Perimenopausal female diagnosed with depression.

[Gigi4647]

I am a female. I went into the Perimenopausal phase of life. One change I have experienced is suffering with depression due to hormonal changes. I have tried SSRI's and could not tolerate them. I have since been prescribed Pristiq. This medication does help. I forget to take it one day and had severe withdrawl symptoms. I was wondering if anyone else has had a similiar experience. It took several days for me to get back to normal/feel better. This was a wicked situation. Are withdrawl symptoms normal if one dose of an antidepressant is missed? This is the first time I have experienced depression and the trials of medications has been interesting. Please let me know if you have experienced this with the medication Pristiq.

[LeftCoastChick]

Hormonal changes are notorious at causing depression. I would really recommend you get all of them tested.  Many folks go for years with very low grade depression until they start to peri/menopause. If the Pristiq is working for you that's great! You just can't miss a dose and it sounds honestly that you missed more then one dose, because the med needs a constant level, I know if I've missed more then a day on those drugs I get the spins and sweats.

[Marin600]

Medicines for the brain and nervous system have a long list of side effects and each person is unique, so can have them to lesser or greater extents.  Sounds as though you haven't been this route for a long period of time.  I recommend that you read Breakthrough by Suzanne Somers, and maybe some of her other books, then see if you can find a medical provider from the lists at the back of her book(s).  She's a perfect example of someone seeking help on their own, when confused or disappointed in typical allopathic care.  She has become expert in her knowledge.  Many of us who troll the literature and anything else that might help us also become fairly expert in the problems pertaining to us or our relatives or friends.  She's gone further and has authored books telling us what she's learned.  So much for the dumb blonde bimbo she played on TV!  Dr's are busy, and if you get an entire 15 min with one, you won that deal!  It takes time to sort out the solutions to the problems you have, and most docs don't have that time.  A prescription for depression is so much easier, so much faster, than finding out why the depression occurred.  Chemical and glandular disturbances are notorious for being elusive to detect and difficult to correct.  You need the expertise of someone who's looked at a lot of women in your situation.  In addition to your stated problems, you may have one or all of thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary problems.  Depression is not caused by a deficiency of a drug.  A drug may help you to deal with it, but down the line you're also going to be dealing with the problems from having taken it.  If you're at all near Women to Women Health Clinic in Maine, or a naturopath or holistic dr, if you can't find one from Suzanne's lists, then go there.  Notice, I'm not suggesting that you don't need med for depression, I'm saying that these suggested sources can help you get to the cause, which is likely largely chemical and/or glandular, with a little of life's hard knocks added to the heap.  Much good luck to you.  It would be so helpful to others for you to tell us how you solve your problems with depression and the associated med problems.  Please come back and tell us.