Really extreme mood swings with estrogen

[Sara]

Hi everyone

Is it normal for estrogen to give you extreme mood swings? For example, sometimes I'll feel incredibly euphoric and energetic, ready to take on the world, while most of the other time, I become depressed and suicidal after seeing something only mildly triggering, like seeing myself in a mirror. I've asked around a bit, and I haven't really gotten any conclusive answers. Some say it's normal, while others say it's something else.

I'm currently in therapy, but it doesn't seem to helping. A lot of the time I feel even worse after some sessions. So I've started using some drugs to help with my motivation/mood like adderall, lamictal, weed, alcohol etc. It seems to help, but now it's gotten to the point where whenever I'm awake, I need to be buzzed/high from it constantly or else my depression sets back in. Depending on my mood, I sometimes take a larger dose than I normally should, and it seems to work.

Is there anything else I can do to help combat these mood swings?

Sorry if I keep bringing the mood down on this board, but I just feel like I need to vent sometimes, and it kind of helps.

[Jessica Merriman]

I can only say what I experienced (HRT two months) as far as my emotional state. After starting I was all over the place like Stevie Wonder flying an F-22 Raptor. One minute on top of the world the next sobbing uncontrollable. Starting to regain my balance now, so to speak. Due to a new therapy director I had to go somewhere else for HRT and should be restarted around Wednesday. Boy did the "T" rush back in. I have had a bad headache for the past three days and feel like my body has a high pitched buzz all the time. As a retired Paramedic I wish you would not self medicate, for your safety, and ask your therapist what you should do about your symptoms. Don't want to lose you baby! Take care. 

[Joanna Dark]

Extreme   mood swings are not normal. Yes, you may become more sensitive but for me i became calm and less emotional but i am (or was) very emotional beforehand. Do not take drugs if for no other reason then drugs will reverse your feminity. I did ectasy at a party and i got called sir for a week or two afterwards. Its only starting to come back. My boobs even went from a D cup to a C cup. You may need to have ur dose adjusted. Im on the max dose as of sept. 28 before i was self medding and on a low dose. But i go to a clinic now. Im an idiot what can i say.

[Heather]

Yes I do have severe mood swings from time to time. I've just learned they are not how I'm really feeling and try to ignore them, which works sometimes but others they can be overwhelming and that's when I remind myself that the mood will pass and everything will be fine. But the further I get on hormones the shorter the amount of time I'm having to deal with these episodes. Just learn to tell the difference between your true feelings and your false ones and you'll be fine it does get easier as time moves along.

[Chaos]

I cant really speak about the E *HRT* but i can give some advice on other things like emotions.Depending on how emotional you are before hand,and your ability to control such,can be different for everyone.If you can say that before hand you were very expressive with your emotions,no issue letting out a cry,ya know around those lines,then with the E giving an increase to those,it would be very hard to handle.As an over all person,i was very much the same and had my heart on my sleeve.Very easy to hurt,cry,get defensive but over time i learned to be more controlling with those while still showing emotions.I personally feel that with some time and training,It would be a piece of cake (yes i ment with the E)

[Jamison]

I can relate to what you're feeling. Currently, my E levels are still in female range and I can physically feel the difference when they are too high (or low, symptoms or high/low E are nearly identical)- mostly in the form of severe mood swings. In the meantime, I find that self-medication, in whatever form, is the only way to eliminate instances of the down swing. However, this isn't healthy and in no way normal.

It may be issues with your dose, or you may need additional medical intervention. I'm looking into e-blockers until I get a hysto. I'm not sure what your equivalent may be. Also, mood swings are most common in the initial stages of HRT while your body adjusts.

[Ms Grace]

Currently I'm fine, a good even generally positive state of mind. This time.

Last time I was all over the place, I spent half the time crying. The difference from an HRT point of view is that last time I was on monthly injections of E, this time I'm not. My current endo said, and other comments I've read would seem to confirm, that monthly injections can be a real roller coaster. Could that be the case with your HRT?

[kelly_aus]

I'd start with cutting back my prescription meds back to my prescribed doses - the combo you list is likely to cause mood swings all on it's own..

Also, lamictal, is known to have issues with female hormones, as well as with  luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone levels..

I had some quite extreme mood swings early on, but they mostly stopped after the first 3-6 months.

[Ltl89]

Hi everyone

Is it normal for estrogen to give you extreme mood swings? For example, sometimes I'll feel incredibly euphoric and energetic, ready to take on the world, while most of the other time, I become depressed and suicidal after seeing something only mildly triggering, like seeing myself in a mirror. I've asked around a bit, and I haven't really gotten any conclusive answers. Some say it's normal, while others say it's something else.

I'm currently in therapy, but it doesn't seem to helping. A lot of the time I feel even worse after some sessions. So I've started using some drugs to help with my motivation/mood like adderall, lamictal, weed, alcohol etc. It seems to help, but now it's gotten to the point where whenever I'm awake, I need to be buzzed/high from it constantly or else my depression sets back in. Depending on my mood, I sometimes take a larger dose than I normally should, and it seems to work.

Is there anything else I can do to help combat these mood swings?

Sorry if I keep bringing the mood down on this board, but I just feel like I need to vent sometimes, and it kind of helps.

Depending on drugs to battle depression on a frequent basis isn't the best choice.  IT can create an emotional addiction which can lead to the very mood swings you are experiencing.  Hormones will do a lot to your body on it's own and there is no need to add to the pressure with drugs.  It's only a temporary fix and often creates many future problems. 

From what I have read, I don't think this is from hrt.  It sounds like the source could be something else or a different medication.  Still, if you are feeling suicidal, please tell your prescribing doctor about these feelings.  That is nothing to play around with.   

[Sara]

I ended up being forced to go to the ER today by my parents because they found out about my suicide attempt. After a really dehumanizing interview, I ended up just having a talk with my parents about stuff. After that, I just seemed to feel a lot better, now that I have an actual plan on what to do. So yay I guess

[Katie]

You want to talk about mood swings. Most doctors require you stop taking the hormones two weeks prior to SRS surgery. I got to tell you that was one of the worst/craziest times in my life. Talk about weird mood swings......... more like I almost needed a padded room.

On the plus side I had to stop taking them again before FFS surgery. Since I was on a very low dose at that point I didn't notice any change.

Katie

[Nicole W]

I dunno, but I just spent a bit of time on my kitchen floor crying. That's a bit abnormal for me. Not having the greatest of nights...

[Sammy]

I dunno, but I just spent a bit of time on my kitchen floor crying. That's a bit abnormal for me. Not having the greatest of nights...

Cheer up, girl! It is ok to cry, but it is nicer to get Yourself comfortable when doing so... I prefer to sit on my sofa, with my chin resting on the knees, arms wrapped around them, just looking somewhere in the distance and then... suddenly my eyes get wet...

[Eva Marie]

My moods are pretty stable on E these days but I will admit that there are now certain TV shows that I'd better not watch without a Kleenex handy. When I first started on HRT my moods were much more unstable, but then things calmed down pretty quickly.

About a year ago I did go through an extremely weepy period. I was going through some incredible stress and was faced with some very hard/difficult  choices and I think that triggered it.

[jamielikesyou]

Haven't felt too much yet (only 3 months into HRT) other than some leveling of mood. I don't go into a blind rage at Vancouver traffic anymore (at least if I stay out of the downtown core.) The drop in T I feel is more responsible than the rise in E.

Yet to even have a crying fit. A little sad really.

[Obfuskatie]

I don't know if it is just my anecdotal experience, but Adderall made my mood really unstable when it was prescribed to me years ago.  It's a pretty hardcore stimulant, you might want to find a milder drug and perhaps you won't be as tempted to self-medicate with depressants.  There are a lot more medications to choose from that address ADHD, and modifying your dosage with the help of your prescribing doctor will probably help a great deal, especially if you inform them about your adding an HRT drug regimen.  I eventually landed on NuVigil, which is expensive but works well without making me a manic mess or giving me headaches.

[translora]

Sara,

I've been following this thread and assuming that someone would state the obvious, but it hasn't happened yet. So, here goes. And please don't think this in any way judgmental. Like everyone else here, I just want to help.

Despite the title of this thread, your problem is neither the estrogen nor the mood swings. Even if the E is doing something new, that's not the root issue.

Your problem is the cocktail of substances you are taking in the interest of self-medication to "treat" your deeper issues. You've got drug interactions happening here that are likely very dangerous. And while I'm disturbed and saddened to hear that you had to go to the ER, I'm also relieved. You need serious conversation with someone who can help you before you go over the edge.

You also need to stop self-medicating -- which includes the recreationals -- until you can get a handle on things. This is serious stuff, and your life is at stake.

If any of those drugs you listed are prescriptions, you need to get yourself back to the prescribing physician and come clean about everything you are taking. Only then can you begin the hard work of figuring out which drugs, if any, are right for your situation.

This probably sounds harsh, and I don't mean it to, but you're playing with fire here, and we've all heard too many stories about people who were trying to figure out such complicated things on their own and wound up in some very bad places -- both physically and emotionally.

I really do wish you the best.

Lora

[Jamie D]

Ditto above.