Menopausal anxiety and depression

That can be really hard because you certainly can’t take hormones anymore. First line treatment is Ssri and ssni which it sounds like your doc is doing. It takes time to build up to the max dose and if it doesn’t work you have to start all over with a different one. Don’t lose hope and keep on trying them until you have exhausted them all. There may be adjunctive meds or herbal remedies others can point to, just make sure they don’t contain estrogen or progesterone. Another thought is to have a full thyroid panel (TSH, free T4 and free T3) just to be sure you don’t have 2 things going on making things worse

Just after I wrote my last post I found this website, seems very credible
https://www.joinmidi.com/post/menopause-breast-cancer?campaignid=21474728112&adgroupid=&utm_term=&matchtype=&network=x&device=t&extensionid=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=All-Blogs-url_Matchnode_Test&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21484990543&gclid=CjwKCAjw7rbEBhB5EiwA1V49nWIcESucZe4bVXG4yHn_uJ_UBTnIJBZmelDfkBj_UzW-WfSMcCZXmxoCiSQQAvD_BwE
Also an ad for a drug that I have never heard of, maybe ask your doc about it

Hi
Thank you for responding yes I have had a thyroid panel and it's fine I was on 5-HTP prior to going off hormones which really helped me a lot but once I went off the hormones I wasn't getting any relief I'm going back to my naturopath this week to get tested to see if this Zoloft agrees with me or not

Hi
Thank you for responding yes I have had a thyroid panel and it's fine I was on 5-HTP prior to going off hormones which really helped me a lot but once I went off the hormones I wasn't getting any relief I'm going back to my naturopath this week to get tested to see if this Zoloft agrees with me or not. My oncologist put me on
Vaginal estrogen because I was getting so many UTIs since being taken off of my hormones which has helped quite a bit plus I take a supplement. Uriexo it has cranberry and d-mannose which helps a lot. I have been in counseling also because I had a lot of trauma during my treatment and cancer lost two family members had to put my mom in a nursing home my best friend died of cancer and another friend took her life so it's been a pretty rough year and a half.

Thank you

@sue417
I am so sorry to hear of your struggles and multiple losses over the last few years. You have been through a lot!

I haven’t had HRT or breast cancer (deal with many other spine/chronic pain issues) but can totally relate with menopause hormonal changes causing major depression and anxiety plus extreme fatigue and brain fog.

I tried multiple medications and some used to work but no longer help (Zoloft/sertraline used to help me with panic attacks and postpartum depression but not so much now). I am currently taking Wellbutrin/bupropion 300 mg which has helped some but still not optimal. It has at least helped me stabilize a bit to function a little better each day but still not my old self. It seems like menopause hijacked my former self and life and wish I had my old self back again.

If you haven’t tried Wellbutrin/bupropion, you may want to look into it. Sometimes, they will do a combination of Wellbutrin and Zoloft which has helped many.

I pray that you get some relief soon!

Hi
Thank you.
My losses happened during my cancer in 2024 within 4 months I lost all those people during my treatment. I also have spine fractures which I was diagnosed in 2022 with my first one and osteopenia and then April this year my spine fractured again into more places so now I'm doing a new medication which is an injection daily called forteo. I think it's making me feel more fatigued.
I totally relate to you saying that it hijacked your prior self menopause. I have read about Wellbutrin thanks for that info I was wondering if maybe that might help if they added it I do see my doctor next week so I'll see what he says . Did you find Zoloft took away your appetite because I sure am not hungry at all since starting it.

@sue417
I wish I could give you a big hug. I really feel for you and what you have been through.

I did not have a reduction in appetite but do know depression will cause that and Zoloft has been a cause for a reduced appetite for some.

You may want to talk to your doctor about adding Wellbutrin to your Zoloft prescription. I have been told by my psychiatrist that the combination makes some people feel much better so it has been nicknamed “Well-Oft”.

When I was in a really deep depression phase, my primary doctor tried Wellbutrin/bupropion with aripiprazole which is a antipsychotic. When the aripiprazole was increased, it started to cause me pain symptoms so I stopped this Rx. They then tried mirtazapine added to Wellbutrin/bupropion and this medication caused me to become ravenous so I stopped taking it since I didn’t want to gain anymore weight.

My hope is you are able to find the right medication, dosage and combination that helps you get back to a level playing field in life to help you cope.

Hi
This is the fourth medication I have tried and this is the one that's lost the longest I started it in March and it was okay but not now I just want to get off of this completely and then go back on my 5-HTP that I was taking and see if that works. I've only had to be on an antidepressant prior once in my life and that was in my early twenties when I went through some horrific trauma and I believe it was Prozac I was on it for 3 years and going off it was not a big deal so I don't know what to do honestly but thank you very much for your kind words and telling me your story. I don't know how you would wean off this medication because it's a capsule.

I’ve been on three different antidepressants throughout my adult life. All episodes have been due to health issues and one job issue. It’s really important to talk to your doctor before going off any antidepressants. It’s not an easy transition for most. I’ve been on Prozac, Lexapro, and now Pristiq. Prozac was a long time ago, and I believe it was a slow process. I tried to go down slowly on Lexapro but had a relapse and was switched to Pristiq. I think I’ll need to be on an antidepressant for the rest of my life. I’ve heard horrid stories about withdrawal from Pristiq. Again, please talk to your doctor!!! They should be able to help you wean off the medicine.