Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Hamilton on January 20, 2017, 06:05:07 PM
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Has anyone tried this for menopause doctor wants me to try
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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.
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I second the above response; antidepressants are not the first second or third line of treatment for menopause. Addressing hormonal imbalances is.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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Hi Hamilton
:welcomemm:
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
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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 :cuss: .......... 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.
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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
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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 ;D. It really is Trial and Error isn't it! and add hormone upheaval to it all :D
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?
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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
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Let us know how you get on!
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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.
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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 :)
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It really does depend on the GP Hamilton as to how keen they are at prescribing HRT B4 anti-depressant medications. Also depends on the costs of various medications. We shouldn't have to fight for apps., discussions, thinking time etc..
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I just wanted to wish you good luck, Hamilton! Try the Prozac if you're comfortable with this, and if it doesn't suit please let your GP know so that she can work with you to find something that will help. Sending hugs your way! xxx
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Thank you day 4on Prozac ,just feel tired and a bit sick is this normal
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Yes, Hamilton - there is a 'settling in' period for all antidepressants so try not to worry too much. Just take each day as it comes and try to relax and do nice things for yourself. Sending you hugs! xxxx
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Yep. The nausea was the problem that I was unable to tolerate :'(
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Oh, and try to eat regularly too! It really does help with nausea. A piece of toast, bananas etc about every 3 to 4 hours is good, especially if you can't face a full meal just now. Ginger biscuits occasionally can help too - ginger helps nausea. Eating regularly keeps blood sugar stable, which is very important for keeping mood stable too. (I know CLKD is a big advocate of this)! :)
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Yep ;)
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Not nice to talk about but got a wee touch of the runs too.when do the side effects go ,please help .i have got ginger tea and gin gin sweets I.e ginger,just in case anyone thought it was gin the drink hehe
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Stress can cause 'the runs'. As can medication. Ginger should settle the gut ........ grated over a salad?
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I take escitalopram which is also an SSRI. It took about three weeks for the worst of the side effects to settle down and if affected my digestion at first. If I increase my maintenance dose for whatever reason my gut gets annoyed with me.
I think I read in a thread on this forum that a large part of our serotonin is produced in the gut so that would explain it.
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Thank you everyone for your help ,just not got my mum here ,no sisters or aunts leave to ask ,surrounded with brothers ,son hubby ,and nephews ,so it's hard to talk to someone ,hubby is really good at listening xx
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You are welcome. As BT told us years ago, "It's Good to Talk" ;)
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Thanks clad ,on the Prozac ,have you tried it ,if so how did you get on ,please be honest x
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It made me :cuss: ;D ..........
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In what way
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ANGRY! ::) ... after 3 weeks I stopped taking it.
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Oh will keep an eye on that ,thanks x
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I was on it a couple of years ago and after the initial month it was really good wish I'd stayed on it
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Did you feel it worked for you :)
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Can you take camomile tea when you are on Prozac
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;D. why would you .......
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I always drink it and other herbal teas
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It definitely worked for me but took a while to kick in
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Thanks samade struggling today don't know if it's bad cold or Prozac today really hot and fluy
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I struggled a lot at the begining, I'd get a bit better then have a dip and then get better then dip, eventually the ups were more and the dips got lesser . I hope it works for you, when it does it is really good. Plus when it was time to come off I did it slowly and had no side effects. Just hang in there x
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Thanks ,got ginger sweets to help with the feeling sick ,give it to fri and then maybe phone doc to see what she says x
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Well girls decided today Prozac is not for me ,this was day four and I felt horrible really bad symptoms ,I was put on it for low mood ,anxiety and flushes ,I am sure there is something else you can do for anxiety that's my main one so if anyone has good advice please help
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All antidepressants have start up side effects and I suspect your GP will say 4 days isn't long enough to see if things will get better. That said, if your anxiety is getting worse it could be that something else would suit better as I recall my GP saying she wouldn't prescribe Prozac as it elevates mood and this is not ideal if you are already anxious as it can make it worse. She suggested Citalopram but I could't take that as on betablockers so I ended up with Sertraline which I couldn't recommend to my worst enemy as the suicidal thoughts were terrible and the agitation. There are lots on market to try so maybe go and have a chat with your GP again.
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Just a note: GP can prescribe a short course of very low dose diazepam to ease the start up. Anxiety can increase on SSRI's at the start of treatment. It's worth phoning to ask! Also, maybe switching to an SSRI might suit you better as these seem to be better tolerated with less of a 'wired' feeling for many. xxxx
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It was about day 4 on Citalopram when I phoned the pharmacist at the GP surgery as the side effects were as described on the leaflet and I didn't like them, they were getting worse. the pharmacist explained about start up side effects and told me to give it another 2 days and if no better stop taking them and ring the surgery. For the next 2 days I thought 'I can stop them and ring the surgery tomorrow'. Then 'I can stop them and ring the surgery tomorrow'. On the 6th day the side effects were no worse so I thought 'I can stop them and ring the surgery tomorrow'. I never did as the side effects started to improve.
I believe Citalopram and the sister drug Escitalopram are better for anxiety than Prozac which, although an SSRI, is more suited for depression and low mood.
Anyway after 4 weeks I transferred onto the Escitalopram (along with Propranolol, coldethyl, and I am fine on both) and I have not looked back. That was over a year ago and I am still doing ok.
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Going to ask about
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:-\ ???
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Babyjane how did you transfer to escitalopram? Did you have to taper the citalopram?
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Hello samade, no, because it is the same active ingredient and I had only been on it 4 weeks. The escitalopram is gentler and causes less stomach upsets so as I suffer with IBS my GP was happy for me to change over. I found I needed a slightly lower dose of the escitalopram. Because it has fewer additives the active ingredient can be absorbed better. I was on 10mg citalopram and only take 5mg escitalopram.
Have a chat with your GP as this is only my experience, yours could be different.
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Thanks for that insight, might have a chat with my gp
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Did Hamilton disappear mid-sentence ??? ::)
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Hehe no I am still here ,just had a few rough days ,was feeling very sick and I am so tired and no energy ,what is good to help build up your energy pleeeseeee