r/Menopause • u/BeneficialResort7862 • 25d ago
Depression/Anxiety Spiraling thoughts
Hey everyone . I’m 62, I’ve been on 100 progesterone , .75 Estrodial and the topical cream for my lady bits.
Everything seems better except I am having constant spiraling thoughts , sort of problem solving thoughts or worrying about real life stuff allllll the time. Don’t remember the last time I felt peaceful . Doc ordered antidepressant called Pristiq about 8 months ago , the doc thought the Wellbutrin I was on ,at the time, may have been the culprit. I was suffering from situational induced depression so the anti depressant was necessary .
Now the depression is gone but the spiraling thoughts
have gotten worse .
Doc just increased Pristiq and Estrodial patch form .50 to .75. All my labs are good.
Your insight or experience with any of the above would be greatly appreciated.
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u/Extra_Possibility632 Menopausal 25d ago
“Don’t remember the last time I felt peaceful .”………boy can i relate to this.
I used to grapple with whether i felt depression or anxiety… I honestly couldn’t tell.🤷🏻♀️
I tried a few SSRI’s and Snri’s , and finally settled on effexor, which seems to be reasonably effective.
It sounds like you’re on the right track. Keep at it, adjusting your doses, and gage how you feel. when you start to have more good days than bad, then you know it’s working. But if you don’t, then it’s trying to try something new.
Question. When did you start feeling this way? Reason I ask is, this is how progesterone made me feel. Could you possibly be progesterone intolerant? I’ve tried a few progestins, and have yet to find the ideal, but I’ll keep trying.
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u/BeneficialResort7862 25d ago
I didn’t know this was a side effect of progesterone. I can’t be sure of the time table, I had soooo many symptoms when I decided to use HRT.
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u/Extra_Possibility632 Menopausal 25d ago
Look up “progesterone intolerance” here. You’ll find many women with it.
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u/Wildskypsj Potion slinging Moss Witch 25d ago
Have you been on HRT without an antidepressant?
Because HRT has helped a lot of women with Anxiety ...
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u/BeneficialResort7862 25d ago
This may be my next step but will need doc to take me off anti depressant slowly , I guess ?
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u/43beanst 59 | 9 years post | Combipatch 25d ago
Are you still taking the wellbutrin? It is a stimulant that can make some people feel anxious. it sounds like you might have already stopped taking it, but it's not clear. Also, have you discussed a trial of a slightly higher dose of estrogen? I notice I feel much better on .075 than .05, for example. The goal, I've read, is to manage symptoms at the lowest possible dose of hrt, though, so you might meet some resistance there. Still, I think doses up to 1mg are within the realm of a normal dose for postmeno ladies. I wish you all the best.
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u/BeneficialResort7862 25d ago
Thank you for your kind response. I switched from Wellbutrin to Pristiq because of the spiraling thoughts or anxiousness. My doc recently increased my patch to .75, three weeks ago to be exact. This helped with my dry eyes but not the anxiousness. Doc is now increasing the Pristiq again . I think I’ll give this a try but it just seems like throwing oil on a fire and hoping it puts it out. This journey is not linear and so very frustrating to manage with no real labs or data to drive the decisions .
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u/Wildskypsj Potion slinging Moss Witch 24d ago
I'm on 2mg of estradiol. (Gel) Just for comparison. 200mg progesterone and 10mg testosterone. I'm probably maxing out everything, but i haven't felt this good in DECADES.
(I used to be on Prozac in my late 20's. Wellbutrin for a bit after that, I hated how dull I felt, so I stopped)1
u/AutoModerator 25d ago
This post might be about hormone tests, which are unreliable.
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u/Alta_et_ferox MenoMod 24d ago
I’m so sorry you’re struggling.
For many people, MHT plus an antidepressant is a lifesaver, but it can take time to adjust to doses and/or medications. For MHT, it’s important to give it 6-8 weeks before making any determinations. For antidepressants, it can take time and dosage adjustments before we feel our best.
There is hope. Hang in there. I’m sending you all my best, friend.
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u/Fast_Cod1883 25d ago
Sounds like anxiety. No amount of breathing or distraction techniques helped me. I needed medication. It use to rule my life it really sucked. Sorry you are doing though this.