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[catlover68]

Hi ladies

Well I saw the doctor yesterday,well nurse practitioner who I don't really like but actually she was quite helpful. As I posted previously I'm struggling to take hrt due to the side effects. I've tried patches,tablets and the worst of all oestrogel. I don't know why but they just give me migraines and make me feel crap! I did want to try different patches but she explained that unfortunately some ladies just cannot tolerate hrt in any way shape or form and I'm obviously one of them.

Anyway she suggested taking a low dose of citalopram(which I was on for 8 years previously but came off 2 years ago) I'm loathed to take antidepressants but I'm willing to give this a try but I'm so nervous of the side effects. I've decided to wean onto them by taking 5 mgs for a few days then upping to 10 mgs then if I need to upping to 20 mgs.

I'm just so sensitive to starting new medication and remember when I started it years ago the side effects were rubbish. I'm just so gutted that the hrt didn't work for me as I was hoping to have a relatively symptom free menopause.

Just wondering if anyone else has been unable to take hrt and go down the antidepressants route.

Thanks

[CLKD]

ADs often have side effects which do wear off if one is able to tolerate them.  I've not had any with escitablopram, the sister AD which I take for depression.  I have 10mg at night and 5mg at breakfast time.

Let us know how you get on

[catlover68]

Thanks for your reply CLKD just a quick question do these help with sleep at all? I'm suffering with awful insomnia at the moment. Nurse would not prescribe sleeping tablets so having to find alternatives.

Thanks

[pants46]

Catlover, I'm picking up my citalopram later today. Had tried sertraline last week, it was a nightmare. I too have used citalopram in the past, with a good outcome. So fingers crossed for this time around. I'm getting 10mg tablets and am thinking if cutting them in half for the first few days. We can go through this together 

[CLKD]

I don't have much trouble in sleeping since in 1981 I stopped worrying about it  .   I have in the past used anti-histamines for 3 nights to get a break.  Never required any more than 3 nights.

[racjen]

Hi catlover,

loads of women on here take both HRT and ADs in order to fully deal with the symptoms of menopause. Some ADs are definitely more sedating than others - I found citalopram made me hyper, I'm trying mirtazapine at the moment. It definitely helps with sleep but for the first week or two you feel sedated during the day as well - that goes away once you move up to the standard dose though. I have to say it's not doing a lot else for me at the moment - anxiety and depression as bad as ever, but I'm sticking at it for the full 6 weeks in the hope it helps eventually (3 weeks in now).

[Jodieh]

Hi cat lover,

I'm on Citalopram for anxiety brought on with menopause, I'm on 20 mg which I take first thing in the morning. Within a few days I was sleeping again and my energy came back. I also felt joy again which I hadn't done for a while. I did have initial side effects, nausea and feeling a bit spaced out for about a week, but hang in there as they have really levelled me. My doctor said it can take up to 8 weeks to get the full benefits. Oh and the night sweats have all but disappeared too.
Hope they work for you too, good luck x

[Jules53]

Hi cat lover

I've just started taking antidepressants again as the HRT patch I was using has been discontinued. I tried several others but they made me feel really unwell!

I started taking the lowest dose of Venlafaxine a week ago and so far so good. I have been on them before and had awful side effects when I started on them last time so was prepared for the worst! Anyway, I'm only a week in and haven't had any of the nasty side effects I had before. So hopefully it will be the same for you as you have been on Citalopram before. Fingers crossed 🤞.

I hope you find relief soon.

Jules x

[catlover68]

Thank you ladies for your replies.

I took 10mgs this morning and feel like rubbish. My anxiety is through the roof and I've got a headache and nausea. Think I may take 5 mgs tomorrow and ease myself onto 10 mgs.

Pants46 yes let's do this together,I could do with the support as I'm sure you can😀have you taken your first tablet yet?

Jodieh that's good to hear that it's helped you lots,I'm hoping for the same results and I know it's not a miracle cure for menopause but I'm hoping it will make things a bit easier😀 I would struggle with 20mgs though,I feel bad enough just taking 10mgs😬

Jules53 I was offered venlafaxine but as I had previously been on citalopram thought I might try it again. The nurse said venlafaxine is good for reducing hot flushes. I'm not suffering too badly with these at the moment,getting one or two at night. My main symptoms are anxiety,insomnia,headaches and generally feeling low alit of the time.

Thank you all for your kind words and advice,it's so comforting knowing I'm not alone x

[catlover68]

Btw racjen keeping fingers and toes crossed for you and hope mirtazapine works for you😀

[pants46]

Catlover, no, I was going to take it tonight, but my dinner hit my stomach quite hard. So will do 1st pill tomorrow. Will def. cut rablet in half though. Sorry your feeling nauseous. Catch you tommorrow. N nite.

[Hurdity]

Hi ladies

Well I saw the doctor yesterday,well nurse practitioner who I don't really like but actually she was quite helpful. As I posted previously I'm struggling to take hrt due to the side effects. I've tried patches,tablets and the worst of all oestrogel. I don't know why but they just give me migraines and make me feel crap! I did want to try different patches but she explained that unfortunately some ladies just cannot tolerate hrt in any way shape or form and I'm obviously one of them.

Anyway she suggested taking a low dose of citalopram(which I was on for 8 years previously but came off 2 years ago) I'm loathed to take antidepressants but I'm willing to give this a try but I'm so nervous of the side effects. I've decided to wean onto them by taking 5 mgs for a few days then upping to 10 mgs then if I need to upping to 20 mgs.

I'm just so sensitive to starting new medication and remember when I started it years ago the side effects were rubbish. I'm just so gutted that the hrt didn't work for me as I was hoping to have a relatively symptom free menopause.

Just wondering if anyone else has been unable to take hrt and go down the antidepressants route.

Thanks

"I did want to try different patches but she explained that unfortunately some ladies just cannot tolerate hrt in any way shape or form and I'm obviously one of them."

Fair enough if you want to give ADs a go but really I was struck by your comment - that you wanted to try different patches but the nurse practitioner more or less wrote you off re HRT without giving you a chance to have another try what you wanted (perhpas a different type) which is not on really, since HRT is the first line of treatment for menopausal symptoms. I know we had just that discussion elsewhere on another thread - that maybe lower dose patches might work and to take it low and slow (I think?) so pity you have now not been given the option of these.

If you stay with this medication, please don't be put off by your nurse's comments and be open to trying HRT again further down the line if your periods start to become less frequent and symptoms ramp up ( sorry I can't now remember what your natural periods are doing and how far along the menopause journey you are?).

Whatever you decide I hope your symptoms ease soon!

Hurdity x

[pants46]

Catlover ... how are you today ?

[pants46]

Just taken my first citalopram. Cut it in half. Which was difficult ... they are very small.
Am going to practice EFT tapping for the rest of the evening.

[Sparkler]

Hi Catlover. I really hope you start to feel better soon. Can you give me more details on not being able to tolerate hrt? What were your side effects?

S
X