Print

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

[Hamilton]

Has anyone tried this for menopause doctor wants me to try

[CLKD]

Do introduce yourself; your age, when you last period was, any symptoms that sent you to the GP?  Did you suffer depression in recent years?

Anti-depressant medication should no longer be the first route for any lady presenting in Surgery with menopausal symptoms, even if the lady is weepy and anxious.  Maybe keep a mood/food/symptom diary to chart everything.

[Kkay]

I second the above response; antidepressants are not the first second or third line of treatment for menopause. Addressing hormonal imbalances is.

[KatyB]

Hi Hamilton, if its any consolation I got the same response today from the doc, although in fairness I've tried two forms of HRT (both cyclical pills). Maybe because I got so upset in the surgery. But she did say "I'll give you the prescription, you don't have to fill it, let your body clear the hormones out and then decide".....but I do know the oestrogen is helping the menopause symptoms, I think its the progesterone.....However, I won't rule it out. I'm going to look at the pros and cons, and see if some of the bloating etc go, which might in itself improve my mood! There's quite a few discussions on the forum, but often under the name Fluoxetine rather than trade name prozac, so worth doing a search.

[Hamilton]

Sorry hi I am 53 in March ,but since Xmas I have been suffering from anxiety low mood and feeling very hot ,my periods stopped at 32 when a I had a small op,was on citrolpram for 2year as had a bit of anxiety then and it help with my bowel too ,so didnot know I was in the menopause ,got bloods took and my filh and LH were sky high ,I also suffer from slow transit as I have tummy problems and bowel ,so HRT was a no for me ,so doc would like me to try this ,so a wee bit of help would be good x

[KatyB]

Hi Hamilton, I'm a relative newcomer, so you'll get better advice on the HRT from some of the others - if you haven't introduced yourself in the new comers section of the forum, some people I think like Hurdity do welcome everyone there - and mention that you have posted under Prozac as a title here.

I'm assuming the "small op" was not having a hysterectomy, but the answer could well relate to whether you still have your womb, ovaries etc. But the blood tests sound like perimenopause. So do the anxiety,low moods and feeling very hot.....

I also have bowel problems, they are not in itself a no no for HRT, but would indicate that avoiding pills (which have to be digested) would be sensible, and transdermal (gels, patches, coil, pessaries etc) would be right for you. Have a look at Treatments heading for perimenopause for a list of possibilities but you will get good advice on those here.
Hope this helps a bit with exploring the site and possibilities.

[Nikki180515]

Hi Hamilton

I got thrown into surgical menopause at 43.  I ended up in tears anxious and depressed, so not me , but my HRT was never correctly given till I found this site!

Anyway as I was desperate  I ended up at the doctors and got put on fluoxetine (Prozac) 20mg and it did help me at that time, but I think it was getting the correct dose of oestrogen and then adding testosterone and having CBT counselling that finally sorted it!

Went to see a menopause specialist who did say that some women do suffer mentally more than others and that a low dose of anti depressant is advised along with HRT. She told me I need to stay on it.   

Am feeling quite normal now and so reluctant to come off Prozac at the moment incase it tips the balance again! So as it's quite a low dose happy to stay on it.

Did feel sick in the first week of taking it, but that soon wore off.

Good luck!

Nikki xxxx

[Hurdity]

Hi Hamilton

 

Just to say I agree with the others - NO NO NO!!! The doctor should not be prescribing this and is out of date!!! Did you have your ovaries removed which stopped your periods at 32?

Please think about HRT - as this is what you need - to replace deficient hormones rather than a sticking plaster for your symptoms! As KatyB says - you don't need to take it as pills, so your digestion won't be affected.

Hurdity  x

[CLKD]

I wonder who told you that because you have bowel 'problems' that HRT is not a choice?  How long ago were you told that?  I have had irritable bowel for many years (25+) and never was it suggested that HRT was out of the question should I require it!  I am of the opinion that patients need to deal with today rather than 'what might be'  .

Maybe keep a mood/food/symptom diary to chart how you are - that way you will have a concrete recent history to take to your GP or Practice Nurse.  Browse round and make notes about the various types of HRT available.  Some is delivered via patches which by-passes the gut.

Some ADs can ease anxiety symptoms, certainly I have found so in the last 14 months, by chance [long story short].  As 4 Prozac : it made me  .......... and would not be my choice of AD as it can be difficult to stop taking.   I have however taken ADs since 1998 .

I would worry about the fact that you weren't given any advice or medical support regarding loss of periods at such an early age!  HRT is known to protect bones and heart.  Is there a GP in your Surgery that is interested in womens' problems? you can tell by the various Degrees they have taken.

[Hamilton]

I have slow transit fron my gullet to my bowels and my gullet doesn't work so have to take domperidome to help it move everyday bowel is very slow and take laxido to keep me moving ,my small op was ablation as I have very heavy periods and they stopped when I had this ,doc said with everything that I have had HRT was no ,and as I just have low moods anxiety and hots she said Prozac was a good choice

[CLKD]

Did you see a Gastro bod in recent years, i.e. since meno started? 

As a recovering anorexic my gut stopped working completely, the muscle spasms had stopped in 1991 because I wasn't putting anything into my system so they went to sleep  , I felt SO ill.  My GP gave me various medications to encourage movement, i.e. an anti-sickness med (I think Domperidome [thought I thought that had been withdrawn  ] plus something (?Colpermin) to stop any upper gut wind and it worked within days >phew<.  Slowly my bowel re-energised so that I became 'regular' which mean there was no longer a back-up which had made me feel so sick.  I took this regime for years, always swallowed within an hour of my main meals.

Then I switched to Actimel several times a day.  My bowel felt great and if I get slow transit I start swallowing it more regularly.  Mum swears by prunes  .  It really is Trial and Error isn't it! and add hormone upheaval to it all 

Your GP is probably erring on the side of caution but HRT is delivered in various ways so it might be worth while asking for a referral to the Surgeon who did you 'small op' for HRT advice - although they can be as 'thick' as GPs sometime about what is required! 

Do you eat little and often?

[Hamilton]

Yip take tablets for my gullet ,forgot to say I have a prolapse in the womb and waiting to see about that ,well I was brave and started my Prozac last night will see how I get on with it

[CLKD]

Let us know how you get on!

[KatyB]

Wow Hamilton, I think you are being stoic - small operation is oblation, and failing to mention that you're looking at prolapse too....I've done some looking around, it looks like Prozak can be helpful for people who cannot take HRT, though I really would doubt from what I've read that it is contraindicated due to the IBS. I'm not filling my prescription yet, but as I say, never say never.....it does look like the administration of the oestrogen transdermally (patch / gel) and progesterone vaginally (pessary / coil)  is significantly lower risk to the gut due to no "first pass" effect and lack of bi-products of breakdown of the hormones. Slow transit can also be a side effect of low oestrogen apparently....In any case good luck with the prescription, it might be just what you need.

[Hamilton]

Our doctors in the uk are not so into giving out HRT,my doctor is really good going to try what she said ,if it makes me feel worse or different ,or not doing anything for me I will stop taking it ,and will look at other things ,I think I need to try it as my main symptoms is low mood and anxiety which is going through the roof ,will keep you all up dated