Depression? Menopause?

My surgery was in May of 2004. I never reached my goal. My weight loss virtually
stopped at 165 lbs . I have gained back 10 lbs since.
I just want to hear from those who are 50+ years old and can relate to the
menopausal predicament.  I have felt extremely down and depressed for a long
time. My Obgyn prescribed Zoloft at 50mg to take-supposedly this is the new
game plan to regulate menopausal distress. I have taken it for one year and it
has done absolutely nothing for me. I realize the dangers of hormone replacement therapy.  I would love to hear from those who are on some other type of antidepressant medications--pros and cons.  I feel like the hormone fluctuations are
causing a lot of disruption in my system. I know positively that I do not eat more
than 1300 calories per day (I use FitDay). I have no energy and right now with this
awful depression I cannot drag myself to my treadmill. There is honestly no reason for this depression. I fortunately do not have financial or family problems of any
kind. I have good friends and a good life.  Trying to get into a psychologist/psychiatrist.MD in this area is next to impossible. You might get lucky to get an appointment sometime in 2009.
So, those of you who are in my age group and situation, I would love to hear any ideas on what you take to ease the depression/menopausal issues. Thanks!

For some HRT is a problem, for the rest of us a godsend.  I went into menopause around my surgery and opted for bio-identical hormones after doing a lot of research.  My OBGYN was not happy about it, but 4 years later he has come around.  I see him regularly to make sure my levels are right and the lining of the uterus is thin as it should be.  HRT is not right for everyone and with that said I think it is a personal decision and your doctor should not rule it out.  For me it made everything right in the world.

Vi, thank you for your reply. I also was on HRT for about 4 years due
to fibroid tumours. I felt very well also, physically. I am most worried now
about this heavy depressive sad feeling which won't subside. And if Zoloft
won't work, what will?  Thanks again Vi. :-)

Anti-depressants are not for everyone.  Honestly I would sit down and have a heart-to-heart with your OBGYN and if he cannot see the reasoning then find a new OBGYN that has his mind already made up about HRT.  This is your life and you get a say in it.  I wish you luck.

This is going to sound very strange but how much Splenda do you use?   I have been experiencing depression and memory loss which I attributed to losing 2 family members and a friend this year as well as 7 failed IUIs (I'm 44 and told I'm just too old now but not yet experiencing meno symptoms if you exclude being mental, crying and having anxiety attacks on an almost daily basis).   Enough to make a girl depressed but the memory loss??   The last couple months life has been good, I should be bouncing back but instead my weight is bouncing back and my Fitday journals are a nightmare!  I also am tired and it makes exercise something I force on myself to combat the gain, not something positive.   Anywho, I finally did a workup with my RNY surgeon and visited with his exercise guy and nutritionist.  My B-12 is 288 which is too low but the nutritionist mentioned something new to me... low and behold, that Splenda (in some new study) and for a small portion of folks, gives them short term memory loss and depression like symptoms.   I was a Splenda princess.   I am now cold turkey for 5 days and maybe its my imagination but I feel a little clearer, am laughing (and making) jokes w/co-workers instead of mean, negative remarks and feel more positive and I haven't cried in 5 days!  Just an FYI for u.

Hi Jacki,
Thanks for the information and happy to hear you are getting results. Who would have thought? I do not use Spenda at all, but I do use Equal-not much or often. The B 12 is also interesting--I was diagnosed in summer of 1995
with pernicious anemia (the inherited kind). I have to self-inject B-12 every
10 days.  Your memory loss is scary. Just coincidentally I have been reading
an interesting book by Pamela Weintraub called "Cure Unknown:Inside the Lyme Epidemic" which addresses Lyme Disease and how it affects people in various ways-such as memory and brain fog. Seems like people who live in the
northeastern states are more affected by this.
I appreciate your open and honest posting. Jacki I wish you well.

Thank you very much for that info on Lyme.  It is very prevalent in my area and I do have deer in my very backyard.   If the no-splenda experiment doesn't work I'll get myself tested for that and mono too.   I used to use Equal in the early times post-op but it made me nauseous and occasionally throw-up.   I was told equal and sweetnlow are digested differently than the splenda and that splenda is more friendly to the re-routed parts.  Gastric distress is an individual thing as I'm sure you know by now.   The truvia seems to be ok and I've come across the organic sugar cane juice crystallized sugar that has no carbs and is also recommended for us.  It's hard to find.   I'll try that next month and see how that goes.    Thanks for your input and well wishes and right back at you!!   J.