Depression and Mood Changes in Perimenopause and Menopause

Depression and Mood Changes in Perimenopause and Menopause

The hormonal changes experienced by women during both perimenopause and menopause can cause mood changes, anxiety, low mood and depressive symptoms. These symptoms are extremely common and are one of the main reasons women will often seek help during perimenopause and menopause. Symptoms can be experienced in different ways.

Some women report feeling that they are emotionally sensitive.

Women also describe their mood as being flat or that they feel sad. Many women report that their previous joy and vitality for life has significantly lessened or gone.

A common theme is that women often describe a disconnect between how they feel and how they know they should be feeling. This often being experienced with them feeling flat or sad despite having many things in their life they know they should be feeling happy about.

Some women will also experience depressive symptoms.

Women who have previously experienced depression before perimenopause/ menopause, often report that their feelings of low mood are different in perimenopause and menopause.

This occurs because mood changes within perimenopause and menopause are mainly due to fluctuating and declining oestrogen hormone levels. Alternatively, a clinical depression is caused mainly through a woman’s serotonin or dopamine hormone levels being too low. As such anti-depressants are not recommended to treat low mood and depressive symptoms in menopause because they don’t increase a woman’s oestrogen levels.

It’s important to recognise that a small number of women will experience low mood symptoms associated with both a clinical depression (serotonin and dopamine hormone deficiency) and an oestrogen deficiency through perimenopause or menopause. Here a specialist menopause assessment is often needed to ensure that a woman is supported with the right treatment to help her feel better.

Mood changes can also be experienced by women as irritability.

Women also frequently report feeling anxious which can often be related to things that they have done for years with ease. Woman can also experience marked anger rages or feelings of being significantly overwhelmed, in response to triggers or situations that she previously would have dealt with relative ease.

Understanding Your Unique Experience

The mood changes experienced by women during perimenopause and menopause are primarily caused by reduced oestrogen hormone levels. Perimenopausal and menopausal mood symptoms don’t tend to be experienced in isolation and its common during both of these stages to be experiencing multiple symptoms.

There are 34 symptoms of menopause which can all be experienced by women during both perimenopause and menopause. You can use our menopause symptom checklist in our next newsletter to see what other menopausal symptoms you may be experiencing in addition to your mood symptoms.

Women don’t need to wait until they experience menopause to be supported with hormonal or non-hormonal treatment to help with their troublesome symptoms. A wide range of treatments are available to support women with mood symptoms during perimenopause and menopause. These include treatment with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), Menopause Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Lifestyle Treatment.

If you are unsure if you need help, please email us at info@menopause.org.nz to arrange a free 15-minute review appointment.

Further information, our 34 symptoms of menopause checklist and appointment bookings are available at www.menopause.org.nz

The 34 symptoms of Menopause

Menopause symptoms can include:

1. Burning Mouth

2. Joint Pain

3. Brittle Nails

4. Dry Skin

5. Swollen Gums

6. Bloating

7. Dizziness

8. Digestive Symptoms – Constipation

9. Breast Soreness

10. Sleep Issues

11. Osteoporosis

12. Headaches

13. Memory Issues

14. Urinary Symptoms – Stress Incontinence

15. Irregular Heartbeat

16. Low Mood

17. Hair Loss

18. Body Odour

19. Anxiety

20. Decreased Libido

21. Vaginal Dryness

22. Body Image & Weight Gain

23. Irregular Bleeding

24. Fatigue

25. Electric Shocks

26. Tingling

27. Allergies

28. Irritability

29. Poor Concentration

30. Muscle Tension

31. Panic Attacks

32. Intense Mood Swings

33. Night Sweats

34. Hot Flushes

Understanding your unique experience