Depression and/vs. PMS/Perimenopause
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| Sun, 06-06-2004 - 10:10pm |
I'm new here. I really don't know "where" I belong right now cuz I'm kind of confused, but it certainly is not inappropriate for me to join this discussion group because I have been dealing with depression since I was 16 years old. And this board seems to be more active than the PMS or Peri/menopause boards, so I shall join you all here.
I read a post and replies to it from several months back and I would like to revisit this topic as it pertains to me...i.e., women prone to depression as they approach menopause. I have been able to very effectively manage my depression with Zoloft alone over the past 11 years (taking it off and on...mostly on). Well, I am almost 48 years old now and something new seems to be occuring. Last month when I was towards the end of my period I started to feel depressed. It was more like I felt really run down and then woke up one morning not feeling "myself" and this lead into several weeks of mood swings. I must admit that at times I have not been as diligent as I should be with regard to maintaining a therapeutic level of the Zoloft and would sometimes miss days, and that having been the case last month I did get back on track. But this was not like episodes in the past when I have "dipped" emotionally due to medication inconsistancies. I would start to feel very emotional out of the blue and feel like crying for seemingly no reason. It didn't matter where I was...driving, at work, at home. Once I would give into it I would sob, feeling like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. Then of course I would find things to cry about...basically EVERYTHING. Anyway, about 12 days ago the crying spells stopped and I started feeling increasingly better, even though I was premenstrual. I had my typical PMS symptoms of increased appetite, fatigue and sort of feeling like I didn't want to have to be bothered with much. Then my period started yesterday. I was "okay" but tired. Well, then TODAY, the SECOND day, I woke up fatigued but rather agitated, followed shortly thereafter by the sad, weepy mood. I should mention that over the years when I would become depressed, crying would not be a prominent feature of my depressions. For me it was more like a total lack of emotion. So this is different. I'm certain that I've cried more in the past month for seemingly no reason than the previous 10 years.
So can anyone still reading and posting to this board relate? Have any of you noticed that while you may have been able to manage your depression for the most part for a long time, that the older you've gotten a new, added element seems to have come on board requiring that you supplement what has previously worked for you with added combatants? And what have you tried and what has worked? Exercise? Meditation? Yoga? BCPs or hormone replacement therapy? I swear I feel like I don't know what to expect from one day or week to the next. It's like feeling like I'm possessed by an outside entity that I have no control over! The emotions are so incredibly powerful and so seemingly real, even though there as been absolutely no external event or occurance to provoke them.
I'd love to hear anyone's feedback on this and thank you in advance!
~~Irene
P.S. Another reason this is different than my "official" depressive episodes of the past is because during those the depression was pretty relentless, but once it subsided it subsided. This is not as severe (yet nonetheless quite disturbing) and it is on-again, off-again.

I think general garden variety depression is impacted by perimenopause/menipause. That's been my experience of late. I'm older than you, 51, but still have my period. For me the PMS phase is more pronounced and instead of lasting 5-7 days, it seems to last for over 2 weeks. That's right, there isn't much left of the month! I also am experiencing PMS physical symptoms, like bloating, swollen and tender breasts for weeks, rather than a few days. Not fun. And more tears than ever before. I don't have any suggestions on what to do. The psychiatrist I see for med (prozac and wellbutrin combined) is young, so she can't relate on a personal level and I don't think the field of psychiatry has caught on to this dilemna.
Hang in there.
Kathleen
I'm afraid that I'm not a lot of help to you.
Hi Irene and Welcome!
I can relate TOTALLY to what you are going thru hun!!
I am 44 and in the very early stages of Perimenopause but I still know what you mean!
*hugs
Do you actually tend to feel down DURING your period, once it starts? That is the case with me. Or what seems to have started. I think that last month I was "off" just because I was only taking 50mgs. Zoloft and not consistantly, but I felt okay the week before I got my period. A bit aloof and drowsy, but okay. Then once my period started I crashed...particularly beginning yesterday (my second day is always the heaviest flow-wise too). Earlier today when I gave into the tears as I did yesterday, I honestly felt like I was grieving the death of someone...that's how sad and emotional I felt. Do you tend to get that way too? My son asked me if I wanted to go for a hike and we took a 2 mile one and that did indeed seem to help some. I HATE feeling this way and I'm hoping it subsides in the next couple of days. If not, then the timing with regard to the start of my period I guess will have been coincidental. I have ALWAYS suspected however that there was a strong tie-in between my depressions and hormonal imbalance. That and stress. But obviously something is amiss from the get-go when a girl doesn't start her period until she is 18 years old, as was the case with me.
I appreciate the replies thus far. Oh, also Caly, has your doctor ever brought up the possibility of augmenting the Zoloft with hormones or BCPs to address what occurs during you period?
Thanks everybody,
~~Irene
Hi again Irene
I wish I could say that for me the crying session were always to coincide with the start of my period. Its much more random for me it seems though definately connected to the cycle.
*hugs
A few more questions if I may, since we have similar experiences and are on the same medication. Do you always have only one or two days of emotionalism? Is it profound? Does it actually affect your outlook on things, your motivation, your ability to cope and your appetite? I don't know that I should feel as bad as I've felt the past couple of days because of the affect of my hormones on my brain chemistry. Is it possible to feel really bleak and unmotivated while restless at the same time from hormonal changes? You say Cali that you found that you needed 100 mgs. of Zoloft daily to really keep you stable. Did you previously take a lower dose and only part of the month for PMS related symptoms? When I initially went on Zoloft for general depression I required 150 mgs. to completely elevate my mood and stabilize me. For a long time I've vascillated between 50 and 100. Maybe there are added demands now that the hormonal changes are placing on my brain that would warrant being on 150 mgs again, since that was what I required at one time.
I know I should be talking to my doctor about all of this, but frankly I'm a fairly new patient of hers (have only seen her 2x) and don't feel like I really "clicked" with her. So for the moment I'm appreciative of the opinions of those who can personally relate.
Caly, do you walk every day and for how long? When you're experiencing symptoms, do you walk more than once a day? My son and I took a walk earlier with our dog, but he was ready to head home before I was. So I'm thinking of going out again, but it's so nice to have company.
Thanks again!
Hugs,
~~Irene
*hugs
I didn't even know about this at the time...she only told me recently (as I've mentioned before, my family is not very communicative!). During menopause, she first tried taking some kind of herbal estrogen supplement (maybe the brand Estroven?) for her hot flashes, but apparently it didn't help much. She didn't want to do hormone replacement therapy because of her family's history of breast cancer.
Then her doctor told her that antidepressants could be helpful for hot flashes in some cases (I'm not sure if this is accurate...maybe she told me this only because she didn't want to admit she was depressed). So she started taking Zoloft and said that it worked wonders, for the hot flashes as well as for the frequent crying spells and depression. She's still taking it, even after menopause.
So mostly what I wanted to say is that I also have some second-hand knowledge of menopause triggering depression or making it worse...I'm pretty sure you're not alone on this. I know you said that Zoloft used to manage your depression well, but that it's not doing the job now...so I don't want to suggest that it's the solution for everyone...but I do hope that you find relief somehow.
Welcome to the board,
Rose