Estrogen Replacement Therapy May Help Menopausal Depression

Estrogen replacement therapy can help you feel great during menopause.

Menopause is a natural phase in your life, but it can also leave you with uncomfortable physical and emotional symptoms. Estrogen replacement therapy may help you feel better, reduce your symptoms, and make your transition into menopause more comfortable. In addition to the physical symptoms of menopause, estrogen replacement therapy may also help menopausal depression symptoms. Declining estrogen levels can impact your mental health and cause you to experience mood changes. Therefore, it’s important to talk to your physician about how you can feel better during menopause, both physically and emotionally.

Low Estrogen and Depressive Symptoms

One in four women will experience depression symptoms during their lifetime. Symptoms of depression include irritability, feelings of sadness, mood swings, and restless sleep. Menopausal women in particular are two to four times more likely to develop depressive symptoms. This is likely due to low estrogen levels, which can affect your mood. During menopause, your ovaries slow their estrogen production, leading to undesirable physical and emotional health issues that can damage your quality of life. Additionally, menopausal women who have a history of severe PMS, post-partum depression, or clinical depression may be more likely to experience mood swings and depressive symptoms during perimenopause.

Mood changes can be quite common during menopause, but they can have devastating effects. For example, menopausal depression can cause you to lose interest in activities you typically enjoy, isolate yourself from friends and family, and have difficulty concentrating on your daily tasks. If you are experiencing these issues, your physician may be able to alleviate your symptoms and get you feeling better again. One treatment option that may help is hormone replacement therapy.

How Estrogen Replacement Therapy Can Help

Research suggest that estrogen replacement therapy may be able to help with symptoms of depression during menopause. In a randomized study of women, researchers noticed that one year of ERT reduced the risk of menopausal depression symptoms from 32% of participants to 17%. That is nearly half of the women in the study who experienced depression symptom reduction. This was especially true for women early on in their menopause transition.

Menopause also causes other symptoms that may exacerbate feelings of depression. For example, low estrogen levels can cause insomnia, physical tension, and hot flashes. These physical symptoms can all contribute to emotional distress. However, therapy that utilizes bioidentical hormones may help with these unwanted effects, including menopausal depression.

Therefore, estrogen replacement therapy may be able to help with both physical and emotional symptoms of menopause. Your women’s healthcare provider may prescribe estrogen replacement therapy if you have mild to moderate depressive symptoms, experience physical menopause symptoms, and haven’t experienced depression before.

You aren’t alone during menopause. If you’re experiencing physical and emotional symptoms, quality care can help you feel better again and comfortably transition into this new phase of your life. Our professionals at HerKare will listen to your experiences and help you create a treatment plan that is tailored to you. Make an appointment with us today to discuss your menopause treatment options. Together, you and the HerKare team can help improve your wellbeing.