THE SECOND HALF
Women's Health
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TREATMENT FOR MOOD CHANGES
Some women experience mood changes in perimenopause and menopause. This can include irritability, anxiety or depression. It can be a worsening of pre-existing symptoms or completely new symptoms. Women with a history of depression, PMS or postpartum depression seem to be particularly vulnerable to a recurrence of depression. Alert your healthcare provider if you have had PMS or depression in the past.
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If you are having anxiety or depression, assess the severity of your symptoms and the impact they are having on your life. Depression and anxiety are serious disorders. Contact your healthcare provider to discuss treatment options. Treatment will vary depending on the severity and duration of your symptoms. If you are having a major depressive episode, treatment options that have been shown to work include anti-depressant medications, cognitive behavioral therapy or psychotherapy.
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Some of these mood symptoms can be secondary to sleep deprivation and/or poor sleep but some of them can be unrelated to sleep. If your mood changes are related to sleep changes, hormone therapy might help with this. Research has shown that hormone therapy can be helpful in treating depression in perimenopause but that it is not helpful in treating depression in postmenopausal women.
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Contact your provider and discuss your symptoms and management options.
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