I've suffered on and off for a few years from varying degrees of depression....from just feeling like a cloud was over me, to being pretty much non-functional for months.
I've only known that I've had PCOS for about a year, but I suspect I have had it for longer. I'm not sure if PCOS led to my depression in the first place, or if the depression came first.
My question is, for those of you with depression and PCOS, has anyone found relief from their depressive symptoms through treatment for PCOS? I know hormones can play a major role in emotions, and I was wondering if, once I can hopefully get regulated, my depression might improve as well.
Marit
__________________ -29 year old female, dx 2005, symptoms ~10 years
-High testosterone, cortisol, aldosterone, androstenedione, free androgen index, no apparent insulin resistance however
-off all hormone meds since having pulmonary embolism in August 2009
-Main symptoms: weight gain (especially annoying in mid-section/abdomen), high androgens, very low progesterone, no periods unless on OC
-fortunate to have very good bp, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc., no hirsutism.
My depression was 'cured' once I started cytomel (T3). Changing BCPs from Demulen to Alesse also helped, but the big jump was after the T3.
__________________ -diagnosed October 2002
-Meds: Alesse, metformin, Cytomel, Wellbutrin
-light therapy with a goLITE for seasonal depression
-yoga & meditation almost daily, because it makes me feel good
i went off bcp and depression hit me like a hammer. yasmin had suppressed most pcos symptoms. what really helps me now is high doses of vitamin c and b (i take a multivitamin and multimineral and additional 2-3 g of vitamin c)
i read in the swiss vitamin bible "burgerstein" that vit c is helpful with severe cases of depression. st. john´s wort might also be a mild help (i only take it when i can´t go to sleep) don´t know if it works for everyone, but it´s sure worth a go.
i have come to believe that depression/chronic fatigue has been a symptom of pcos. i get angry when friends tell me it´s vice versa. i´m a victim of abuse in childhood, so people suspect the trauma causes the pcos. maybe they´re right, at least partially ...
what makes me actually disagree anyway, is the fact that i feel just fine on bcp! plus it makes me much stronger and more confident to call it a metabolic disease and not look for a cause within myself.
pam
__________________ dx in 1994
npc since july 30 1/2 ts twice a day
vitex since july 30, 2 x 200 mg
saw palmetto 1 x 250 mg
alpha-lipoic acid 2 x 200 mg
came off bcp (yasmin) after 10 years
bmi: 23
bloo, I don't understand how people can say the trauma caused the pcos. I can see how they can say the trauma caused the depression but I also think that I hormones are to blame for how our minds and bodies respond to trauma. If our hormones were in line, maybe trauma wouldn't lead to depression. I don't know, that's just a hypothesis. I've been off my anti-depressant for a couple of months because i can't afford it, but I think that I haven't slipped back into my depression because I am on met, spiro and bcp. I truly think that treating my IR and PCOS is having a positive effect on my depression. I am prepared to get back on my anti-depressant if I start feeling too bad but for now, I think that my PCOS meds are helping my depression via regulating my hormones.
__________________
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Finally diagnosed-4/2002
PCOS & IR
Spironolactone
Ortho Tri-Cyclen
Metformin
well, virtuous, unfortunately this friend of mine knows nothing about pcos. as a matter of fact, none of my friend have it, so i have to do a great deal of explaining i especially like educating my doctors about it. no irony there! it´s fun to share my knowledge. my best friend is a doctor and i know how broad medicine is a field. one just cannot know everything.
but from a friend it hurt. well, i choose not to talk about pcos any more when she´s around
i´m glad the meds help you with the depression. i find it most relaxing to know that i could go on the pill if i couldn´t endure the symptoms any longer.
for the past 10 years i knew of no alternative either. but with the information on this board and you my soulcysters i feel ready to go on a new journey to health. even if our symptoms my vary, i´m so happy to have you guys coming along with me.
__________________ dx in 1994
npc since july 30 1/2 ts twice a day
vitex since july 30, 2 x 200 mg
saw palmetto 1 x 250 mg
alpha-lipoic acid 2 x 200 mg
came off bcp (yasmin) after 10 years
bmi: 23
((((HUGS)))))
I always wonder which came first, the PCOS or the depression/anxiety. All I know is that it is debilitating and awful, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It's affected every aspect of my life.
It's encouraging that you guys seem to get some relief from treating PCOS...bloo I take a B complex vitamin, have not really heard about the vitamin c helping though, thanks!
Take care guys
Marit
__________________ -29 year old female, dx 2005, symptoms ~10 years
-High testosterone, cortisol, aldosterone, androstenedione, free androgen index, no apparent insulin resistance however
-off all hormone meds since having pulmonary embolism in August 2009
-Main symptoms: weight gain (especially annoying in mid-section/abdomen), high androgens, very low progesterone, no periods unless on OC
-fortunate to have very good bp, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc., no hirsutism.
if you decide to try the c, buy a box of ascorbic acid (out here in germany it´s 4 oz for 2 $) and take 1/4 teaspoon every hour. if your stool becomes soft reduce. it´s reasonable to start with 1/4 tea spoon 3 times a day and then increase the dose until bowel tolerance. then you take the last dose where you had no such symptoms. that´s the best way to find out your individual dose.
hope, it will work for you as well as it does for me
pam
p.s. if you have a sensitive stomach, you might wanna try time-released capsules.
__________________ dx in 1994
npc since july 30 1/2 ts twice a day
vitex since july 30, 2 x 200 mg
saw palmetto 1 x 250 mg
alpha-lipoic acid 2 x 200 mg
came off bcp (yasmin) after 10 years
bmi: 23
I wonder if childhood trauma could "cause" PCOS through weight gain. I know that I gained a bunch of weight as a child, was heavy from pretty early through around age 15. My periods were very irregular (a sign of PCOS) until about age 15, although I don't remember exactly when they became regular.
I dieted a lot from about age 15 through 16, was much thinner for a number of years, jogged all the time etc. My periods were regular then until they completely stopped from all the running one time.
My weight crept back up in my late 20s through 30s, and symptoms started getting worse and worse. I wasn't diagnosed until this year at age 40 with PCOS but I think I've had insulin resistance a long time, with depression etc. I have regular cycles even though I have PCOS (apparently this happens to around 15% of women with it.)
I really want off the antidepressants, as they increase my appetite - I may try to go off them since I'm on metformin now... We are TTC (I am 40 now...) I would rather not take an SSRI while pregnant - they say it's probably fine, but they just started saying that kids shouldn't take SSRIs... I am very worried since it turns out the drug companies are hiding evidence that shows their drugs harm people, they only release evidence that shows help... Of course we might not be successful at TTC anyhow...
There is one study I read that said PCOS women might have "too many eggs" and might therefore might have enough left to be able to have children later than average (although egg "quality" might still be low). I am hoping that this is true, since I started trying quite late.
Anybody's depression ease when treated for PCOS? 
i especially like educating my doctors about it. no irony there! it´s fun to share my knowledge. my best friend is a doctor and i know how broad medicine is a field. one just cannot know everything.
