Can hormone therapy lift depression?
The majority of women do not develop depression during menopause, although some studies do suggest that perimenopausal women may be somewhat more susceptible to depressive symptoms during this biologically tumultuous time. Before beginning any medication for depression, you should undergo a thorough physical evaluation, including a check for thyroid problems, which can often mimic depressive symptoms. Although a couple of small studies have found estrogen to have antidepressive effects in perimenopausal women, the Task Force recommends trying antidepressant medications first. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac®, Paxil® and Effexor®, have the added benefit of helping to relieve hot flashes. If you don’t want to or can’t take antidepressants, talk with your doctor about trying estrogen for mild to moderate depression, particularly if you also suffer from hot flashes or other symptoms of menopause. Short-term use of HT or ET may facilitate the action of antid
The majority of women do not develop depression during menopause, although some studies do suggest that perimenopausal women may be somewhat more susceptible to depressive symptoms during this biologically tumultuous time. Before beginning any medication for depression, you should undergo a thorough physical evaluation, including a check for thyroid problems, which can often mimic depressive symptoms. Although a couple of small studies have found estrogen to have antidepressive effects in perimenopausal women, the Task Force recommends trying antidepressant medications first. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac, Paxil and Effexor, have the added benefit of helping to relieve hot flashes. If you don’t want to or can’t take antidepressants, talk with your doctor about trying estrogen for mild to moderate depression, particularly if you also suffer from hot flashes or other symptoms of menopause. Short-term use of HT or ET may facilitate the action of antidepr
