Menopause Support Group
Menopause is the physiological cessation of menstrual cycles associated with advancing age. It normally occurs in women between the ages of 45 and 55, when the body begins to slow and stop the production of eggs, estrogen and progesterone production decreases, and menstruation diminishes, eventually stopping altogether.
Hello - I am new to this group, and very glad to be here.
I am 55 years old and about two months short of going a year without a period. I have always had EXTREMELY difficult experiences with times of hormonal change, like puberty and post-partum, having panic attacks that brought me right up to the point of what I could endure. I DID endure them, though, for many years, until I finally went on Klonopin and started trying the various SSRIs, none of which seemed to work for me, although the Klonopin was very effective with the panic problem.
My question is: I weaned myself off the antidepressant (Lexapro) about three months ago, and was pleased that I didn't seem to have any withdrawal side effects at the time. I went off it because not only did it not help with my depression, it also, I am convinced, caused me to gain a lot of weight irregardless of how little I ate or how much I exercised.
Now, however, three months later, I am experiencing the worst depression I have ever experienced. I don't know whether it is a delayed reaction to stopping the Lexapro, or whether it is a new onset of menopause symptoms.
Does anyone here have an experience of coming off an antidepressant and then going through a period of worse depression than ever? And if so, does this ever end, or is my chemistry messed-up indefinitely??? I spoke to a woman from an organization that is very anti-psychotropic drugs yesterday, and she feels it is mostly the Lexapro withdrawal, not menopause, which is causing the depression...but then again, she is very anti-drug, so has her own agenda, although I respect it. I am just very confused. I would REALLY welcome hearing about any experiences with antidepressant withdrawal that sound similar to mine...right now I am rather afraid, as I suffered from the panic for so long, and am now wondering if I have to endure years of depression because of a medication I took...
Thank you,
Janet
I am 55 years old and about two months short of going a year without a period. I have always had EXTREMELY difficult experiences with times of hormonal change, like puberty and post-partum, having panic attacks that brought me right up to the point of what I could endure. I DID endure them, though, for many years, until I finally went on Klonopin and started trying the various SSRIs, none of which seemed to work for me, although the Klonopin was very effective with the panic problem.
My question is: I weaned myself off the antidepressant (Lexapro) about three months ago, and was pleased that I didn't seem to have any withdrawal side effects at the time. I went off it because not only did it not help with my depression, it also, I am convinced, caused me to gain a lot of weight irregardless of how little I ate or how much I exercised.
Now, however, three months later, I am experiencing the worst depression I have ever experienced. I don't know whether it is a delayed reaction to stopping the Lexapro, or whether it is a new onset of menopause symptoms.
Does anyone here have an experience of coming off an antidepressant and then going through a period of worse depression than ever? And if so, does this ever end, or is my chemistry messed-up indefinitely??? I spoke to a woman from an organization that is very anti-psychotropic drugs yesterday, and she feels it is mostly the Lexapro withdrawal, not menopause, which is causing the depression...but then again, she is very anti-drug, so has her own agenda, although I respect it. I am just very confused. I would REALLY welcome hearing about any experiences with antidepressant withdrawal that sound similar to mine...right now I am rather afraid, as I suffered from the panic for so long, and am now wondering if I have to endure years of depression because of a medication I took...
Thank you,
Janet
Thank you SO much for responding so quickly...
Actually, Lexapro was the last of the SSRIs I tried, having gone through the whole arsenal of them, trying them, one by one..(although I have never tried Paxil) - .so although I think you may be right, that they were doing something for me, the amount of weight I was gaining on them was wrecking my physical health,. I felt, as I now have borderline high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, and arthritic knees, none of which I had before I gained the weight ! So I felt it was worth it to go off the Lexapro for this reason.
When I had panic attacks for so long, there weren't any really good antidepressants out there (even Prozac didn't exist yet...) - and I was prone to have the fear of God put into me by holistic physicians and nutritionists, who told me I should keep plugging along with the herbs and the diet solutions, which only took the edge off the panic. The best thing that happened to me was to accept Klonopin for my panic attacks, as this lovely drug has completely eliminated them. I know that Klonopin is horrible to come off of, but I don't plan on coming off it, ever...like you say, sometimes these psychotropic drugs have to be part of a lifestyle, not just a quick fix.
Never having much serotonin in my brain to begin with, I'm sure you're correct in saying that I have less than ever now. But although I was not feeling on top of the world about a month ago, before this intense depression started, I wasn't feeling THIS bad...and can the intensity of the depression increase so enormously, virtually overnight, which is why I attributed it to coming off Lexapro?
Do you or anyone here know of an antidepressant that does NOT cause weight gain? Because I am not talking about a few pounds here...I don't recognize myself...and when I saw my blood pressure reading, it was very sobering...you mention that you are on Paxil...is this effective for you? (it sounds like you feel it is...) I am not anit-med at this point, seeing how the Klonopin has changed my life (no more hippos chasing after me...I understand your image completely!), but I am kind of scared about starting a new antidepressant. So I'd like to hear about your experience with Paxil, and also anyone else who had had positive results during peri or full-blown menopause with a particular antidepressant.
THANK YOU !
Janet
I'm very sorry you're going through this. Us women have to endure some pretty wicked stuff, that's for sure.
I'm also on Paxil, and I take Xanax. I'm on small doses, but between exercise and changing my lifestyle with simple stuff, I feel a lot better. ALSO, just 2 weeks ago today, I got on the Estriadol patch. THAT was what my body was craving.
Emotionally AND physically I feel "whole" again if that makes sense.
I had anxiety, insomnia, felt like I was jumping out of my skin most days, etc etc... BLECH !
I was also not a big one on taking meds, but darn it, they're there to help us and as long as I feel better, that's all that matters.
I have a damn life to live and I want to live it !
Chk with your Dr. about an alternative and maybe ask about the patch also. It sure has helped me.
Thank you for your response...I always have thought that most women sail through hormonal events like post-partum and menopause...so although I am sorry that so many of you are having a difficult time with menopause, it makes me feel less alone! So thank you for your honesty and courage in telling me your experiences...
I am DEFINITELY staying on the Klonopin for anxiety ( I would be crazy NOT to !) and will consider trying another antidepressant if this level of depression remains. Both you and Sagey have mentioned that you are on Paxil and that it has been helpful...is there a reason why you or your doctor chose this particular antidepressant? And do you know if it influences weight gain? I really can't afford (health-wise) to gain any more weight as a result of being on another antidepressant....I am not one of those women who worry about being moderately overweight, but when it affects my health, I do start to get concerned...so I want to avoid gaining any more weight...
I have started using a cream which contains Estriol (the "natural" form of estrogen), as well as progesterone, and I am hoping that this will make a difference, also...(I just started it a few days ago..and am hoping for the best...)
Thank you for your compassion...it is much appreciated...
Janet
Well I'd like to say welcome to the group, but I also hate to see you here...lol
Seriously though, this site is very helpful and YES it helps so much to know you're not alone.
Paxil has not made me put on any weight. I started off on 10 mg's and now I take 15 mg's, pretty small dose but it has helped. I did start exercising everyday, not dieting, but eating a lot more fish, fruits ( I love maderin oranges)...basically just a little bit more conscious about WHAT I eat. I make sure I have dinner no later than 7. That has also helped. I began having a regular bedtime of 8:30. That gives me some ME time, I usually read a good positive book, and just relax before sleep. So basically, after dinner, that's my wind down time.
I had to be on Paxil about 10 years ago for a short time, it worked, so this is what we chose to start me out with this time as well. I'm sure I could probably be on a higher dose, however, I've found that making the changes I have, helped tremendously along with the med.
Oh and I also quit ALL caffiene..... GAHRRR !!! But, I needed to, with the anxiety I was having, it was only making it worse. And no alcohol for me either.
I still smoke, though. So, I'm not this big health nut, but have changed my ways A LOT.
Please keep us posted and I hope the naturals work for you. But by all means, if they're not, talk to a pharmacist, they'll lead you in the right direction. Then, talk to your Dr. from there.
Take care :)
Thanks again for your response...
You're smart to consider diet to help with your anxiety level...I have done this all my life, but was forced to, not only because of my panic attack problem, but because I can have severe low blood sugar if I don't eat properly...and YES about caffeine and alcohol contributing to panic...I find that I can have one cup of coffee a day, but no more...and even one glass of wine if we go out to eat will make me more vulnerable to anxiety...I remember reading something the MD Christine Northrup wrote about alcohol and caffeine directly contributing to hot flashes...she said she herself gave these things up because she couldn't bear the repercussions after she had coffee or alcohol...
It's good to know that Paxil did not affect your weight., and that it has been effective for you against depression...I think I am going to try to ride this out for about another week or two, and if this level of intensity continues, I'll probably talk to my doctor about trying the Paxil...
Thanks SO much for the welcome, and for your support, which is greatly appreciated...
Janet
Also, MAKE yourself get out and do things. Even if you don't feel like it, force yourself.
Whether it's going for a walk, working in the garden, ANYTHING... just make sure to keep going. No matter how anxious you feel, you have to keep busy. I came to work everyday an anxiety mess, but I'm glad I did. If I would have "given in" and let it take over my life... well actually that was and isn't an option for me. I got mad and forced myself..lol
Take care :)
LeAnne
Although I have had a long history of panic disorder, it has been under control for several years now, with Klonopin, so my main problem now is depression, not so much anxiety. You're absolutely right about keeping busy...I worked a very high-paced and frantic job in a NYC hospital as a social worker during the years I had panic disorder (and was NOT taking Klonopin...) - and, although it took me about forty-five minutes to settle into my office, pacing up and down trying to calm myself once I arrived, it absolutely did serve as a distraction to the panic attacks once I settled into the work day. The problem is, I left that job five years ago, because the social work profession in NYC hospitals has more or less died...and I thought I could find another job easily, but at 50 years old (at the time) it was NOT easy, especially since there were not many jobs available in my field...
So it has been really difficult to deal with my depression while being home and isolated, day after day. I did try volunteer work, but had a really bad experience with the place I tried, and now that I have been isolated for so long, and have gained weight, my self esteem has plummeted to the point where it is hard to rally and find some other form of service work to keep me active. Also, the financial problems which come with being unemployed don't help!
But I really do agree with you about keeping busy during times of anxiety or depression...and I would advise women here to not let too much time pass without being active, or it will be that much more difficult to get "out there" again...
I hope you are well,
Janet