I'm now 45 and on the pill. Last year I had one or two hot flashes during the day and a period of about 3 days where I was terribly angry and picked a big long-distance fight with my sister and did not feel at all like myself. Then, one day, everything was better and I felt like I woke up from a bad dream. For the last couple of years, my period has been getting shorter and lighter, and since last year I've had a lot of night sweats, but I don't mind them, since I'm usually cold.

I'd like to get my hormones tested, but since I'm on the pill I don't think a test would show what's really going on in my body? I talked to my gyno about going off the pill, but she said that at my age they are putting women ON the pill. She said if I went off it, my period would be like it was when I was a teenager (for me it was very irregular).

Next Feb. my husband will get a vasectomy, and a few months later I can go off the pill without worrying about pregnancy. I figure if I don't like it, I can go back on the pill. I've been on the pill for 20 years and it seems like my sex drive has been lower the whole time I've been on it, so that's another reason I'd like to try going off it (and I've tried several formulations). Also another reason I'd like to get my hormones tested.

Lots of depression in my family, too. My mother had it and committed suicide when I was a baby - I don't remember her. All my sisters have it, 2 out of 3 of my sister's kids have it, and I have it too. My favorite coping strategy is to admit it and go with the flow. When I'm particularly depressed, I force myself to do a chore that I've been putting off because I hate it. I figure, I'm miserable anyway, why not do something I hate? Better than ruining a nice day later. It's usually very slow going, of course, but when the dreaded task is finished (or at least well begun), I usually get really happy about my accomplishment and feel much better.

Jenn