Has anyone been helped by using antidepressants? I'm not sure if I'm ready for them yet but I feel like I'm heading there.
Thanks for any info, it is appreciated.
All My Best, Scott
-------------------- BTW - I am NOT a medical professional - just speaking from MY own personal experience. Posts: 266 | From Philadelphia | Registered: May 2005
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posted
As I entered my 40's it seemed every Dr. I saw encouraged me to go on an antidepressent...no matter what my symptoms were.
I held out until I started being treated for LD, then went on Trazodone which is given at hour of sleep because it has a side effect of drowsiness.
I have slept better and my mood has been better.
Eventually, I want to get off them, but for now it is good.
-------------------- Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for a future only He can see....Corrie Ten Boom Posts: 343 | From Northcentral Iowa | Registered: May 2005
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Beverly
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 1271
posted
Hi secondtimearound,
I never went on antidepressants before treatment for lyme.
I currently take Elavil and it helps me with sleep, pain and it slows me down. I don't know if it slows me down because of the sleep..I am not sure, but if I stop taking it I get sort of manic?
I would like to get off someday too, but right now..it helps.
Good luck to you. Posts: 6641 | From Michigan | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
Helped me bigtime! I've had Lyme forever, and it has really done a number on my poor brain!
I also take trazodone....it's great for pain, sleep, and mood. I've NEVER felt "high" or charged up from any antidep I've taken....
HOWEVER, I've never taken an SSRI and I hope I never have to. I think they have too many problems inherent in them.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Andie333
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7370
posted
I take an anti-depressant, at the suggestion of my LLMD. At first, I resisted doing this, but my doc was pretty insistent.
Now, I'm really glad I followed that suggestion.
I had never struggled with depression before, but even on meds, I can sometimes feel down feelings tugging. My LLMD explained that depression is a symptom of Lyme. That made sense to me.
I'm looking forward to the time I can wean myself off this medication, but for now, I feel as if I need it, and, like Lymetoo, I'm glad I'm taking it.
Andie
Posts: 2549 | From never never land | Registered: May 2005
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posted
I've also been taking Trazodone for years. I used to have sever insomnia and it has been a lifesaver! It's hard to believe that anyone can have this disease and not be depressed. I also take Welbutrin during the day and it doesn't have a lot of strong side effects like some of the others.
-------------------- Laura French Posts: 39 | From Bloomington, IN | Registered: Sep 2005
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CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
A few Lyme docs in CA have found that elavil in tiny doses works great for Lyme sleep disorders-
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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Monica
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 224
posted
One of my first symptoms was depression. That was before I knew I was infected. I thought it was just from a miserable marriage!
I have been on antidepressants since 1994. Prozac was great for me. Unfortunately every time I weaned off and then needed to go back on, it was less effective. I am now on Effexor.
I still get depressed (worse since I've been herxing).
I know antidepressants are unpopular with some, but I can only speak for myself when I say they saved my life.
Posts: 1757 | From Somerset County, NJ | Registered: Oct 2000
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
quote:Originally posted by Lymetoo: Helped me bigtime! I've had Lyme forever, and it has really done a number on my poor brain!
I also take trazodone....it's great for pain, sleep, and mood. I've NEVER felt "high" or charged up from any antidep I've taken....
HOWEVER, I've never taken an SSRI and I hope I never have to. I think they have too many problems inherent in them.
When I read the trazadone comment, I had to share this personal experience. I was on this for years for my depression.
Then 3-4 times, on my right shoulder I LOST MY SKIN in a 2" x 4"+ area !! It was raw; had 4 biopsies taken. 2 showed "unknown BUG bite"!
sO dermatoligist thought it was a "reaction" to being on trazadone for years! WRONG!
Trazadone made me a zombie; never could sleep more than 1 hour with it.
Zoloft helps me now especially with temper moods; takes the bite off. We lymies have chemical imbalances in our brains; depression pills help us.
posted
I have tried many different meds for depression. They all have left me feeling more fatigued and anxious. I wish they did work.
The only thing I have found that has worked for me is Klonopin. I only take .25 mg for sleep. While taking the antidepressants, It took .75mg to get to sleep. Clearly moving in the wrong direction. Hopefully the sleep will help me recover.
Take care and peace.
Posts: 221 | From S. Florida/Massachusetts | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
I was put on an antidepressent a couple of months ago when the deep nerve pain I was having kept me from sleeping. It has taken just about every bit of that pain away.
I haven't noticed any mood changes and it doesn't help with my severe body achiness, but as far as that deep nerve pain in my legs when I would lay down to sleep - well it has taken it away.
Sandy
Posts: 99 | From central NJ | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
I started wellbutrin recently and it has turned my life from darkness to sunshine.
Like others I resisted at first but the depression was getting concerningly worse.
Looking back I should've started on it much much sooner.
Sometimes one has to try a few antidepressants before finding one that will work. Then again, one will work for a while and then stop. I got lucky. Wellbutrin was the first one I tried and its working currently and hopefully will continue to do so.
Posts: 925 | From California | Registered: Sep 2004
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Foggy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1584
posted
Awful, just made my fog go from opartly cloudy to full overcast. The side effects also made the fatigue, dry mouth, constipation, just brutal
When I first got sick, duck after duck told me it was a chemical imbalance or depression. Yes, depression from being chronically ill and not knowing why. I tried antidepres galore and they made the fog so bad I could barely walk straight. They did help the depression.
I loath the attitude that some of these ducks take that if they can't firgue it out, grab the Rx pad and fire away.
Posts: 2451 | From Lyme Central | Registered: Aug 2001
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livinlyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3773
posted
STA, In my opinion the antidepressants are a bandaide to a much bigger problem..
I refused to take them I even told the MD who was trying to put me back on them to take them himself cause he appeared to need them more than I do, since at least I was trying to resolve my problems and not mask them..of course I no longer went to him after that statement...
I was irate that all the while I attended him I was told my Gall bladder was IBS(irritatble bowel syndrome) it turns out that my Gall bladder was sludge fouled and only functioning at 10% I was 39 years old and I had it taken out after a second opinion and a reccomendation that i try to avoid fats for 6 months then introduce them slowly and if it returned to get another opinion and ask them to run a Hidascan!
There were a number of other improper judgement calls on his part and the "specialists" that were attending to my care.. only to find out that someone (who had rank in the organization) had notated on my charts that I had a personality pathology. Talk about railroading people!
I hope somewhere people realize this is all a political game and fighting politics is not going to win the war here... finding answers and as much information about this pathogen will ..
you think about it.. who sits at the top of the political game?? the government.. and with them upstairs they ultimately have full control over this whole thing unless someone is willing to do the research privately!!
if this ties back to LAB 257 on Plumm island, (which I firmly believe it does) then we are at their mercy.. and they will do anything to keep a lid on this! The pay off is HIGH!
Political battles are a waste of time!!! Too much is at stake here,,, peoples lives are in jeopardy... and by the time we make headway with the political arena this is getting way far out of control.. and besides what ever wins are amde more rules will be made to put a CAP on those bills that do pass... WHY? cause ultimately who controls it all!????? I'm burning MAD about all of this!
-------------------- "Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it." Posts: 1389 | From who knows, who cares, but somewhere over the rainbow | Registered: Mar 2003
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