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Posted 6/13/2015 2:00 PM (GMT 0)
I have been on lupron for almost9 years am very depressed has anyone had success with an anti depressant that don have bad side effects. .please help thanks warren
Posted 6/13/2015 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Bibleman,

I don't have any advice for you but if Lupon has been working for you for so long that is something to rejoice. I am hormone resistant at 9 months with a 2 week doubling time and to me that is depressing. I don't mean to be a downer to you but maybe offer an opportunity to view things a little differently. I hope you find something that brings you out of it. Take care.
Posted 6/13/2015 4:22 PM (GMT 0)
Depression is a very common side effect of PC - for lots of reasons. Lupron seems to make things worse in that regard. I've not taken anti-depressants, but I know there are a number of guys here who have. Hopefully they'll be along shortly.

Likely, you'll just need to try different meds until you find one that works for you. Work with a good doctor to find the right treatment. All of the anti-depressants have some kind of side effects and each person seems to tolerate them differently. I say, just get your doctor to prescribe one and see how it goes. You can always change if the one you start with isn't working or the SEs are bad.

Do seek out a treatment, there is no reason to suffer from depression when there are so many things that can be done to help. and if you aren't already doing this, simple daily walking does wonders.

Andrew
Posted 6/13/2015 7:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hello bibleman04,

Sorry to hear about your depression and I understand completely!! Was DX Oct. 1, 2012 with stage 4, G9. I've been on HT ever since and until May of 2014, I had depression so bad, NO..... SO BAD!! In May of 2014, my pain doctor put me on Duloxetine (CYMBALTA) HCL DR 15MG and after a month, raised it to 30 MG Capsule twice a day. For a few months, it also helped to ease the pain in my lower back and right side.

Up until I started taking Duloxetine, the depression was so bad, I think I cried myself to sleep every night (because of both of us having medical problems, my wife and I started sleeping in different beds a few years ago). We're looking to change to a King size bed so we can sleep together.

Duloxetine has helped me so much.

Take care and I'll keep you in my thoughts and Prayers.

Dave in Bartlett, TN
Posted 6/13/2015 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
Bibleman sorry to hear about depression. I once had to do interferon for Hep C and man the black dog took me down. I feel for you.

Hope you get some relief.
Posted 6/13/2015 10:01 PM (GMT 0)
bibleman-

You didn't provide any info about your current diagnosis, but is it possible for you to go on an intermittent ADT schedule? The vacations may give you some relief.

- Allen
Posted 6/14/2015 12:45 AM (GMT 0)
Start exercising, eat right , get your mind off yourself, think of whats right in your life instead of whats wrong. Stay off drugs that lobotomize your spirit. even if its Lupron. DO NOT get into the spiral of negativity, make a stand... its your life your destiny be brave courageous and true. Life is a terrible thing to waste. Don't worship a book worship the living DOG. Trust who you claim to trust...do what you will but don't Bull crap yourself. LIVE man... LIVE thru it all…. thats what we're made for… don't you see it …good lord…. don't you see it…..
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Posted 6/14/2015 1:21 AM (GMT 0)
I'll agree with Logos except about getting off Lupron without your Doctors approval. Maybe a HT vacation could be arranged! Best of luck!

Cheers, Doug
Posted 6/14/2015 4:32 AM (GMT 0)
Bibleman ...

Combination of activity (exercise, outdoors, and things to do) and meds (Wellbutrin XL in my case) does work ... not perfect, but keeps me going. Docs tell me Wellbutrin encourages activity and doesn't add weight -- so that's why they chose for me.

Blessings,

Ray
Posted 6/14/2015 5:56 AM (GMT 0)
Warren....

Some people say..."I have good days and bad days".

When your depressed...you say..."I have good hours and bad hours".

Don't take it day by day. Sometimes we have to break it down into even smaller chunks of time. Whatever gives any strength, diversion& or perspective at all...do that.

I cannot take anti depressants (even though they do work in my case) because they affect serotonin. And for me...that causes even bigger problems!

Stay in the now. Do what you can. Excercise WHEN YOU CAN. By that I mean...Don't put it off. If you feel like you can...do it at that moment.

When all else fails...

Spend some money buddy.

Hang tight... (or is that loose?)

Hang tough man...

It can...and will...pass. Be cool man.
Posted 6/14/2015 6:05 AM (GMT 0)
Oh...

And when I say excercise...We're not talking and hour and a half at the gym. 5 mins...then 10...whatever.

It'll help
Posted 6/14/2015 6:12 AM (GMT 0)
My husband's medonc suggested venlafaxin. Not for him, for me. I have terrible hot flashes. And it's an anti depressant. It has helped tremendously with me SEs. Good luck!
Beth
Posted 6/15/2015 1:06 AM (GMT 0)
I tried Prozac, and it was too strong. I became a bit of a zombie.

We switched to Lexapro (escitalopram generic), and that has worked well ever since. Biggest issue for me is it also causes a loss of orgasmic ability. This is not discussed much, and is rather dismaying, but it does help a lot with the depressive symptoms. I take 3/4 of a 10 mg tablet a day, and I'm planning to work that down to 1/2 tablet in another 2 weeks (must taper off of it VERY slowly).

My advice, avoid the drug therapies at all costs. Try all the diet and exercise plans first. The SSRI antidepressants have some significant side effects, and before embarking on them you'll want to be sure they're your only option.
Posted 6/15/2015 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
Warren,

To some extent it depends on which side effects you are worried about. One man's side effect can be another man's miracle cure. We are all different and not all drugs work the same for everyone. There is no shame in asking for help, and trying a new (or different) antidepressant drug is not much of a commitment. Talk to your doctor(s) about your problem and be ready to maybe try several different drugs to find one that works right for you.

You have gotten lots of different advice here. Some guys say it helps to stay active and to exercise. It does. Some say a "vacation" from your hormones might help. It very well might if you can get your oncologist on board. Other guys have mentioned antidepressant drugs you could discuss with your doctor. In most cases the drugs help too. Do bear in mind that you can do ALL of these things at the same time. You'll need to try the drugs one or two at a time but you can talk to your doctor about antidepressants and hormone vacations in one visit and you can pop the pills he prescribes in the morning before you go out bicycling or hit the gym.

In general, if you are worried about sexual side effects you want to stay away from SSRI drugs such as fluoxitine (Prozac) and talk to your doctor about something like buproprion (Wellbutrin). On the other hand, if sex is no longer on your radar (which tends to happen after nine years of Lupron) then Prozac might be a good choice.
Posted 6/15/2015 4:46 PM (GMT 0)
As someone who suffered from depression before I was diagnosed I tried Wellbutrin XL, but it made me sick. I also tried Venlafaxine and one pill made me incredibly ill. I have since gone back and taken Wellbutrin HCL with great success. I had some insomnia for about a month, but it was infrequent and has gone away entirely. I also found talk therapy to be effective. You have to find the right therapist, which takes time, and it takes a while in therapy to see any results, but it works, when done properly.

The biggest factor, and this is really hard for anyone who is currently depressed, is your own motivation to feel better. I hope you find some relief.
Posted 6/15/2015 5:15 PM (GMT 0)
Warren,
Lots of good advice already. Taking action to do something is usually a boost by itself.

I have used 4 or 5 antidepressants over the years. As others have said, SSRI's tend to kill your sex life. Wellbutrin can cause anxiety in some (me!), though it usually has a beneficial impact on sexual issues. A therapist I went to for depression and anxiety recommended Nefazodone (brand name Serzone). This worked well for me. It isn't an SSRI and doesn't have the usual sexual SE's. It made me "normal" again. Trazodone is a similar drug but might cause more drowsiness. Either one makes Avodart more effective so if you are on that, you might be able to use less and save some money.
Posted 6/16/2015 5:25 AM (GMT 0)
Bibleman,

Find yourself a therapist that does CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Its not the issue but what you think about the issue and how you choose to react to the issue that matters. Watch those thoughts!

Some studies show that CBT has better recovery rates than pharmacological intervention; however, when you are severely depressed medication helps.

There are heaps of info on CBT (see www.mindquire.com/about/how-does-cbt-help-depression.php), but its best to talk to someone experienced in CBT who helps people with depression. (because its a PhP page, you may to delete "<strong></strong>" from the URL)

Note: there are other interventions that help as well. Start looking around and find a therapist who can help you.

All the best -- Take care!
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