Re: PA induced depression

February 20, 2001

In a message dated 02/20/2001 4:02:10 PM Eastern Standard Time,

pikeur@... writes:

<< I am wondering if anyone on this list has had depression that has in

some way been linked to PA. >>

Hi Theresa -

I very definately think that there is a link between PA and depression. I

have had much more depression since PA set in - although recently, I have

been pretty good. I think making a choice NOT to be depressed helps, but

this is sometimes impossible.

Speaking of short focus, I have found that it is absolutely more difficult

for me to concentrate and to remember things since I have PA - my mind used

to be a " steel trap " , but just like the joints, I think it's rusting away

Hope you are well,

February 20, 2001

I have suffered with bouts of depression since childhood. My latest

diagnosis is Type II Bipolar. My first diagnosis was Seasonal

Affective Disorder which I treated during the winter with medication

and full-spectrum lighting. I find it very interesting the sun benefits

P as well as depression. I went to year-round medication after

having my thyroid removed when cancer was discovered.

The more I read, the more correlation I find in what I thought was

unrelated problems.

In another post today, someone asked about pregnancy. My first

episode of PA was during my second pregnancy.

in KS

February 20, 2001

Hi Theresa.

At the risk of repeating information that I've already posted, I'll

try to answer some of your questions from my own experiences.

I experienced depression this past summer but I'm doing much better

now. I've read many postings on this group from other members of

who have also experienced depression. If you search through the

archives, you'll find tons of messages that contain the words

" depressed " or " depression " .

My depression was directly linked to my exhaustion. My extreme

exhaustion was a bit of a mystery to me at the time but I was sure

it was linked to the fact that my sleep was being disrupted every

night due to pain and nightmares. Of course I wasn't exactly sure

why I was having nightmares but I suspected that too was closely

related to my pain.

(I also got very depressed while I was taking Celebrex but that cute

little side-effect went away a couple of weeks after I stopped

taking the drug.)

My rheumatologist refused to link my exhaustion and depression with

the PA but he eventually told me I have FMS (fibromyalgia). I've

since done a lot of reading and discovered that extreme fatigue,

nightmares and depression are all common symptoms of FMS. I've also

since discovered that many of the members of this group have both

PA and FMS.

I now take 50 mg of Elavil per night to help me sleep and I haven't

been depressed since I started taking it (several months ago).

Elavil is an anti-depressant when used in much higher doses. As a

side-effect, Elavil makes you very tired so doctors often prescribe

it as a safe, non-addictive alternative to sleeping pills. I still

have nightmares but I'm sleeping much better than before and I

haven't experienced any negative side-effects.

There's something else that you and I have in common. When I'm

having an FMS flare, I have a terrible time concentrating and the

simplest tasks become too difficult for me to handle. I once burst

into tears when a coworker asked me to pick a restaurant for lunch.

Apparently this is also a common symptom of FMS sufferers and it is

commonly referred to as fibro-fog.

I wouldn't presume to diagnose you but perhaps it wouldn't be a bad

idea to have your doctor test you for FMS just to be sure. To be

honest, my mother told me she suspected I had FMS months before my

doctor finally shared the news with me. I never asked my doctor

because I figured that he would have told me if I had it. Turns out

he'd known for months but didn't feel I needed to know.

As for the weather, both PA and FMS flares seem to be heavily

linked to barometric pressure. I can't even get out of bed when it

snows and I can tell you what's going on outside even before I open

my eyes in the morning.

In case you want to read more about FMS, here's a web page that's

full of links. http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/3466/links.htm

Regardless of the cause of your depression Theresa, I hope you find

something that helps you soon. It's way too easy to get caught in

the spiral and the longer you stay in the spiral, the harder it is

to get out. Exhaustion makes you depressed... depression makes you

tired... pain makes you sedentary... a sedentary lifestyle leads to

more pain. Do whatever you can to find something that helps you

break the cycle and everything will seem easier. Now that I'm no

longer depressed, I don't even mind the pain as much!

Best of luck.

Gayle

> I am wondering if anyone on this list has had depression that has

> in some way been linked to PA. I would love to hear from anyone

> who has, wether it was drug related or simply because life becomes

> so much harder with PA. What have you done to cope? Drugs or

> therapy? Selfhelp? Is this common? Is it part of the tiredness or

> something else. Any thoughts on this is very much appreviated.

<snip>

> This winter was even worse, and after bouts of job related stress

> and extra curricular activities, I came down with acute stess

> syndrome, and was unable to think and interact with my

> surroundings.

<snip>

> After a few months now, I feel better. I'm still not very " smart "

> and loose focus very fast. Short attention span. I get stresed so

> easily, and still haven't plugged in my telephone, and don't feel

> like doing much, not anything that calls for concentration,

> anyway.

<snip>

February 20, 2001

I agree with everyone who mention short attention span and depression. Like

many, I had no idea all these things were related. I used to be able to

remember names, numbers, etc; now I forget what I had for lunch earlier in

the day.

Re: [ ] PA induced depression

> In a message dated 02/20/2001 4:02:10 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> pikeur@... writes:

>

> << I am wondering if anyone on this list has had depression that has in

> some way been linked to PA. >>

> Hi Theresa -

> I very definately think that there is a link between PA and depression. I

> have had much more depression since PA set in - although recently, I have

> been pretty good. I think making a choice NOT to be depressed helps, but

> this is sometimes impossible.

> Speaking of short focus, I have found that it is absolutely more difficult

> for me to concentrate and to remember things since I have PA - my mind

used

> to be a " steel trap " , but just like the joints, I think it's rusting away

> Hope you are well,

>

February 21, 2001

From what you say, your depression is being worsened by the " winter

blues " . You need therapy which includes exposure to certain types of

light. I can't recall right now how it is exactly called, but my

fiance suffers from that. He tends to be a bit depressive too,

although I don't know if it is caused by genes or his PA. He has

only had one bout of severe depression, that I know of, and it was

caused to circumstances both related and unrelated to PA: he was

fired from his job and learned, at about the same time, that he had

to undergo hip replacement surgery on both his hips. I hope you feel

better soon.

> I am wondering if anyone on this list has had depression that has

in

> some way been linked to PA. I would love to hear from anyone who

has,

> wether it was drug related or simply because life becomes so much

> harder with PA. What have you done to cope? Drugs or therapy?

> Selfhelp? Is this common? Is it part of the tiredness or something

> else. Any thoughts on this is very much appreviated.

>

> I have read so much about PA and all the symptoms for some 6 months

> now. I was recently diagnosed although I have suffered from it for

4-

> 5 years. I have tried the usual NSAIDs and I'm currently on

> salasopyrin and chlorochin phosphate, which might have helped some,

> but it's hard to say.

>

> I have led a fairly active life prior to this illness and expected

to

> continue despiteof it. Although last winter had me down, and I was

> probably mildly depressed, and very tired. You could say I feel

> emotionally numb, and plans for the future don't feel as

interesting

> as thy used to.

>

> This winter was even worse, and after bouts of job related stress

and

> extra curricular activities, I came down with acute stess syndrome,

> and was unable to think and interact with my surroundings. I had to

> unplug the phone, and quit all my activities and went on sick

leave.

> I wouldn't answer the phone because I felt that whoever called just

> had demands and would ask something of me.

>

> After a few months now, I feel better. I'm still not very " smart "

and

> loose focus very fast. Short attention span. I get stresed so

easily,

> and still haven't plugged in my telephone, and don't feel like

doing

> much, not anything that calls for concentration, anyway.

>

> I felt something like this last winter too, and it got better

during

> the summer. I'm wondering if I will automatically feel better once

it

> gets warmer and sunnier...

>

> Theresa

February 21, 2001

After Gayle's response, another " aha " moment occurred. I have

been extremely depressed the last week--three weeks after starting

Celebrex. Of course, it is never that uncomplicated. My father is

dying of pancreatic cancer. I have been spending hours at my

parent's house every day which added a great deal to my already

busy life. It is also emotionally exhausting to deal with his

physical pain while watching my mom and my siblings prepare for

his approaching death. It is an incredibly tough time for a very

close family. We all live in the same small town which is a

blessing. I think I will try to tough it out for awhile, because the

pain relief has been total. I can't blame Celebrex for depression

when there is so much else going on to cause it.

in KS

February 22, 2001

In a message dated 02/21/2001 10:13:45 PM Eastern Standard Time,

costedia@... writes:

<< My father is

dying of pancreatic cancer. >>

- Having lost some close ones to cancer myself I know how difficult

this time is. It is a terrible disease and I know pancreatic is a bad one.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

-

February 22, 2001

I am sorry to hear about your father :-( I lost mine in 1986.

As to Celebrex, don't be so sure that it is not the Celebrex. My

fiance, who suffers from PA, suffered a serious case of depression

caused by Claritin. He was feeling really low and commented that to

his sister over the phone. She told him that she had had the same

problem with that drug, and that when she consulted with her doc, he

told her that depression was one of the rare side effects Claritin

has. My fiance immediately stopped taking it, and voila! the

depression symptoms subsided. Of course, even though he was going

through a hard time when that happened, it was not as bad as what you

are going through.

> After Gayle's response, another " aha " moment occurred. I have

> been extremely depressed the last week--three weeks after starting

> Celebrex. Of course, it is never that uncomplicated. My father is

> dying of pancreatic cancer. I have been spending hours at my

> parent's house every day which added a great deal to my already

> busy life. It is also emotionally exhausting to deal with his

> physical pain while watching my mom and my siblings prepare for

> his approaching death. It is an incredibly tough time for a very

> close family. We all live in the same small town which is a

> blessing. I think I will try to tough it out for awhile, because

the

> pain relief has been total. I can't blame Celebrex for depression

> when there is so much else going on to cause it.

> in KS

February 26, 2001

I just went to a psychiatrist for depression. After feeling so hopeless and

the feeling of, " I just don't want to do this anymore, " I knew that I can't

do this by myself any longer. He asked my many questions about my

relationship and work that would cause stress, and nothing triggered the

tears, except for when he asked about the PA. I cried and cried

uncontrollably....I couldn't stop. When he would go back to other stressors,

I was fine. He knew that it was the PA that was causing the depression. He

placed me on Celexa and I've felt like I can handle this once again from an

emotional point of view. I just needed to know that its ok to ask for help,

and I should have done it a long time ago!

Hope this helps!

Kim from Minnesota

>From: " /Phenner " <tailfin@...>

>Reply-

>< >

>Subject: Re: [ ] PA induced depression

>Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 20:40:34 -0500

>

>I agree with everyone who mention short attention span and depression.

>Like

>many, I had no idea all these things were related. I used to be able to

>remember names, numbers, etc; now I forget what I had for lunch earlier in

>the day.

>

> Re: [ ] PA induced depression

>

> > In a message dated 02/20/2001 4:02:10 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> > pikeur@... writes:

> >

> > << I am wondering if anyone on this list has had depression that has in

> > some way been linked to PA. >>

> > Hi Theresa -

> > I very definately think that there is a link between PA and depression.

>I

> > have had much more depression since PA set in - although recently, I

>have

> > been pretty good. I think making a choice NOT to be depressed helps,

>but

> > this is sometimes impossible.

> > Speaking of short focus, I have found that it is absolutely more

>difficult

> > for me to concentrate and to remember things since I have PA - my mind

>used

> > to be a " steel trap " , but just like the joints, I think it's rusting

>away

>

> > Hope you are well,

> >

February 27, 2001

kim

your letter bought tears to my eyes , I know exactly how you feel , but I havent

had the guts yet to ask for help for the depression that goes with the PA. I

know it is real but sometimes think the doc will think I am imagining it and not

take

me seriously.

I know the best thing is this mail list , that by reading others letters makes

me realise that we are not alone

Take care and be happy

Sheryn

Australia

Kim Graczyk wrote:

> I just went to a psychiatrist for depression. After feeling so hopeless and

> the feeling of, " I just don't want to do this anymore, " I knew that I can't

> do this by myself any longer. He asked my many questions about my

> relationship and work that would cause stress, and nothing triggered the

> tears, except for when he asked about the PA. I cried and cried

> uncontrollably....I couldn't stop. When he would go back to other stressors,

> I was fine. He knew that it was the PA that was causing the depression. He

> placed me on Celexa and I've felt like I can handle this once again from an

> emotional point of view. I just needed to know that its ok to ask for help,

> and I should have done it a long time ago!

> Hope this helps!

> Kim from Minnesota

>

> >From: " /Phenner " <tailfin@...>

> >Reply-

> >< >

> >Subject: Re: [ ] PA induced depression

> >Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 20:40:34 -0500

> >

> >I agree with everyone who mention short attention span and depression.

> >Like

> >many, I had no idea all these things were related. I used to be able to

> >remember names, numbers, etc; now I forget what I had for lunch earlier in

> >the day.

> >

> > Re: [ ] PA induced depression

> >

> > > In a message dated 02/20/2001 4:02:10 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> > > pikeur@... writes:

> > >

> > > << I am wondering if anyone on this list has had depression that has in

> > > some way been linked to PA. >>

> > > Hi Theresa -

> > > I very definately think that there is a link between PA and depression.

> >I

> > > have had much more depression since PA set in - although recently, I

> >have

> > > been pretty good. I think making a choice NOT to be depressed helps,

> >but

> > > this is sometimes impossible.

> > > Speaking of short focus, I have found that it is absolutely more

> >difficult

> > > for me to concentrate and to remember things since I have PA - my mind

> >used

> > > to be a " steel trap " , but just like the joints, I think it's rusting

> >away

> >

> > > Hope you are well,

> > >

February 27, 2001

In a message dated 02/27/2001 12:35:59 AM Eastern Standard Time,

kkgraczyk@... writes:

<< except for when he asked about the PA. I cried and cried

uncontrollably....I couldn't stop. >>

Kim - it IS stressful and depressing. Your feelings of sadness about it are

justified. We all go through hard times accepting our limitations with this.

I know I have cried before " I don't want to live like this " . I think all of

us have been there.

Try to focus on the positives in your life. We all have so many - family,

friends, careers (some of us), and this group. Sometimes it can be a

lifesavor just to know that there are other in it with you and pulling for

you.

I think venting on here can help, asking for advice helps, just knowing that

all of us here understand helps. I'm sure I speak for most in this group

when I say feel free to post questions, frustrations, problems, etc. as well

as victories on here - I think it helps us when we can offer a solution that

makes someone else better able to cope, and I know I've been inspired by many

people achievements that they've shared here.

Take care,

February 27, 2001

Kim, I think you did the right thing.. You just have to be careful with

those anti-depressants.... They take awhile to start working and you cant

just stop them in one day... Or else you'll have these nasty withdrawing

side-effects... I know exactly what your saying though.... Its like the

pain and the psoriasis seems to cause the depression.. Like just this

morning I felt terrible.... I felt extremely tired and my shoulders are

hurtin like crazy. I strongly believe that stress triggers our P and PA....

And whenever the psoriasis gets worse, the arthritis gets worse as well....

I have noticed these things from the 2 years that i've had this pathetic

disease... Dont feel hopeless.....please.. We all have to fight through this

together.. And alot of times we probably feel so alone with this disease ,

because nobody else in our area has it.... And our family doesnt seem to

care or they just have no idea in general how arthritis feels like... Just

hang in there and dont feel alone.... Were all here trying to deal with this

together.... take-care........

>>>>>>>>Subject: Re: PA induced depression