The subject of the Holiday Blues and the Winter Blahs comes up so often that we can find ourselves believing that it is natural and normal to feel depressed during the Christmas season. To some extent, we will all have some holiday stress and our expectations can be set a bit high leading to minor disappointments. But don’t overlook symptoms that could signal real depression.

I was talking to a casual acquaintance the other day and she began to tell me how this year she suddenly has no interest in Christmas. This wouldn’t be unusual except that this has always been her favorite time of year. This year, however, she hasn’t sent Christmas cards, she hasn’t put up a tree, she hasn’t done any decorating or shopping. Further, she began to tell me that she doesn’t want to get out of bed and go to work, she didn’t participate in the holiday events at her office. She doesn’t even want to be home with her husband. The key to all this may be her confession that she is also in the throes of menopause.

Midlife is a time of increased risk of depression for women. Studies show that it is most likely to occur during the onset of menopause and may be associated with the decline in estrogen levels.

Symptoms of depression include:

* depressed mood
* changes in appetite
* decreased interest or pleasure in activities
* change in sleep patterns
* fatigue, or loss of energy
* difficulty concentrating
* restlestness and irritability
* thoughts of suicide

Although some symptoms of menopause may overlap symptoms of depression, if you experience any of these symptoms, consult your doctor. Recognizing that these symptoms require intervention is the most important step. I managed to extract a promise from my acquaintance that she would, indeed, call her doctor that very day and seek some professional advice.

Here’s a link to a source on depression in midlife, symptoms, treatments and ways to get help.

University of Michigan Depression Center

Okay, I read an amazing (and comforting) thing today. Apparently, it is not necessarily a bad idea to maintain a little extra weight during menopause. The reason? Hot flashes.

Now there are many hypotheses on why hot flashes occur and the best ways to combat them. What no one disputes is that 75% to 80% of women experience hot flashes during menopause. Mild flashes last a few minutes, severe ones can last up to 30 minutes and be followed by a chilled feeling.

Diets high in fiber and low in fat are recommended to lower the incidence of hot flashes. B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium, can be depleted during hot flashes, so taking supplements of these nutrients can be helpful. Soy has been suggested as a preventative due to the phytoestrogens contained in soy.

But what I read today states that thinner women may have a higher incidence of hot flashes. This is because hormones secreted by the adrenals are converted into estrogen by fat cells. So having a few fat cells on hand is not a bad idea.

If anyone asks, that hot fudge sundae I had for dessert was simply medicinal.

A study done by University of Michigan Health System indicates that short term periods of hormone replacement therapy may help women retain memory function after menopause.

Women in the study were between ages 50 and 60. The study cycled either hormone replacement therapy or a placebo with 4 weeks on and then 4 weeks off. After that, they were given the opposite treatment of what they had been taking in the first four weeks.

Brain activity was measured during mental tasks using functional MRI. The study found that even short term HRT had the effect of improving visual memory, and could be beneficial to women transitioning to menopause.

Hormone replacement therapy may improve trip down memory lane

Suzanne Somers, who looks great at age 60, says she knows the secret to endless youth for women. In her book Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones, Somers claims that using hormones that are identical to those made naturally in the ovaries will banish hot flashes, mood swings and other menopausal symptoms without the health risks carried by synthetic hormones.

Bioidentical hormones are derived from plants and other natural sources and, on a molecular level, are identical to what is produced in the ovaries. Bioidentical HRTs include estrogens such as Estrace, Vivelle-Dot, Climara, Estring, and Vagifem.

Somers argues that synthetic hormones are the ones that cause the dangerous side-effects associated with hormone replacement therapy. A popular synthetic estrogen Premarin, for instance, is made from horse urine(I know - I had that look on my face too when I read that).

A panel of seven doctors have taken issue with Somers’ book, calling it misleading and downright dangerous to women.

Read more about Somers’ book, bioidentical hormones and the controversy at WebMD.