I feel FABULOUS.
It is possible that I didn't realize or recognize how badly I was feeling before... with symptoms creeping up so slowly... could I have been in a slight decline for years...?
Maybe.
At the moment, I'm taking the WIN.
Dose:
Estradiol 1mg 3x per week. 7th pill last night
*still deciding on how to integrate Progesterone into my HRT cocktail
Is Estrogen ADDICTIVE?
Remember that scene in the Sex In The City movie where Samantha freaks out when the Customs Agents take her HRT stash at the airport. I get it now.
According to DrugAbuse.com, "Researchers found that estrogen intensifies the brain’s dopamine reward pathway, which creates an increase in pleasurable feelings. So, when a woman is in the high-estrogen phase of her menstrual cycle and she takes a certain drug – think meth or cocaine – she feels more enjoyment."
I don't care, if that's the case then I have found my new drug and I'm hooked. I don't feel the dopamine rush- in fact, its quite the opposite- I feel calmer and more clear headed. Gone (mostly) are the frantic fervent mood swings and zombie-like phases staring at a blank page trying to get work done feeling largely uninspired.
The sun has come out and the birds are singing. That sounds like I have come out of a depression and like I may be a better candidate for anti-depressants which, I have learned, many doctors prescribe women suffering perimenopause and menopause when treating individual symptoms one by one.
I was never depressed and personally, don't feel that anti-depressants would be right for me. As I write this, I recall that once, in my mid 20's, after taking a course of "morning after" pills (basically, 3 birth control pills at once twice a day for 3 days), I experienced night sweats, insomnia and mood swings. I went to an internist that prescribed Xanax and Prozac. I found that to be extreme and crazy. Having been a Psychology Major, I was fearful of F'ing with my brain chemistry and opted for 1/4 the dosage of Xanax for 3 weeks and, everything normalized.
Now, I'm not knocking anti-depressants in the least - they are a miracle for so many- and I'm not a doctor.
So, you do YOU.
Meanwhile, I'll be here, keeping track of my journey and chatting with each of you.