Can hrt cause or play a factor in severe depression? Any experience with this?

[Ltl89]

I know that hrt can often cause moodswings and make people more emotional in general; however, can it play a role with depression.  Since, I've started hrt, I have been doing pretty well.  Sure there was moodswings here and there, but most of the heightened emotions were positive.  Yet, since last night things have been different.  Granted I suspect there are more emotional and lifestyle issues that could be effecting me, but since yesterday I have been crying almost non stop, feeling light headed and a little out of it (sort of flu like symptoms), and I have been feeling very depressed and have been having suicdal thoughts (not with real intent it's just the depression).  I'm wondering if there may be some chemical interaction or something or perhaps something that occasionally can happen with hrt.  Cause this isn't like me.  I usually have some control over myself.  I've felt like passing out all day.

So I wanted some opinions.  Is this maybe a normal reaction to the emotional changes that the hormones could cause?  Has anyone had moments of bad depression and constant crying that occured after starting hrt?  Maybe I just need to learn how to better control my emotions now that hrt is starting to kick in.  Or does this sound like it's depression that is unrelated to the hormones?  There is a lot of stuff going on to make me depressed, but the whole physical sickness feeling makes me question how much of it is just stress.  I'm usually able to handle this stuff and I've been so weak and emotional these past 24 hours.  Any input or direct experience with depression or emotions with hrt would be appreciated.

[bethany]

LearningtoLive, Yes hormonal levels can play a role with depression. You should talk to you doctor about what you are going through. On top of what you are dealing with everyday life your hormone dosage might need to be adjusted.  I'm praying that you get through this rough patch.

[Ltl89]

LearningtoLive, Yes hormonal levels can play a role with depression. You should talk to you doctor about what you are going through. On top of what you are dealing with everyday life your hormone dosage might need to be adjusted.  I'm praying that you get through this rough patch.

Interestingly enough, I talked to my mom tonight (who is a nurse) and her opinion is that the anti-androgen could be causing my depression and fatigue.  I don't know if she is saying that to get me off of it, which is very possible, but maybe she has a point.  Either way, I'm not getting off my hormones, so perhaps I need to ride it out.  Still, it's been a pretty extreme reaction, so I am bit dubious about whether or not it is the hrt.

The only time an hrt medication did that to me was when I was on finasteride. That stuff was like "suicide in a bottle" AND I had to pay $100 bucks per bottle for that crap too.

Never been on that.   I suppose that is a good thing because the last thing I need is suicide in a bottle,lol. 

[Vicky]

In the four years I have been on E, I do have some cyclic mood swings and crying jags that can be pretty crappy.  As I lost physical strength from the E, I also felt fatigue easily which is a near neighbor to depression.  Now that I have learned to do things with less brute strength, I do not have the urge to throw screaming fits that I did at first.

[bethany]

Interestingly enough, I talked to my mom tonight (who is a nurse) and her opinion is that the anti-androgen could be causing my depression and fatigue.  I don't know if she is saying that to get me off of it, which is very possible, but maybe she has a point.  Either way, I'm not getting off my hormones, so perhaps I need to ride it out.  Still, it's been a pretty extreme reaction, so I am bit dubious about whether or not it is the hrt.

I never said anything about stopping HRT. I just said your hormonal balance might be off.  Please look at this page. I know it's about cis woman who are nearing menopause, but I think that it fits us trans women as well.
http://www.bodylogicmd.com/for-women/hormones-and-depression

[Heather]

Yes hrt can cause depression it can happen when your testosterone level drops in your body. I've gone through several depressive episodes since starting hrt. It never got to the point of being so bad that I starting planning my own suicide but they were pretty bad. But they were enough to make me spend whole days crying and wondering if I would ever make it through this. But over time you start getting used to them and you will learn to cope better. 

[Cindy]

If you are on the anti-androgen Cyproterone acetate it is well known to cause severe depression in some people. Particularly if you have depression to begin with. If you are on it get off it quickly!

[kelly_aus]

If you are on the anti-androgen Cyproterone acetate it is well known to cause severe depression in some people. Particularly if you have depression to begin with. If you are on it get off it quickly!

I'm one of those people. Stop the Cyproterone acetate and within 7 days, I was feeling much, much better..

[Ltl89]

Yes hrt can cause depression it can happen when your testosterone level drops in your body. I've gone through several depressive episodes since starting hrt. It never got to the point of being so bad that I starting planning my own suicide but they were pretty bad. But they were enough to make me spend whole days crying and wondering if I would ever make it through this. But over time you start getting used to them and you will learn to cope better. 

I'm glad to know I'm not the only crazy one here.   

Yeah, I think the hormones have played a big role in this, but the main culprit is my situation.  It's like the hormones have the ability to increase every negative sad feeling and won't allow me to escape it.  Usually, I can let depression roll off of me, but not anymore. I guess that's one of the negatives of transitioning.

If you are on the anti-androgen Cyproterone acetate it is well known to cause severe depression in some people. Particularly if you have depression to begin with. If you are on it get off it quickly!

I'm one of those people. Stop the Cyproterone acetate and within 7 days, I was feeling much, much better..

I take Spiro.

I never said anything about stopping HRT. I just said your hormonal balance might be off.  Please look at this page. I know it's about cis woman who are nearing menopause, but I think that it fits us trans women as well.
http://www.bodylogicmd.com/for-women/hormones-and-depression

I think it's more my emotional and situational issues have been multiplied by the hormones.  I don't think the hormones alone are the problem, but they have certainly been a contributing factor.

In the four years I have been on E, I do have some cyclic mood swings and crying jags that can be pretty crappy.  As I lost physical strength from the E, I also felt fatigue easily which is a near neighbor to depression.  Now that I have learned to do things with less brute strength, I do not have the urge to throw screaming fits that I did at first.

Okay, I guess I sort of normal then.  Perhaps abnormal,lol.

[Heather]

 

I'm glad to know I'm not the only crazy one here.   

Yeah, I think the hormones have played a big role in this, but the main culprit is my situation.  It's like the hormones have the ability to increase every negative sad feeling and won't allow me to escape it.  Usually, I can let depression roll off of me, but not anymore. I guess that's one of the negatives of transitioning.

Neither of us is crazy it just takes time for your mind to adjust to the emotional and physical changes its undergoing right now.
I wasn't really depressed before hrt I wasn't happy but I wasn't depressed either. I still don't think I'm truly depressed. Because hormones have a way of taking a small problem and blowing it up into something way bigger than it really is.
I've tried my best with my posts on here not to sugar coat the negatives of hrt because it seems as though all you hear is how wonderful it is and you never hear the downside.
That's what I was trying to tell Skye the other day. Because really I'm concerned if she was talking about having a hard time coping now there is no telling how bad she will get once those depressive thoughts magnify under the influence of estrogen.
If someone like me who wasn't depressed before can have depressive thoughts I hate to know what would happen to someone who is already depressed.
But over time you do learn to adjust to these extra strength emotions and you will know how to identify them and deal with them as you get further along. 

[Joanna Dark]

I don't know. Before HRT I was on a suicide mission and put myself in incredibly dangerous situations. Once I was jumped by vigilantes and beaten with a glock and blindfolded and they told me they were going to blow my head off and I didn't care. After they left, the first thing I did was ingest I big dose of heroin. Nothing mattered. I never smiled. I was depressed 24/7. Well, more numb. Before I mainly looked like I wanted to kill somone 24/7. See avatar for possible HRT happy effects lol

Now, I smile all the time. Sometimes I can't stop. I am enthusiastic. Sometimes to much. I feel like a have a future whereas before the future looked like a gray, lifeless wasteland. So, for me, HRT essentially cured my depression, inability to smile, and has made me a happy person. Well, I did like life if I had enough drugs in my system.

So, HRT for me has been like magic. I know people say it isn't magic. That your problems are the same. And I do have many problems but I deal with them so much better. When there is a problem, I solve it, I don't run to Kip and Cambria to pick up a two bags to resolve it. hehe

But yeah I have gotten sad or upset and this was in the beginining of HRT when my mom was less accepting. Now she is a lot more accepting and I think that is because she can tell how happy I am and how much different I am and the fact I stopped doing drugs. So i think your family situation has a lot to do with it but the hormones could be exacerbating it it. Perhaps if you didn't have those problems they would excaerbate your happiness and make you even more happy.

That being said there prolly is an adjustment period where lower T causes fatigue. Maybe depression. But I really believe it's situational not hormonal.

Of course, it's always YMMV. Luckily for me, I'm getting great mileage. Gawd, I always feel like such a biotch when I talk about how happy I am or how hormones are working so well for me physically. 

[Ltl89]

Neither of us is crazy it just takes time for your mind to adjust to the emotional and physical changes its undergoing right now.
I wasn't really depressed before hrt I wasn't happy but I wasn't depressed either. I still don't think I'm truly depressed. Because hormones have a way of taking a small problem and blowing it up into something way bigger than it really is.
I've tried my best with my posts on here not to sugar coat the negatives of hrt because it seems as though all you hear is how wonderful it is and you never hear the downside.
That's what I was trying to tell Skye the other day. Because really I'm concerned if she was talking about having a hard time coping now there is no telling how bad she will get once those depressive thoughts magnify under the influence of estrogen.
If someone like me who wasn't depressed before can have depressive thoughts I hate to know what would happen to someone who is already depressed.
But over time you do learn to adjust to these extra strength emotions and you will know how to identify them and deal with them as you get further along. 

Yeah, I probably just have to learn how to adjust emotionally now that I have new hormones.

I don't know. Before HRT I was on a suicide mission and put myself in incredibly dangerous situations. Once I was jumped by vigilantes and beaten with a glock and blindfolded and they told me they were going to blow my head off and I didn't care. After they left, the first thing I did was ingest I big dose of heroin. Nothing mattered. I never smiled. I was depressed 24/7. Well, more numb. Before I mainly looked like I wanted to kill somone 24/7. See avatar for possible HRT happy effects lol

Now, I smile all the time. Sometimes I can't stop. I am enthusiastic. Sometimes to much. I feel like a have a future whereas before the future looked like a gray, lifeless wasteland. So, for me, HRT essentially cured my depression, inability to smile, and has made me a happy person. Well, I did like life if I had enough drugs in my system.

So, HRT for me has been like magic. I know people say it isn't magic. That your problems are the same. And I do have many problems but I deal with them so much better. When there is a problem, I solve it, I don't run to Kip and Cambria to pick up a two bags to resolve it. hehe

But yeah I have gotten sad or upset and this was in the beginining of HRT when my mom was less accepting. Now she is a lot more accepting and I think that is because she can tell how happy I am and how much different I am and the fact I stopped doing drugs. So i think your family situation has a lot to do with it but the hormones could be exacerbating it it. Perhaps if you didn't have those problems they would excaerbate your happiness and make you even more happy.

That being said there prolly is an adjustment period where lower T causes fatigue. Maybe depression. But I really believe it's situational not hormonal.

Of course, it's always YMMV. Luckily for me, I'm getting great mileage. Gawd, I always feel like such a biotch when I talk about how happy I am or how hormones are working so well for me physically. 

For the most part, my experience with hormones have been similar. Taking hrt has been a weird happy euphoric thing for me, but my life just put me in funk these past few days.  I suppose the hormones just embellished the negative feelings that are surrounding my life at the moment.

P.S.  What's that behind your ear?  That better not be a cigarette.  Don't make me come down there. 

[big kim]

I'm one of those people. Stop the Cyproterone acetate and within 7 days, I was feeling much, much better..

Me too