Weather related mood swings?

Women's health
1

Hi, I am nearly 59, and have stopped having periods, tried HRT and didn't like what it was doing to me, although I felt it did lift my mood. Year by year I have noticed that my mood changes with the weather. I know everyone feels like that, but I feel that as each year goes by, it is more and more noticeable. For example, when the weather is fine and sunny, as it is here today, and also particularly warm for the time of year, (I live in the south west of England) I might wake up feeling a bit groggy, as I did this morning, suffering from sinus problems, but I almost feel I am operating on double speed!! Can't wait to get the washing done and on the line, planning ahead for the rest of the day while I am still on holiday from work, looking forward to going out tonight, etc. When the weather is wet or even just dull, I seem to have little motivation for anything, even things I know I should be looking forward to doing in the time I have off, which I won't be able to find time for when I go back to work. At one point, I thought about buying one of those SAD lights, but can't afford to spend money on something I'm not convinced will work. After all, how can sitting beside an artificial light source replace the feelings of well being I obviously get from natural sunlight?

There must be someone else out there who feels the same as me, as I have discovered by using this forum to air my ailments recently!! Any help on what vitamins or herbal remedies I could take will be most welcome.smile

 K

2

Hi Kathy - I take vitamin B6 150g, I find it has really helped my moods. Hope it helps?

3

The sunshine vitamin as it is known that Is often short at menopause - VitD

4

Thanks, Barbara, I'm willing to try anything off prescription to see if it makes a difference!

Best wishes, Kathy

5

Hi Tazchurch, as I have just replied to Barbara 49965, I am willing to try anything which might help. My poor other half gets a lot of flack, and if I say something along the lines of 'I'm feeling really down in the dumps at the moment', his reply is usually, 'I know, I can tell' bless him, and he just keeps out of my way!

Anyway, I have a Healthspan money off voucher which turned up with the post this morning, couldn't have been better timed really, so I'll look into it.

 Best wishes, & thanks,

  Kathy

6

Early stage research appears to show that omega3 can help with menopausal depression and mood swings, large scale trials are getting underway.

For me dark chocolate helps. M&S Swiss chocolate Extra Fine Dark Chocolate Discs. Come individually wrapped in a tube, I have one or two discs a day. Scientific research has shown must be dark chocolate though as a particular natural chemical in it.

Big hugs

Taz xxx

7

Early stage research appears to show that omega3 can help with menopausal depression and mood swings, large scale trials are getting underway.

For me dark chocolate helps. M&S Swiss chocolate Extra Fine Dark Chocolate Discs. Come individually wrapped in a tube, I have one or two discs a day. Scientific research has shown must be dark chocolate though as a particular natural chemical in it.

Big hugs

Taz xxx

8

Also early stage research appears to show that omega3 can help with menopausal depression and mood swings, large scale trials are getting underway.

For me dark chocolate helps. M&S Swiss chocolate Extra Fine Dark Chocolate Discs. Come individually wrapped in a tube, I have one or two discs a day. Scuyhientific research has shown must be dark chocolate though as a particular natural chemical in it.

9

Hi Kathy,

Interesting. I live in Holland where the clock was just turned back one hour. Because I figured that we should have summer time permanently, I googled this and found out that more people think so. Many people seem to go into an instant winter depression because of the change of time alone. (I don't have this because I love winter, but seasonal depression is quite common with suicides being much higher in winter and so on).

So, it is very common for people to have the winter blues, but perhaps you were not like that before. That's why it's called the Change of Life. Getting to know oneself all over again can be daunting (it is to me, because I always made so much effort to know myself and now I have start all over again, yikes!) biggrin

In terms of vitamins, my experience at 48 (I'm 56 now) was that the Multivits for women 45+ helped lift my mood. Unfortunately I was allergic to whatever they used to make them stick together and I had to give them up. Never was able to source liquid vits with the same effect. As you don't really know what would work best for you, I'd try a reputable multivit for women your age first.

Recently I've started a Mindfulness training course and I think this is just the thing for me. If you live in your head all the time (frustration, unsure, nervous, anger, whatever) you lose touch with your body, where many of your feelings are stored (and it's important not to lose touch with  those).

Mindfulness also helps you feel more at ease with the phase that you're in now and you learn to think more in terms of 'it is what it is' as well as dealing with whatever 'is.' Of course it all depends on the facilitator how well you would respond to something like that. I've been twice and have eight more times to go and I look forward to it. Also good to share with a group of fellow sufferers, even though not everyone is menopausal.

I seem to have more energy already (extremely low before, like you: no motivation for anything at all, even fun things - I would just back off at the thought alone of having to shower before I went out!).

Don't buy a book, don't read online, but try to participate in a Mindfulness training course, if you can.

I was in Torquay, Plymouth and Padstowe some years ago and I LOVE Southwest England. Blow it a kiss for me please!

Good Luck.

10

I feel exactly the same on dull days and am thinking of getting a SAD light. It is the brightness, 10,000 lux, which is supposed to help. I am thinking of getting the Maplins one which is the cheapest I've seen and comes with a guarantee.

I also start taking Vit D sups this time of year, increasing as the months go by. Try to be kind to yourself and acknowledge the seasons are changing and it is fine to now do less, read, knit etc. When the days get naturally longer we spring clean, decorate, garden needs more work. When the sun does shine make the most of it and get out in it. I choose a face cream without SPfactor in the winter to make the most of any rays on the skin.

11

Hi, thanks for that, I have just ordered a vitamin & mineral supplement to help with symptoms of the menopause, so I will see how I go with that, but am still open to the idea of a SAD lamp if that fails. Thanks for your reply, it's always good to hear what other people have to say, and I hope the lamp works for you.

 Regards, Kathy