Menopause and zoloft

47 F, 5'9", 146 lbs., white, excess gas starts the minute I wake up until nearly bedtime, ADHD, Autistic, asthma, Concerta 36mg, Zoloft unknown dose (30-50 mg), 1 pill of Black Cohosh daily (for menopause symptoms), 1 daily Centrum multivitamin, no carbonated drinks, no alcohol, no smoking, no drugs, CANADA.
I was previously on Vyvanse and Escitalopram and experienced an excessive amount of gas build-up only a few months later. I stopped taking those meds and switched to Concerta and Zoloft. I have been on the new meds (Concerta & Zoloft) for 10 days. The first 8 days were perfect: no gas, no belly sensitivities/pain, and a normal appetite. Two days ago, on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, I decided to make a cup of Earl Grey Tea. I hadn't had any tea in over a week, so I thought it was okay because the excess gas from the last meds had finally disappeared. BOY WAS I WRONG! Maybe a half hour after drinking 5 sips of tea, I started to feel nauseous. My stomach started to hurt and I was burping. I tried all the things... Gas-X? Nope. Activated charcoal? Nope. Mint tea? Nope. A walk? Ehh, not really? The distraction of the walk helped, but the belly pain was still there. I guess the pain is anywhere from a 4-6, considering how little or how much I might have burped. Saltine crackers? No. Ginger candy for the nausea? Nope.
Today, on Friday, I woke up and made a glass of water with lemon juice because I thought I had read that this is good to drink when first waking up to make the stomach more alkaline. No. Forgot lemon juice is acidic.
I don't have IBS, my lactose intolerance is very mild so I can eat dairy once a day without issues, and my doctor didn't seem to care when I mentioned it (but she was busy with other stuff, and I have ADHD so, of course, I didn't think to re-mention it later). I don't have food intolerances, and I don't have anything medically wrong with my abdomen. I just ate or drank the wrong thing ONCE, and now my stomach will overproduce acid every day until I stop taking my medication for an extended period of time. Quitting Vyvanse and Escitalopram and taking a few days off reset my system. But I'm at my wit's end now. How can 5 sips of caffeinated tea affect me for days and weeks to follow despite eating mostly alkaline foods? All I ate this morning (Friday, May 31st) was a slice of brown toast with some margarine on it, and a sliced banana (and that stupid lemon water which was probably the culprit for today).
How can I stop my body from making this a daily thing? The pain isn't super high (right now it's probably a level 4), but it makes doing anything hard because of the discomfort. It's highly distracting and I can't focus on anything. I tried calling the local nurse hotline, but all she said was "go to the hospital." I told her I was autistic and I didn't understand the level of pain I'm feeling on her scale because all she said was "Zero is not painful and 10 is really bad" or something like that. So she wasn't helpful.
My goal is to be able to return to feeling NORMAL. No gas, no nausea related to excess gas, no belly sensitivities, no burping for 4 hours straight (I kid you not, this is actually happening as I type this). The only solution I can think of is to stop taking my medication cold turkey and let my body reset, then start taking them again on Monday morning. It was the only thing that worked last time.
Maybe you have a better solution? I'm at my wit's end. Crying from feeling like shit from waking up to bedtime. The only time I feel fine is sometime around 11 pm when it's finally time for bed, only to wake up at 6 again and my stomach hasn't even had food and it starts to overproduce gas (this is the behavior only when the gas starts from eating or drinking a bad food... in this case, the Earl Grey tea on Wednesday morning).
PS: I do eat a large portion of dandelion leaf salad with dinner with a side of spaghetti and meat sauce, but I don't think it's related to fiber as I don't eat fiber for breakfast. I've had fiber-related gas before in the past, but it was stomach bloating, not this level of bloating with the feeling of it going up to my throat and making me feel nauseous.
PSS: I was feeling super horrible when I started this post, but I've drunk about 3/4 cup of very warm mint tea, got up a few times, and let out a lot of gas through some burps. The pain and nausea have subsided a bit, but the recurrence of the gas daily is puzzling and what I want to find out.
PSSS: Due to my autism, I would ask if you could please be specific in your questions. Don't leave out any details. Ask me bluntly if you have to.

I am 50yo and have been married to my 53yo wife for 14 years. We have an 11yo daughter. I love them both dearly, they are everything to me.
My wife has dramatically changed in the last 5-6 years. Some of which I attribute to a job change, some due to a loss of a parent, and some due to what she concedes is menopause/hormonal. As a result

• The # of times that my daughter, wife, and I do anything together (instead of tag-team parenting) in a month can be counted on a single hand.
• My wife does not touch me physically, even in a non-sensual way.
• She will not say I love you unless it is a response to me saying it
• Formerly very active physically, she now spends 90% of her time on a computer or phone in bed or on the couch. This is the exact opposite of the woman I met and knew for the first 10+ years and she admits her health/fitness have deteriorated.
• When the weekends approach she obligates herself to help out a mother with whom she has a very unhealthy relationship. As a result my wife is gone for huge chunks of the weekend and is mentally exhausted from dealing with her mother. No time for our immediate family to do anything.
• She met with a doctor who told her her hormone levels required therapy. She started treatment but stopped after a few weeks because it caused minor acne.
• She medicates herself to sleep every night with Zoloft, Unisom, and melatonin. She will not see a therapist.

And me? I've turned into an a-hole in the process. I'm frustrated, lonely, resentful. Seeing other normal families doing things together makes me insanely jealous. My anger will occasionally slip through and I will be unfriendly..never abusive, just "prickly". To manage all this pent-up energy and anger the only way I can get rid of it is through outrageous amounts of exercise/working out (3 hours or so daily). I have begged my wife to hit the reset button with me, to go on trips overseas, go to therapy, whatever it takes. It goes nowhere. We are friendly roommates, nothing more.
The very last thing I want to do is spend less time with my daughter or cause her distress through divorce. I want to save my marriage, but other than giving an ultimatum and threatening divorce I honestly don't know what to do at this point. I don't feel like I am handling this new wife of mine very well, I feel like she's self-destructing and shaving years off her life with this new lifestyle, and I don't think there is anything I can do to make her happy.

I am playing catch up with this thread.
I went through IVF ages 29-30. At the time my specialist stated that my reproductive system is functioning about 10 years ahead of my chronological age. That would seem that at 41 I could likely be hitting menopause. Right? I’m definitely in perimenopause if I base it on lack of periods alone.
I came off Zoloft because it suddenly wasn’t helping. I do have some mental health issues but the fatigue, weight gain, etc is getting worse.
I keep seeing HRT as an option but it scares me. I was diagnosed borderline Hashimotos in 2019 and wondering if it’s all combining now into what feels like a big storm that I can’t find my way out of.
Doctors keep ordering bloodwork, but nothing major comes back. I’m lost as to even what my next step is.

What was your worse health care that caused you to seek more medical intervention & answers for fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, or potential diagnoses?
I had the worst experience of my life two nights ago. I woke up early Friday evening from a nap. I slept about 2 hours. I woke up feeling off. I was sweaty and could not breathe. I was dizzy, disoriented, and sweaty. We called 911. I thought I was having a heart attack or a stroke. I went to the emergency room. They did a CBC, EKG, and CT scan of my brain. I had low glucose, which was resolved by drinking a glass of cranberry juice. I hadn't eaten anything in over 10 hours. My doctor was incredible. After the test results came back, he said, "Could it be anxiety? Possibly. I don't know, I wasn't there." Initially, I thought it could have been anxiety, but the symptoms presented in such a way that it absolutely didn't seem that way. He prescribed anxiety medication. I'm grateful it has helped.
I've been simply existing since my diagnosis in December 2023. This event has forced me to face some hard truths. For as much as I thought I knew, I really knew nothing. There's so much I need to learn about my body. I have depression and anxiety that was caused by my ongoing health problems and ultimately fibromyalgia. I stopped taking Zoloft for depression & Klonopin for anxiety to start Cymbalta. I've tried Savella and Cymbalta twice. Cymbalta helped with my fatigue, pain, sleep, and mood. Ultimately, I had to stop all medications due to severe side effects.
I'm post-menopausal and never wanted to do hormone replacement therapy. From what I've read, it's now something I have to talk to my doctor about. I've gained about 70 pounds in the last 4 years. I have to talk to my doctor and lose weight. My symptoms are dizziness, disorientation, always hot and sweaty, chronic and debilitating fatigue, widespread pain, brain fog, depression, anxiety & insomnia/sleep disturbances
I'd love to hear your stories. Did you have a life changing medical scare that propelled you to get more answers and work harder? Have you found more effective medications that manage your symptoms and fibromyalgia? What about vitamins, supplements, and non-medical interventions? Changes to your diet and exercise? Have you taken weight loss medications? Have they helped with both weight loss and fibromyalgia?

I had the worst experience of my life two nights ago. I woke up early Friday evening from a nap. I slept about 2 hours. I woke up feeling off. I was sweaty and could not breathe. I was dizzy, disoriented, and sweaty. We called 911. I thought I was having a heart attack or a stroke. I went to the emergency room. They did a CBC, EKG, and CT scan of my brain. I had low glucose, which was resolved by drinking a glass of cranberry juice. I hadn't eaten anything in over 10 hours. My doctor was incredible. After the test results came back, he said, "Could it be anxiety? Possibly. I don't know, I wasn't there." Initially, I thought it could have been anxiety, but the symptoms presented in such a way that it absolutely didn't seem that way. He prescribed anxiety medication. I'm grateful it has helped.
I've been simply existing since my diagnosis in December 2023. This event has forced me to face some hard truths. For as much as I thought I knew, I really knew nothing. There's so much I need to learn about my body. I have depression and anxiety that was caused by my ongoing health problems and ultimately fibromyalgia. I stopped taking Zoloft for depression & Klonopin for anxiety to start Cymbalta. I've tried Savella and Cymbalta twice. Cymbalta helped with my fatigue, pain, sleep, and mood. Ultimately, I had to stop all medications due to severe side effects.
I'm post-menopausal and never wanted to do hormone replacement therapy. From what I've read, it's now something I have to talk to my doctor about. I've gained about 70 pounds in the last 4 years. I have to talk to my doctor and lose weight. My symptoms are dizziness, disorientation, always hot and sweaty, chronic and debilitating fatigue, widespread pain, brain fog, depression, anxiety & insomnia/sleep disturbances
I'd love to hear your stories. Did you have a life changing medical scare that propelled you to get more answers and work harder? Have you found more effective medications that manage your symptoms and fibromyalgia? What about vitamins, supplements, and non-medical interventions? Changes to your diet and exercise? Have you taken weight loss medications? Have they helped with both weight loss and fibromyalgia?

My pmdd has caused a sever stunt in my life. I will bed rot for days, blow up at people I love, make unhinged Facebook posts, cry at work uncontrollable, quit jobs I like randomly, I have attempted suicide three times before I realized it was pmdd. When I went to college I didn't understand what was happening and dropped out multiple times. Luteal phase sets me back so much in life. I will sleep for 15 hours straight. There have been maybe twice where I was actually on the verge of some sort of psychosis. I take zoloft and xanax. It does help, but more like as if I am taking Tylenol for Scarlett fever.
I need a better solution. I'm a burden to my family.
Does anyone have experience with chemical menopause or ovary removal? Thank you

I’m finding a lot of information post-op. It’s really helpful but my questions extend far into the future about what can be expected.
A couple days ago I had a vbac childbirth but my uterus ruptured and was emergently removed. Most of my cervix was taken, too. Not sure about my 1 remaining tube. Both ovaries were left in tact. My uterus has given me significant hassle throughout the child bearing journey and this is the end.

1. I am absolutely expecting mood issues with it being postpartum and post traumatic birth. I will be starting Zoloft today. So, I’m not so much asking about ptsd and direct relation to the experience. Rather, I am wondering what can be expected regarding my hormones influence on my mood and suddenly losing a major organ / some blood supply to my ovaries. Particularly a year / couple years down the road.
   
2. What can I expect regarding sexual function? Things like libido, sensation, wetness, etc. I haven’t always had the healthiest sex life given childhood trauma, but I’ve continually worked on it and I’ve learned to have a beautiful sex life with my husband. I guess all that said- will I be able to and will my body allow me to enjoy sexy time with him.
   
3. my ovaries remain in tact but I’ve read articles about partial hysterectomy and early ovarian failure. This is my biggest concern because it’s all related! I want to understand details about “early menopause, etc”. While I am 35 and we are done having kids, I haven’t even thought about menopause yet! All of my hormone levels have been beautiful prior to survey. I’m terrified of that changing.
   
4. When hormones change, what can I expect? - early signs of aging (skin, hair, etc), sexual function, osteoporosis, cardiovascular health, etc. Honestly, I have no idea what to expect and I am terrified.
   
5. I worked so hard throughout pregnancy on my deep abdominal strength, pelvic floor health, and overall strength. Overall I’ve been active, healthy, and strong. I don’t feel that way anymore. I feel like I’m added at least 10 years overnight and that I’m going to die early (hence menopause, etc…). I’m scared.
   
6. Finally, not so much a question for this group. Just a statement looking for human connection. I am certain I will need significant mental health help. i feel like this is my fault for wanting the vaginal birth. It was a beautiful birth surrounded by my husband and a group of very amazing and supportive women. But once again my uterus failed Of course I’d be in the 1% risk again. I should have just had a repeat csection.
   

40/f/USA, white, 240lbs 5'7, medications: zoloft, atenolol, wellbutrin, synthroid
Just one I thought I'd throw out here for lack of anyone else to ask. I tend to feel extremely hot, even in very cold surroundings. Besides feeling hot, I'll sweat buckets. I wore a hoodie in 60 degree weather and soaked through it. I went out to the store in 27 degree weather in a tshirt, short and crocs and felt mildly uncomfortably cold. Everyone else was in coats. This has been an off an on lifelong thing that continues to get worse. Doctors' answers seem to be "I don't know." I hesitate to call it "heat intolerance" because it can happen in cool/cold places as well. But actual heat makes it a lot worse.
Things that are not an issue:

• thyroid disorder (I had my thyroid removed because that lumpy fucker was out to kill me, my levels have however always been perfect, either through natural means or medication. The heat issues predate the thyroid removal by years although it was starting to really worsen around the time I was about to have it removed. Removing it made no difference.)
  
• diabetes (it's an obvious thing to consider given my size but I'm not diabetic. Just went in for my annual physical.)
  
• neurological conditions that would be visible on a brain scan, such as MS (I've had a couple in the last decade, for hearing loss and numbness. There are no spots, plaques, etc, except for I believe one spot believed to be caused by chronic migraines. I've had that long before the overheating became an issue; probably over 20 years ago it was first noticed.)
  
• fibromyalgia (I do have chronic pain and fatigue but not fibro; the tender points test confirmed that but I already suspected as much. the various symptoms I have seem really different from fibro.)
  
• SSRI side effects. I tried going off for a few weeks. They were not the culprit.
  
• merely being fat/out of shape. this has dogged me long before i was this big. if anything it's contributing to my weight gain because every minor movement makes me start sweating and have heat coming off my skin in waves.
  
• hormonal causes (I've had many hormone tests and birth controls over the years for endometriosis. Never had irregular tests except mildly high testosterone at one point. Although I did used to get light night sweats three days before my period started. (I had a partial hysterectomy in 2017 so if I get night sweats now I have no idea if they're relevant. I do still have ovaries.) Also it doesn't seem at all cyclical.
  
• alcohol use (I don't drink)
  
• cardiac disease seems pretty unlikely given the tests my GP gave me never pointed to it (aside from mildly high cholesterol). I had a leg vein ultrasound for nocturnal pain and no narrowing or blockages. Cardiograms have historically been normal. However i haven't seen a cardiologist.
  
• caffeine use (can't touch the stuff or I get horribly sick)
  
• menopause doesn't seem relevant here although I'm sure it'll get worse when that starts.
  
• high blood pressure (my blood pressure is normal. I take atenolol for a rapid heartbeat - cause unknown - and have since my early 20s. My blood pressure is slightly high without it, but I'm never without it.)
  
• dysautonomia - ok this one hasn't been ruled out by a doctor or even brought up but my understanding is that this causes you to be heat intolerant by leaving you unable to sweat. I have sweat pouring constantly. However please do correct me if I'm wrong.
  

Any guesses? At this point it doesn't alarm me, but it's miserable (plus I developed an allergy to Lume - you know they hypoallergenic deodorant, go figure - so I stink.)

I'm 37 with chemoradiation-caused menopause from anal cancer. My gyno wants me on birth control (estrogen + progesterone) but these pills give me panic attacks, brain fog, and an overall diminished QOL.
They suggested an SSRI for the symptoms. But getting on Zoloft is giving me negative side effects too and I'm just like why am I doing this? I was feeling really well and performing well and felt comfortable in my own skin.
All the articles act like taking HRT is easy breezy but it is torture for me.
I'm trying to find actual info on how many years we supposedly lose from premature menopause. I'm seeing like 1-5 years... and I'm just trying to weigh my options..
Has anyone had difficulty with HRT? (I have to take progesterone bc I have my uterus).
Thank you. <3

Edit: talking about buspar NOT burpropion (wellbutrin)
ave a lifelong history of anxiety and depression that is generally well-controlled by SSRIs. (Currently on 200 mg Zoloft. Been on anywhere from 100 to 200 mg since 2015.) Before that, 10 years on Lexparo. Before that, 2 years on Paxil. Never met an SSRI I didn't like, respond very well.
I've always had bad PMS mood wise, but it's getting worse as I age and more unpredictable. As I explained to my therapist, if I have a generally low stress level, I can have an OK month. If I have any type of external stress, I really melt down, and I think it's more PMDD territory.
I am turning 40 next week, so I do suspect it has to do with perimenopause, though my cycles are still very regular. But my mom went through menopause at 40, so I always thought I'd likely be early too. (Sister is 46 and starting to notice cycle changes and peri symptoms in past year).
I've always been weary of hormonal birth control bc I didn't want it to make my anxiety and depression worse. Now that I'm 40, I don't know that it would be indicated either. Since I'm already on the highest dose of an SSRI (zoloft), I can't really increase there. Today my therapist mentioned the possibility of taking a "booster med" just during luteal or the week before my cycle. She suggested maybe buspirone (buspar).
Anyone else take this med (or others) in this way? Meaning you're already on a daily SSRI for management of anxiety and/or depression, and you take another psych med as an augment but only during part of your cycle? Experiences?

I (57) have always been anxious but it seems in the past few years my anxiety - especially health anxiety - has become overwhelming. I stress over mammos and test results and even regular dr visits since I think they will find something wrong. I just started Zoloft so I’m hoping it helps but wonder if anyone else has noticed bad anxiety since menopause.

48F 240 lbs (down 60 lbs in the last 16 months) Former smoker- on and off for 25 years Type 2 diabetic Sarcoidosis (lungs and lymph nodes) Lupus anticoagulation syndrome Asthma
Dx with sarcoidosis in May 2023. Started high dose Prednisone June 2023. Slow taper starting in December 2023 and finally off Prednisone as of April 1, 2024. Added Hydroxychloroquine February 2024 due to continued joint pains primarily in hands, wrists, knees, ankles, elbows and shoulders while trying to taper. Now off Prednisone the pain is primarily in my hands and wrists.
Last A1C was December 2023 and was 6.3 but it was very hard to keep it that low because literally anything I ate would cause a glucose spike due to the steroids. Thank God for my dexcom 7 monitor because it helped me figure out what I could safely eat without immediately spiking my glucose into the upper 200's to lower 300's. My diet has been primarily eggs, veggies, chicken and some dairy for the last 10 months. I think the strict watch on my diet is the reason I didn't gave a bunch of weight while on steroids. I've only gained 5lbs to date and I'm sure that is water weight because I am so bloated and my legs are constantly swollen.
Beginning March 2024 I noticed anxiety type symptoms- agitated, not sleeping well (3-4 hours a night), night sweats, hair loss. That has now morphed into depression like symptoms - questioning self image, crying about everything, irritable and no desire to do anything.
I'm questioning whether it could be from the hydroxychloroquine because it all started about 1-2 weeks after I started it. Or could it be menopause, no clue about menstrual cycle due to hysterectomy in October 2021, ovaries intact.
I see my endocrinologist next week and don't know if I need to have her run bloodwork on my hormone levels or if I need to contact my pulmonologist and see about trying a different medication, I have an appointment scheduled in May with her. She has mentioned possibly methotrexate and azathioprine if the hydroxychloroquine didn't work.
Psychologist has mentioned maybe starting on antidepressants but I am on Xarelto (8 years now) and it doesn't play well with a plethora of medications. But I can't go off it because I start throwing clots within a week of stopping it, often times within 4-5 days when I've had to stop it for surgery.
Previous antidepressant trials from years ago with Wellbutrin, Zoloft and Lexapro did not go well and within a couple months symptoms would worsen so I am leery of antidepressants.
I'm just at a loss, my mental health is starting to affect my marriage and I need to pull myself out of this tail spin I'm currently trapped in.
Current meds I take daily- 14mg Rybelsus, 10mg Farxiga, 2.5mg Lisinopril to offset BP increases with Prednisone, 10mg Singular, 180mg Allegra, 10mg Xarelto (down from 20mg), 200mg Hydroxycholoroquine, centrum silver women's multivitamin, 600mg Calcium Citrate, Vitamin D3 5,000 IU, Vitamin C 1000mg, Vitamin B complex, and a probiotic.

I’ve been on Zoloft for 6 months, recently upped to 150 back in January.
Since then I’ve been suffering from awful night sweats every night. Puddles of sweat on my entire body. Would need to wipe myself down 2x in the middle of the night and change my clothes.
Did some research and saw some people talk about taking Vitamin E before bed in this subreddit because it’s what women in menopause are recommended to take to fight hot flashes.
Been using it for 10 days now and I don’t get them at all anymore! It has been game changing. It worked the first night. I really recommend if you’re struggling with this issue!!

Hi! I’m 50. Was definitely in perimenopause for a few years (age 40 and onward). I had ablation of my uterus to stop the insane amount of bleeding (5 days of periods, every 2 weeks). That worked great. Barely any evidence of periods.
Last year, I began having severe panic attacks and anxiety. Like, over the top - I thought I was dying. Also: vertigo. So my doctor prescribes Zoloft/Sertraline. Fine. I start taking it, it’s been pretty good.
I also started spotting again, and “period like” times-of-the-month. Nothing like the old days, but regular, and needing a pad. The ablation is known to last only a few years, so I got a decade in. But my blood tests indicated I was “POST menopausal”.
With a history of cervical cancer, I was sent for an endometrial biopsy. Despite the gynaecologist drilling into my uterus, not enough of a sample was obtained, so there was no data from that. Then she prescribed an ultrasound. I had “menopause brain” and missed my appointment. Now I am going for blood tests to see if I am still “post menopausal”.
Meanwhile, my vagina feels like sandpaper. Sex? HA!! I used to love it. I want to love it again. Isn’t this supposed to be the prime of my life? (Blanche DuBois??) I can’t get any kind of HRT or medical support until all of this testing is done.
Are all these tests normal? I mean, I’m all for due diligence, but I’m going on 9 months of sexual side effects. My doc won’t prescribe anything until I have a full work up. This might happen by the time I am 70, at this rate.

Hello, just wondering if anyone here was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (premature menopause) at a young age? I'm turning 40 soon but went through menopause in my late 20s (probably autoimmune). I probably always had ADHD (every member of my family has it) but was pretty functional until menopause (thought I just had generalized anxiety disorder, now I know...), and then the last 10 years it's gotten worse and worse each year. Then I had Covid in January and my cognition tanked even more, finally prompting a formal ADHD diagnosis. I'm finally realizing, and admitting, how disabled I've become... I WFH running my own tiny little business and my deep dark secret is that I look like I work full time, but I'm probably only actually working 25-50%. I'm shocked at how much I didn't realize ADHD was a part of my life, and how much denial has set in. I keep blinking- I just thought I was a lazy piece of shit.
I can't express how much the combination of menopause and ADHD has negatively affected just about every aspect of my life. Is anyone else going through this? What is working for you? What's not working for you?
(So far I've tried 10mg of Vyvanse in Feb which had some promising results (reduced anxiety, a few unusually productive days at work) but haven't been able to get more due to the shortage. I'm on HRT (estrogen vaginal ring, no progesterone due to intolerance- so I have an IUD to keep my uterus in check). And I take Zoloft. Just tried 200 mg of L-Tyrosine 45 minutes ago and I don't notice a difference.
Anyway, if you have gone through menopause (even if you went through it at an age-appropriate time), any recommendations would be much appreciated. Books? Strategies? Therapists? Supplements? How to make a gazillion dollars while basically disabled so you're not so terrified of the future? You know, simple stuff like that. Thanks!

I'm almost 45 and my hormone tests show I'm in the menopausal range. My worst symptoms right now are brain fog, fatigue, depression, anxiety (I just upped my Zoloft dose to 75 mg), and cramps from my irregular but not heavy periods. I do have sleep temperature/sweat issues but a Bed Jet helped a lot with that. I'm currently taking no hormones (I was on a b.c. pill, stopped when it ceased helping my night sweats, then a friend my age had a stroke so I decided to pause for awhile.) Ultrasound was normal; getting an endometrial biopsy to make sure all is OK.
I just started from scratch with a new doctor after my old one moved away. She seems to be leaning toward an IUD for my periods but I have reservations about this treatment in that a.) I'm worried about painful insertion b.) I do not struggle with heavy flow periods--just irregular ones. People I talk with who love their IUD seem to have struggled with really big bleeds.
Would love to know if anyone out there has/had symptoms like mine and if you had a treatment that helped, even if it's an IUD. Since I don't know this doc I can't tell if this is a normal route to pursue or if she's just IUD-happy.

I have been on a bioidentical compound cream, which includes estradiol, esteriol, testosterone and progesterone for the past two years. Initially, I felt some improvement however, lately I have been feeling awful. I have been depressed. My scalp is always sore, my hair is thinning in that area where the scalp is sore. I’m always tired. I wake up at 2 AM soaking wet and can’t get back to sleep. I attempted to take Zoloft and that made me feel worse. Then I started researching menopause and came across this thread. Based on the post here, I went to my doctor yesterday, and requested the Estradiol gel progesterone and testosterone. The doctor tried encouraging me to stay with the compounded by hormones. His advice was that maybe the place I was getting them compounded wasn’t the best place and he had a specific place he’d preferred for me to work with. However, that place was about an hour from my home . I insisted on what I originally asked for. He said he wasn’t familiar with a gel, but since I wanted it, he would prescribe it. He prescribed the gel . 75 mg estradiol and a progesterone 100 mg and he said he was unable to prescribe the testosterone cream for me. That part I didn’t understand. We will see how this goes.
For the people who are using the testosterone, how was it prescribed that you were able to get it?

Hi, all. I’m 47 and menopausal. I got bloodwork 2 years ago that showed an LSH at menopausal levels. The reason they checked is because I had to have an endometrial ablation at 43 because of excessive bleeding (wonkiness cause by peri, I’m sure). Anyway, hitting menopause by 45 threw me for a loop. I thought my weight gain was the pandemic and my rage was my job. I feel like I’ve aged 10 years in 2.
I’m on micro patch estradiol and oral progesterone now through a telehealth company because—get this—I couldn’t bear to go to my OBGYN and be weighed and my symptoms dismissed. But I’m struggling so much. So much. I hate my body. I’ve always hated my body (thanks, 1990s and the fact I’ve been on a diet or silently counting calories since age 10). But I hate it more now. I feel betrayed. This belly. My God! It’s not like I threw caution to the wind. I’ve been trying diets and exercise and even a weight loss drug that made me feel awful and that I now can’t get, but I cannot lose fat. My belly is floppy! It causes me despair to feel it. I want to cut it off.
My skin—it’s so dull. I’m lucky not to have many wrinkles, but I feel disgusting. “She let herself go” is the worst thing that can be said about women here in the south, and I look like I have, though I’ve been in mental agony for 4 years about my appearance.
I don’t want sex. I feel like I don’t deserve to be happy because I’m an ugly old hag at 47, and it must be all my fault for being a bad person or something for not preventing my own decay. I don’t want to feel this way. I’m on antidepressants (Zoloft and Wellbutrin), I try to get exercise, do self care. I try to tell myself I don’t owe the world pretty.
I do not know how to live in the body and mind I have now. I don’t know who to talk to because this all sounds ridiculous. How can I reprogram myself? How can I stop worrying about appearance beyond the general cleanliness and maintenance? Why do I hate myself so much and feel disgust at my body?

Hi all. I've suffered from pmdd since 1995. I'm 45 with a 3 year old. I have tried probably everything. I have finally come to a place where 200mg of Zoloft and 20mg Vyvanse plus vitamin E. D. C. B12 and calcium. And 1/2 a .05 mg of Klonopin as needed. I'm starting to add a high protein diet with daily exercise with the goal of my heart rate above 130 for 30 minutes.
All of this said .. I'm not having another baby. I'm primed for menopause and I'm scared to death of the effect my pmdd will have on my son. I don't want him to have to survive my moods before my period. I also want to be a whole me that's positive and not a fucking nutball 5 days a month. My poor partner.
Has anyone had a hysterectomy to possibly avoid any more pmdd symptoms and to avoid the roller coaster of menopause?

I’ll take any suggestions to get out of this utterly forked part of menopause hell. Zoloft has been good, but now I wonder if it’s partly causing my problem🤔
HRT put me into a terrifying state of mind; I seriously contemplated suicide and scared the crap out of myself. I stopped the HRT that day and haven’t had those thoughts since.
I have been trapped in a panic / anxiety state for a few days now. I’ve been deep breathing and doing yoga , yet the ball of tension in my stomach and tightness in my chest remain. My leg muscles feel as if the need to be working all the time so my restlessness is off the charts. I’m constantly in my head trying to figure out what the fork is wrong with me.
I exercise for 1-2 hours on my days off, 15 minutes yoga on work days. I don’t drink, rarely eat meat, and consume minimal dairy. I have a sleep routine, I don’t doom scroll ( hell, I barely look at social media). Lorazepam can help at times, weed can help at times… I want to consistently feel better , without using meds and drugs.
Anyone have any suggestions? I’m wondering if my need for Zoloft has changed now that I’m fully menopausal. Perhaps my agitation and anxiety is linked to serotonin syndrome? I’m grasping at straws here.

Hello everyone, and I hope someone can give me an answer to this. I am a 45-year-old woman who started on Zoloft 100mg 11 weeks ago. The days have their ups and downs, but I feel a little better every day.
However, I'm still not 100% healthy as I felt before. My overall health hasn't been so good in the past two years, and the doctor thought I might be burnt out and suggested Zoloft. At first, I declined, but during the fall of 2023, the anxiety and panic attacks were so overwhelming that I could hardly leave the house. I was signed off work and then chose to start on Zoloft. I also take 25mg of beta-blockers in the morning because of tremors in my body, and later found out through blood tests that I also have a slightly high thyroid function.
Fortunately, this seems to have calmed down a bit now. I've also been to a gynecologist to check if I could be going through menopause, but there are no signs of it. I also take birth control pills because of the pain I still experience during menstruation. I've been on the pill for many years, but lately, my cycle has been very irregular. I've always had a regular period, but lately, I've been menstruating every two weeks. And now I've been bleeding for 17 days straight.
I also have pain in my lower back that has been going on for over a month. I've been to the doctor a lot, but they can't figure out the cause. In the last few days, I've been very emotional, tired, and lethargic, and just walking up the stairs makes me tired, so I mostly lie in bed.
What worries me most is that I've suddenly had menstruation bleeding for 17 days straight. I also started a low-carb diet right after New Year's, but I've been on low-carb diets several times before without it affecting my menstruation. Does anyone out there know what this could be due to?

Hello everyone, and I hope someone can give me an answer to this. I am a 45-year-old woman who started on Zoloft 100mg 11 weeks ago. The days have their ups and downs, but I feel a little better every day.
However, I'm still not 100% healthy as I felt before. My overall health hasn't been so good in the past two years, and the doctor thought I might be burnt out and suggested Zoloft. At first, I declined, but during the fall of 2023, the anxiety and panic attacks were so overwhelming that I could hardly leave the house. I was signed off work and then chose to start on Zoloft. I also take 25mg of beta-blockers in the morning because of tremors in my body, and later found out through blood tests that I also have a slightly high thyroid function.
Fortunately, this seems to have calmed down a bit now. I've also been to a gynecologist to check if I could be going through menopause, but there are no signs of it. I also take birth control pills because of the pain I still experience during menstruation. I've been on the pill for many years, but lately, my cycle has been very irregular. I've always had a regular period, but lately, I've been menstruating every two weeks. And now I've been bleeding for 17 days straight.
I also have pain in my lower back that has been going on for over a month. I've been to the doctor a lot, but they can't figure out the cause. In the last few days, I've been very emotional, tired, and lethargic, and just walking up the stairs makes me tired, so I mostly lie in bed.
What worries me most is that I've suddenly had menstruation bleeding for 17 days straight. I also started a low-carb diet right after New Year's, but I've been on low-carb diets several times before without it affecting my menstruation. Does anyone out there know what this could be due to?