Re: Re:Question/antidepressants

April 22, 2000

In a message dated 4/22/00 7:35:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

claudinecrews@... writes:

<< (Maybe the non-depressed aren't here.) So if you don't need them,

why take them. They have their own side effects, and it's another

medication for your liver to deal with. >>

Well, I wasn't depressed before tx and I'm not now. I requested something as

a preventative measure. I was worried about that side effect. I was a bit

freaked out by the very prominent mention of " suicide ideation, attempts " ,

etc. in the drug insert. I wasn't worried that I would get to that point. I

just knew if I came down with a severe enough depression -- I would simply

quit tx. I know it's another med for my liver to deal with, but for me,

worth the tradeoff. I'm also doing the shots every day so I figured my sides

might be more extreme.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone on tx who is doing fine without

an antidepressant, especially those on daily interferon. Anyone?

Peace,

Jane

April 22, 2000

Dear Jane,

I was on combo for 53 weeks. I was on high dose combo for the last 3

months of that. My doctor didn't offer a antidepressant before I started but

did strongly warn about the depression and said to let him know if I needed

something. About 5-6 months into the combo I told him maybe I could use

something, but I never got my prescription for Prozac filled after I read

the list of side effects. If I remember right, the one that REALLY decided

the issue of to fill or not to fill was 'insomnia', which was my #1 problem,

along with fatigue, which the insomnia complicated even more. I have had

occasional problems with insomnia since I was a child, and the combo turned

it into a MAJOR problem, from the very first week. The idea of ANYTHING

which would make sleep more of a problem was a terrifying thought. I was

already getting only about 4 hours of sleep a night, and I was already

taking enough meds for that, with their own set of side effects. Nothing my

doctor prescribed for insomnia helped for very long, and then would require

larger doses or a new medicine. I managed to get myself addicted to Xanax

in the process, which is a another story, which practically requires an

antidepressant just to think about the time I tried to quit it cold

turkey!!! I finally started taking St. s Wort about the last 6 - 8 weeks

(?? I think, it's been a while now), and there is no doubt that my husband

would have been glad to have me take something sooner. (He used to walk

around shaking his head, saying to himself,'it's just the medicine, it's

just the medicine', like some sort of chant!) I quit taking the St. s

Wort shortly after I stopped treatment, but took it again towards the end of

my 'weaning' off of the Xanax. As for the 'suicide ideation, attempts',

this warning didn't phase me. Now, if it had said 'murderous tendencies' I

definitely would have sat up and taken notice!

Now, would I go that long again with out an antidepressant if I was

back on treatment? Probably not. It just wasn't fair to my family.

Depression (sadness) was not the real problem with me, it was irrational

irritability, anger, hostility, etc. I'm not sure WHAT I would take though.

The most commonly prescribe antidepressants any more are the SSRI, and

insomnia can be a problem with all (or most) of them I believe. My doctor

recently prescribed Amitriptyline for chronic pain (arthritis).

Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant which works for chronic pain by

inducing better, deeper (stage 4) sleep. (It's often prescribed for

fibromyalgia.) Sounds perfect for me, but I've already had to stop even the

low dose of 25mg. at bedtime due to major intestinal side effects, and

others. Back when I thought I would be going on treatment in January I

began taking St. s Wort in anticipation. Now, with the newer info on

possible drug interactions I'm not sure what I will do! I'm looking at

Zoloft, I hear it doesn't cause insomnia the way most do, so....?

I don't think most people have as many problems with side effects like

I seem to, so to all reading this, I'm not saying you will have the same

problems as me. I just have always been sensitive to meds and learned the

hard way to be cautious. My GI once told me I was his patient that made him

go home and read his textbooks at night. I think I was good for him.

Somehow this got very long! Sorry!

Claudine

________________________________________________________________________

Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

April 22, 2000

If you don't need them... AND YOU ARE NOT GOING ON TREATMENT.. by all

means.. don't take what you don't need!

But, interferon is a known depressant.

I've said this before somewhere forget where. You don't walk into battle

unprepared. And treatment IS a battle. It's a battle every single day to

fight the dragon, a battle to keep your wits about you, a battle to not give

in and just let your liver degenerate, a battle to keep your spirits up, to

trudge thru each day of fever, chills, bone chilling aches, migraines, and

whatever else treatment throws at you.

You don't get in the middle of a battle and say " Oops! left my gun at home "

It's a little late. And so it is with depression and interferon. It takes a

few weeks for the anti-d's to kick in. It only takes a moment to take your

life or someone elses. To lose your job. To give up hope. To rage at your

family. o stop treatment because you can't take it anymore.

You don't go into battle without knowing as much of the facts as possible.

Same with treatment. I look at it as a battle. Maybe some don't. It's just

my viewpoint. Slay the dragon and don't forget the ketchup! (and anti-d's

alley/

ICQ 12631861

alleypat@...

http://www.flash.net/~alleypat

April 23, 2000

Claudine said <<. Now, if it had said 'murderous tendencies' I

definitely would have sat up and taken notice! >>

hahaha yeah but ya don't have to have hep for that haha I know what you mean

tho.

I never would consider myself " depressed " . Doc asked me when I first saw him

(the gastro) " Do you think you need an anti depressant? "

I'm like nah .. but then I thot... I've certainly been irritable and never

had insomnia before and now I sleep 2 or 3 hours at a time. I said do they

help with sleeping? He said they can so I said I'll try it and voila! I

sleep all nite! And here I been 10 years gettting only a few hours of sleep

at a time, and I coulda been taking zoloft or celexa or something! sheesh

I'm slow

Claudine said <<Depression (sadness) was not the real problem with me, it

was irrational irritability, anger, hostility, etc. >>

Yeah.. same here and I've never done treatment. I'd hate to think the

treatment made me more so! Glad you found something that worked.

<<<Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant which works for chronic pain

by

inducing better, deeper (stage 4) sleep. (It's often prescribed for

fibromyalgia.) >>>

I didn't know that. I may ask for that. You think I could stop the celebrex

and occasional lodine if I change anti d from celexa to amitriptyline?

<<! I'm looking at Zoloft, I hear it doesn't cause insomnia the way most do,

so....?>>

I was on Zoloft for about six months. It helped my insomnia the most. I

changed because it also killed my sex drive. I gotta have my sex! hehahahaha

I changed to celexa but it doesn't seem to work as well on the sleep thing

as the Zoloft did. I may return to Zoloft when I start treatment.

good luck claudine!

alley/

ICQ 12631861

alleypat@...

http://www.flash.net/~alleypat

April 23, 2000

Claudine said <<. Now, if it had said 'murderous tendencies' I

definitely would have sat up and taken notice! >>

hahaha yeah but ya don't have to have hep for that haha I know what you mean

tho.

I never would consider myself " depressed " . Doc asked me when I first saw him

(the gastro) " Do you think you need an anti depressant? "

I'm like nah .. but then I thot... I've certainly been irritable and never

had insomnia before and now I sleep 2 or 3 hours at a time. I said do they

help with sleeping? He said they can so I said I'll try it and voila! I

sleep all nite! And here I been 10 years gettting only a few hours of sleep

at a time, and I coulda been taking zoloft or celexa or something! sheesh

I'm slow

Claudine said <<Depression (sadness) was not the real problem with me, it

was irrational irritability, anger, hostility, etc. >>

Yeah.. same here and I've never done treatment. I'd hate to think the

treatment made me more so! Glad you found something that worked.

<<<Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant which works for chronic pain

by

inducing better, deeper (stage 4) sleep. (It's often prescribed for

fibromyalgia.) >>>

I didn't know that. I may ask for that. You think I could stop the celebrex

and occasional lodine if I change anti d from celexa to amitriptyline?

<<! I'm looking at Zoloft, I hear it doesn't cause insomnia the way most do,

so....?>>

I was on Zoloft for about six months. It helped my insomnia the most. I

changed because it also killed my sex drive. I gotta have my sex! hehahahaha

I changed to celexa but it doesn't seem to work as well on the sleep thing

as the Zoloft did. I may return to Zoloft when I start treatment.

good luck claudine!

alley/

ICQ 12631861

alleypat@...

http://www.flash.net/~alleypat

April 23, 2000

Jane

Non-responder to 6+

months of combo with

NO anti-depressants...

hindsight...would NOT

do it again...think it

would have helped...

Now, into week 9 of

PEG combo and docs,

spouse, etc pushing

me into taking it...but

I'm still fighting not to

do it...just worried about

" uppers " and all their

problems.

Take care, Cyn

Re: Re:Question/antidepressants

>In a message dated 4/22/00 7:35:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

>claudinecrews@... writes:

>

><< (Maybe the non-depressed aren't here.) So if you don't need them,

> why take them. They have their own side effects, and it's another

> medication for your liver to deal with. >>

>

>Well, I wasn't depressed before tx and I'm not now. I requested something

as

>a preventative measure. I was worried about that side effect. I was a bit

>freaked out by the very prominent mention of " suicide ideation, attempts " ,

>etc. in the drug insert. I wasn't worried that I would get to that point.

I

>just knew if I came down with a severe enough depression -- I would simply

>quit tx. I know it's another med for my liver to deal with, but for me,

>worth the tradeoff. I'm also doing the shots every day so I figured my

sides

>might be more extreme.

>I would be interested in hearing from anyone on tx who is doing fine

without

>an antidepressant, especially those on daily interferon. Anyone?

>Peace,

> Jane

>

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Good friends, school spirit, hair-dos you'd like to forget.

>Classmates.com has them all. And with 4.4 million alumni already

>registered, there's a good chance you'll find your friends here:

>1/2885/0/_/619765/_/956464082/

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

April 23, 2000

Jane

Non-responder to 6+

months of combo with

NO anti-depressants...

hindsight...would NOT

do it again...think it

would have helped...

Now, into week 9 of

PEG combo and docs,

spouse, etc pushing

me into taking it...but

I'm still fighting not to

do it...just worried about

" uppers " and all their

problems.

Take care, Cyn

Re: Re:Question/antidepressants

>In a message dated 4/22/00 7:35:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

>claudinecrews@... writes:

>

><< (Maybe the non-depressed aren't here.) So if you don't need them,

> why take them. They have their own side effects, and it's another

> medication for your liver to deal with. >>

>

>Well, I wasn't depressed before tx and I'm not now. I requested something

as

>a preventative measure. I was worried about that side effect. I was a bit

>freaked out by the very prominent mention of " suicide ideation, attempts " ,

>etc. in the drug insert. I wasn't worried that I would get to that point.

I

>just knew if I came down with a severe enough depression -- I would simply

>quit tx. I know it's another med for my liver to deal with, but for me,

>worth the tradeoff. I'm also doing the shots every day so I figured my

sides

>might be more extreme.

>I would be interested in hearing from anyone on tx who is doing fine

without

>an antidepressant, especially those on daily interferon. Anyone?

>Peace,

> Jane

>

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Good friends, school spirit, hair-dos you'd like to forget.

>Classmates.com has them all. And with 4.4 million alumni already

>registered, there's a good chance you'll find your friends here:

>1/2885/0/_/619765/_/956464082/

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

April 23, 2000

In a message dated 4/23/00 11:27:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

cynmor@... writes:

<< I'm still fighting not to

do it...just worried about

" uppers " and all their

problems. >>

Hey! More power to you - I mean that. Best of luck.

Peace,

Jane

April 23, 2000

In a message dated 4/23/00 11:27:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

cynmor@... writes:

<< I'm still fighting not to

do it...just worried about

" uppers " and all their

problems. >>

Hey! More power to you - I mean that. Best of luck.

Peace,

Jane

April 25, 2000

Regarding anti-depressants on treatment: I am on combo and have been since

October 18, 1999.......I have never been a depressed person and have deep

religious faith and hope in the future.....My one daughter and my husband

are, however, depressed....so I am very familiar with the signs. After four

months of treatment my sides got worse and worse.....the physical pain in my

body got unbearable. I asked for pain pills but my doc won't prescribe

them....my " good " days had become " bad " days also....I kept toughing it

out....I had become so withdrawn.....Finally, when it became evident that I

should do the 48 weeks and not the 24 weeks of combo, I got on Celexa....The

improvement was almost immediate....within days......and even the physical

pain I was having improved tremendously.....i can now face the next 5 months

of treatment.....My only question: Why did I wait so long? Hope this

helps someone decide what to do....love, Diane

April 25, 2000