Meds for perimenopause/menopause - Menopause Message Board

americandancer · 09-19-2008, 04:24 PM

Has anyone tried antidepressants for perimenopause and found that they worked without making them too tired, agitated, etc? My gyn keeps telling me that he has had the best results with his patients with wellbutrin, but I've tried it and it causes me too much anxiety and irritability. I have been unable to stick with it in the past because of it.

Has anyone taken wb for peri, and had it work?

mgobluefan · 09-21-2008, 05:31 PM

Every antidepressant they put me on wound me up more. It was HRT for me (Vivelle dot patch) that was the lifesaver! See my posts on other threads... Take care...

denicar · 11-14-2008, 06:42 AM

i have been on wellbutrin without good results. i tried effexor and see better results. less moodiness. good luck!

mimi1824 · 11-14-2008, 06:56 AM

Hi ladies,
I was automatically thrown into menopause while on chemo 2 years ago (44 years old) and have been taking the following vitamines every day and noticed that of course I still have the hot flashes, night sweats, etc but don't need effexor or other anti-depressants. It works for me, might not for others. Here is my recipe:
Omega 3-6-9
Multi vitamine
Vitamine E and D
St john's wart
Apple Cider vinegar
and of course i'm on tamoxifen for another 3 years. I also drink lots and lots of water which i'm sure helped me through chemo. Was not sick at all. We as women all have to go through menopause but it does get better.
take care

molly123 · 11-20-2008, 08:22 AM

HI Americandancer, Think I remember you from long ago. I have been post-meno for several years now but during the time when I was hit with a lot of symptoms - more physical symptoms such as the internal shakes, burning arms, anxiety, brain fog, etc. than feeling agitated or moody. My dr. put me on Wellbutrin. I don't know if it was the Wellbutrin that was making me feel spacey and weirder or it was the menopausal symptoms - all I know is that I did not like how I was feeling. I was only on it for 9 days only. Dr. told me to give it more time but I wasn't willing.

A few weeks later, I was put on Paxil CR. It took a lot for me to take an AD but I had to do something. First pill I took, I literally felt this "lift" taken away from me. Kept me up the first night so I started taking it in the morning and then it made me drowsy but not to the point where I would pass out. The Paxil didn't make me feel the way Wellbutrin did. I would say within a month I was pretty much back to myself. I continue to this day taking Paxil. I'm sure I don't need it anymore but the side effects of getting off of it scares me plus I am afraid that I would start experiencing anxiety and panic attacks again.

I think desperate times means taking desperate measures and even if it means going on an AD for a time period, do so. Of course, each type of AD affects people differetly...sometimes you have to try several before finding one that works for you, which IMO is a real bummer because it could make you feel worse than you already are feeling. These menopausal symptoms can just be overwhelming horrible esp. for someone like me who was not used to not feeling well all the time for so long.

molly123