1. < Women's Health

Menopause and depression

Posted by sue417 @sue417, Mar 31 9:14am

Hi
So I was taken off my h rt after fourteen years last nov 2023 Because I had breast cancer. I am coming up on one year Since I finished treatment. I am going through brutal hot flashes , anxiety and depression like I have never had this before. Having crying spells out of no where. I can't treat my hormone issues.Because my breast cancer is hormone Positive, trying to find the right medication with my Doctor to help with my depression and anxiety has been difficult because I'm so sensitive to medication.Just started a new one and it's been pretty tough. I am so tired of this and want to get my life back. I wake up with anxiety from the dead sleep which I find very strange. Just wondered if anyone else has gone through this after breast cancer and not being able to take hormone therapy. I am on my own and it's been difficult. Finally get to start counseling Apr 10.

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dlydailyhope | @dlydailyhope | Apr 1 7:04am

@sue417
I’m sorry to hear of your suffering. I do not have breast cancer so I can’t relate with the treatments but I can empathize with the menopause and major depression symptoms.

I am in my mid50s and perimenopause and menopause knocked me off my feet mentally and physically. I am not using HRT due to family history of cancer and I had a micro cancer in my thyroid. It took me 1.5 years to find a medication combination that works for me. A very frustrating and debilitating experience and process. I finally have received some relief of the crippling depression with a combination of Zoloft/sertraline and Wellbutrin/bupropion.

Be loving, patient and kind to yourself through this transition. Work with your doctor and a psychiatrist as well as your mental health specialist to support you. There is hope for a better tomorrow.

REPLY
1 reply
sue417 | @sue417 | Apr 1 7:46am
In reply to @dlydailyhope "@sue417 I’m sorry to hear of your suffering. I do not have breast cancer so I..." + (show)
@dlydailyhope

@sue417
I’m sorry to hear of your suffering. I do not have breast cancer so I can’t relate with the treatments but I can empathize with the menopause and major depression symptoms.

I am in my mid50s and perimenopause and menopause knocked me off my feet mentally and physically. I am not using HRT due to family history of cancer and I had a micro cancer in my thyroid. It took me 1.5 years to find a medication combination that works for me. A very frustrating and debilitating experience and process. I finally have received some relief of the crippling depression with a combination of Zoloft/sertraline and Wellbutrin/bupropion.

Be loving, patient and kind to yourself through this transition. Work with your doctor and a psychiatrist as well as your mental health specialist to support you. There is hope for a better tomorrow.

Jump to this post

Hi
Thank you for sharing your journey. Today I can say I feel finally I may have found the right medication. I am on zoloft also. It's only day 6 but I feel calmness starting. I hope the dosage of 25mg is all I will need. I am also on a super low dose of trazadone 12.5mg at bedtime. I was on 25mg but I was getting side effects. I recently heard of wellbutrin. How long have you been on that combo.

REPLY
1 reply
dlydailyhope | @dlydailyhope | Apr 1 9:03am
In reply to @sue417 "Hi Thank you for sharing your journey. Today I can say I feel finally I may..." + (show)
@sue417

Hi
Thank you for sharing your journey. Today I can say I feel finally I may have found the right medication. I am on zoloft also. It's only day 6 but I feel calmness starting. I hope the dosage of 25mg is all I will need. I am also on a super low dose of trazadone 12.5mg at bedtime. I was on 25mg but I was getting side effects. I recently heard of wellbutrin. How long have you been on that combo.

Jump to this post

@sue417
I had been on Wellbutrin/bupropion and Zoloft/sertraline in the past at different times but never had them combined together.

In 2023, I had gradually weaned off the Wellbutrin and Cymbalta (treats nerve and osteoarthritis pain and depression) combination before having breast explant surgery (had breast implant illness symptoms and the saline plants ruptured) to see how I felt after surgery. My breast implant illness symptoms improved (did not have implants put back in) but I then lost my job, felt significant perimenopause/menopause symptoms, was dealing with chronic pain due to spinal stenosis/degenerative disc disease and became extremely depressed. I never felt this bad in my life. I had postpartum depression after having my son but never experienced crippling depression where I could not get out of bed or off the couch to do anything. I was always so productive and hard working and seemed to only be 5%-10% of my former self. Very scary for me because I am a single parent of a teenager and his sole provider (have no family).

My primary doctor the. put me on Prozac/fluoxetine 20 mg then increased to 40 mg but then I started getting brain zaps so stopped this medication. She then put me on Wellbutrin and it helped a little but not enough. She added Ativan but that caused bad side effects (pain/walking difficulty). She then tried mirtazapine but this made me want to eat everything around me so I stopped that. Finally, I started working with a psychiatrist to manage my depression medications and I asked him about the Zoloft/sertraline combination with Wellbutrin. He agreed to try it and first put me on 25 mg then 50 mg and now on 75 mg Zoloft/sertraline with 300 mg Wellbutrin (was first started on 75 mg 2x per day). My psychiatrist told me people say this combination makes them feel “well-oft” and I can say this is the only combination that seems to be helping me now. I am still only about 50% my former self but a lot is tied to my spine/spinal cord issues and chronic pain/physical limitations. I can at least get out of bed and off the couch to get some things done. It is good to feel a little more productive and hopeful again.

I am taking one day at a time. It would be great to have more energy to do more things. I may ask my psychiatrist if I should reduce my Zoloft/sertraline from 75 mg to 50 mg and Wellbutrin/bupropion from 300 mg to 150 mg to see if this would help reduce my fatigue.

Definitely talk to your doctor to see if Wellbutrin would be a good option for you.

May God bless you on your journey.

REPLY
3 replies
sue417 | @sue417 | Apr 1 11:24am
In reply to @dlydailyhope "@sue417 I had been on Wellbutrin/bupropion and Zoloft/sertraline in the past at different times but never..." + (show)
@dlydailyhope

@sue417
I had been on Wellbutrin/bupropion and Zoloft/sertraline in the past at different times but never had them combined together.

In 2023, I had gradually weaned off the Wellbutrin and Cymbalta (treats nerve and osteoarthritis pain and depression) combination before having breast explant surgery (had breast implant illness symptoms and the saline plants ruptured) to see how I felt after surgery. My breast implant illness symptoms improved (did not have implants put back in) but I then lost my job, felt significant perimenopause/menopause symptoms, was dealing with chronic pain due to spinal stenosis/degenerative disc disease and became extremely depressed. I never felt this bad in my life. I had postpartum depression after having my son but never experienced crippling depression where I could not get out of bed or off the couch to do anything. I was always so productive and hard working and seemed to only be 5%-10% of my former self. Very scary for me because I am a single parent of a teenager and his sole provider (have no family).

My primary doctor the. put me on Prozac/fluoxetine 20 mg then increased to 40 mg but then I started getting brain zaps so stopped this medication. She then put me on Wellbutrin and it helped a little but not enough. She added Ativan but that caused bad side effects (pain/walking difficulty). She then tried mirtazapine but this made me want to eat everything around me so I stopped that. Finally, I started working with a psychiatrist to manage my depression medications and I asked him about the Zoloft/sertraline combination with Wellbutrin. He agreed to try it and first put me on 25 mg then 50 mg and now on 75 mg Zoloft/sertraline with 300 mg Wellbutrin (was first started on 75 mg 2x per day). My psychiatrist told me people say this combination makes them feel “well-oft” and I can say this is the only combination that seems to be helping me now. I am still only about 50% my former self but a lot is tied to my spine/spinal cord issues and chronic pain/physical limitations. I can at least get out of bed and off the couch to get some things done. It is good to feel a little more productive and hopeful again.

I am taking one day at a time. It would be great to have more energy to do more things. I may ask my psychiatrist if I should reduce my Zoloft/sertraline from 75 mg to 50 mg and Wellbutrin/bupropion from 300 mg to 150 mg to see if this would help reduce my fatigue.

Definitely talk to your doctor to see if Wellbutrin would be a good option for you.

May God bless you on your journey.

Jump to this post

Hi
Good lord what a journey you have had. Very complicated for sure. You are a true warrior. You shld be very proud for not giving up. I also have a compression fracture in my spine thoracic which has changed my life to a certain degree. Also have fibromyalgia. Lost 2 family members my best friend and another close friend plus had to put my mom in a nursing home while I was going thru treatment last yr. I pray this yr is better for you and myself. God bless 🙌

REPLY
sue417 | @sue417 | Apr 1 1:37pm
In reply to @dlydailyhope "@sue417 I had been on Wellbutrin/bupropion and Zoloft/sertraline in the past at different times but never..." + (show)
@dlydailyhope

@sue417
I had been on Wellbutrin/bupropion and Zoloft/sertraline in the past at different times but never had them combined together.

In 2023, I had gradually weaned off the Wellbutrin and Cymbalta (treats nerve and osteoarthritis pain and depression) combination before having breast explant surgery (had breast implant illness symptoms and the saline plants ruptured) to see how I felt after surgery. My breast implant illness symptoms improved (did not have implants put back in) but I then lost my job, felt significant perimenopause/menopause symptoms, was dealing with chronic pain due to spinal stenosis/degenerative disc disease and became extremely depressed. I never felt this bad in my life. I had postpartum depression after having my son but never experienced crippling depression where I could not get out of bed or off the couch to do anything. I was always so productive and hard working and seemed to only be 5%-10% of my former self. Very scary for me because I am a single parent of a teenager and his sole provider (have no family).

My primary doctor the. put me on Prozac/fluoxetine 20 mg then increased to 40 mg but then I started getting brain zaps so stopped this medication. She then put me on Wellbutrin and it helped a little but not enough. She added Ativan but that caused bad side effects (pain/walking difficulty). She then tried mirtazapine but this made me want to eat everything around me so I stopped that. Finally, I started working with a psychiatrist to manage my depression medications and I asked him about the Zoloft/sertraline combination with Wellbutrin. He agreed to try it and first put me on 25 mg then 50 mg and now on 75 mg Zoloft/sertraline with 300 mg Wellbutrin (was first started on 75 mg 2x per day). My psychiatrist told me people say this combination makes them feel “well-oft” and I can say this is the only combination that seems to be helping me now. I am still only about 50% my former self but a lot is tied to my spine/spinal cord issues and chronic pain/physical limitations. I can at least get out of bed and off the couch to get some things done. It is good to feel a little more productive and hopeful again.

I am taking one day at a time. It would be great to have more energy to do more things. I may ask my psychiatrist if I should reduce my Zoloft/sertraline from 75 mg to 50 mg and Wellbutrin/bupropion from 300 mg to 150 mg to see if this would help reduce my fatigue.

Definitely talk to your doctor to see if Wellbutrin would be a good option for you.

May God bless you on your journey.

Jump to this post

Hi
I wondered when you first started zoloft if the 1st 2 weeks were sort of up and down? I know your body has to adjust. A bit of naseau and a bit low one day then better the next.

REPLY
2 replies
dlydailyhope | @dlydailyhope | Apr 1 1:58pm
In reply to @sue417 "Hi I wondered when you first started zoloft if the 1st 2 weeks were sort of..." + (show)
@sue417

Hi
I wondered when you first started zoloft if the 1st 2 weeks were sort of up and down? I know your body has to adjust. A bit of naseau and a bit low one day then better the next.

Jump to this post

@sue417
When I was put back on Zoloft/sertraline, it was in January/February of this year (2025). I felt some improvement after the first few weeks on 25 mg and then was increased to 50 mg around the 4 week mark. I then started to feel the dark, heavy cloud start to lift and became hopeful that I might feel better and can find a little of myself again. After 8 weeks/2 months, I was then increased to 75 mg. I have been at this dose for about 3-4 weeks now. I feel okay but a little more tired so think I need to cut back dosages a bit for both Zoloft/sertraline and Wellbutrin/bupropion.

I remember being put on 25 mg sertraline when I was pregnant because I started to have panic attacks (may have been due to hormone changes). It started to work within a couple weeks. I think I was on that dosage for a year or two because I then struggled with postpartum depression for several years.

It is good to give new medication and dosage adjustments a couple weeks to a month to see how you are doing. If you get really bad side effects early on, it is probably not a good medication for you. It may be better to stop the medication or reduce the dosage.

REPLY
dlydailyhope | @dlydailyhope | Apr 1 2:07pm
In reply to @sue417 "Hi I wondered when you first started zoloft if the 1st 2 weeks were sort of..." + (show)
@sue417

Hi
I wondered when you first started zoloft if the 1st 2 weeks were sort of up and down? I know your body has to adjust. A bit of naseau and a bit low one day then better the next.

Jump to this post

@sue417
If you are feeling up and down each day, I believe that is normal while your brain/body adjusts to the new medication. Your 25 mg dosage is very low so it would be good to see how you are doing after 3-4 weeks. It sounds like you are not necessarily getting really bad side effects so far so you may want to give it more time.

Your doctor will want to see how you are doing after 1-2 months and then determine if they think increasing the dosage would be good or if adding a new medication combination would be better based upon your symptoms (like adding Wellbutrin).

Counseling and self care is so important for you now. Take good care of and advocate for yourself. You have been through so much with the loss of loved ones and breast cancer. You are a fighter and I am rooting for you❣️

REPLY
1 reply
sue417 | @sue417 | Apr 1 2:32pm
In reply to @dlydailyhope "@sue417 If you are feeling up and down each day, I believe that is normal while..." + (show)
@dlydailyhope

@sue417
If you are feeling up and down each day, I believe that is normal while your brain/body adjusts to the new medication. Your 25 mg dosage is very low so it would be good to see how you are doing after 3-4 weeks. It sounds like you are not necessarily getting really bad side effects so far so you may want to give it more time.

Your doctor will want to see how you are doing after 1-2 months and then determine if they think increasing the dosage would be good or if adding a new medication combination would be better based upon your symptoms (like adding Wellbutrin).

Counseling and self care is so important for you now. Take good care of and advocate for yourself. You have been through so much with the loss of loved ones and breast cancer. You are a fighter and I am rooting for you❣️

Jump to this post

Hi
Thank you for your reassuring words. No I am not having really bad side effects at all compared to the other two meds I tried. I Have been like this since last August.So I know I have to just be patient.

REPLY
lorriemox | @lorriemox | Apr 1 8:04pm
In reply to @dlydailyhope "@sue417 I had been on Wellbutrin/bupropion and Zoloft/sertraline in the past at different times but never..." + (show)
@dlydailyhope

@sue417
I had been on Wellbutrin/bupropion and Zoloft/sertraline in the past at different times but never had them combined together.

In 2023, I had gradually weaned off the Wellbutrin and Cymbalta (treats nerve and osteoarthritis pain and depression) combination before having breast explant surgery (had breast implant illness symptoms and the saline plants ruptured) to see how I felt after surgery. My breast implant illness symptoms improved (did not have implants put back in) but I then lost my job, felt significant perimenopause/menopause symptoms, was dealing with chronic pain due to spinal stenosis/degenerative disc disease and became extremely depressed. I never felt this bad in my life. I had postpartum depression after having my son but never experienced crippling depression where I could not get out of bed or off the couch to do anything. I was always so productive and hard working and seemed to only be 5%-10% of my former self. Very scary for me because I am a single parent of a teenager and his sole provider (have no family).

My primary doctor the. put me on Prozac/fluoxetine 20 mg then increased to 40 mg but then I started getting brain zaps so stopped this medication. She then put me on Wellbutrin and it helped a little but not enough. She added Ativan but that caused bad side effects (pain/walking difficulty). She then tried mirtazapine but this made me want to eat everything around me so I stopped that. Finally, I started working with a psychiatrist to manage my depression medications and I asked him about the Zoloft/sertraline combination with Wellbutrin. He agreed to try it and first put me on 25 mg then 50 mg and now on 75 mg Zoloft/sertraline with 300 mg Wellbutrin (was first started on 75 mg 2x per day). My psychiatrist told me people say this combination makes them feel “well-oft” and I can say this is the only combination that seems to be helping me now. I am still only about 50% my former self but a lot is tied to my spine/spinal cord issues and chronic pain/physical limitations. I can at least get out of bed and off the couch to get some things done. It is good to feel a little more productive and hopeful again.

I am taking one day at a time. It would be great to have more energy to do more things. I may ask my psychiatrist if I should reduce my Zoloft/sertraline from 75 mg to 50 mg and Wellbutrin/bupropion from 300 mg to 150 mg to see if this would help reduce my fatigue.

Definitely talk to your doctor to see if Wellbutrin would be a good option for you.

May God bless you on your journey.

Jump to this post

I am on Wellbutrin for menopausal symptoms. I was started off on 300 mg right away. It took me a long time to figure out that it was interfering with my sleep even though I tried to take it every morning before 10:00 am. I reduced to 175 mg in the morning and am sleeping better, though the fatigue during the daytime is still a slight problem on the 175 mg. But it’s better than not sleeping well.

REPLY
marjou | @marjou | Apr 4 4:30pm

I have had two sisters and mom with breast cancer due to high estrogen. I have severe depression and bipolar for years and because of this family history doctors have not been receptive to my starting HRT, but post menopausal symptoms and vaginal dryness became so unbearable that I insisted that this latter part of my life, currently ate 70, be more bearable. In consult with a female ob/ gyn we came to a mutual decision that minimal estrogen would improve my quality of life and depression. It has been helpful for me.

REPLY
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