Surviving menopause

[spokewench]

My husband was also told to take antidepressants for neuropathy; it is a really small dosage compared to what they give for mood disorders and the like. It helped and he seems to be symptom free and is not taking them now.

[girlontheroad]

Wasp. I hear what you are saying about the antidepressants. I have fibromyalgia and when they first recommended an antidepressant to treat it (this was in the days before anyone actually recognized FM much less marketed drugs for it specifically) I was reluctant for the same reason. This is particularly ironic since I work in mental health field. Anyway I took the plunge with a low dose and later switched over to an SSRI that makes the FM fade into the background o f my life and allow me to bike and exercise more without pain. I would suggest not thinking of it as an antidepressant but as the actual class of drug it is. Drugs are only marketed for their uses but their uses are broader than their marketing in most cases. Hang in there.

[ny biker]

Many medicines have multiple uses. For decades I took a "seizure drug" to treat migraines and it worked great. I later found out it is also used to treat bipolar disorder. And I know there's one anti-depressant that is also used to help people stop smoking. Hell, aspirin became so commonly used for heart disease that now Bayer is running ads to remind us that it works as a pain reliever too.

And don't worry about your doctor's feelings. Find one who can help you.

[snapdragen]

This is strictly anecdotal. My chiropractor was having a horrible time with hot flashes, nothing she tried worked. She started taking rhurbarb root, her flashes have gone from about 3 every hour to 3 a day.