Hormones and Depression

[Metroland]

Has anyone felt a relieving of depression when starting on hormones? Which hormone, anti-androgens, progesterone, estrogen do you think helped?

I am going through a really bad depression and I was thinking that since I haven't had any hormones yet and the testosterone is raging in my body maybe that is the cause.

Thanks

[Annah]

it all depends on your body genetics really. I have seen girls on hrt who had their depression disappear and ive seen girls get much much worse with depression. Its why I am such a big advocate for doctor regulated hrt. They can monitor your results and help you with different forms of medications of hrt if you get worse.

For example, Progesterone messed me up pretty badly so my doc took me off of it. I have felt as right as rain since coming off of it (and I still got C cup).

So it really depends on each person. The risks of estrogen on their labels is possible depression symptoms but you should talk to your doc about it

[versuchsanordnung]

Actually it helped for me. It was pure luck and could as well have pushed me over the edge once and for all. And no i will not tell you what i did. What worked for me could as well drag you down that black hole even more. Go see a doc about the depression, stabilise yourself, then see whats next.
Seriously. Hormones have a way of altering your sense of self, your perception of the world and your emotions more than you can imagine. But they are not antidepressants. Use them that way and for that reason and it will most likely bite you in the a**e. They destabilise. Thats not what you want right now.
As i said, i had the luck of idiots.my little experiment enabled me to make the mental progress necessary. Could as well have gone the other way in which case i would not sit here and type but sit in a little can on a shelf and wait for a nice little anonymous hole in the ground, if you catch my drift.

[LilKittyCatZoey]

I am so much more depressed i can barely handle life anymore but i try live with it still tough

[melissa42013]

My depression and moodiness got worse on HRT and I had to deal with a lot more stress during transition. Go to a therapist and get that stuff worked out first. Fluctuating your hormones now is not fun. I got on an antidepressant and it made a huge difference. Coming to terms with yourself is not an easy thing. I dealt with it by manning up and when that fell with the rest of the house of cards I decided it was ok to not "be strong" and have the true strength to seek professional help. There is a reason girls are moody and bitchy and when you start HRT you get to experience why first hand. Also some types of P can cause mood swings and I found that out as well. Not fun. Be ready for it and if you find yourself blaming others think to yourself..... could it be my hormones, and calm down.

[BillieTex]

not me, been on anti androgen, estrofem, provera and premarin for some years on and off. Mood, outlook and self acceptance is so so much better when on than off. 

[Jillieann Rose]

My depression lifted.
I use estrofem and spiro.
And like BilliTex my outlook and self acceptance have taken a tremendous turn for the better.
Yes I am a girl and still get moody at time. But I can now laugh and cry. Something that I rarely did before.

[JungianZoe]

My depression got quite severe, which is strange because only once in my life has that happened during the summer (happens every winter though).  Severe to the point where I bookmarked suicide prevention websites on my computer and put a suicide hotline in my phone's contacts list.  Every single day I struggle for hours trying to find reasons not to do it and usually cry several times a day because I'm so close.  Depo provera is causing this, but I didn't react at all to spiro.

[Metroland]

Thanks everyone for your advice.  I think I will talk to my therapist about it.

[Princess of Hearts]

I didn't experience depression while on oestrogen only.   I did feel tearful and a little overwhelmed when I was on spiro though, that is one of the reasons I stopped taking it.   The OP should try slow deep breathing or meditation to help ease the depression.   If meditation seems too eastern for you, try the slow deep breathing, this worked wonders for me in jam-packed lecture halls when the press of students triggered my claustrophobia.   Sometimes I felt so panicky that I really thought that I was going to have to climb and scramble over people's heads and rush out the door.

[Diane Elizabeth]

   Since being on HRT offially for 367 days, I have less depression compared to the same time before I started HRT.  However, I still get into a depressive funk now and then.    I have also noticed that the reasons for my depression has shifted some.  I had always been depressed about my life's unhappiness and what I caused and/or didn't in it.  Now I only get that a little bit.  The other reason for my feeling down is the frustration of not being able to afford transitioning. 

[justmeinoz]

Since going full-time and starting HRT pretty much at the same time, due to cuircumstances, I no longer suffer from Depression.  I couldn't say for sure whether the HRT had a role to play, or whether it was just being able to be my true self that did it.  Given that hormones are powerful, I would suspect they had a fairly major part to play in it.

Karen

[Lexy711]

I don't see any sign of depression for some reasons. Is it because I've only been on hormones for such a short period of time, a month and a half?

[LilKittyCatZoey]

Since going full-time and starting HRT pretty much at the same time, due to cuircumstances, I no longer suffer from Depression.  I couldn't say for sure whether the HRT had a role to play, or whether it was just being able to be my true self that did it.  Given that hormones are powerful, I would suspect they had a fairly major part to play in it.

Karen

could of been both my therapist says its unfortunate i can't go full  time cuz i wouldnt pass and i am at a catholic school so yea ... any who he says that what's he has seen going full time is the most helpful thing to curing depression in ppl like me so yea in a way your lucky