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I have been treated for depression for the last 14 months. I am still suffering from severe depression. I am now on 150 Desipramine. Hormone levels are normal. I tried Progesterone, when weaning off of it I had good periods of no depression. After that I have not had any good days other than the days of my periods. So my mood only improves when I am menestruating. Shouldn't I be tried on Estrogen? Dr wants to try Lupron Depot for 3 months - If it treats the depression he will then remove my ovaries. I need help and no one believes my mood improves during my period. It is obvious to me that my hormones are involved with my depression.
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He wants to remove my ovaries if my depression is treated by the Lupron and I'm scared this would send me into another depression brought on by menopause. He just wants me on this for 3 months.
February 13, 2011 - 9:43pmI don't have premenstrual depression or late luteal dysphoric disorder,at least not to my knowledge. It also concerns me that the Gyno, I guess you could say has bad bedside manner. Didn't really look to what I had been going through and appears to be ticked off and wants to get this over with. As I said he is not my regular doctor and each time my regular doctor sent me to him, he asked why she had sent me to him, my hormones showed no signs of imbalance and didn't see why my own doctor couldn't tell me herself, she had but was looking for a second opinion I guess. I would like to try to work on this without removing my ovaries or be sent into menopause. Thanks for all your help, It's nice to have things explained to me, even if I still don't understand it all.
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I can see your frustration, if you are not at-all happy with the Gyn that you are being referred to, especially if you feel that this person is not happy to see you, acts as if s/he has no time for you, is not explaining your options (and the reasons for them), and does not have good bedside manner.
I would hope there is another doctor you can be referred to, as you will probably never feel comfortable with any treatment option, if you do not trust this doctor. Can you look at your health insurance and talk with your doctor about your other Gyn-referral options?
February 15, 2011 - 12:30pmThis Comment
Thank you for the article---that was interesting.
However, this is exactly what the doctor prescribed, and it was found successful in women "with less-severe symptoms". What are your thoughts on this paragraph, from your article:
"The GnRH agonist, leuprolide acetate, has also been found to be effective in treating premenstrual mood disturbances. Brown et al. (10) administered the depot leuprolide intramuscularly for three consecutively cycles in 25 women with late luteal dysphoric disorder. Depot leuprolide was ineffective for women with severe premenstrual depression and associated with adverse events. For women with less-severe symptoms, depot leuprolide was well-tolerated and effective in reducing symptoms. The authors speculated that severity of symptoms may be indicative of diagnostic subtypes; women with severe premenstrual depression may have a more sensitive hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian feedback system. "
I do not want to suggest that I am encouraging you toward one treatment or another; I am just curious why your doctor suggested one treatment (that has shown effective, in your article), but you are not wanting to try it?
February 13, 2011 - 9:27pmThis Comment
http://www.acnp.org/g4/GN401000101/CH.html
February 13, 2011 - 9:01pmESTROGEN on This web page talks about depressed patients on imipramine/estrogen and how progesterone blunts the effect of estrogen. Don't understand it all. I'm only on my second period since being off of Prometrium. My thinking was that when my levels of progesterone came down my estrogen may have been more dominant than while on the prometrium thus giving me a lift to the depression. My doctors have not suggested any hormone therapy other than trying birth control. I'm trying to find something to explain what is happening to me, because no one else seems to know. I'm sobbing during most the month and now I am fine during my period. Would appreciate your feedback on the website I found.
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I am on Desipramine 150 per night. Yes my Psychiatrist knows how depressed I am, I have been seeing him for over 12 months. We have tried a number of antidepressants. I have clinical depression. I know it takes time for the antidepressants to work. Before Desipramime I was taking Imipramine - switched to see if there would be any difference. I push myself each day to keep going and spend a part of each day sobbing in tears. My hope grew when I discontinued the Prometrium, I was my old self. Last months period was wonderful I was myself again, laughing having fun with my kids, only to realize a few days later the depression was back and I spent the next 3 weeks crying, depression has lifted during this months period, I'm not crying, but am having so much anxiety about shutting down my hormones and removing ovaries. I feel we should at least discuss other treatments or at least explain to me what is going on with my hormones. I think I should try estrogen first, My therapist suffers depression and estrogen worked for her.
February 13, 2011 - 4:00pmThis Comment
I think I am unclear, however, as the information I provided above states that if you are at your best during your period...that is when your estrogen levels are at their lowest. Hence the recommendation from the GYN to use Lupron Depot, as it is a type of "estrogen therapy" in that it regulates your estrogen through other hormones.
I think you are also very wise to want to learn about other treatments before having an oophorectomy (surgery to remove ovaries). Have you asked your doctor(s) specifically about WHY they think oophorectomy would help treat depression, and what clinical studies have proven this? I have only found studies that have shown that women having oophorectomy actually show a decline in psychological well-being. (Source: click on link National Institutes of Health Article
If your estrogen and other hormone levels are within normal ranges, and you feel your best during menstruation, I do not understand why you are not more optimistic regarding the possible beneficial treatment benefits of Depot. After reading your posts, it sounds like you are wanting "estrogen therapy"...which would (I assume) increase your estrogen levels...the exact opposite of what happens during your menstruation?
Have your doctors talked with you more about what specific type of estrogen therapy they are talking about, as it sounds like you want to try this treatment first...and I would love to hear why (what you read, what type of treatment, etc).
My brief/to the point question: I am not understanding the logic behind wanting to increase your estrogen levels, when you feel your best during your lowest estrogen levels.
February 13, 2011 - 7:19pmThis Comment
It is important to find the right type of doctor, one who will look at your case and treat you in conjunction with the Gynecologist who is currently treating you.
The other type of doctor that would be recommended for you to seek treatment from would be a Psychologist, who specializes in Mood Disorders (an umbrella category that includes depression). Gynecologists are not specialized in treating Mood Disorders.
Do you have access to a Psychologist or Psychiatrist?
February 13, 2011 - 2:03pmThis Comment
I have had a Pcychologist for many years and have been treated by a Psychiatrist for the last 14 months. I've kept a mood chart to keep track of my depression/effects of medication/etc. I have spents the last month depressed and sobbing, unable to live my life. I'm sure it has something to do with my hormones. The gynecologist hasn't had much to do with me, he wasn't the one ordering hormone test. My Dr and my Psychiatrist did. The Gynecologist just looked at the results and said there normal and other than taking out my ovaries there was nothing he could do.
February 13, 2011 - 2:49pmThis Comment
What has your Psychiatrist recommended for you? Does s/he know how severe your symptoms are ("unable to live my life")?
Do you have some hope in the new treatment option, knowing that it may take 3 months to realize the benefits?
February 13, 2011 - 3:17pmThis Comment
sent in reply
February 13, 2011 - 12:56pmThis Comment