm sure many others who were watching her at home on T.V., were afraid that, because this was an emotional moment for her, she would lose credibility if she got teary.

Contrast this to when Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon...he cried on national t.v. in front of millions, and everyone thought his tears were a sign of wonderful compassion and humanity.

I cry all the time these days. Inappropriately, and way too much. Hope it goes away, 'cause I can't think of anything worse than being OLD and crying all the time.

Ladies... I have just started seeing a phyciatrist and asked for klonopin for my extreme anxiety... it is slow acting and has a long half life. I have been on it for 10 days and i feel so optimistic again. I am not depressed as about five doctors have tried to put me on AD's... now that the anxiety is lifted i feel able to cope. i feel a little lazier and more hungry, but i will ajust the dose. I has been a LONG HARD year trying to find a doctor who beleives me that I was having anxiety attacks and not clinical depression!! good luck all.... I know we will each find our way! LInda

I went today and this new Dr suggesting Klonopin and Cymbalta both...I have been having the 4 A's\\
-Anxiety
-Angered
-Aggravated
-Annoyned

At everyone and evrything- driving, the ladies in the cubicles around me that talk way too much, my hisband that just throws down his socks and leaves his glasses for me to pick up, my son who needs to ..whatever, they all just need to...you know. I am hating the way I feel, and as I am reacting, raging, and receiving the results...I know but I can't quit.

So I explained this, and these 2 scripts were her solution...should I buy into it?

Not feeling so Nice for a whilenow...