A recent study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders raises alarm about the widespread prescription of antidepressants for post-menopausal women between the ages of 45 and 64.
The research, led by Dana Alsugeir, highlights that women in this age group are more likely than men to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety—and more likely to be prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Despite recommendations favoring menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), antidepressants remain the most commonly prescribed treatment for mental health disorders in post-menopausal women. The findings have renewed concerns about the physical risks associated with these drugs.
The authors write:
“Only a small percentage of women were prescribed MHT after a diagnosis of depression or anxiety. We found that MHT was prescribed for 2.94 % of women aged 45–54 years old who had a record of CMHD. Women in this age group may experience mood symptoms arising from or coinciding with the menopausal transition. NICE guidelines recommend the prescribing of MHT for mood symptoms during menopausal transition and do not recommend the prescribing of SSRIs/SNRIs medications unless there is an underlying depressive disorder.”
Given the physical challenges that accompany menopause, critics argue that antidepressants may do more harm than good for many women, urging healthcare providers to consider alternative treatments. The study’s findings fuel ongoing debates about the over-medicalization of mental health, particularly for women, and the failure to adequately address underlying hormonal and contextual factors in their care.
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Can’t argue that taking antidepressants can be risky. Unfortunately hormonal therapy also has risks.
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As an older woman, I’ve found that when asked unnecessarily by some random doctor in a hospital, “Are you depressed,” for no reason (aside from medical / psychiatric averice). I was at the hospital because of a pulled muscle above my heart, which had to do with regular moderate exercise, but nothing to do with “depression.”
It’s best to tell that random hospital doctor, “No,” and then say, “and I’m allergic to the anticholinergic drugs.” This does have a tendency to embarrass the unnecessarily intrusive – and off point – doctor, and cause him to just leave you alone.
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“I’m allergic to the anticholinergic drugs”
I wish I had known this was what’s been going on since 2012/what this term is called and what to say. My body and brain cannot tolerate anything, except Pristiq, which I take for childhood abuse. In the past, all of the other SSRI’s/SNRI’s felt like I was taking poison. They’re junk for my body, my brain, my mood, and my quality of life. And no. That does NOT mean that I have BiPolar#1/#2/#3 (recently learned that there’s a 3rd one now).
I was Mis-dx’ed about 3 years ago now with BiPolar#2 out of the blue with zero explanation by an extremely ESL-Psychiatrist who completely misunderstood me when I said that I was completely unwell in withdrawal from a Tranquilizer that a local E.R. had to give me (Seroquel I.R.) a few months prior because I had a severe in my limbic system to LoLoestrin. 3 years later, back in July of this year, I finally learned why I lost control of my limbic system. It’s the type of Progestin in LoLoestrin and why nothing ever happened with the ~7 other b/c pills I’ve tried before: they’re all different types of Progestin. I was 38 when I learned that.
I had this Psychiatrist for many years with zero benefit and was put on Anti-Psychotics and Anti-convulsants (Mood stabilizers for people with legitimate BiPolar #1 & #2) that I have zero business being on. All these drugs did was land me in the Mental Health Unit of the Hospital for the very first time. I had to take myself 11x within 12 months because of the drugs themself or the discontinuation symptoms. I was just labelled as hysterical, attention-seeking, fearful, dramatic, histronic, possible Borderline Personality Disorder because I was so angry and so messed up in withdrawal, etc when I was really in withdrawal. They didn’t recognize that, even though it’s literally mandatory that Psychiatrists are required to recognize withdrawal symptoms. These drugs literally create a chemical imbalance, and you’re in a chemical imbalance during discontinuation, which could take years and years and years in agony to stop. That’s what’s I’m currently experiencing. Because of a drug my brain didn’t require and only made me worse in the first place. And this has happened many different times in the past as well.
I’m still stuck on a few drugs because the discontinuation symptoms are quite literally unsurvivable (even with a taper as slow as possible,) and these drugs negatively impact various systems in my body, my brain chemistry, my mood, and my quality of life. The side-effects are infuriating & dangerous.
I’ve had to research all of these new bizarre drugs thoroughly over the last few years, and I always came across the term “anti-cholinergic” or “cholinergic” in general, and I knew I was on to something in terms of how negatively/badly my body and brain are reacting and have reacted in the past.
I was never ever wrong about what’s been going on in my own body, and I was met with nothing but push-back, insulting, slander, and medical gaslighting. It’s quite literally devastated and broke my long-term partner’s heart. For 3 years, he has kept saying that someone like me has zero business being on any of these Pharmaceuticals and has helplessly watched me get worse because I blindly trusted someone whose job it is to know what they’re doing with brain chemistry. Psychiatrists have never ever been on these drugs themselves, been made worse mentally and physically by the Pharmaceuticals, and tried to get off of these Pharmaceuticals as slowly as possible without your brain and body noticing.
I will never ever get an apology, nor would I accept one. Only 1 Psychiatrist apologized on behalf of the medical community, and she was a woman. No surprise there. I treated everyone I came across, including 3 unnecessary in-patient visits within 6 months because of the drugs themselves or the discontinuation symptoms from them, with the utmost respect. I have lost 3 years of my life and on-going, a significant amount of money, and my job.
This website and survivingantidepressants forum are the best things on the internet for people to know that they were never ever wrong.
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The issue of medications is one of the controversial ones.
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What is CMHD?
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