Depression Due to Hormonal Changes

There are many antidepressants on the market designed to lift the despondency associated with depression. These medications may or may not help patients, but they also have many side effects.

Depending on the particular drug, such side effects may include insomnia, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and nausea. Depression due to hormonal changes often responds to bioidentical hormone therapy.

Bioidentical hormones have the same molecular structure as hormones naturally produced by the body. These bioidentical hormones are created primarily with soy and wild yam. Let bioidentical hormones lift the veil of depression from your life and help you return to a more even state of mind.

Depression Symptoms

Everyone feels sad on occasion – that is normal. Actual depression occurs when this sadness does not leave and negatively affects a person’s life. However, symptoms of depression go beyond feelings of sadness. Other common symptoms indicating depression include:

Changes in eating and sleeping habits
Difficulty concentrating
Helplessness
Irritability
Loss of libido
Mood swings
Personality changes
Physical issues – nausea, headaches, just never feeling well
Suicidal thoughts.

Women and Hormone-Related Depression

The National Institute of Mental Health notes certain types of hormonally related depression occurring at various stages of a woman’s life. These include:

Perinatal depression – this type of depression occurs either during or after pregnancy. After childbirth, it is referred to as “postpartum” depression. Pregnant women experience huge hormonal changes which can contribute to perinatal and postpartum depression. In rare cases, women diagnosed with postpartum depression may end up in a psychotic state.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder – this type of problem is not synonymous with premenstrual syndrome, but is akin to an extreme form of PMS. Many symptoms common in depression are found in women suffering from premenstrual dysphoric disorder, along with muscle and joint pain and breast tenderness.
Perimenopausal depression – for most women, menopause is a gradual process, and perimenopause starts years before the actual cessation of periods. During this time, usually in a woman’s late 30s to early 50s, all sorts of hormonal changes occur and depression is often a result.

Bioidentical Hormones and Depression

Bioidentical hormones can help women in a variety of ways, and that includes relieving symptoms of depression. These hormones also ease the side effects of depression, allowing women to get better sleep, feel more energetic and regain their libido.

Women experiencing postpartum depression who are still nursing their babies should not take prescription antidepressants if they want to continue to breastfeed, as the medication can pass on to the infant. Bioidentical hormones are safe to use during pregnancy and nursing.

Even women going through postpartum psychosis may benefit from bioidentical estrogen hormone therapy. For women in perimenopause, bioidentical hormones can regulate periods as well as lift spirits.

Menopausal women suffering from depression may not want to take synthetic hormones – often made from pregnant mare’s urine – because studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular issues.

That is not the case with bioidentical hormone therapy, which does not cause these conditions. In fact, women using bioidentical hormones lower their risk of developing diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and osteoporosis.

Contact Dr. Jacobson Today

If you are suffering from depression and believe hormonal changes are affecting your condition, call Dr. Edward Jacobson’s office today to arrange a consultation.