Perimenopause, depressions & cannabis

[CeCeGirl]

I need some help and advice. Quick history:

I have been chronically depressed for about 10 years and have been on various medications over the years. I currently take Wellbutrin XL and just 1mg of klonopin a day.

I had a hysterectomy a little over a year ago. I kept my ovaries. I had to have my right ovary removed in October due to a grapefruit sized cyst.

Since all of this my sex drive has tanked. I mean TANKED. Since all this it seems my depression has increased. I have started drinking more. I want to not use alcohol to take care of this. So, I decided to try marijuana to see if it would help. Ok, it helps a lot! When my husband touches me while I have smoked I can feel him touch me and I get horny.

Will this work long term?
Is it ok for my depression? I do feel good while smoking, but can it make depression worse?
It helps me sleep, but will the results go away in time?

I really need some advice, please help!!!

Thank you so much!

[CeCeGirl]

One more thing to add, I've tried estrogen, the side effects are unbearable.

[birdgirl73]

I wish I knew of some info about hormones and cannabis to point you to, but I don't. And I don't think anyone has any way of being able to tell you if the beneficial effects you're experiencing with your libido or the relief from depression are only temporary. I expect that may vary from person to person.

I'm hoping Storm Crow and/or Demeter will happen onto this thread and tell us what their experience has been with diminishing hormone levels and cannabis. They both always have great information to share and are wise, intelligent women.

I'm 45 and I think I may be on the edge of my peri years. My periods are still regular but I do notice some slight diminuition of my libido and also trouble with concentration. That may also be because I'm facing some other health problems and am stressed. I refuse to take antidepressants because they make that libido problem worse, and I've decided that when the time comes hormone replacement is not for me. I'm going to try some natural alternatives and see if they work, but I haven't yet read enough about the subject to even know what to try. Good luck to you!

[Demeter]

Hi CeeCee- I'm so glad Birdgirl gave me the head's up about you, because I have also struggled with depression for many years, and after taking Prozac for nearly a dozen years, and having gone through menopause on the early side- I recently started having a total loss of libido, so that is why I stopped taking Prozac several weeks ago. I also had started taking Welbutrin a few months back to take the place of the Prozac, but it made me anxious, so a week after I quit the Prozac, I tossed the Welbutrin- I have been using cannabis for years to help elevate my mood, and have not had any of the side effects connected with the pharmaceuticals, so I use only cannabis now, and I feel fine! I was afraid after quitting the Prozac, my depression would return, but so far, I'm okay.
For long term use it is probably safer to use a vaporizer, since anything burned and inhaled could have risks, but for me, cannabis helps both my depression and loss of libido much better than anything else- so I will stick with the herb!
I believe that alcohol is the worst thing for depression- I have known thousands of recovering alcoholics who agree- so please be careful with that drug. I can't promise that smoking will work forever for either of us, but it is certainly working now for me, and it sounds like it is for you too,
so I recommend it:jointsmile:

[CeCeGirl]

Thank you so much for the advice. I actually talked to my Dr. about marijuana earlier last year. She said it will make depression worse. Right now, I can't think of anything that will make my depression worse than not being able to be turned on by my husband. I have an appt today with a new shrink, we'll see how it goes. I don't think I'm going to bring it up today though. Probably make him think I'm a freak or something.

I've laid off alcohol in the past few days that I have been smoking, I don't desire the alcohol at all!!! I feel better and I am sleeping better. Not to mention stratosphere orgasms.

Hard part is I think I really want to continue this method, but I am going to need to tell my teenage son. It's too hard to hide. How do you do that one and still come across as parental? He has smoked in the past, but he hasn't been because he wants to join the AF. He's 16 1/2.

[Storm Crow]

Keep toking, but get a vaporizer. Pot, according to the prohibs, will mess with your hormones (i.e. make men grow breasts, cause infertility, blah, blah, blah) and your mind (make you schizo). Of course, there have been recent studies that totally disprove their lies.

The effect does not go away! You can be happy and sexy forever- as far as I can tell. I'm 59 and have used cannabis for 40 years. The main problem was lung hassles, but that cleared up with getting a vaporizer (2 weeks after getting it, the lungs were fine!). I don't know what your financial situation is, but the little Vapor Brother's I have is worth every penny of the under $150 I spent- and years that I hit poverty level are good years! I'm rather frugal, to put it mildly! (I love my job even though the pay is lousy and I'd rather do it than a better paying job! I'm still the crazy hippie- I just toned down the wardrobe.)

Well, I'm slightly bipolar (mood swings) and pot is the best thing I've found. You will have to learn the difference between indicas (sleepy and sexy) and sativas( higher energy, but with the risk of paranoia in some folks). Most street cannabis is indica dominant, so you shouldn't have any trouble there. My hubby is a chronic depressive and loves the sativa called C-99. I prefer indicas usually.

Pot will not help with hot flashes (ya can't have everything, sigh!), but for the depression and lack of libido, you can't beat it! I'm in a mild depressive stage right now- it's just enough where I'm sleeping 9-10 hours a day(when I'm manic, I need about 5-6 hours) and getting the housework done is hard. So, I had a toke yesterday, put on belly-dancing music and danced through it all! I remember a quote from MANY years ago where a Jamaican said that ganja was whatever you wanted it to be- you could smoke it to make work easier or to sleep or make love. It was good for it all. He was right!

As for your son, just bring up the medical aspect of it. Since he isn't totally adverse to the idea of pot, it shouldn't be a problem. (My two kids are basically "straight edgers" and disapprove of their pot smoking Mama- but they don't get migraines or have arthritis, or are menopausal, either. They love me anyway. :D ) Just google up a few papers- try cannabis abstract hormones (or menopause). There is a lot of (non-American) research out there! And if any other herb had this many medical uses, it would be called a medical miracle! But the DEA is convinced it is the "devil's weed".

If you can, dear, get yourself to a sane state. I'm in California and am a "legal" user. It is veryeasy for anyone with a legit medical problem to get "legal". You bring in a copy of your medical records to a cannabis specialist, pay the nice doctor after the exam and lecture, and walk out "legal". I grow in my spare closet- better quality control and I know that it is absolutely organic. Also, I dislike the idea of paying the price of gold for some dried medicinal flowers! (I remember $10 ounces and $65 kilos)

Good luck and keep toking!-Granny:hippy:

[CeCeGirl]

Thank you so much for all the help and advice.

I think I'm going to have to pace myself though, I can't keep up with as much sex as I want.;)

I'm sleeping deeply for the first time in years!!! I feel rested and ready to wake up in the morning.

My husband does not think we should tell my son.

Where do I get one of those vaporizer things and how do they work?

Thanks again!!!!

[EmoRebellion]

A vaporizer has a heating element (metal, ceramic, or glass) that heats the magic herb to the perfect vaporizing temperature for the THC. You get all the benefits, and none of the carcinogens that you would get for smoke. You dont inhale any smoke, only vapor.

I personally have tried several types and finally settled on the Vapolution. Its a relatively new product sold out of northern California. They cost under $150 shipped, and are built like a tank. They are supposed to be better for you than others because they are all glass on the inside. There is no metal to diliute the flavor. You can check them out at Northern California herbal vaporizers- Vapolution Vaporizer (http://www.vapolutionvaporizers.com/).

The "best" vaporizer is called the volcano, but it sells for about $550 online. I really enjoy my Vapolution more than the volcano. You can find some sites if you google, but be careful. There are many companies that set up sites to hype up their product, and bad-mouth others.

In any case, avoid cheap brands. You can find vaporizers for under $50 in headshops, but they are cheaply made and will burn the bud. There is plenty of information on these forums.