Depression

[Guest guest]

Not sleeping well and fatigue are signs of depression.

Also signs of low functioning thyroid.

[Guest guest]

Hi Elinor,

I too have been on the Effexor, same mg. for about a year now. My

doctor just doubled that dose hoping it would help with the fatigue.

But he also warned me it would interfer with sleep, which I have

issues with anyway. So he put me on Lunesta 3 x's a week. Hoping

all of this will help.

Thanks,

Teri

[Guest guest]

Hi Teri,

If you haven't done so already, search the internet for depression.

There are a lot of sites that have questionnaires that help you

determine if you are deressed or not. The fatigue and lack of

motivation to do things that you enjoy doing both point to depression.

Depression has a lot of negative connotations attached to it. It's

incredibly easy to think things like " If I just had enough discipline,

will power, umph, etc, I could get up and do this or that. " Depression

isn't a matter of will power. It is a chemical imbalance in the

brain. In my case, it also involved a lot of beating myself up for the

things that I knew I should do that I didn't have the umph to do. (My

girls had cereal for supper a lot before I sought treatment!) So, the

negative thinking had to be addressed as well.

Just be open to the possibility. Don't let the negatives attached to

the thought of depression keep you from possibly improving the quality

of your life.

Tonya

[Guest guest]

HI Greg,

I have depression and have had it most of my life. For me

depression is actually then having CMT and the all the complications that come

with it. I have been on three different antidepressants. They all work

differently.

I take Welbutrin right now and it seems to only take the edge off. You may need

something stronger. Before I started antidepressants I had a wonderful

therapist. This was 11 years ago and I still implement what she taught me at

least a few times a week.

When I was going through the therapy I didn't feel like I was getting much out

of it. I think it takes a while for it to sink in. I fought the depression, I

still fight it, it takes a lot of courage. I

know you have courage Greg but it gets a lot easier if you have the right

medication!

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I rarely write but read all of your posts. You folks are great. The

reason I am writing is to ask if anyone has gone through a severe

depression and, if so, how did you fight it? I am currently going

through a very tough stretch. I am 45 y/o and was diagnosed with CMT (X linked)

15 years ago. I am in constant pain, have little control over my bladder and

bowels and impotence to top it all off.

I am taking Wellbutrin, Vicodin, Darvocet and Ditropan. Am currently seeing a

psychologist with no positive results. She suggests that I seek some sort of

hospitalization but that isn't financially possible. There doesn't seem to be

any light at the end of the tunnel.

I am so sorry, I'm sure you all can't cure what ails me but I just had

to tell someone. Thanks for letting me vent.

Greg

[Guest guest]

Yes, Greg, at one point in my life I was majorily depressed, and on

alot of medications too. For awhile I thought the meds were making me

more depressed, so slowly I was weaned off them. Then I started to

exercise and that exercise really made me start feeling good.

Perhaps you might want to change to another professional. My

psychiatrist not only got me off a ton of pills, helped turn my life

around, and through the process of 'self - discovery' in cognitive

therapy I sure learned alot.

There IS a light at the end of the tunnel; it's just that you can't see it right

now. That's what someone told me during a deep depression and I trusted that

one day I would in fact be out of the tunnel in the light. I held onto that, and

slowly made changes in my life and worked on my inner being.

~ Gretchen

[Guest guest]

Greg,

I too have gone through some pretty deep depressions; wasn't sleeping for months

on end, not eating, losing a lot of weight and just couldnt see the " forest for

the trees " It doesn't help that you are always in pain and feel like you can't

even control your body.

I agree with Gretchen that you definately need a new therapist and maybe see

that person more often until you start feeling a little better. I had found a

new therapist that was more like a grandmotherly type who started to change my

diet and added some herbal supplements and vitamins and oils and it seemed to

help me and another friend I referred.

Whatever it is that works for you, try it. What I am trying to say, that one day

you will come out of this and you will again start feeling good again. Time is a

terrible and a wonderful thing. I know what you are going through and everything

seems like such drudgery.

Try to find even little things that make you smile, even if just for a moment

and hopefully those moments will start to last longer.

I do wonder if maybe you are on too many medications and maybe a different

" cocktail " would be better.

I found that Wellbutrin was not as beneficial for me. There is a medication

called Cymbalta which helps with depression and nerve pain, so maybe ask doctor

about how that might work for you. Be your own advocate!

Take care and feel free to email me off-list, if you just need to talk or vent.

Jackie

[Guest guest]

Greg,

Listen to Gretchen. Slowly wean yourself off your meds, get into some exercise,

a well-balanced diet and some good (chat) friends. It takes time, but you will

see the light at the end of the tunnel. I

felt I had to write, because I've been there too. In '99 you couldn't have

convinced me I would have seen the year 2000 roll around, but here I am. It's

been tough, but I take one day at a time. Take Care and hope to hear from you

again soon. Gretchen, your the greatest!!!!

Debbie from MO

[Guest guest]

Hi Greg -

I am so sorry that you are depressed. I have been " clinically depressed " 2X in

my life, and there is nothing worse than not feeling right mentally....nothing

else really matters, and like Gretchen mentioned, people tell you that you are

going to come out of it, but that is hard to comprehend when you are in the

" hole " .

I was given Paxil the first time and Zoloft the second. The meds did nothing for

me and actually made me feel worse.

I have heard that cognitive therapy works wonders, but I never tried it. Both of

my episodes were brought on by the discontinuation of Vicodin and Neurontin.

These drugs were working on my neurotransmitters and had changed the chemical

balance in my brain. Once the " withdrawal " period was over, my depression

passed...thank God.

Not qualified to give medical advice, but you might do as Gretchen did, and try

to wean yourself off of some of your drugs. I think they can sometimes do us

more harm than good.

A good friend of mine has suffered from depression off and on all of his life.

He spent the last 5+ mos. on disability due to his severe depression. He was

seeing a group of doctors here in Dallas called Minirth Meier. Minirth and

Meier founded this group and now they have something in place called the

Day Spring Christian Counseling Center in , Texas. They are non-profit

and work on a sliding scale if you do not have insurance. If you are not in

Texas, you might contact them and see if they could refer you to someone in your

area. Their website is: www.dayspringcenter.com

Hope you can get the help that you need to come out of the depression. My heart

goes out to you.

Amy

[Guest guest]

Hi Greg,

First, if you decide to try to wean yourself off of the

antidepressant, only do so under the direction of your physician.

I've taken antidepressants for the past 9 years or so. Finding the

right one to help me was a matter of trial and error. Some made my

head feel like it was buzzing, others did nothing for me. I've

tried paxil, prozac, celexa, lexapro, one that started with an e

(effexor??). Keep working with your doctor to find what works for

you (even if it's no meds...).

Therapy also helped. I spent a lot of time beating myself up for

all the things that I didn't do that I knew I should do, but just

couldn't get moving. That cycle had to be broken for me to start

feeling better about myself.

Exercise as much as you're able to. I had one therapist tell me that

an hour of exercise each day was as powerful as an antidepressant.

The hard thing here is to get moving in the first place.

Take care.

Tonya

[Guest guest]

Hi Greg,

Good advice from Gretchen! I am so sorry that you are going through

what you are going through. Depression is so draining. I was in

severe depression one time in my life almost 3 yrs. ago. I got to

the point of feeling hopeless & helpless. I had to take leave from

my job, because I simply wasn't able to function. It got so bad

that I stayed in bed. It was terrible and it felt like I was

drowning and couldn't get any air. I was placed on an anti-

depressant (Lexapro) which got me through the rough part. But to

tell you the honest truth... how I really got through it is that God

breathed life back into me. I renewed my relationship with him and

have been at peace every since. Whether you believe in God or not,

find your peace in something you do believe in and hang on to it. I

will keep you in my prayers and I hope you get to feeling better.

Life is hard enough & to have a debilitating disease on top of it

makes it harder. Keep your chin above the raging waters... you will

Breath again!!!!!!!!

Holly

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Talking about what bothers you is the only way to make them go away. Please keep

talking and asking questions. Have you tried any medication to help you with

depression? Depression is as much physical as it is mental.

[Guest guest]

Roxanne,

Wow can I relate to you!. I am also severely depressed and I have a 9 year old

son. I am also addicted to pain meds and will probably go to rehab soon.

Jen

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I suffer with depression and I also have CMT ,I think my CMT makes me more

depressed,I have an 8 yr old son also with if it wasn't for him I think by now I

would of commited suicide each day is like waking up in " HELL "

Roxanne

[Guest guest]

,

Right now I am on Cymbalta. It is as much for the neurological pain as

depression, but I may discuss a change with the psychiatrist if he has a better

idea. I am looking to make positive changes right now, which includes opening

up to express myself to whoever about whatever. Silence changes nothing.

Thank you for your support.

[Guest guest]

Dear ;

Hi my name is Roxanne and I suffer with chronic depression since I was a child I

am now 43 yrs old all they do is keep switching

meds around and none seem to work my CMT really gets me down alot I

don't go out of the apt to much as it is hard to walk as I have

diabetes as well ,I take Dilaudid for pain which is 8 times stronger

than Morphine but I feel its not working as well as it used to.

[Guest guest]

Dear Jen,

Thank-you now I don't feel all alone as you I am also addicted to narcotic pain

meds but I can't go to rehab, what will you do

about your pain? Can you tell me what state you live in, I live in

Canada. Mostly everyone from this group is from the States,I would

really like to hear/meet someone from Canada with this awful thing

called CMT.

Roxanne

[Guest guest]

Roxanne,

You sound just like me. I have suffered from depression for years, and truely

believe that CMT makes it worse ( just don't feel NORMAL) you know. My son is

23, and is severely affected with CMT and can barley walk. He has a 2 year old

daughter and one on the way, and cannot hold a job, and his wife loves to make

him feel like less of a man.

He called me the other day crying, saying he wishes he could just end his life,

because he feels so bad. I lost the love of my life a year and a half ago, and

still cannot recover. I have thoughts of suicide quite often, but think of my

little grandaughter.

Your exactly right. Waking up in HELL! it's getting old. Contact me if you want

and I will give you my home phone number. You can call me and talk anytime you'd

like.

Donna in Indy

[Guest guest]

Dear Donna:

I am so sorry about your loss,please tell your son he is no less a man because

he is not,it is not his fault he has CMT,I know from experience how he must feel

but he has 2 children (almost) to think about ,I KNOW how hard life is and if it

was not for my 8 yr old son im sure i would take my own life because I can't

stand living like this any longer,im also a diabetic and a whole lot more of

medical problems,maybe your son's woman needs to grow up and accept him for who

he is on the inside as well,now a days people judge you from the cover and they

think that's good enough but it is not,I wish you and your son all the best if

you want to give me your phone# thats ok I do live in Canada where do you live?

Roxanne

[Guest guest]

Oh I feel bad for your son Roxanne.I know where he is coming from..he sure don't

need someone beating him down...I have been there to many times....hope he can

find help for himself...Good thing he can lean on you! Tell him not to give up.

He must know their are people that love and care for him and you too...hang on

to one another.I too get very depressed ..In my prayers.

Geri

[Guest guest]

Roxanne,

My number is (317) 298-8366. I work 12 hour nights, so sleep most of my life

away while I'm not working, but I will call you back or email if you leave

message.

I've been a single mother of 3 for 15 years now, and live in Indianapolis,

Indiana, right down the street from the Indy 500.

Donna

[Guest guest]

Good Morning, I sent my e-mail before I got 3 this one. I had a lot of

messages (which I luv) this morning. I know about the depression also. I

take cymbalta for mine. Even so, when the depression takes over, nothing

helps. I'm 48, if u don't mind what is your age?

Fayray

>From: <kyrik@...>

>Reply-

>RA < >

>Subject: [ ] Depression

>Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:30:39 -0600

>

> I have

> > realized that when I'm flaring, part of the flare is to feel

> > depressed. My doc has said that flares can affect the central

> > nervous system and make you feel blue.

>

>My first symptom - besides the years of feeling sick, of course - was

>severe depression. Crushing, all-consuming. I'd been on Zoloft but have

>epilepsy, too, and ending up having two almost deadly seizures. So much

>for that drug. (This was before I knew I had RA.)

>

>But my new neurologist put me on a low dose of Lexapro. I didn't think

>anything of it until I was in the middle of a flare from hell, had to

>be on antibiotics for 18 days and it takes another 3 weeks or so to

>get the Enbrel back up to speed. Before, when that happened, I had

>'episodes', which meant I went into a depressive abyss and cried all

>the time. Couldn't control it at all, unlike before RA when I had normal

>situational depression and could jump start my way out of it.

>

>But this time, even though I had horrible pain and fatigue and some

>tearing up when I watched the news, I didn't get so horribly depressed.

>Honestly, I never thought anything could help the 'episodes', they

>seemed so tied to the RA and so systemic that nothing could help. But

>the Lexapro did.

>

>Just my two cents, maybe it can help someone else...

>

>

>

>

>

>

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

It is VERY important to talk to your doctor about depression. It IS very

common with many chronic illnesses. What worked for me was medication, regular

exercise (when I was able) and talk therapy. Never ever ignore long standing

symptoms of depression. Get help!

Carol

In a message dated 4/23/2007 12:10:12 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

kyrik@... writes:

I have

> realized that when I'm flaring, part of the flare is to feel

> depressed. My doc has said that flares can affect the central

> nervous system and make you feel blue.

My first symptom - besides the years of feeling sick, of course - was

severe depression. Crushing, all-consuming. I'd been on Zoloft but have

epilepsy, too, and ending up having two almost deadly seizures. So much

for that drug. (This was before I knew I had RA.)

But my new neurologist put me on a low dose of Lexapro. I didn't think

anything of it until I was in the middle of a flare from hell, had to

be on antibiotics for 18 days and it takes another 3 weeks or so to

get the Enbrel back up to speed. Before, when that happened, I had

'episodes', which meant I went into a depressive abyss and cried all

the time. Couldn't control it at all, unlike before RA when I had normal

situational depression and could jump start my way out of it.

But this time, even though I had horrible pain and fatigue and some

tearing up when I watched the news, I didn't get so horribly depressed.

Honestly, I never thought anything could help the 'episodes', they

seemed so tied to the RA and so systemic that nothing could help. But

the Lexapro did.

Just my two cents, maybe it can help someone else...

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

I am on Prozac, but not sure if it's working anymore. I've tried

several different meds. My doc put me on Wellbutrin that worked well,

but with plan D, you only get what you can afford, which sucks. I see

my GP Friday, and will talk with her. Would love to try Cymbalta, but

again, plan D:( I'm glad your med is helping you, Tawny

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone...I must say..is so nice to find a site with so much info

on CMT. I hate to admit it..I have been so depressed this past year.I was a

busimess manager and a makeup artist for Clinique.I enjoyed making people feel

beautiful about themself. I miss working and miss being needed.I miss the

independent of being a simgle mother of three and handle things on my own.Now

with SSI income and child support..I

barely making end meet.I try going back to work but with my experience

..I have to stand and work with my hands...I'm 35 and I do feel my life

is over...is hard for me to shared this with u.I grew up being stronge

and at the moment I don;t feel so stronge...How do u deal with it?any

advice is greatly appreciated...

Nuwee