Anti-depressants anyone?

[NikkiNicole]

Hello my fellow Weggies,
Out of curiousity, does anyone take anything for depression/anxiety among all the other cocktails o' medications we have? I ask because, I feel like I should.
I've become a master of disguise, pulling a smiling mask on my face whenever I am at work or around my family. However, once I am home, it's SO hard to put it on and I don't want to always be ho-hum around the hubby. We used to go out and have fun and laugh all the time and now I'm always down in the dumps because I am too exhausted to put the mask on. And, I don't want to be fake around him.
I don't want to have to wear a mask. I don't want to be playing a role all the time.
Don't get me wrong, I am happy. I live a blessed life aside from this disease. I love my house, my husband, my job, my pets, my family. I love life. At the moment though, I feel this massive depression weighing me down. The weight gain when I was losing before this, the constant paranoia of why things aren't getting better and when/if they are going to get worse, feeling like I've swelled up like a balloon and am no longer attractive to hubby, feeling like I am this ugly monster who should hide.
I guess I don't know if I should talk to my doctor about taking something for that. Or, if I should wait it out.
I have lost 6 of the 20lbs Prednisone gifted me through my clean eating alone. Then, there's the 30 lbs WG helped me win back after losing it so valiantly. I couldn't work out and just laid on the couch so slowly but surely I started to gain it all back and then ... Prednisone you evil wench.
I have my first workout with my old trainer on Monday. I've had to cancel every time I scheduled it because I was feeling too ill. I really don't want to miss tomorrow.
OK, I'm rambling because it's 0532 in the morning and I am at work again.
What do you all think?

[Titus3:2]

Hi NikkiNicole, WG can make even the happiest person blue.You should discuss your mental state with your doc.Meditation has worked very well for me.Meditation is not easy,but if you can master it,it is very beneficial.I hope you get to feeling better.

[Mizamonie]

The prednisone gave my husband tons of anxiety. The doc put him on cymbalta which I think also treats depression. For sure talk to your dr. It's too hard to keep up the good fight while depressed also.

[Savva]

Hello Nicole,
From my personal xp, training is ALWAYS hard. Yes, it takes humongous amount of effort to make yourself start working out. How much mg pred you're on now? I started working out at 20 mg. And now that I am at 12.5 mg I have got almost flat stomach and even (I don't want to brag bout it) some abs! I also got a lil shredded. My advice - do insane cardiovascular exercises. They make me feel excellent afterwards. I personally feeling fine, working out almost everyday. Everyday cardio, every day some calisthenics. And dont never give up and think you're becoming unattractive of fat or whatever. I also used to think so, I dont know how to say this, but I just showed my middle finger to all these problems you know and started to make my life better day by day.

To me exercise is the best anti-depressant. It makes me fall asleep fast.
Regarding anxiety and irritation all the time, yes, there is no medication. To me, when life starts to get really unbearable, I go to church and start feeling better. Btw I got baptized on 1st Sept this year and this was the greatest thing I have ever done in my life.

Do not give up. All the best. Have a great day.

[Alysia]

Hi Nikki,
IT IS SO depressing to have WG :crying:
I am going to my psychologist twice a week. I need a safe place to cry, to bring my pains and agony and anxiety. she helps me very much. I just love her so much.
pills are not a replacment to expressing feelings, venting, rambling, crying, screaming etc. with a person who listen and care and understand. but the anti-depressant can make the pain less sharp.
going with mask on is so tiring. I am sure your husband loves you anyway. we love you2.

[NikkiNicole]

Thank you, Savva. Working out used to be my hobby. It made me happy, it erased any bad mood or stress from work (I have a pretty darn stressful job.) I am looking forward to that feeling again. I am only on 12.5mg pred on my slow taper right now. I am going to give myself a couple weeks of working out to see if it helps with the depression before I call the ol' doctor about it.
I hope you have a fabulously beautiful day.

[drz]

Many of us used some psych meds and counseling after our diagnosis. Accepting our diagnosis and working through the feelings about it is a lot to process. Meds also help counter act some of the adverse side effects too of some of the meds we need to take for treatment and maintenance.

[Debbie C]

Hey Nikki, I know how you are feeling, I've had alot going on at my house that I mentioned on another thread. And the last 2 drs. I've seen have told me that I am depressed. One prescibed 25 mg. Zoloft and the other 10 mg Paxil. I thought about taking them but read reviews about both on the computer and I would really just rather deal with my problems then take a pill for them. So I put them away. I do however take 1mg of klonopin 2 times a day for anxiety but I started taking that way before wg. Savva and Titus are right..exercise and meditation are great. I feel so much better after doing yoga or going for a nice walk. And praying is always good. I truly hope thing start getting better for you soon. And if it helps ,when you are really down,just remember there are people alot worse off then you. Take care...things will get better.:hug2:

[annekat]

I did take Zoloft for awhile and am thinking about starting it up again because I've had some pretty bad depression and anxiety lately. I don't remember the dosage but think it was more than 25mg., which I think is a pretty low dose, but my PA who prescribed it said it was not a high dose. Anyway, right now as I write this I'm not feeling like I need anything except maybe some fruit juice with a little vodka in it (which of course I'm not supposed to drink because I'm on MTX...) But I am afraid the morose mood will hit again and perhaps I should call.... Other than that, everyone is right about exercise and meditation. If you can really work out, great, otherwise, I think walking, yardwork, or anything of that level of strenuousness can do wonders. I learned how to meditate in a Buddhist tradition about 40 years ago and know that if you stick with it, it can also work wonders. But the self discipline required to stick with it is enormous; I'd say you need to do it at least a half an hour a day and some would say more, although I think even a few minutes would help some. There are many types of meditation and the techniques are simple; it is just focusing on the techniques while quieting the mind and not letting it wander that is hard. Finding a group to sit in meditation with might be the way to go to make oneself do it. I have not kept up with it myself, so I'm not one to talk. I do believe, or have heard, that many religious traditions including Christian ones have forms of meditation. Also, I know that to do Buddhist meditation, you do not have to be a Buddhist, as the meditating is not focusing on religious beliefs. The point is to quiet the mind, plain and simple, and not let it dwell on stressful aspects of your life, but to focus on the here and now. It may not be for everyone. I have not done much yoga or tai chi, or that sort of thing, just a little, but think these things are also helpful in relieving stress plus are good for the body. That's quite a ramble from someone who is not currently doing any of these things! But I do think about walking, as it would be so easy. As it happens, though, my pottery work involves a fair amount of physical activity, which must help some.

[GreenTara]

i take celexa, have done for many years (have been depressed since adolescence. . .. also xanax sometimes for anxiety. so stressful as i watch my body deteriorate. moon face, just went to 20 mg prednisone, wondering when the moon face will go away
i used to be cute :( now i do feel like a freak.

my legs are very stiff and crampy. just went off cytoxan,
tried me on azothiaprin, but i'm not doing well with that. So hoping to try rituximab. the celexa also supposed to help w headaches, as well as taking gabapentin (neurontin).

kim
2012

[Savva]

Generally I do not have any anti-depressants. But for dealing with anxiety try Phenazepam. My doc prescribed me it, but I rarely use it. It is used in the treatment of neurological disorders, but I use it as a sleeping drug. I take 2 mg before sleep, though it is not exactly sleeping pill. It will not necessarily make you fall asleep, but will calm your nerves. And even the following morning you will feel relaxed.

[Dirty Don]

All this talk about doing things without drugs to help...hmmm, and what if the system is damaged anyway and no amount of exercise, meditative thought, etc. helps enough? I have serotonin loss...it's LOST! C'mon...yes, I exercise, I feel better, but the serotonin is still gone. I eat things supposed to help dietarily for serotonin loss...Lexapro is the only thing that has curbed the tendencies to anxiety and depression and just feeling better. I'm flaring a bit right now, and back on pred...it's helping again...without it I felt shitty and was headed towards another larger flare...I'm feeling better today...sheesh. Don't put away your drugs just because of some cultural reflection on the use of drugs and don't give up your 'feeling better' routines as they do help, but don't cure...we've had this discussion before...btw, how many drugs do we all take as we discuss 'better' methods? Hehe! Also, Lexapro is considered by most docs to be one of the finest drugs out there without many side effects for us crazies! So, how about it...got drugs!!??

[Geoff]

Hi Nikki,

Sorry to hear about your blues. FOr me I lived on cloud 9 for almost a year after my DX and then fell to earth with a bump. I got further depressed but fortunatly my hospital offerred counselling and that was a god send. Before DX i went to the gym 4 times a week and for my age (57 at DX) I was very fit, which probably saved my life. I have put on 42lb since then and feel ashamed of my size but after having to spend nearly all last year off work thur WG I have learned to be kind to myself and to cut myself some slack (plenty to go round as you might imagine!!) Anyway I would suggest getting some counselling and try and look at the bigger picture...

[StephaniaWi]

Moon face does go away, I can attest. I had it two different times, for a long time, and it did flatten out, and no worry, everyone commented on it. :mad1:

[drz]

Moon face does go away, I can attest. I had it two different times, for a long time, and it did flatten out, and no worry, everyone commented on it. :mad1:

Some people thought I looked better with my moon face since it hid any wrinkles. But after it went down some, others noted "your face doesn't look so puffy anymore" but there are still some new extra bags and folds where they weren't before. The buffalo hump is no longer noticeable though so that is better.

[Psyborg]

I'm on Celexa and it does wonders for the Pred Rage anyway. I had issues with anger at times before being on Prednisone, and the steroids just amplified them. The celexa helps me keep a more even keel. Defintely helps with anxiety as well, though that has not always been as big an issue for me. At least I'm not freaked out as bad by public speaking now :p

[annekat]

My moon face went away and I look a lot better. I have small features, so the moon face just sort of swallowed them up.