Posted by Mtom on May 3, 2018, at 11:33:34
In reply to Re: Which Antidepressant LEAST likely to cause anxiety » Mtom, posted by bleauberry on May 3, 2018, at 10:34:44
Thank you bleauberry. I will add some more detail for you as you seem knowledgeable (are you a medical professional?).
I have Lupus. My depression first cropped up very suddenly just before I was diagnosed, that is I wasn't depressed because of the diagnosis, the depression was one of many symptoms that sent me to the Doctor to find out what was going on. It is known Lupus can cause depression and may be related to the inflammation, as you describe. However my doctors believe my Lupus is relatively mild and were never convinced it was causing depression. My most recent Lupus tests came back good, much better than years ago, however my depression has worsened.
There have been a number of intense situational stresses in recent years which may be a large contributing factor in this worsening.
I hear you about Lyme disease. I live in Canada where it is not as prominent as in the U.S. although becoming more so (more ticks surviving and reproducing, climate change believed a factor). But unfortunately, although our Medical system is really quite good up here (despite reports otherwise), because Lyme Disease is a relatively new phenomenon here, our Doctors don't have the expertise that U.S. Doctors do. I know someone who is currently travelling to the U.S. for treatment.
I've tried supplements including 5HTP (gave me the same anxiety as AD's, just took longer), I take Omega-3's, Turmeric, Vitamins. I tried high dose B-Vitamins on advice of 2 Naturopaths but they also seemed to increase my anxiety over time (I've read they are precursors to some neurotransmitters).
A note about my Zoloft reaction. I had been taking St. John's Wort for several months before trying the Zoloft. SJW was doing nothing. I told my Doctor at the time I was taking SJW, she didn't know what it was (this was a lot of years ago) and blew it off, so I took my first Zoloft the same day I had also taken SJW. May partially account for my reaction, except for the fact that Trazodone & 5HTP also caused intense anxiety/agitation.
I've even considered ECT. I haven't been able to get a good opinion on its effectiveness, and there seems to be side effect risks. It's discouraging that you say it did not help you.
I've been told by a couple of people who did not do well on Zoloft that Celexa worked well without side effects.....?
Any other thoughts you (or others) have would be welcomed.
> This is just my opinion, but I think your experience with Zoloft screams pretty loudly that artificially raising serotonin levels is not the right approach for your chemistry. Your initial reaction tells me you probably will not do well on any antidepressants and you might be here 20 years from now still talking about your next cocktail trial.
>
> For immediate relief I personally would turn to herbal medicines which I consider to be more effective and more wide spectrum than medications. The primary candidate is Rhodiola Rosea for both depression and anxiety, though it takes a few weeks to really kick in, and months to fully take over. Lemon balm and Skullcap and Passion flower immediately for the anxiety. Lemon balm and St Johns Wort combo is a good combo.
>
> Whether meds or herbs you are likely to experience discomfort in the first first days or weeks. Unless the herb or med is spot on perfect for your chemistry, in which it should feel right almost immediately.
>
> I believe the anxiety and depression most of us deal with has an identifiable and treatable cause. And that most of the causes are related to systemic inflammation and brain inflammation, and those are likely results of unsuspected stealth microbial chronic infections such as Lyme, lyme co-infections, mycoplasma, bartonells, candida, and others.
>
> The greatest success I have seen with my own eyes in treating depression and anxiety patients is to treat the whole person, the whole body, the whole lifestyle and diet, as if you had Lyme disease, regardless of whether you actually have it or not. Many people will never actually know. But if you treat yourself as if you had Lyme, I personally belief you will experience far greater longterm success than from any psychiatric medication cocktails.
>
> There are good books to read on that topic and plenty to read on the internet. I would suggest investing some hours to learn more about it all.
>
> My own case was 20+ years of treatment resistant depression, sensitive to all meds like you were to Zoloft, failed ECT, failed backpacks full of meds. I got totally better 3 years after switching from psychiatrists to LLMDs (LymeLiterate M.D.s). Each state has a handful of them. Regular family doctors and specialists are totally clueless on this stuff. It requires special training.
>
> If you were to insist on an antidepressant then I would suggest low dose prozac and low dose remeron combination.
>
> I would also suggest low dose prozac with Ritalin. Ritalin is a stimulant for ADHD and you would think it would wildly worsen anxiety. But that doesn't happen to school kids and it didn't happen to me. What did happen was surprising - anxiety gone, sleep much better, and energized and engaged in life again.
>
> But I truly feel your longterm results are better on a different path. My own doctors taught me that, showed me that, and demonstrated it in real time real world. According to the doctors who healed me, 9 out of 10 of us actually have lyme.
>
> That probably sounds profound and it should. I am not going to argue about those numbers one way or the other. But I will say confidently that when we include lyme treatment as our primary vehicle to treat depression and anxiety - whether we actually have lyme or not doesn't matter - then the outcome is better. It's just that simple. Actually not simple but you get the message.
>
> > I had a terrible experience with Zoloft induced Anxiety many years ago after just a couple of doses and it didn't wear off for many weeks. I had not been feeling anxious before, just depressed. It scared me off Antidepressants.
> >
> > But I'm now experiencing fairly severe Depression again. My Doctor has suggested all kinds of things including SSRI's, SNRI's, even Anti-psychotics. I read they all have the possibility of causing anxiety and in some cases other awful side-effects (especially the anti-psychotics).
> >
> > What is the experience out there? Someone I know tried a number of AD's, has now been on Celexa for years and says she experienced no side-effects. Thoughts? Other suggestions?
> >
> > With my current depression I have also already been experiencing intensifying anxiety, taking Benzos for that. I do NOT want to get worse. But I feel the need to do something.
> >
> > Thanks so much!
> >
poster:Mtom
thread:1098474
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20180331/msgs/1098506.html