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[Elliemay]

Hi, I have another thread discussing whether to try hrt. I can't seem to shake this depression. Dont want to take anti-ds for something that I know is hormonal.

If im honest ive had depression at a low level for probably about 17 years. But make no mistake it was zoladex for endometriosis that started it off, that was severe. I remember the hot flushes I had on that drug felt like someone squeezing my ovaries and at the same time my mood would drop drastically for the duration of the flush, then it dropped altogether after a couple of months to a horrendous low.

I remember about 7 years later being put on the mini pill and I have never felt so well. My mood lifted & I could actually enjoy life. However I was still smoking then & they took me off it because they discovered some ancient brain lesions.

Im now 7 years post meno and this low mood is terrible. Like im wading through water every day. Im not functioning well at work either & im self employed so no sick pay. Had to go for a pip assessment yesterday & that was awful.

I am unsure as to which hormone i actually need & don't want to top up with one that will make it worse. It sounds like progesterone lifted my mood? But i would have unknowingly been in peri then. It is EC that ive been prescribed. Confused...

[Hurdity]

Hi Elliemay - Hormonal low mood in post-menopause is due to low oestrogen not progesterone. Simples! You will only be producing small amounts of progesterone now sufficient for your physiological needs - as it is only produced in large amounts to prepare for and support a pregnancy. However you do need additional progestogen to protect your womb and there us a synthetic version in Evorel conti for this purpose.  Oestrogen is needed at a sufficient level throughout life for a multitude of functions and when it drops low post-menopause - this can give rise to symptoms which can last for years, and also there can be long term health consequences. The progestogen in Evorel conti will help with endometriosis and the oestrogen should hopefully lift your mood. Try it for 3 months (you may get some spotting or bleeding initially), and you may well experience some side effects because your body has had low oestrogen for years. PIP assessment  ?? If this product doesn't suit you there will be others - but please give it time - I am sure you will reap the benefits

Hurdity x

[Elliemay]

Thank you Hurdity, that has made it a lot clearer :-) x

[Taz2]

Good advice from Hurdity. Also, sorry to hear that your PIP was difficult. My daughter in law had to do hers recently and it was really traumatic having to explain why her illnesses prevent her from working when she looks really well.

Taz x

[groundhog]

Hi Ellie may,
Interesting question and a dilemma I share.  The last three years have seen me at my lowest point ever but two major things have happened -
Catastrophic surgical complications have left me with a serious disabling problem
The catastrophe occurred during a hysterectomy when they removed my ovaries
So now I am seriously depressed and like you not functioning well,  I dint know if it's hormonal or not.  My gynae says my ovaries were so diseased they probabky weren't doing anything anyway but I've learnt from here that even post meno they continue to produce some oestrogen.  He did say I could try hrt to see if if helped but my GP wasn't too keen and said after what I'd been thriugh, it was probabky depression.
I just don't know x
I also had severe endometriosis hence the hysterectomy hence the surgical catastrophe x

[Elliemay]

Oh no groundhog that sounds dreadful. I understand your user name too. It feels like groundhog day, relentless. I feel like I have flu most of the time, coulours are too bright & mood is low. Ive not improved in 7 years, just got more used to it but its hard to function. This forum is great though. Knowledge is power hopefully x

[CLKD]

OK I'm going against the grain - why suffer? 

It can take a while to find an HRT regime that works.  Regardless of whether depression is hormonally caused or not, why not take the correct medication for depression: i.e. anti-depressants?  You have been on various HRT regimes and still feel 'low' - though your 'wading through water' comment leads me to believe it's depression: for me it's like wading through treacle  .  Everything feels heavy >sigh<

Pity that you can't take the HRT method which eased symptoms!  If you find an AD which lifts mood you will be in a better place to decide which HRT to take.

I've had anxiety since the age of 3 and been treated for depression since 1988, in 1991 a Psychiatrist charted a cyclic trend of 22 months depressed/treatment/well/stop treatment/ill : so advised a low maintenance dose of AD for Life.  I have both organic and clinical illness and fortunately, after 5 different ADs, found one that lifted mood enough to enable me to get out of bed.  Pre-menstrually I would cry, even if a bleed wasn't due  but that felt totally different to any depression I have suffered since.