should I try hormones?

[[Ho...]]

Dear Friends,

 

I was given this poison when I was 49.  I am going to turn 53 soon.  I am almost 15 months free.  I am crazy with horrific mood swings throughout the days.  I know that this is common in withdrawal.  But I was wondering about menopause in all of this.  I cannot know because I was given these poisons and tapering and withdrawing throughout these last 3 years.  I was given hormones with the poisons at times as the doctor was guessing along the way.  I could not tolerate any of it.  I don't want to take any substances anymore and I had never intended to take hormones while I was in peri-menopause and menopause.  I was just going to eat right, take vitamins and exercise.  I wasn't having any horrific mood swings before the poisons.  I was impatient and angry at times and maybe that was part of menopause.  I don't know. 

 

But anyway, the reason why I am asking about hormones is because my mom told me a long time ago that when she was going through menopause she would rage and say to herself kill kill kill. My mom has never taken any poisons or  hormones and so she just experienced menopause naturally. 

 

My relationship with my mom has been difficult and I have walked on ice for many years to get along with her and so when she told me about her menopause thoughts and welling up with rage a long time ago I just thought about how she drinks too much caffeine and doesn't eat healthy and I just thought about how she can choose to be negative. I just didn't think that much about it.

 

But now I am so frightened that maybe I may be like my mother in menopause.  I can't even figure it out because of what the poison has done to me.

 

Again, I really don't want to take hormones but I worry that all this crazy cycling and dangerous mood swings can be due to menopause too.  I don't know.  I hope the mood swings will just all go away.  These horrific mood swings cannot be menopausal can they?  They are too inhuman. Right?  Please share with me.  Thank you. Hope4us

 

 

[[ro...]]

Hello Hope:

 

I've been reading your other postings.  Have you had your thyroid tested recently?  Not just TSH, but include free t3 and free t4.  The thyroid is crucial to your recovery.  :'(

 

If you have, please tell me your numbers of each test.

 

Rocko

[[Ho...]]

Dear Rocko,

 

Thanks for asking about my thyroid levels.  I think they are okay.  I have had a lot of blood work done like so many of us and the doctors don't find anything but some have said I need to take estrogen and/or progesterone because I am 53 and menopausal but I don't know if I should and before the poison I was menopausal and I didn't have horrific mood swings, depression, anxiety and rage and all of this pain.  So I don't know.  I just wondered if estrogen and progesterone would just complicate withdrawal anyway.  I don't know. 

 

But here are  my thyroid levels:TSH .95  and the range is .40--4.5

                                            T4 1.3

                                            Free range .8-1.8

 

The doctor overlooked to test my T3 recently and so I am frustrated but it was tested a few times a long time ago and was in range.  I don't know.  I get so overwhelmed.  Thanks for caring,  Hope4us