After years of struggling with depression
and trying every over-the-counter and
prescription drug, my doctor (md with
alternative medicine training) decided to
test my hormones. I'm a woman in
childbearing years. Turns out my estrogen
level was way out of wack and once he put
me on a natural progesterone to level out
estrogen levels, I have been
depression-free for a year now! I just
had to tell more people because I can't
believe other doctors didn't think of this
before. Natural progesterone (not the
same as synthetic progestin in birth
control pills) is often used for pms but
not all hormone-related depression is just
before someone's period. Even if you
don't think it's pms related, it might be
worth getting hormones checked out if
you're a woman.
Also, for women over 40, it could be
perimenopause or menopause and the same
testing and treatment might hold true. I
specifically went to a doctor trained in
integrative medicine, similar to Dr.
Andrew weil. My ob/gyn didn't think
testing hormones would tell her anything
so this is not a standard thing. But it
worked for me and other people I know, so
it just hasn't caught on with all doctors
yet. Good luck.
