Posted by Pfinstegg on September 16, 2002, at 1:41:23
In reply to Re: Amazing Results w/Estradiol » pfinstegg, posted by katz on September 15, 2002, at 20:24:18
Hi Katz,
I'm so glad that you brought up the issue of how hormones relate to brain function and mood. You have obviously tried just about every possible medication over the last few years, so it is really striking what a difference the estrogen supplementation is making. In looking (briefly) through the medical literature on this, it's odd how little interest or information there is on this topic. I think you are absolutely right in saying that all of us with anxiety or mood disorders should know what our hormone levels are before we begin treatment- TSH, T3,T4, cortisol- including a 24- hour reading, or 4 salivary tests, including a midnight one, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. I hope we will hear from a lot of other people, but your experience and mine, while slightly different, seem to show that you have to get the hormone levels normalized before other treatments will be effective. Maybe we just happen to belong to a group of people whose brains are very sensitive to these hormones. It seems as though most people can go through the fluctuating hormone levels which are a normal part of life without any marked mood swings; for example, we must all know women who take anti-estrogen drugs after breast cancer surgery and are able to maintain a serene, steady outlook.
I hope that your post will generate lots of responses, and that we'll all be able to learn more about this. In the meantime, I'm so glad for you! Be sure to keep us informed as to how things are going. Take care- and thanks so much for sharing your experience and insights.
Pfinstegg
PS No-one on Prozac has a normal libido!
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:119908
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020914/msgs/119985.html