Antidepressants

Anyone have their docs prescribe antidepressants?  My doctor wants to prescribe LExapro - anyone on it?  Side effects I should be aware of?

Thanks....

I'm not sure I'm clear on what your doctor is prescribing ADs for...

Are you depressed? Depression is common with chronic illness.

Sorry, haven't used Lexapro. You can check the side effect possiblities at www.rxlist.com.

 Iwas just diagnosed with Crohn's Colitis (GI says could be UC but more like Crohn's) on Jan. 10, 2008. I started having major depression and fatigue a couple of months before I knew I had Crohn's. At the time I didn't make the connection. I first tried Cymbalta but it made me feel too sick, it works very well for some people everyone is different. Then I went on Lexapro and it made all the difference in the world. I started feeling better after only a few days, some antidepressants take a month or more to start working. I found the best way to keep it in ypor system evenly so you do get too drowsy or insomnia or something until you are really used to it ( is still do it anyway) Is to break the pill in half and take each half approx. 12 hours apart. I just started my Crohn's/UC treatment a week ago with Colocort rectal hydrocortisone enema every night before bed. It instantly made a huge difference in how I feel, mainly the horrible fatigue has gone. Now I know that all these things are connected. I have struggled with digestive troubles for years and I thought I just had IBS or something. Little did I know! But of all the symptoms that I've been dealing with, the depression was by far the worst of all, it knocked me on my butt. When you are depressed life just doesn’t seem to even have a point to it. So in my opinion the antidepressant is very very important part of treatment. Sometimes you have to try a few to find the right one for you. Lexapro works great for me with very few side effects. I take 10mg a day, broken in half 5mg when I wake up and 5mg around 6 or 7 at night. You don't want to take it right before bed because it can cause you to not be able to go back to sleep if you wake up in the night. At least till you are used to it for a while. I don't know which group I belong in Crohn’s or UC.   My entire colon has patches of inflammation but the worst is the recto-sigmoid area.     Only the colon is involved.   I will be posting about my Colocort because it is a UC med and no one on the Crohn’s forum knew much about it.   I have many questions. I hope the Lexapro helps    depression.   When you feel emotionally stronger it makes it so much easier to cope with the physical parts of this disease.   Good luck and take care.  

I have been on 3 different anti-depressants due to my depression. This was before I had colitis. None of them fixed my depression and I ended up addicted and went through hell trying to get off one in particular (Paxil). I am very much against anti-depressants unless they are absolutely necessary. I am no doctor but this is just my opinion. Anti-depressants do not fix the cause but just deal with the symptoms. I personally recommend meditation, it is extremely powerful the better you get at it. I was also extremely tired while being on anti-depressants as well. "In my opinion" the cause of depression can be a number of things but I believe happiness can be found through taking care of your well-being physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  Things like meditation or yoga I think are the best things to keep your spirits up! Just make sure you look at all points of view before making a decision. :) Good luck!

My son had been sick for a year with what ended up being his worst flare followed by my daughter's dx shortly there after, and I hit rock bottom. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep and lost weight. Dr. rx'd Lexapro and it helped very quickly. I'd say my main side effects are sleepiness and lack of motivation and some jaw tension/headaches - not too bad if I focus on relaxing. I myself don't have UC so I can't comment on how if effects that. I have regained the weight I lost and so far haven't gone above and beyond that, so I don't think it causes weight gain.

I hope you are feeling better both physically and emotionally very soon. UC and depression are just the pits!!

I have been on Elavil for 20 some years.  My doctor prescribed it when I was diagnosed with IBS saying it would slow my system down, a calming effect.  I have tried Lexapro but discontinued it because I couldn't see any difference in my condition (UC).  I take so many prescriptions that I don't want to increase my intake if not helpful.  My father was taking Lexapro recently & also seeing no improvement so we switched him to Cymbalta which is an anti-depressant & pain killer.  Now he is doing so much better.  He also has IBS & is 91 yrs. old & recently lost his wife of 72 yrs.  Cymbalta has helped him & Lexapro has been the happy pill for our neighbor.  Guess everyone responds differently to meds so try & see what works best for you.

Hi Christine....does sound as though you are depressed...especially since you mentioned you were on antidepressants in the past.

There's one called Cymbalta that deals with body pain as well...maybe that could be an option for you.

I was prescribed Effexor XR for my depression (not UC-related)...and it's been great. I would think that if you feel tired with no energy....Lexapro or Celexa wouldn't be as good as maybe Wellbutrin or Effexor.
Hope the doctor has some samples for you to try.

Have you had your thyroid checked lately? That could be a huge factor in how you're feeling.

quincy

We are a Zoloft family. We're all on it. I've been on Zoloft for 13 years. Helped me through some very tough times. It totally transformed my husband from being an anxious, depressed man to a wonderful, sweet husband.