I went to the Dr. Wednesday for my checkup. I mentioned to her that I've been having a hard time controlling my emotions, especially right before I my period. I used to be pretty even tempered, and even kept my emotions in check during my difficult marriage....now it seems that I yell when I get angry, cry over the littlest things, am ecstatic when things go right....just a little too much of everything! I didn't know if it was hormones (I'm almost 41), the stress of the last year, or what. My Dr. immediately put me on Lexapro, an antidepressant. But I really didn't think I was depressed.....just out of whack.

Anyone else have experience with this?

Anna - yes. I couldn't even think, couldn't even see the sky, the sun, the moon, the dogs. I was a zombie. Affairs, and divorce are hard to take. Some people are able to cope differenetly, without anti-depressants. Some have to have the extra help. I was on Zoloft, and now on Lexapro. They have made a difference in the fact that I could get out of bed. I could get up and look around. Can't say I could function.

Even at the group for battered wives I attend once a week. We talked about this just last night. And how we feel we have alzheimers. Suggestions went out on how to cope. On how to keep organized. To see the ones that have gone past this, and to know that we will be there is what I wanted to see with my own eyes. Two ladies got up and exchanged their stories with us. They were like us. We could drive to the same destination that we have been driving for years. And find ourselves miles away. Our cognitive thinking is slurred. And this is normal.

Your emotions get out of whack so easily. You cry at the slightest drop of criticism. You cry, when you see your husband. I know, I have been dealing with this for awhile. I am getting better. Now when I look at my husband. It hurts, but I say a prayer for him, and ask God for peace.

I know that my husband is not well. I know that my husband is hurting inside too. I know that he feels he has screwed up his life, and all of our lives. But my husband won't admit it. I can, and say to the kids, as much as I can, that I am sorry. I say, that I wish we could of been a family. But we have to deal with what we have.

You are going through a depression. And your Dr. is right. Did this Dr. go through the list of depression symptoms. I just saw another Dr. and I have been on anti-depressants for over a year. I am still depressed. But she said I am now working out of the depression. Not by much.

Also, you may be going to start pre-menopause. I started when I was about 45 and now I am 52. It is an ugly ugly step. Some women have more symptoms, and I had 3 really bad symptoms. My Dr. kept doing blood work on me every 4 months. Cause the emotions were so bad. Cycles were so bad, and I had 3 uterine ultrasounds. She thought I might have had a tumor, and there was one scare.

So there are many things that can be contributing to your emotions. Men don't see where they can help. They just complain and say is it your homrones. But they don't realize that they go through andropause too. That is male menopause. That is what I think my husband is going through. But he won't get checked out, and also, I feel my husband has thyroid problmes, and maybe diabetes. Cause those 2 diseases run in his family.

Also, diabetes can really take and mess up your emotions as well as thyroid.

Get a complete blood check, blood count, glucose, thryroid TSH, and 3 & 4 I think. But the one where you have to fast 12 hours before. Also get your hormones tested. It is better to keep on top of the levels and see if you can get some relief. Good luck.

A couple of years ago, I ended up in dr's office complaining that something was out of whack. But, having been depressed twice, I knew that wasn't the problem. YET. He said he thought it sounded like my ovaries were beginning to be inconsistent, 'grumpy' he called it. And suggested a small dose of estrogen in the evening. Seems that it helps your REM sleep if you take it then. ( I was crying all the time and not sleeping so I had no energy to do anything but I knew it was not yet depression.) It worked wonders. I mean WONDERS. I don't always take it. But if I find myself slipping, not sleeping, moody......I take my estrogen.

Oh, I read most of a good book on perimenopause, "The Change Before The Change".

One more thing. Dr said a lot of drs like to prescribe antidepressants when the women aren't really depressed but their hormones are out of whack. Don't know that yours does but that is what my dr said.

Thanks....my Dr. is a woman, who's been a single mom, and I've known her for 5 years and she's been with me through this whole thing, so I do trust her....she didn't talk to me about depression symptoms, but I have the list and I just don't see that I'm depressed, altho I can see now that I was during my marriage; the only one that didn't fit was that I was never suicidal (if anyone was going to die, it wasn't going to be ME!)

Faith4me, did you have any side effects? I've only been on Lexapro 2 days, but I've had the most awful nausea and stomach pain...I'd say I was pregnant, except I'm not. Not sure if it's worth taking this stuff if it makes me sick....of course it's too soon to know if it helps.

We must have the same Doctor. My Doctor just put me on Lexapro. I was on Effexor but I seemed more anxious lately and couldn't stop worrying about everything. I was put on antidepressents at first because I had post-partum depression after the birth of my son a year and a half ago. Then the divorce happened while I was being weaned off and my Doctor (Counselor) felt that taking me off antidepressents was a bad idea.

How interesting that you mention that diabetes can cause a surge in emotions. I have type two diabetes and I never really thought there was a connection.

Thanks for pointing that out to me. I just started the Lexapro two days ago so hopefully soon I should see a difference, I hope.

I have type 2 diabetes also....I do notice a difference when my BS is too high or low, but I keep it pretty regular so I don't think that's a problem.

Talked to My Dr. yesterday, she said to stop taking Lexapro for a few days and then try it again to see if the nausea returns.

And now my brother called last night to tell me my dad passed away in Texas where he and mom go for the winter. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="images/icons/frown.gif" /> Kinda' wish I was taking something, my mood is certainly not very good.

I went to my dr. for depression at the age of 41...1 year after d-day and a hysterectomy.

I have a few symptoms of the pre-menopause also but I am seeing they are also side-effects of the anti -depressants. I am looking forward to getting off them so I know what is what.

I started on Celexa and did real well with them. Dr said they are a mild anti-dep. and should help. I had naseau for the first few days with that. It went away and no other side effects. When I went back she told me about Lexapro and that it was basically the same thing but they had sort of left out the side effects. (The reason we changed was that she gave me samples of the celexa and there were no more of them available but lexapro samples were available). So, I changed to Lexapro. About a month ago I decided to go back to Celexa to see if some of the funny things I was seeing since lexapro would go away. And they did...the first day I was off it.

All in all, I like the celexa better FOR ME, but I am going to go off of them very slowly because I still have a few things I don't like (night sweats..and I don't know if it is pre-meno. or the meds.) I can go off the meds and see...

But, having said all that, I am very glad I went on the anti-depressants when I did because I needed help. I was in counseling and working things out but I needed something to slow my mind down and even things out while I worked through everything that was going on. It really helped me and I am grateful for them. But I'm ready to be done.
Good Luck! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

Oh, forgot to say, Sorry to hear about your Dad! That's a tough one. <img border="0" alt="[Teary]" title="" src="graemlins/teary.gif" />
Hang in there.