Anti-depressants

[Joannie]

Good Afternoon:
Just wanted to see if I get could some thoughts from those of you who have been on anti-depressants.

In short, here is my story:
After I finished my last chemo treatment, I had more anxiety than ever. I ended up getting a lump in my throat for which my internist did a scope procedure on me just to put my mind at ease. She knew right off the bat it was from anxiety/depression. She put me on Celexa. It helped tremendously and I could honestly say that when people asked me how I was doing, my answer was "Great!" I ended up having to switch to Zoloft because insurance would no longer pay for Celexa. Zoloft was bad for me. Made the anxiety worse. She then put me on Lexapro. It worked just fine. I had been on anti-depressants for about 4 years. Several times I tried to taper off the Lexapro and go off of them but to no avail. I felt bad, cried alot and was very short with everyone around me. I ended up being able to manage to only have to take 10 mg a day for quite some time and that worked great. I got a new family doctor this fall and expressed my interest in trying to get off this drug due to the 30 pounds that I have gained over the last 4 years. It's probably not my entire problem, but since I've been off, I've lost almost 9 pounds in 7 weeks! I went off for a month, felt lousy, and asked to try something else. She put me on Welbutrin, for which I've been on for about 2 1/2 weeks. I feel badddddddddddd. Crying at the drop of a hat, feel angry/miserable inside just about all the time. I just don't feel like myself at all. I am reluctant to go back on Celexa because I really want to continue to take the weight off. However, I just can't go on feeling like this.

Have any of you had any experience with anti-depressants? I would appreciate any input you might be able to provide. Today has been a pretty bad day. Need to try to get a handle on the situation! I know that Celexa/Lexapro and Wellbutrin are two different classes of drugs. It appears that the Wellbutrin is not working. The Celexa worked on helping with Seratonin. I am thinking that is what I'm lacking.
Joannie

[Joanne S]

Joannie, It is absolutely overwhelming to go through this kind of anxiety, depresseion crying. I went through it for several weeks some months back. I have been on Zoloft for several years so can so relate. The doctor had me try a few different kind of anti-dep and was not satisfactory--the time factor of trying the new meds and fear of being without your dependable med makes the meds transition even more difficult.

As cancer patients, we all go through this condition at different times and at varying degrees. Additionally, our mental state is effected by the multiple changes, environmentally, chemically and hormonally going on in our bodies----including the stress of the every changing mental reactions to the ever changing info about our dx, test results, family and friend relationships and support...).

And I too carry extra pounds and hate it. I would love to be a normal size, but not at the cost of my mental health. ---I try to accept that I just have to keep the excess weight on at this time.

As you know it can take from 3-5 weeks for a new anti-dep to start working. Is it possible you didn't take them long enough to accurately determine is they may benefit you.

How long ago did you complete your chemo? Have you stopped or started other meds during this time? If you've been totally off the Celexa for a month, did you gradually wean yourself off? If not, that can be a real shock to the system. If it's fairly recently, you're probably going through that chemical change too. Have you checked into the possibility of getting samples from your doctor? Have you tried to contact the Celexa drug manufacturer for help? Have you contacted your insurance company and explain your situation and ask for an exception?

Although not recommended to me by anyone, I find that taking Motrin 800mg does help me lessen my anxiety, depression and cyring (including my physical pain). As you probably know physical exercise has a very positive effect on your mental health too. If you are not eating enough, it can inflate anxiety and depression. Talking to a mental health professional, family and friends, and the HER2ers here helps too.


I hope you get some relief real soon!

[Cannon]

My suggestion is, if you can stand to see another doctor, to go to a psychiatrist. I started taking anti-depressants 5 years ago, and cried copious tears of relief when the psychiatrist said, "we will find the right thing to make you feel better." In my case, it is a mixture of three different meds.

I have had other doctors say, oh why all 3, and I say, becuase it works for me. I did have one doctor who asked who the psychiatrist was, and said "she really knows what she's doing."

I also see a therapist (only see the psychiatrist once a year, as long as all the meds are working) - studies show that meds work better in combination with talk therapy.

Best of luck,
Rebecca

[hutchibk]

Anti-deps are different for every person. I had never taken them before cancer, my doc offered me Effexor when I started chemo. It did not work for me. Made me foggy and torturous restless leg syndrome. We switched to Remeron and I had no problems on it at all. I have a therapist who was in the decision circle, so I had the right people monitoring my situation. I agree that you might want to see a psychiatrist while you are trying to narrow in on the right one... it is not an easy task to find the right one, sometimes.

[harrie]

I would suggest you look into Sam-E, a natural mood enhancer that I understand works very well with less side effects. Google search Sam-E and check it out.
I think it will be worth your time to investigate it.
I have heard about it in some pharmacology seminars I have atttended and my husband takes it for his joints.
Harrie

[R.B.]

HI Joannie,

If you search this site for depression and DHA you will find a number of posts.

Brains need DHA to function properly at many levels.

This is a bulky thread but contains a lot on Omega Three and Six.

Please discuss dietary change with your advisor

RB


http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin...ght=greek+diet

[nitewind]

Hi Joannie, Boy, can I relate to everything you're saying.
I've been on prozac for nine years. At the start, I had that lump in my throat too. Had the scope done and they found nothing. My primary care doc set me up with a psych doc. He put me on prozac, a very light dose at first. Now I'm on 60 mg. a day, he also prescribed Xanax for those times when I was having the panic really bad. Both meds really saved me. I believe that if it's something that you need, by all means, take the meds. I hated the way I felt before the meds, and I couldn't explain the feeling to anyone. Nothing is more important than your mental health. Over the years that I've taken the prozac, I've probably gained about 40 lbs, but I can think now, my mind is clear and that nasty lump in my throat is long gone.
You just need to make a decision, I know that putting on the weight is bad, but truthfully, if I had to put on another fifty pounds, it would be worth it to me to keep my sanity.
Good luck to you and I'll keep you in my prayers.
Hugs

[Jade]

I'm another one who completely relates to what you're saying. I have been through H-E-double hockeysticks with antidepressants so have learned a thing or two along the way. Hopefully my story will help in some way. I know how bad those bad days can be.

I started Prozac in 1998 for PMDD (pre-menstrual dystrophic disorder - PMS off the scale!). I wore a T-shirt that said "I have PMS and a gun - any questions?". 6 years and 20 lbs later I stopped Prozac when I went into chemopause, as my doctor had told me I'd probably need it until then. I weaned myself off in a few weeks with no problems whatsoever.

Then came the brutal hot flashes, back to back, day and night. Doctor gave me Effexor, said it can reduce hot flashes by 60%. Started 75mg, increased to 150. First few months the hot flashes were noticeably less, but then I started to have serious symptoms which at the time I was unaware were caused by Effexor. I thought my ill health was due to all the surgery, chemo, ongoing Herceptin and then to ice the cake a really unfortunate bout of Giardia (aka beaver fever LOL! - a water-borne bacteria similar to E-coli - think stagnant water from a beaver dam). But I'd been treated and was cured from the giardia. Long story short, I ended up being rushed to hospital dehydrated and
severely ill. You see, all the years I took Prozac there were no problems, if I forgot to take them for a few days everything was still okay. Not so with Effexor - the pills need to be taken at the same time every day or the patient begins withdrawal. The most obvious symptom is "brain freezes" or "jolts" or "shocks". So not knowing all this, I missed taking my pills for about 3 days and went into withdrawal, complete with back to back brain freezes, severe vomiting and diahrrea, to the point I was hospitalized. They checked me for Giardia bacteria - all clear. It was then that I started to research Effexor and understood what I was dealing with. Nevertheless I prevailed (anything to keep those crippling hot flashes at bay) with a new discipline for taking the medicine every 24 hours. I still had brain freezes almost every day. Then the hot flashes were increasing; it seemed like the Effexor was not working as well. Then the worst thing: I gained almost 20 pounds, and it was like it happened overnight! Now I had lower back pain, joint pain and looked and felt like the Stay-Puft marshmallow man. Not so funny was the fear caused by the bone pain - of course I thought the cancer had come back in the bones. I was freaking out, I have to say! I went on the Internet and read again all the horror stories about Effexor, this time focussing on the weight gain aspect, and decided that minute that I would begin to wean off. It took another 3 1/2 months before the brain jolts completely stopped, and about the same time before the added 20 lbs. was gone.

At the same time as the Effexor horror ended, another began. I started to mentally spiral down into a very very dark place. Although physically I was getting better, dealing with the fallout from cancer together with a number of other major stresses brought me to the point where I could no longer cope. My oncologist described it as having experienced a personal 9/11. I was advised that I needed medication to correct this chemical imbalance that I had, there was no other way I would get better (believe me, I'd been trying to do everything I could to keep myself healthy so I wouldn't need medication).

So now I'm on Wellbutrin. Joannie, you are right when you mentioned about the seratonin as Wellbutrin only works on dopamine, does nothing to increase seratonin. It's true, there is no weight gain, no brain freezes, so that's a plus. But I now have regular anxiety, which I've never had before. It was very bad the first few weeks of Wellbutrin, then tapered off. I hate the anxiety. I know I also need the seratonin, but I have researched my head off and there simply is not an antidepressant that will increase seratonin levels without causing weight gain. I went into my local clinic recently to have my Wellbutrin prescription renewed. My regular doc wasn't in so I saw a different one and his first comment to me was "tell me, does this stuff work at all for you?" His feedback was that Wellbutrin was useless for the majority of people who try it. I told him I was about 60% better than before but was now full of anxiety. He also confirmed my research that there simply is no antidepressant for us seratonin-challenged people that will not cause weight gain.

Sorry for the long post. I keep thinking there has to be an answer but so far I haven't found it. I agree with the others' advice to see a psychiatrist as they are more knowledgeable of these medications and their use than regular GPs. I hope you find some peace and soon.

All the best,
Jade

[Joannie]

Thanks for all of your responses. I too did great on the Celexa and then Lexapro. I was very reluctant to wean myself off of it but because I kept asking my doc about it, she thought I owed it to myself to try getting off. She said it would take about a month before I would know whether my body was producing the seratonin that I needed. I truly believe that there is some chemical imbalance. Now that I'm on Wellburtin, she said it would take about two weeks for it to begin to work. It has just been over two weeks. Maybe I'm just being impatient!

As far as seeking help with a mental health professional, I actually did that right after I finished chemo. Was the best thing I ever did. I began taking the anti-depressant while I was seeing him. I went to several appts. with him, probably over the course of 8 months. Time and money well spent. I wish that option would have been recommended to me during treatment!

I can honestly say, the everyday life crap that got to me on a day to day basis before cancer, didn't affect me after cancer. I thought it was just new perspective. I'm sure some of it was that, however, I now am convinced that the anti-depressent played a huge role in my overall ability to cope with all that I had been through. Most things I just let roll off my back but I don't seem to be able to do that right now. In the last two days, my chest has been tight, stress in my shoulers and back is getting worse and overall mood is just poor. My husband thinks I should call the doc and get back on Lexapro. I don't know what is worse, the bad moods or being overweight!

[MCS]

I've been place on only 5mg of lexapro a day. I'm scared of taking antidepressants.

I am not really noticing any improvement. I would like to feel that I can handle things and have them not affect me.

I don't know what's worse anxiety or depression or what came first?

do you take ativan to get rid of the anxiety?

what do you really feel when you're on this stuff?

I'm also worried about weight gain, since I'm only about 5' tall!

love

maria

[MCS]

I've been place on only 5mg of lexapro a day. I'm scared of taking antidepressants.

I am not really noticing any improvement. I would like to feel that I can handle things and have them not affect me.

I don't know what's worse anxiety or depression or what came first?

do you take ativan to get rid of the anxiety?

what do you really feel when you're on this stuff?

I'm also worried about weight gain, since I'm only about 5' tall!

love

maria

[MCS]

ANYWAY

was the weight gain automatic result of taking these? or was it that your apppetite increased as result of the seratonin intake?

thanks to all

love

maria

[Catherine]

I took 10mg Lexapro for 18 months and it was great for me. I was able to wean off. Sorry to be in a hurry....off to bed.

All the best....and good luck, Catherine

[Jade]

Did you gain weight while on Lexapro? Did it help with anxiety or was that not an issue for you?
Thanks in advance for your reply,
Jade

[Brenda_D]

I've been on 20 mg Prozac daily, for about 9 months and have lost about 30 lbs. over that time.
It may be due some other meds I'm taking, but I haven't had any weight gain, thank goodness. I need to lose about 50 more lbs.

[JenniferAlice]

I have been on Lexapro for anxiety for several yrs not. The first time I took the full does of 10mg per day and gained 15 pounds - carb attacks. It really helped my anxiety. I realized over time I could really cut back (very slowly though!) on the does and I now take 5 mg every other day! It works for me - the docs don't buy into it but my GP says she has other patients who swear by the low dose too. The low dose helps with the weight gain issue.

I ran out several months back and tried to get by w/out it - but realized I need this drug. So I started back with 5 mg per day until I felt better and tapered back to 5 mg every other day. A while back I went on a high protein lower carb diet (medifast) not drastic like Atkins - changed my way of eating to limit carbs - snack on high protein bars instead of chips and I lost 15 lbs have kept it off for 5 months - even while on the Lexapro.

Hope this helps some.

Jennifer

[MJo]

A good thing happened as a result of my diagnosis -- I started regularly taking antidepressants, after avoiding them for years and trying years of talk therapy. My anxiety went sky high when I was diagnosed and I got on Lexapro. It took about a month to work, but it also integrated into my body. I am not aware of taking the Lexapro. I was aware of the paxil and zoloft. Perhaps that's why I didn't continue on them. I will take lexapro as long as it works. I also have a Xanax prescription and take a small dose when I feel especially anxious. It's not often, thankfully.

I gained 45 pounds during treatment. Possibly the Lexapro contributed. I have lost about 35 pounds on a low-fat diet. When i was in treatment, I lived on ice cream and cheese. I was hungy all the time. Once I lost the weight, I found 10 mg of Lexapro made me sleepy in the morning. I talked to my doctor and we gradually cut back to 5 mg, and I feel pretty good. I have seasonal affective disorder and this time of year I also use the LIghten Up Too light at my desk.

Antidepressants give me a better quality of life. Be good to yourself. Do whatever it takes to recover.

[MCS]

what are you supposed to feel with the lexapro and/or celexa? when i took the 10mg, at 8pm I could still clean the house by myself! too much adrenaline

I went to the doctor asking for something to get rid occassional blues when all this cancer stuff hits me bad emotionally, but it's not every day.

He said either zanax when needed. I take ativan regularly only .5mg as needed.


maria

[MJo]

MCS - With Lexapro, I feel nothing at all. With Paxil, I felt fuzzy-minded. With Zoloft, I felt a buzz. It's hard to explain, but for most of my life I've been mildly depressed. No wide mood swings or terrible despair. Just ongoing mild anxiety and sadness. Talk therapy would lift the sadness for a while, but it always came back. I avoided medications. Didn't like to take aspirin. Now, after two years on Lexapro, I live without ongoing anxiety and sadness. It's amazing. I am grateful. Apparently, I needed my brain chemicals adjusted.

[R.B.]

Please discuss dietary change with your medical advisor.

Maria for background you might like to read Brain Building Nutrition by Michael Schmidt.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=z...bnail#PPA22,M1

The Omega-3 Connection: The Groundbreaking Omega-3 Antidepression Diet and Brain Program By Andrew L. Stoll

There is a lot of material that suggests that increasing long chain Omega Three intake may reduce the risk of depression. A high proportion of the brain is made of fats. DHA a long chain Omega Three is critical to brain function. Western diets are often low in DHA.