Do the meds cause mood swings? Does RA affect a person's internal mood (say, before diagnosis). I ask only because I have found myself very short-wired,especially with my kids ,over the past year. Or, is that just a side-effect of all of the fatique I was feeling?
How do you ask for an antidepressant? How do you know if you need one? Boy, I would love to get my attitude under control. I love my kids and husband, but sometimes I can't control how angry and frustrated I get at them and I don't like myself very much for it. Shame on me? Maybe I can be fixed! Yea!!!
Lisa
I don't know how long you've been on the Medrol, but I think what you describe can be a side effect. Just having a chronic disease can shorten your chain, then add the fatigue and pain from RA and you have the right mix for depression, anger, grief, etc. I know I can get pretty short with my family when my joints are hurting more than usual. Tell your dr. your symptoms, hopefully they will have some answers for you.Medrol, and all the steroids, definitely cause mood swings, especially with higher dosages and long-term use. In fact, they can cause outright psychosis. Ask your RD about an antidepressant; not only can it help with mood issues, but it can often end up helping alleviate chronic pain. I am taking Zoloft for PMS mood issues and also for chronic pain. It helps with the pain and fatigue of RA, at least for me. I will be asking for an increase in dosage next month, as the 50mg I take doesn't seem as effective as it did a few months ago when I started it.Lisa,
I definitely think this disease causes mood swings!
I have been hurting for the past couple of weeks and I realized this morning I have been mean to my middle school students. Just being very short tempered and snapping a lot. I know it is because I don't feel well. Sorry to hear you feel the same way.
I find if I just take a few breathes and think about things before I react it helps. Sounds kind of simple, but I think it really makes me chill out.
I would also like to know when it is time for an antidepressant. I have wondered that myself.
Should clarify this:
Only just started the medrol dose pack yesterday. Have been having mood swings, irritablility for about a year. Just dx. with the RA this past week.
Talk about it at your next appointment with your primary care doctor or your rheumatologist. Both can prescribe antidepressants. Your rheumatologist might be better suited to select the best one to help with the pain and fatigue of RA in addition to mood issues.I was just diagnosed, and for the past two or so years, the strain of being in pain, and getting injured from easy workouts, and just not feeling good have made me very stressed and sad! I think RA can easily cause a person to feel depressed, overwhelmed, etc. Like a lot of other chronic diseases, I guess. I told my Dr. how I was feeling and he rx'd Nortriptylene, and it did work, but I am going off of it now, b/c I am trying to get in shape, and I think it's not helping in that catagory. Plus, I am getting my RA under control, eliminated some stresses from my life, and am just a lot less stressed in general. Just talk to your Dr honestly, and GOOD LUCK!
My PM noticed and suggested that I take 10mg Lexapro a day. A year later as the RA progressed my mother told me that the Lexapro was no longer working, lol. I told my Dr and now am on Paxil which I love.
It is hard enough dealing with RA but I definately don't want my friends and family to pay for it.
I'm often kinda snappish when I'm over tired. Whether that's due to RA or just because I'm 44, not exactly young anymore, I don't know. I do know that I am often ridiculously tired for no apparent reason.Some people believe depression is an actual symptom of RA (I'm one of them), the same as joint swelling or fatigue. When AP started working for me, the depression was the first thing to go, so getting your RA under control might fix the problem. The other thing that might help is regular, gentle exercise such as daily walks or swimming a couple of times a week. Good luck with depression: it bites. I also believe it is a symptom.I just got my dx monday this week, 3rd day on pred. Have been sick about 6 weeks now. It bites, i have been snappy and just not happy evey moment. The fatique, and i know so very little i am new at this.It is just hard. Talked to a customer who is a friend in texas. She said her father inlaw used to be bed ridden by RA. She said a specialist in Texas fixed him up, they had done a special on 60 minutes or some show simalar to that i don't recall. But she said if i needed help she would give the name of the specialist, at least the meds, she said something about an experimental treatment. But that was some time back so i don't know if that is still an expermental treatment anymore.
I wonder if that was AP? It would be great if you could get more info from her. I will she is a close friend as well as a buisness colleque. She is working on it now i am sure. I will talk to her on Monday. I will let you know.I had fibromyalgia 6 years before the RA, i had some carpal tunnel, a birth defect some arthritis asociated with where and tear. I was deppressed because not having your body is deppressing. Now i have RA. But antideppresants help with pain and fatique as well as deppression so i am starting some next week after i get off this high dose of pred. I will take all the help i can get. Sorry you are having so much trouble. It is frustrating. [QUOTE=GrammaKathy]Oh...forgot the snappy.