Re: Depression Meds?
From: Elaine (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri Mar 31 19:22:07 2006
Sudsey and Loretta,
I totally agree with everything you guys said! Anti depressants are
serious drugs with possible major side effects and they need to be
prescribed by a doctor who is highly knowledgeable about them, how they
may interact with other meds you are on, how they will affect your other
conditions (certain antidepressants can interfere with eachother as well
as with meds like blood pressure meds, antiseizure meds, birth control,
etc..), and can monitor a patient on them. It seems now a days they are
used for everything from pain to anxiety to weight loss to dealing with
grief to other things. Too often they are prescribed by doctors that do
not specialize in mental and emotional disorders or in psychotropic
drugs. While they may help a seriously depressed person to deal better
with his or her problems, they are not a solution in themselves. And
they do not come without their own side effects that can also worsen a
preexisting condition such as IBS, anxiety, and yes, even depression.
The underlying problem that drove a person to take an antidepressant
still needs to be addressed.
I personally suffered from major depression for many years, since I was
16, long before the endo and other physical problems manifested
themselves. I have been hospitalized in psychiatric wards numerous
times. It took a lot of counseling, group therapy, halfway houses,
lifestyle changes, as well as antidepressants to get a grip on the
depression. I eventually found that I did not need antidepressants to
deal with the depression and I learned other coping skills. I also
found over the years after being on ten different kinds of
antidepressants (Pamelor, Zoloft, Prozac, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Serzone,
Remeron, Trazadone, Lexapro, and Cymbalta)that the majority of them did
not help me feel better in the long run, only served to dull the
emotions I was feeling and to give me a false sense of security. And
the side effects were often horrific. In fact, the "IBS" diagnosis did
not come about until I was on Effexor for a period of time. Before
Effexor, I did not have bowel issues. Since Effexor my GI tract has
been a mess (some of this is also endo related however). While on it I
was severely constipated (passing a stool once a month if I was lucky)
and also ended up with acute gastritis which did not clear up until I
stopped it. One thing about endometriosis is that it makes our bodies
very sensitive to medications, at least for me. The endo problems also
became worse while I was on Effexor, though at the time I did not know
that is what it was. Then there is the withdrawal effects of coming off
the newer antidepressants on the market. For anyone who wants to read
about the six months of hell I went through to get off Effexor, here is
my story:
http://elainestory.blogspot.com/2006/01/effexor-withdrawalmy-story.html
And if you think I am alone in the withdrawal effects and side effects
of Effexor, here is a link you should visit:
http://www.petitiononline.com/effexor/petition.html
Yes, antidepressants can be helpful in dealing with the depression that
comes with having a chronic illness, if in fact the depression stems
from low or dysfunctional neurotransmitters in the brain such as
serotonin, dopamine, or norepinephrine. If your depression is more
likely situational (grief, divorce, anger and frustration of having a
chronic illness, low self esteem, etc.) or from other factors such as
fluctuating estrogen, hypothyroidism, or side effects of another drug or
hormone med, they may not be of much help. The underlying problem needs
to be addressed. Coping methods like counseling, support groups,
message, healthier eating and lifestyle, change in dose or medications
such as bcps, hrt, thyroid meds, pain meds, treatment of underlying
disease or disorder, etc. are more likely to provide lasting relief
with no or little side effects. Even if your problem is low serotonin,
there are other alternatives to provide some relief. Here is a nice
overview about Serotonin that I found on the web that can help in
understanding serotonin's role in the body and ways to boost it
naturally:
http://www.integrativepsychiatry.net/index.php?pr=Serotonin
Like I said though, if you really feel you would benefit from taking an
antidepressant, that is a personal choice you have the right to make and
exercise, but please be aware that they are not the miracle drugs
doctors make them out to be. They are a useful tool, and do help many
people, but they are also powerful medications with side effects that
may or may not be tolerated, and they are not always the answer or
solution to the underlying problem. Just do all the research you can on
them before you start taking one, and ask your doctor questions. Be
sure he/she really understands what he/she is prescribing, knows your
history, and knows the risks and benefits they may provide for you. I
am sure I will get a lot of angry replies for this post, but I am not
trying to push my personal beliefs on anyone. Just sharing my own
experience and speaking as a concerned endo sister. Jocee27, I wish you
all the best with whatever you decide on and hope that you get some
relief from your depression. It is not a fun place to be and I really
feel for your situation. I myself am in a lot of pain most of the time
and can't even take pain meds because of a really messed up digestive
system (just a week ago I tried to take Motrin when the pain got
unbearable and I ended up doubled over with nausea and buring pain in my
stomach that lasted several days), and there are days I don't want to
get out of bed. I am seriously thinking about that pain patch that
bypasses the GI tract to help. Can't think of what it is called.
Anyway, just know you aren't alone and can always come here to vent,
cry, or just share.
Hugs,
Elaine
At Fri, 31 Mar 2006, Loretta wrote:
>
>At Fri, 31 Mar 2006, Sami wrote:
>>
>>All I would like to share on this topic is that Depression is a REAL
>>DISEASE like ENDO, & if you are feeling Depressed PLEASE see a
>>Psychiatrist for assessment. They study for between 7-10 YEARS to
>>specialise in this field.
>>
>>I have been on anti-dep for a few years & after suffering/struggeling
>>with Clinical Depression for 10 years with no help, I am MUCH BETTER.
>>
>>I take Prozac, & have been seeing a Psychiatrist for bi-weekly sessions
>>who is very valued. It is so individual, don't accept a General Medical
>>Practitioner Opinion when it comes to your mind,
>>
>>sami koala
>>
>>At Sun, 5 Mar 2006, Sudsey wrote:
>>>
>>>Loretta
>>>Bless your heart for all you have been through I cried through your
>>>post. I am 100% behind you on not letting the wrong doc prescribe out
>>>of feild meds/diagnose. I was on Zoloft a few days and I couldn't hack
>>>how it made me feel like a flipping zombie and ditched them. I firmly
>>>believed it was hormone related not brain chemistry related. I remember
>>>my ranting as I told everyone who had an opinion around me that
>>>depression meds wont change life situations that had been my focus at
>>>times of my depression modes. I was fighting to get a hormone imbalance
>>>recognized which many ladies with endo will suffer. It's not got a
>>>whole bunch to do with seritonin in the brain which most anti
>>>depressants target so it's not going to tap into a hormone imbalance one
>>>bit that's caused by estrogen dominance.
>>>We wish we could turn back time to that place most of our parents grew
>>>up in where you got sick you could trust your doc had your best interest
>>>at heart. Now a days I almost have that dime a dozen lets rush the
>>>visits on to the next paying patient and how many can we get in the
>>>office within a day feeling. It's very sad our doctors do not know who
>>>we even are half the time. Lets take a quick look in our charts.
>>>There's no more the small town doc hollywoods around who knew you your
>>>family and had a better sense of who you were on that more personal
>>>level.Commercialized health care has replaced the basics of it. If our
>>>Doctors knew us better they would know that we weren't seriously
>>>depressed like this prior to endo and it's often relentless havoic on
>>>our bodies. Our word of mouth falls upon a def ear. Let's skip what
>>>the patients are saying and head right for the whole lets shut them up
>>>and dope them up quick fix. We take to treating conditions that many do
>>>not even have in a trial and error type fashion or worse rely on the
>>>less then accurate testing to tell the story, and it can only tell half
>>>if even that of what's going on. Now patients have had to take charge
>>>of their health care and educate themselves to protect themselves from
>>>these methods of medical care and that's sickening. I wish in the whole
>>>of me to have the ability to trust doctors but once it is gone it's
>>>gone. Now a days you must request your medical records because too
>>>often they fail to inform the patients and downplay things or just
>>>neglect to mention all together which I hate. It doesn't end there
>>>either because we need to check out medications and learn the risks of
>>>them on our own because we aren't going to be fully informed. Medication
>>>meant to help us can and does harm some of us.
>>>There aren't people we know too often who will inform of this self
>>>advocate part we as a patient must now play. Our parents still trust
>>>the doctors and are more prone to think well he's a good doc he's got my
>>>best interest at heart so we think what changed?
>>>Loretta my heart goes out to you and it's so important that you shared
>>>your story. We never know in the moments we sit in those painful
>>>memories typing them out how much it might help another and how it can
>>>spare others from traveling that path.
>>>All my best
>>>Sudsey
>>>At Sat, 4 Mar 2006, Loretta wrote:
>>>>
>>>>At Sat, 4 Mar 2006, JoCee27 wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>My doctor suggested that I try taking something for depression along
>>>>>with the pain meds because some women experience a low feeling when they
>>>>>take pain meds for a long period of time. She prescribed Zoloft for me;
>>>>>which I hear it works really well despite all the publicity in the news
>>>>>about it. I just wondered if anyone else had been prescribed depression
>>>>>meds and if you thought it did anything to counteract the low feeling
>>>>>that some women get taking pain meds.
>>>>>
>>>>>JoCee
>>>>>
>>>>>--
>>>>>Endometriosis Online Support Group
>>>>>http://com3.runboard.com/bendometriosissupportgroup
>>>>>
>>>>>Average People Group
>>>>>http://com1.runboard.com/baveragepeople
>>>>>
>>>>--
>>>>JoCee, Hi, I could go on forever and write a book on this subject,and NOTHING
>>>>about it would be positive.Keep in mind that what I have to say comes from a
>>>>place of hurt, distrust, and anger.When I moved to a new town and had to get
>>>> a new Dr, I had no choice who I got as it was a small town and Dr's had full
>>>> loads, so you took who could take you.I, at that time was on only tylenol#3 for
>>>>pain and it was not helping any more At All. I told my new Dr my history and
>>>>she said she was very against pain meds and that she would not prescribe them,
>>>>endo was something I had to learn to cope with.She said too many women get used
>>>> to taking pain meds and then seek them out.With that she told me she didnt
>>>> think pain was the problem but that I suffered from depresson from having
>>>>"un comfortable" menestration and un nessisary surgeries.She put me on Paxil.
>>>>After a few months I told her it was not helping and she put me on another.
>>>> And so on it went all year thru a number of anti-depressents.Nothing ever helped,
>>>> pain or feelings.She moved and
>>>>another Dr in her office took my case. I told him that Nothing helps and
>>>>the pain is unbearable.He said he would put me on zoloft. I took it and
>>>>felt Worse, I told him, he said the dose was to low and incresed it.
>>>>The pain was so bad that I took to bed for weeks, I felt a hundred times more depressed
>>>>and the pain was awful.When Itold him that
>>>> I couldnt handle the pain anymore heagain incresed the dose of zoloft and said
>>>>some people need quite high doses. I couldnt get out of bed and my entire
>>>> personality changed, I had nightmares and was biteing my husband in our sleep.
>>>>I would go off on rants,I started hoarding pills to committ suicide,I screamed, cried,
>>>>and hallucinated and wouldnt remember.My husband took me in saying he didnt know who I
>>>> was and the Dr
>>>>said I had schitzo-affective disorder, and severe depression,he put me on Lithium,
>>>>an anti-phycotic and valium.I could no longer get out of bed and started cutting myself,
>>>> then the siezures started.Then came the siezure meds,By the time I was done I have receipts
>>>>for 9 meds I was on AT THE SAME TIME.
>>>>I had many episodes and seizures and was taken by ambulance many times.I took a
>>>>hand full of hoarded pills and tried to kill myself.This ended me up in a major centre
>>>>hosp that had a phsyciatrist on staff.By the time I got there I didnt know my name,
>>>>they left me un attended and later found me under some patients bed searching for my cat.
>>>>My husband pleeded with the psyc Dr that this was NOT ME! something was SO WRONG
>>>>and it hadnt been ME all year.They had to restrain me and tie me to the bed.
>>>>This Dr took me off the Zoloft, within 2 days I knew my name,within 3 I knew
>>>> everyone and stopped siezing and hallucinating, He stopped all other meds slowly over
>>>> a couple weeks.Slowly I came back.Not all of me though as I still have
>>>>much damage to my memory.I guess because of the seizures. It damaged my brain,
>>>>memories from that year and back are in some cases completly gone or very sketchy.
>>>>When I came fully back we asked what had happened, he said I had a reaction
>>>> to Zoloft and instead of seeing that the Dr thought I wasnt recieving high
>>>> enough doses and my depression was just getting worse. The other meds were
>>>>to help the other "Pshyciatric"issues I was having, which actualy were
>>>>reactions and side effects of the meds.I almost lost my life,
>>>>I lost months,I almost ended up in an institution (if it wasnt for my husband),
>>>>I SUFFERED, MY KIDS AND HUSBAND SUFFERED.ALL BECAUSE I LET A DR PLAY PSHYCIATRIST!
>>>>I didnt know any better and trusted they knew what they were doing. Since then
>>>> I have come to find family Dr's get LITTLE if any formal training on mental
>>>> disorders or Pshyc meds. I also had my best friends son shoot and kill hiself
>>>> because he was down, (a teenager) and her family Dr prescribed
>>>>anti depressent,2 months later he killed himself.Inquiry stated a reaction toprescribed psyc medication.
>>>>The pshyc Dr that treated me said he was APPAULED.He saved my life.
>>>>I now fully beleive that a person wouldnt see a gyne Dr for a brain tumor,
>>>>a pediatrician for breast cancer so why let a family or G.P prescribe
>>>>medicines that alter your very brain chemistry? If I could tell you one thing it would be,
>>>>Pain makes anyone feel depressed, that is natural, I would be concerned
>>>>if it didnt effect you at all, but is it debilitating? can you not function?
>>>>Do you feel you want to end your life or that everything is hopeless?
>>>>If so, see a physiciatrist. If not, and you still need to figure it out, SEE
>>>>A pshyciatrist, If you are just down because it is a hard thing to deal with...
>>>>that's natural, lean on everyone, talk it out, do you really need mind altering meds to cope?
>>>>Just be carefull and think just as hard about taking things like this as
>>>> you would about having an operation.AND FOR HEAVEV"S SAKE...MAKE SURE
>>>> THE ONE PRESCRIBING IS QUALIFIED!..P.S I live in Canada and one of the
>>>>hardest things to do in our system is sue a DR. Other wise I would have looked into it.
>>>>Take care. Sorry I ranted....Loretta Now I am sooo sad just remembering...Take care
>>>>
>--
>Thank-you Sami, I agree with that whole heartedly.
>I hope I am not comming across wrong in my attempts to tell my story and warn
> of anti depressent use.
>My point is NOT that I think ALL use of them is wrong and un needed/un warrented.
>My concern is, and my story about, the improper handing out by family Dr's of
>these VERY STRONG and BRAIN ALTERING medications.
>One MUST be properly DIAGNOSED by a pshyciatrist who, after getting to know you,
> before the meds, and following you while you are on them so one know if things
>are going wrong.
>I see all too often these meds being prescribed by Dr's who are not listening
>to their patients and when other things could be the cause of the depression
>instead of actual brain chemistry problems or actual pshycological depression,
>Perhaps if it is something else causing the depression, it can be approached first,
>before handing out these meds. It doesn't take long to go to any medical
>adverse reaction reporting site to see all the cases of it going bad.
>Then you have all the commercials willy nilly promoting these med's while suggesting
>that if you are just depressed these are your answer and they will work.
>Some depression situations are not caused by or treatable with these med's.
>Some are situational,stress caused,sudden upset or a variety of things these
>pills will not cure.
>My point is they need to be prescribed, as you say, by a qualified pshyciatrist
> who study's these things and is watching you as you should be watched.
>Some anti depressent use can increase the suicidel thoughts and before you
> realize that it is the drug, you do it.
>That being said,
>When properly diagnosed and treated with the right med's, wonderful turnarounds
>can and do happen. If one is seriously depressed it is better to be seen than not.
>There very well could be something out there that will help you alot.
>And that is worth the trip.There is NOTHING WRONG OR SHAMEFUL in seeing one!
>Loretta
>
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