Hormones Depression and PMS

Senior gynaecologists have expressed concern that older women my often be prescribed antidepressant drugs for depression that is in fact caused by a change in hormone levels and in circumstances when hormone treatment would be more appropriate. Why, then are so many women treated with ant-depressants when they really require hormone treatment? One possible reason for this is a failure by GPs to look beyond the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS/PMT), which is exacerbated by continuing fears surrounding the safety of HRT. However, Professor John Studd points out that the latest medical evidence supports the use of HRT, “There are now many randomised controlled trials showing that transdermal oestrogens in a dose of 200 mcgs twice weekly is an effective way of treating this sort of depression”.

Professor Studd points out that this simple medical adjustment can spare so many women so much misery and has transformed women’s lives. He says that patients are often a casualty of the ‘turf war’ caused by psychiatrists insisting that they know best.

The benefits of modern HRT do not stop there, the hormone adjustment will also:

  1. Increase bone density and prevent osteoporotic fractures
  2. Stop hot flushes and sweats
  3. Treat lack of libido and vaginal dryness
  4. Protect the spine
  5. Reduce risk of heart attack
  6. Improve skin texture

For further information – see HRT 10 reasons to be happy.

Feelings of sadness, hopelessness and a loss of interest in life, combined with a sense of reduced emotional well-being Full medical glossary
A viral infection affecting the respiratory system. Full medical glossary
The death of a section of heart muscle caused by an interruption in its blood supply. Also called a myocardial infarction. Full medical glossary
A substance produced by a gland in one part of the body and carried by the blood to the organs or tissues where it has an effect. Full medical glossary
Abbreviation for hormone replacement therapy, the administration of female hormones in cases where they are not sufficiently produced by the body. Full medical glossary
Sexual drive. Full medical glossary

The time of a woman’s life when her ovaries stop releasing an egg (ovum) on a monthly cycle, and her periods cease

Full medical glossary
multiple sclerosis Full medical glossary
A hormone involved in female sexual development, produced by the ovaries. Full medical glossary
The combination of physical and emotional symptoms that occur in many women in the week or so before menstruation. Full medical glossary
A specialist in the management of mental health conditions. Full medical glossary
A study comparing the outcomes between one or more different treatments for a disease (or in some instances, preventive measures against that disease) and no active treatment at all (the placebo group). Study participants are allocated to the various groups on a random basis. May be abbreviated to RCT. Full medical glossary
Studies comparing the outcomes between one or more different treatments for a disease (or in some instances, preventive measures against that disease) and no active treatment at all (the placebo group). Study participants are allocated to the various groups on a random basis. May be abbreviated to RCT. Full medical glossary
The muscula passage, forming part of the femal reproductive system, between the cervix and the external genitalia. Full medical glossary