Okay... after I had my son I had the opposite of post-partum depression. I like to call it post-partum elation. I was extatic... very satisfied with life.. just completely thrilled. I nursed my son for a year... and a few months afterward (around this past December)... I noticed some major hormonal changes. I seriously thought that I was pregnant (in spite of having a regular period.) So I went to the doctor and she told me that I probably just had my first good ovulation since having my son... which makes complete sense.
A month after that I went on the nuvaring... but stopped using it after 3 months. I'm very sensitive to hormones and any form of birth control that I've tried has made me very cranky, gain weight, and have no sex drive. So... I stopped using that several months ago... but I STILL feel like my hormones are out of whack.
I almost feel as if things are worse than ever. I'm completely exhausted all the time, and just feel as if I have constant PMS. My Mom is bi-polar (as well as many others in her family)... so I've always been very conscious of my mood swings because I am determinded to get help at the first signs of depression. Before now.. I have never shown any signs whatsoever... but could this be the beginning?... or could it just be hormones... or could it be something else? I've seen what my mother has been through, so all of this really concerns me.
Who should I go to?... a family doctor?.. my OB?... a counselor? I just don't really know where to start. I can tell that something just isn't right.. and I feel as if I've given my body plenty of time after I quit nursing and quit birth control to get my hormones back on track.
Any suggestions?... advice?
Ashely,
I had the same problems your describing, I finally had enough of the roller coaster ride and spoke with a family doctor. I told him my symptoms and that it also runs in my family. I am now on Lexapro (ssri Anti depressant) and so far am doing much better.
Do speak to your doctor and don't be afraid your not alone in how you feel.
It sounds like thyroid maybe a simple thing. Ask doctor. G. W
Hi A.!
Have you tried Arbonne's Prolief? It works wonders. Read Dr. John Lee's books on What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Premenopause....What Your Doctor May Not Tell you About Breast Cancer.........he has another one on Menopause. You can also google John Lee MD. I have been using Phyto Prolief since 2003 and have no more migraines, fibrocystic breast and have felt so much better. I just had my ovaries removed and am safely using Phyto Prolief with my Drs. approval. I have a great holistic gynocologist and she recommends bio identical hormones.
A.,
As I read your post, my first thought was you might be bipolar. I say this because I was diagnosed bipolar and at the same time I was having horrible hormonal mood swings. I spoke to my psychologist, Dr. Martha Williams, about you yesterday. She specializes in bipolars. She said to give you her information and depending on where you live she can recommend someone. Her office is at Hillcrest and LBJ. She will be out of town for the next 10 days, but you can leave her a message on her cell.
Her number is ###-###-####. I have been seeing her for over 7years and this therapy has helped me greatly. I also see a Psychiatrist, Dr. Mascarenhas. His office is off the tollway near the Keller springs exit. His office number is ###-###-####. I would see a therapist firt. A good one will know if you need to see a psychiatrist for additional treatment and medication.
Today is 8/5 and Dr. Williams leaves for her trip tomorrow. Please call her ASAP. There is no need to suffer with Bipolar disease if you recieve the right treatment and therapy.
BTW When I was diagnosised, My psychiatrist, general doctor and OB/GYN worked closely together to get me better.
Good luck and if you can, let me know how things go. When you call Martha tell her L. told her about you.
L. Habenicht
You should be able to have your Dr. (whether your primary care physician, or OB/GYN) draw some blood and do a check of your hormone levels. Then you would definitly know if it was hormones or not, and they could get you on some sort of regimine to straighten it out. If not hormones, then you and your doctor would know to start looking for other things, such as depression, and be able to go from there.
Good Luck!!
You certainly don't want to ignore something that might be a problem. Either your OB or your family doctor could help here -- I'd choose the one you feel like you have the best relationship with.
Also, some friends have had scary experiences with anti-depressant drugs, so I might ask for a blood test to check your hormone levels and other things before diving into any prescriptions that might have unwanted side effects. A blood test will show if progesterone, insulin, blood sugar, thyroid, etc. are in the normal range. Honestly, low blood sugar and thyroid issues can cause serious energy and mood problems, and they're both easy to fix. Also, if your iron levels are low you'll feel run down a lot.
I'd also pay attentin to your diet. It's hard to eat right when you're a busy mom, but there are some easy ways to adjust what you're eating that might help your moods. I'd drop caffeine all together. Granted, you might be MORE grumpy/moody for a few days after you quit, but that will even out. Make sure you're not snacking on things loaded with sugar or even worse, high fructose corn syrup, which causes peaks and valleys in your blood sugar levels. Snack on a piece of fruit instead of sweets, use honey in your tea instead of sugar, etc. Other changes -- replace refined grains with whole grains, stay away from red dye and MSG (monosodium glutamate), and drink plenty of water.
The idea is that a lot of processed foods and artificial things cause our bodies to behave as if it's being invaded by foreign objects. Red #40, high fructose corn syrup, and disodium EDTA were never meant to be in the food chain, and your body knows it!
The other thing that has seriously impacted my moods is regular exercise. I never went to a gym or anything until the beginning of this year. I found one with free onsite childcare and try to go 3 or 4 times a week. I think a regular boost in the body's natural endorphines helps keep me more even and less prone to volatile ups and downs...and certainly less of the "down" times, where you just feel "blah" and unmotivated. Of course the problem with being unmotivated is that it's hard to get yourself moving to make this particular change. But, I did it with a friend and now that the habit is there, it's easier to keep it up (and not to mention the fact that I'm PAYING for the gym membership!)
The other thing, of course, is sleep! I have to check myself when I start complaining of being tired....If I've been up late several nights in a row, then up early with the kids, OF COURSE I'm exhausted. The body can't run very effectively on 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night. I've also heard that the deepest sleep you'll get is between 11pm and 3am. If I'm not going to bed til midnight, it doesn't matter if I sleep til 9am, I missed out some of on the most restful sleep I could have had.
Anyway, there are tons of things to think about :-).
I hope you get some relief soon!
Many times a mother will fall into a state of some depression as certain stages of their child's life change. Your son is 2 and you may have been very happy in the beginning but your life has obviously began to change drastically. Your son is obviously not a baby anymore, he is probably very busy and getting into things. At this age he is exploring and adventuring and you are having to keep up with him. I'm not saying this is the cause of your feelings but I'm saying its events like these that can really take a toll on your mental, emotional and physical state of being. I think it would be a good idea to let your general doctor know how you are feeling. She/He can suggest a psychologist or psychiatrist if needed. Because its been so long since you had your son I'd wait on the gynecologist until after you've ruled out other things. If your general doctor thinks it could be hormonal she/he will point you to your gynecologist. Either way I think it is very important to have some counseling all along the way. Whatever is going on you will have the counselor to talk to and help you get through everything. The help of specialists and counseling really makes a difference. Good luck, I hope things get better for you. :)
Have you had your thyroid checked? If it's off you could have some of the symptoms you mentioned. I would check with your OB and see if they will check it if they haven't already!! Good luck!
A.
I am very sensitive to hormone changes also. I hate that!! I have a 6 month old and started solids about 1 1/2 months ago. Soon after, I started getting PMSish. I was SO moody. It was rediculous. I thought about getting on some anitdepressants, but didn't because I still wanted to nurse. After a month of madness I finally had my first post-partum period and returned to "normal" (whatever that is). I don't know you, but maybe it's just a big fat combination of staying at home and hormones. I LOVE staying at home, but...it can be very demanding in its own way. I was once under extreme stress and took antidepressants. I commuted an hour and a half a day with a baby in the car...and I was a new mommy. Anyway, in my experience, the medication was very numbing. I didn't feel so anxious and depressed, but I didn't feel happy either. For me it is just better to roll with the punches and suck it up...I like to fully experience the joys in life - not be numbed to everything. Please take this with a grain of salt. I know everyone is different and I am not a dr. I just felt I could relate. Maybe do some research - I am trying - to find out how long it takes to get hormanes back to normal. I hope this helps in some way - good luck! Life can be hard and happy and sad and stressful all at the same time!!!
