hormones and depression

[Litcrit]

Is there any definitive source as to what hormones are present at what times in a woman's life and how they affect mood?

I felt great during pregnancy (progesterone?) but had horrible PPD until I got my first period (estrogen?), when I started feeling better, but I sink with PMS and during my period every month (estrogen again?!?), and I never used to be depressed at those times in my cycle before giving birth. I'm still breastfeeding, and I'm sorta hoping I'll feel 'back to normal' after my 2.5 yo weans herself.

Does anyone know of a site that actually explains what hormones a woman is excreting at each stage of her life and how they may affect her moods? I've been googling in vain for a long time.

My PPD only really kicked in around 4 months post partum. Does that have anything to do with anything?

Does breastfeeding do anything? Will it get better after DD weans or will it get worse?

Can I do something different if I have another child, PPD-wise?

Will menopause finish me off?

Why is it so difficult to find sources on this?

[mom0810]

I really think the big culprit in PPD is the drop in progesterone. It's also why you get PMS. So yes, I think progesterone has a lot to do with depression.

When you are nursing, you are naturally low in progesterone, too. So yes, you could feel better after weaning.

Can you go and get your hormones tested? I did this at my OB but did not find anything helpful. My thyroid was "normal" and they didn't even look at progesterone because it fluctuates throughout your cycle. So no help from them.

I am considering a progesterone cream.. but I will tell you that I have done this before my pregnancies and while it helped me a ton with weight loss and mood, it gave me AWFUL headaches right before my period and this is a common side effect of progesterone. Once you start bleeding, the headache goes away, but it is a DOOZY. Really really bad.

So yes, I think it's from hormones. And menopause may actually help becuase everything will be stable. So who knows? You can do natural hormone replacement then. But don't worry about that now.

I am taking lots of fish oil now, and vitamin B. I exercise a lot and eat lots of turkey (tryptophan helps with depression). Other than that, I , too, am riding the hormone wave. I have about two good weeks right after my period and then things go downhill with lots of anxiety and OCD symptoms. But it's manageable.

I hope you feel better. I know I will feel better when ds weans. He's almost 20 months now... so maybe in a few months.

[K-Mom3]

The book Women's Moods (Sichel & Driscoll) is all about how female hormones are related to mental illness and mood disorders. If you're having trouble with PPD and PMS I would recommend this book to help you predict what might happen in the future. When your body can't handle one hormonal event properly (like the postpartum drop in hormones) it is more vulnerable to disregulation (and therefore more depression) during future hormonal events, such as the changes prior to menstruation.

I have been told that mom's who nurse have a smaller chance of getting PPD but I'm not sure about how toddler nursing factors into all that...I agree with mom0810 that weaning may help your depression get better.

I had a friend who had awful PPD and would have these angry, violent days. On those days her milk supply was always too low for her infant to get enough. At about 8 months she lost her supply after several really hormonal weeks....and not too long after her PPD symptoms decreased and then eventually went away.

[tappinerp]

I have no idea where to find that information either- but I am 100% convinced that the majority if not all of my ppd was due to the hormone inbalance and it took me forever to get back to my "old self". As far as weaning- I weaned ds at 28 months and I can say that a month or so after I finally felt like I was totally back to normal. I kind of felt like ever 4 - 5 months I could "feel" a major improvement, but weaning definitely was the final step my body needed to get back in sync. I am 100% supportive of extended breastfeeding, but I do think it took its toll on me and by extension on my family. Sometimes I wonder if the pros outweigh the cons...

[mommy68]

I also read somewhere recently that copper is lost during the birth and that is another reason women are likely to have PPD. I've never heard this before and need to research it more. I had terrible PPD after the birth of my last child.

I think it's also good to get lots of omega 3's in your foods and through supplements. The baby takes a lot of it away during the last trimester of the pregnancy.