post diagnosis depression | Arthritis Information

so i was wondering if anyone here (or everyone;)) had to some degree post diagnosis depression. related to meds? like prednisone? just reality sinking in? i have noticed that i have really REALLY severe pms these days, where i think i am actually depressed, like major depressive episode type stuff, and for a week i just cry for no apparent reason. during this week i really start thinking i need some kind of antidepressant. its nuts! i have never had bad pms before now, and its not all the time, just the week before and i forget that its the pms week. i think i need to set an alarm like the hormonal rampage alarm in my phone to remind me that its just that pms thing...lol. is this a i am on prednisone and it helps with the pain and messes up every other aspect of my body and mind? did any of you guys have emotional issues after being diagnosed? any girlies out there notice you had increased hormonal issues? is it the RA or the pred or just maybe stress? ehhhh
It's normal to have some depression. I would talk to your Dr. about it. Alot of us take anti-depression meds. ^i have a RX for zoloft at the pharmacy ready to be picked up, has been for weeks now. i just cant force myself to go get it and start taking it. its like admitting defeat for some reason...i am trying to rationalize and convince myself that its just pms...is that weird:)???

That's not weird at all. Here's some info to help you rationalize it!

ADs are use for LOTS of things.....I take mine for several reasons. #1 I have severe anxiety disorder - it helps control that. #2 my PMS symptoms, including cramps were horrific! Now they're under control. #3 it helps control my daily aches and pains...you know the kind where you creak when you move, and you're just kinda...."bleh" all day? 98% of the time, I don't have that feeling anymore. Just as long as I stay on my AD.

So even if it IS just horrible PMS, they'd give you an AD to help anyway! It's worth a shot hun. The worst than can happen is it might not work, or it might kill your sex drive. So you just quit that one, and try another. When you do find one that works for you, there are few to no side effects and it can be SUCH a blessing to be on.

*hugs*

sex drive, what is that? i am pretty sure they removed that when i had my daughter, or maybe when my hubby got his vasectomy, LOL

ya know what is ironic->i am a pysch major so you'd think i'd be all over some ADs :)
It may be the pred. I was an emotional basket case. I could hardly get through commercials without tearing up. I cried at a drop of a hat. It was so bad that friends were worried about me because I was cryig so much. All that and the depression symptoms lessened when I went off the pred.Depression is so very normal and contributes into our RA from a number of causes.

Yes, the Pred can be a contributor. As can PMS.

Also just having a chronic illness of any kind usually makes depression a fairly constant friend of ours.

Also the inflammation in our bodies being increased can affect our brain chemicals.

Plus, this is a life changing and life shattering disease with a rather extensive grief process involved in it so depression also comes in as part of that. The losses we endure are bring depression in.

And then there is the pain...anyone in constant, chronic pain will become depressed, a very normal reaction. If you endure the amount and consistency of pain an RA patient does and not get depressed, there is probably something severely wrong with you.

Hi,

Yes, I was very down after my diagnosis. Also the prednisone does bad things to me emotionally. I also never had ADs before but was started on one for nerve pain and it has also helped with the mood swings and depression. I'm glad I am on the AD now-it means one less problem to deal with and we all have enough already! I hope things settle down for you soon.

Laker

erica. I think that anyone that said they had no post diagnosis depression
are not being truthful about their whole situation. How could it not make
you depressed? I know I have and I don't even have severe RA. This is really
a day to day disease and that is the hardest part. We never know how we
are going to feel tomorrow, next week, next month so it is so difficult to
make plans, decisions. Holding down a regular job became difficult for me
because in the pre plaq days, I never knew how I was going to get out of bed
to go to work. It is better now. I think if you are having periods in the
evening that you find yourself feeling hopeless, an antidepressant might be
a good idea. You can also come on here and get in on all the nonsense, lol.
I hope things look up for you and we are here for you.

Erica -

I'm coming from 'the other side' on this question. I've posted before that I was more angry than depressed on diagnosis. Actually, I was furious. I was supposed to start a job that I'd wanted really bad for years and had to give it up as my onset was 'severe, early onset' and so dehabilitating - putting me on a walker at night in just 4 months and having to use a wheelchair 3 X in the 5th month. I cannot tell you the depths of my anger.

Now, anger can cover myriad emotions - and it's 'safer' than admitting depression; if that makes any sense.

I chose AP (antibiotic protocol) as my treatment choice. Most APer's say the first thing to lift is the depression and brain fog. But not for me. I GOT depressed on AP and I think I'm the only person to post that even on the Roadback. It was 7 1/2 weeks of sobbing misery for absolutely no reason. Caprice talks about commercials - my husband didn't want me watching TV it was so bad. I'd cry at anything remotely emotional and he had to follow me around making funny faces and noises until I 'snapped out of it' and would laugh. He was the person that noticed it was 'dose related' - meaning take a pill and an hour or so later start sobbing - as I was too upset to even notice. But because I trusted him, I just hung on, and eventually I knew he was right, it was dose related, and it did eventually lift. Not a moment too soon.

Also, on AP my mense dropped to every 16 days. While I had developed PMS over the last year or so prior to diagnosis, it got baaaaaad on AP. I posted on the Roadback and was politely told I was probably peri-menapausal. Great! Like I needed that on top of everything else. It's only been since I've been here that I've noticed the posts about changes in mense patterns, hormonal reactions, etc. On AP my mense has corrected itself, I'm mostly back to every 28 days and the mood swings are a lot better - not perfect yet - but not exorcist woman on a rampage anymore.

So, while I think that AD's have a lot of benefits to offer and are nothing to be ashamed about - because of my reactions, I have questions. Dr. Brown thought that microbes emitted toxins to the body and when you killed them you 'herxed' and got worse before you got better because all of a sudden you just released a ton more toxins by using the antibiotics. Does this make sense?

So, how much of our depression is related to the toxins? How much of our mense is related to estrogen resistance? If our bodies are making estrogen and we're not processing it right so it's sitting outside the cells going unused - it makes sense to me that we'd be a heck of a lot more moody.

Here's a link to a study that is not so positive for SSRI's and AI diseases.

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=2434763

Many AD's have black box warnings on an increased chance of diabetes. I am assuming the risk is really low so I'm more concerned about the fact that Type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. So, add estrogen resistance and adrenal resistance from Pred...see where I'm coming from?

I hope you feel better soon.

Pip

Post-dx? Heck I still battle depression sometimes and I was dxed 7 years ago. Talk to your doctor. More meds may or may not be the answer for you. I've never taken them, I just learned how to deal with what I was feeling. It helps to understand that it's normal to feel like bawling occassionally. Short of finding a cure, most of us are going to be in some degree of pain for the rest of our lives, and that's a very scary thought when it really sinks in. Have you tired birth control for your pms symptoms? I take regular old orthotricyclin (spelling?) and it has limited my period to 3 days and almost eliminated my cramps. Of course it did help me (yeah I know, I didn't have to put that burger in my mouth) gain a little weight (about 10 lbs) which I'm sure my joints don't thank me for. . . It seems totally logical to me that you would be feeling depressed. My RD told me most patients feel overwhelmed at diagnosis and to me it seems that's just a short leap from depression. I had a few crying jags here and there, trying to come to grips with the fact that my life had changed forever, but nothing too serious and I thank this board a great deal for that. Just being able to talk and have questions answered promptly when you can't be bothering your RD about every little thing is a huge help and I encourage you to post, post, post! Cry, scream, vent however you want in addition to whatever else your doctor recommends meds-wise and let us help you with the rest. Don't underestimate the power of "misery loves company" in getting you through this. It can be so helpful to talk to people who understand you and what you're going through like no one else can.

I’m on the same page with everyone else who has posted. I was very angry and sad and scared. For me the depress hit me when reality hit. It took about 3 months for me to really realize what was happening. My mom is a therapist for mentally ill adults with chemical addictions, so I talk to her a lot about things but its hard for her to put aside the mom and bring in the shrink. For me I don’t want to take anti-depressants because I’m taking enough pills as it is, but I’m in the process of finding a therapist. I think that for me just talking and having someone help me find coping strategies is right for me at this point. I think talking to your dr is the best idea and seeing what he/she suggests is a good starting point.

Depression is very common in RA. Chronic pain can actually change your brain chemistry. I suffer untreated for decades! Life is better for me on an anti-depressent - but it took a lot of trail and error to find the right one.I was super-depressed when I was first diagnosed. I've always been very,
very leary of SSRI's so I wasn't willing to take one of those (not that
anyone offered). The centre where I get treated has free counselling but
no one thought to mention that to me until way later so I didn't know that
was open to me. Fortunately I was in therapy at the time so my therapist,
and my absolutly wonderfully supportive BF, were able to get me through
the worst part.

After I was on AP for about 2 months the depression lifted and has not
returned, although I do have isolated moments of despair and anger
when I consider the chronic nature of this disease.

Depression is anger turned inwards, so those of you that feel anger rather
than depression are one step ahead at not internalising the feelings this
diagnosis brings on. It's a good thing, because anger often motivates to
action, whereas depression makes it hard to do anything proactive.

I believe depression is an actual symptom of RA rather than an reaction to
it, so the more your disease is under control the less depression you will
have. (Dr Brown also discusses this in The New Arthritis Breakthrough).

Non-drug depression busters also include exercise and a healthy diet. I
don't mean to trivialise depression (Lord knows I have had serious
bouts of it at certain points in my life) but you would be amazed at how
much regular moderate exercise helps. Also, gleaning knowledge about
your diagnosis and being proactive about your treatments is very
empowering and can help alleviate feelings of helplessness and
depression.

Good luck with this issue---depression truly sucks!thanks guys. right now i feel like pms week all of my frustration, pain, and emotions kind of team up and get the better of me, however i feel better after. i have more of my old spirit and self back. i think maybe the hormonal aspect tips the bowl for me and i succumb to the feelings of anger, helplessness, and unfairness of it all.

i have a rx for zoloft at the pharmacy but i havent been able to bring myself to go pick it up! i agree with the "i take too many pills a day mentality!!" :)) i take so many meds now that its crazy!

gimp-i am def going to try to implement a more strict diet and exercise regimine and see if i can more naturally control my bouts of depression. i do think if i lost some weight and got into a better sleep schedule i would see positive changes. i have no sleep schedule and workin in a bar makes me up late and sleeping late the next day, so maybe if i get one of the jobs i applied for 8-5 i can get into a better daily routine for eating, exercise and sleep...

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