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[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies.

I was in the hair dressers yesterday and the young woman cutting my hair told me that she has been experiencing anxiety and her doctor has prescribed exercise so she has started swimming. She went on to say that she has changed from being a generally cold person to feeling suddenly hot, especially at night. She is thirty eight so I wondered if it could be hormones and she said her mother had recently suggested the same thing, she also recalls  having panic attacks at puberty. In fairness I'm not sure how much she told her GP but what do you think would help her ladies? A couple of lengths at the local pool or a trial of HRT? I know, I know it's a tough one! Sorry for the sarcasm but it seems appropriate.

Take care all.

K.

[Mary G]

Thanks GRL, you are an inspiration to so many women on here and your story is helping other women identify with hormonal anxiety and depression aka reproductive depression.

Professor Studd has had his critics on here in the past - as have I from various members for recommending him - but he really knows his stuff and is an expert on hormonal anxiety and depression so I make no apology for singing his praises.  GRL is a good example of someone with hormonal based depression who needed targetted and specific treatment, not just a bog standard HRT regime from a GP who probably just googled 'HRT' and will probably bung most women on ADs anyway.  Even those who do manage to get HRT are often on too low a dose of oestrogen and find themselves stuck in what I called the HRT halfway house feeling half baked with only moderate symptom relief.

Therefore, I think it is very important to distinguish between women with routine menopause symptoms that can easily be reversed with standard forms of HRT at standard doses (lucky them) from women who are progesterone intolerant (often severely progesterone intolerant) or have hormonal anxiety and depression which becomes worse at menopause.  Progesterone intolerance and reproductive depression need to be treated by specialists who know what they are doing.

Tempest, agree about the Kirsty Wark programme, it didn't tackle the issues and didn't discuss HRT in any meaningful way.  Remember the nurse with the dreadful hot frushes and sweating problems?  How anyone can think that is an acceptable way for someone to live is completely beyond me.

[CLKD]

Kathleen - a couple of lengths of a pool won't hurt, regardless of whether the issues are/not hormonal.  Maybe the suggestion could be made that she keeps a mood/food/symptom diary for 3 months, considers which symptoms are the most bothersome thus far and then see the Practice Nurse at the surgery? 

Also: The National Society for Pre-menstrual Syndrome saved my Life in my mid-30s.  Lots of useful info about hormonal dips and rises, how, what and when to eat on a regular basis, a habit I try to keep to - now in my mid-60s.  I haven't been there recently but perhaps it's a place to start?  Dr Kathleen was well B4 her time!

If anxiety and/or depression doesn't respond to hormonal therapy then appropriate medication should be considered.  Or vice versa.  I had no choice, I had to take ADs as well as having the emergency anti-anxiety drug to hand.  I think that's why 'the change' didn't affect me as it might have done.  Being prone to anxiety and depression I might well have had a much ruffer journey  .

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies.

I agree that the Kirsty Wark programme was disappointing.

 I actually watched her interview Elton John on Newsnight last night. There were discussing the late Princess of Wales and I'm sure that she referred to her as 'Princess Anne‘.  I immediately thought ' bit of a slip there Kirsty maybe  time to up the dose '. Sorry that's more sarcasm from me isn't it, I wonder if it's becoming a bit of a problem lol.

Wishing you all well.

K.

[GypsyRoseLee]

Unfortunately, I haven't got far with my 'message' aside from spreading the word among family, friends and colleagues. But, like Tempest says, it would be wonderful to move this forward onto different media platforms. I used to do some acting so am confident speaking infront of an audience etc. I would love to use my experience to reassure women and give them hope.

Prof Studd told me that he has seen so many women who are misdiagnosed with nervous breakdowns or bi polar when it is hormonal issues. Did you know that twice as many women than men are diagnosed with depression, bi polar and anxiety? Because men don't experience hormonal fluctuations, do they.

Like your stylist, Kathleen, I suffered with peculiar pangs of panic/misery which lasted a year or so when I hit puberty. The exact same happened to my daughter, and she now gets PMS just as I did. I can't bear the thought she might suffer with PND and reproductive depression too. This is partly why I am so passionate about telling people of the dangers of hormonal depression.

[GypsyRoseLee]

Hello Tempest, lovely.

I haven't seen you on here for a long while, and I've often thought of you and wondered how your battle was going?

Hopefully if we can all get our heads together we might come up with ideas to turn our negative experiences into positive outcomes for other women?

[GypsyRoseLee]

I totally agree with you MaryG (as always). I know Prof Studd can be gruff and abrupt, but I didn't need him to be my new best friend. I needed him to cure me, and he did.

There is definitely a distinction to be made between women suffering with typical menopausal issues AND women for whom reproductive depression is devastating and potentially fatal. Me, and women like me, will not be cured by changing our diet or doing yoga, for God's sake. We need very specialised expertise and support.

[Lisa1966]

Hi GRL,thank you so much for telling me about your journey,I am not in a good place right now,but your inspirational story has given me some hope,that I too can feel better and be able to cope,some day soon.   
I'm so glad that you are feeling so much better,this is a massive problem for so many women,and it is imperative that more is done,to educate hcps,so that the correct diagnosis can be made,and save a lot distress and misery for these women.i also imagine that giving awareness to hcps,could also save lives.its just so sad,I hope this is the answer to how I am feeling,but until my appointment I am just struggling on xx

[Kathleen]

Hello me again ladies.


As we often say on the forum, we are all different and this is demonstrated by the range of experiences, for example after giving birth some of us are fine or just have a few days of tears known as the baby blues, some have post natal depression and others become psychotic and need hospital treatment. The same with morning sickness, only a fleeting problem for some but requiring hospital treatment for others. I would love to know what causes these variations and if we could do something to help ourselves other than medication. I suppose the answer would only come through research and that's unlikely.

Take care all.

K.

[Hurdity]

GypsyRoseLee - Thanks so much for taking the time to come on here and give such words of encouragement to Lisa1966 who is going through the same terribly difficult hormonal upheavals that you were! I know you did come back here to tell us a while back how well you were doing (and your previous absence was encouraging - please take that the right way!!) , but so fantastic that you keep reading and to respond when you see a member going through similar.

As for Prof Studd - in (most of) the last 8 or so years I have been a member of this forum, I don't think I have ever seen a member take issue or disagree with his pioneering views and approach to reproductive depression. I for one regularly link members to his website pages on this issue particularly because doctors so frequently attribute any woman's mental issues in mid-life to true depression and anxiety - and send her down a particular treatment route (which may not be approrpriate) without even considering that hormones could be the cause. (As an aside his very specific low dose progesterone regime he prescribes for very progesterone intolerant women has been questioned (cautioned) by professional gynaecologists notably Dr Currie, and it is only the blanket recommendation of this regime to forum members without adequate supervision, coupled with the idea that a visit to Prof Studd's private London clinics is the only way to get this treatment.

We are very grateful to those members (like you GypsyRoseLee) who generously share the results of their consultations with such gynaecologists so that other women can benefit - by reading about the treatments and request it as necessary from their local GP or menopause clinic. That is one of the strengths of this forum!

Lisa1966 - not long to go now - but remember - at the very least you need to change your progestogen to one that is better tolerated, and hopefully arrive at an oestrogen dose that suits you. Are you feeling any better yet after your increase in Sandrena?

Hurdity x

[Lisa1966]

Hi herdity,no I don't feel any better,I'm starting to worry that it's not menopause,that's causing the anxiety and depression,surely I would be feeling a bit better by now. I've tried four different hrts,and still not any better. I know I definitely need to change the progesterone,as after about 7 days I get angry and irritable. I've been very low for a few days,and feeling unwell,which then causes anxiety. I started withdrawal bleed yesterday,but that takes 41/2 days to start after last tablet,then is very light for 3 days. I just don't know anymore,I just want this nightmare to end

          Lisa xx

[Darlingbabs]

Lisa, I am no expert on HRT (I am 38 and I think it's PMDD that I have), however I was put on HRT to try to stop my cycle so that I didn't ovulate and spend days 14 to 28 feeling anxious and depressed. However, the HRT I had (5 pumps estrogel and 12 days utrogestan) didn't manage to shut down my cycle and, instead, I felt much worse as I am clearly very sensitive to changing levels of hormones over the cycle rather than progesterone per se. Going on the combined birth control pill does seem to have stopped ovulation, hormonal fluctuations and the ensuing madness.....I don't know if HRT for menopause is supposed to shut your cycle down or not but, could it be that you might feel better if you did have it completely shut down?

[Lisa1966]

Hi darlingbabs,I think I do need my cycle shut down completely,I don't know whether you can have the bcp at my age.when I was on bcp and depo I didn't feel like this

       Lisa xx

[Darlingbabs]

me too. well you can definitely be on combined pill until 50 and the progesterone only pill until 55 i think. I may well just go back on depo as a long term solution - i think you have to weigh up the costs vs benefits - yes its probably not ideal to be on any of them until 55 as it increases the risk of various cancers but the increase is only slight in total percentage terms and its a hell of a lot better than being mad for 50% of the month. Good luck with it all, anything i can do to help, please let me know. i know how awful it can be....

[Lisa1966]

Thank you darlingbabs,I really appreciate your input,I will ask the gp about options

        Lisa xx