looking for advice on what med to take for lyme related depression. i've tried various ssri's (prozac, lexapro, effexor, zoloft)and they all make me extremely anxious and cause my heart to race.
just read on another lyme site about someone taking a low dose of lithium to ease anxiety and depression.
i know the depression will improve once the illness recedes...but it's been 2 years and my mood needs some lifting : )
any and all advice appreciated.
thanks, lisa
Posts: 92 | From berkeley, ca, usa | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Sorry this is a symptoms you're having. I've become convinced that Depression is a biological function of Borrelial infection within the brain, and of course its made worse in very complex ways through co-infections.
So, I'm of the belief that nuero lyme is both a vascular disorder, AND a nuerotransmitter disorder.
So, since its quite likely that our depression in Lyme is prolly related to some mechanism which inhibits serotonin and other nuerotrasmitters involved in depression or in some way prevents these chemicals from reaching the other nuerons to "connect" we need to ramp up these chemicals within the brain to bring the anxiety depression thing to normal calm behavior. When we can achieve this kinda balance, we allow that energy our body was using in a stress related mechanism to be diverted to allow a better functioning immune system. Many studies have shown the negative effects of stress on healing, and I believe that unless we are in as stress free state as possible in Chronic Lyme, it makes attaining recovery quite difficult.
I've found that Cymbalta works well, but the dose has to be quite high b/c of that whole nuerotransmitter thing I spoke about earlier.
I personally take 90 mg, and it helps alot. I'm calm throughout the day, and it seems to have made my antibiotics more potent now that I have a lower level of stress.
Plus, I'm a lot happier!
Please get help, you should not struggle with Depression during Lyme Disease. Its a biological Depression, not because you are a weak person or something like that. Also, it will speed your recovery. So, please, get help.
This is the website of a LLMD who specializes in treating these kinds of problems. I agree with him that they also must be treated to allow the antibiotics to work better.
Posts: 559 | From Cary, NC | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm sure you did this, and this is probably a waste of board space to say...
Did you start out with a very low dose of the meds you tried? I started out on 35mg of Effexor. I'm now at 150 mg. You might have to stay on a super small dose longer than most people before you could move up.
Just trying to maybe help, 3ktykatz
-------------------- 3ktykatz + 1 new kitten Posts: 24 | From Alabama | Registered: Jul 2006
| IP: Logged |
i'll have to look into paxil...i don't think that's one i've tried. and i need something that will make me feel calm.
even though i am physically exhausted my brain and nervous system never seem to shut down...constantly thinking, wondering, worrying, stressing about everything!!!!
each time i started a new ad i started at a VERY low dose. infact i need to do this with every med i start. my body is super sensitive to everything.
lymescience: thanks for the website referral...very interesting. does this doc do phone consults. this is the type of advice/expertise i need from a doc/psych.
thanks again to each and everyone of you for the input.
warmly, lisa
Posts: 92 | From berkeley, ca, usa | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I wish you the best of luck, Lisa. Depression is so, so tough. Sending you lots of soft, furry (((kitty hugs))).
Maybe there is something natural. I took a small dose of Kava while my divorce was being finallized. It helped me so much, BUT I don't know if it is on the market anymore. I think it can cause liver problems at high doses. I certainly wouldn't use it again, if it's even available, without massive research.
Maybe valerian or (I'm serious about this) catnip. I think they are both supposed to be calming. Again, I don't recommend taking herbs without lots of research and consulting with someone who actually has a clue, since I usually have NO clue at all. They can be dangerous even though they are "natural."
Take care!
Kitty kisses, 3ktykatz
-------------------- 3ktykatz + 1 new kitten Posts: 24 | From Alabama | Registered: Jul 2006
| IP: Logged |
ArtistDi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 2297
posted
Have you tried Celexa? I take a very small dose and it seems to help. Many patients have a difficult time with seratonin, which is why they don't tolerate SSRIs very well.
I had seen a prescribing psychiatrist at one time who gave baby doses to people who were extremely sensitive to the antidepressants. He found that their bodies could only tolerate lower doses and they functioned better at those levels. Something to consider--
Posts: 1572 | From Hatfield, MA, USA | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
Wow, I can relate to your experience trying different meds. I have had both depression and anxiety to the point of panic attacks
i was told that my depression was making me anxious. Or was it really that the anxiey was depressing me. That is the question.
Paxil is extremely sedating. You may actually feel more anxious because of feeling so tired.
Lithium definitely causes chemical changes in the brain, as sodium goes into the cells (pretty sure this is the bottom line). I tried it. It didn't help me with the depression/anxiety. Instead I felt like my brain was swollen, and had a monster headache.
Effexor in a lower dosage helped a lot, but I had to add Depakote 500mg to address the anxiety. It is considered a "mood stabiliazer". I had a significant decrease of anxiety within days of beginning treatment and stabilized with this combo
I didn't like Xanax at all. It was certainly effective controlling the immediate aniety, but wears off quickly. I found after time that the relaxing effects lasted for shorter periods, then I crashed. For me, Xanax wa addicting.
Now Ativan, that was a different story. You don't get the instant "rush" and resulting "crash" as with Xanax.
Ativan proved better for me. It takes a little longer to work, but the effects last much longer. It takes the edge off sufficiently so that you can think more clearly, and be productive.
I only took Ativan if I was feeling particularly anxious. Sometimes we need a little extra help with an anti-anxiety med.
This has been my experience. As I continue to get better from the LD, I have been able to slowly titrate down with these mediations.
But I remember the anxiety and depression only too well. Very uncomfortable feeling.
I definitely feel for you. I hope that you can find the right combination of medications to help you feel better.
Good luck and gentle hugs
Margie
Posts: 89 | From Northern Virginia | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
This is a good thread. I only need a low dose - if I tried to increase it, I had symptoms I could not tolerate. Doctors are always "in" to pushing you to inrease the dose. Listen to yourself, listen to your body. It was not good for me to increase the dose.
Zoloft worked for me but I got a rash - I'm now on Lexapro. My prescriber said she thought of Zoloft as the 'aspirin' of all the ADs.
Maybe you should try one of these again, and just stay on the lowest dose and see whether that doesn't help.
Paxil has its own issues - maybe you've already read up on it.
I reiterate what a few have said here: it will help speed your recovery.
I wish you the best in finding what will work for you.
Posts: 90 | From New Jersey | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[bonk]](graemlins/bonk.gif)
![[group hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)
![[confused]](graemlins/confused.gif)
They can be dangerous even though they are "natural."![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic