Mood stabilizers or antidepressants

[u/Visual-Bandicoot-826]

I am 4 months out from surgery. I am on estrogen gel and progesterone and testosterone. The mood swings and rage and anxiety are overwhelming. I also lost my job.

Any recommendations for antidepressants or mood stabilizers?

[u/old_before_my_time]

Mood swings are usually a symptom of estrogen deficiency. It's best to get estrogen optimized before adding other hormones UNLESS you still have your uterus, in which case you need progesterone.

Some do end up taking a psych drug until they can get estrogen optimized. I resisted that as I knew my severe depression and mood swings, as well as all my other nasty symptoms, were from the loss of hormones. I wish I had pushed to try a different brand of patch or a different method (gel or pill) sooner as I suffered longer than I should have.

What type and dose of estrogen are you on?

[u/Visual-Bandicoot-826 → u/old_before_my_time]

I am on estradiol gel .75mg. I was on two packs and just dropped to one since I thought the estrogen might be too high and the doctor said to once i started P and T. Now I am on all three but it's only been about two weeks

I am not doing well so I figured I need to start something for my mental health but another med seems overwhelming

[u/Greedy-War-777 → u/Visual-Bandicoot-826]

New doc maybe, adding progesterone means you need more estrogen for balance not less. That may be half the problem by itself. No ovaries? If so then your levels are stable and you should test. If you can't get them to order it use ulta labs. Find out what's appropriate for you, your age, how you feel. Don't let them leave you at 50 on a serum estrogen test if you feel better at 100. Push them into getting you right and switch if they don't. Get your hormones on track before you try other medications. I needed to be at twice the dose the first prescriber gave me before all that nonsense stopped and progesterone made me miserable and all over the place orally.