Depression and ulcerative colitis

 I have been struggling with ulcerative colitis for about ten years now.  It seems that the oral meds are not working for me and I'm severly anemic now.  The gi doc recommends starting Remicade.  I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2008 and had a bilateral mastectomy.  I suffer from something called post mastectomy pain syndrome.  Lots of chest pain all the time.  That compounded with the severe colitis symptoms have me quite depressed.  Anyone else experienced this and did you find anything helpful?  I find the unpredictability of colitis is just horrible.  It seems to cause so much stress.  Have been on prednisone for a while too and even though I feel very tired I can't sleep or rest.    Thanks in advance for any help on this.  I'm worried about starting Remicade, but may get desperate enough to do so.  Also, does anyone else suffer from mouth sores?

Was wondering the same thing - if anyone is willing to share. What anti-depressants have you tried and did they work? I battle depression as well.

In order to prescribe the right AD your doctor will need to note your symptoms and then will be best able to pick the right one for you. Not all ADs are the same and they are prescribed based on symtpoms eg. anxiety, sadness, etc. After my symtpoms were shared I was put on Celexa. It worked like a charm.

Sue

Hi and welcome, chips mom!

My first flare started shortly after I had my son. I was also having problems with post-partum anxiety/depression. Now, whether the UC contributed to the PPA, who knows, but either way, I was a mess, both physically and emotionally. Before I was diagnosed with UC, I ended up starting Zoloft and seeing a counselor a few times. Both helped tremendously. Once I had been in remission for a while, I was able to successfuly taper off of Zoloft. It seems that many people on here are on medication for anxiety and depression.

Good luck, and feel free to vent on here as often as you need.

I have had very good success with Vitamin D3. Prior to starting to take it back in January, I was very sad several days each week. As noted in my journal back in January, "Just way depressed last night, angry, frustrated, and sad. Everything seems so pointless." And I wasn't even flaring at the time. It may have been Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) related but I had been experiencing the same feelings for years and years and years throughout the entire year.

Within days of taking 5000 IU of Vitamin D3 a day, I became content and haven't experienced the depressing feelings since. I have had two flares since starting the Vitamin D3 (one currently active) and the disease tends to just annoy me now rather than make me depressed. It should be noted that I did have my D3 level tested back in April (two months after starting to take Vitamin D3) and it was low (38ng/mL). I had it tested again in October and it was at an appropriate level (58 ng/mL).

Of all of the drugs and supplements that I take, Vitamin D3 is the last one that I would be willing to stop taking.

      Dear chipsmom...I am so sorry you are suffering so.  You certainly have a lot of obstacles in you path.  I've had UC for eleven years and it can get you down, but I do not have cancer.  Having  to deal with both illnesses is devastating.  I cannot tell you what to take for depression, you must see your family doctor about that, but I can tell you that my GI doctor advises against Remicade with someone who has had a diagnosis of cancer.  Something about the possibility of activating the cancer cells.  Now, this is just what MY GI doctor explained to me.  I know not all doctors are in agreement.

     I was very hesitant to start Remicade, which I did this past week.  Years ago I tested positive for the TB virus.  I remember getting a chest xray and it being negative.  The doctor explained that I must have been exposed to someone with TB (which I did have an aunt through marriage who suffered with it) and I also worked in a hospital lab.  However, I was tested at my doctor's office the week before I started Remicade and the PPD test was negative!  I am going the Remicade route because it is my last hope of keeping my colon.

     May God bless you.  I hope and pray you find some relief.

 Thanks for all your help and input.  It's good to know that others suffer from depression with this illness.  Well not good to know, but at least you know you are not alone.  I suppose any chronic health issue, especially related to the intestinal tract, will lead to stress and anxiety.  My oncologist is not sure about the use of Remicade with breast cancer, so have to find out more about that.  Taking prednisone is no fun either.  Thank goodness for Ambien time release pills.  They give me a restful night's sleep, which I can't seem to get any other way.  Sadly, that's the best part of my day.  Not suicidal at all, just very down.  Will definitely seek help if that becomes a problem.

A couple of years ago I was in a bad flare and my then 17 yr old daughter was in rehab with quite a lot of issues. My GI wanted to put me on Lexapro, which would then make the entire family on ADs and I was resistant, especially given all the other meds I was on at the time.

He explained to me that even though intellectually I knew my depression was what I was calling "situational" it was still depression nonetheless. My thinking was I knew what was causing it, I could just "handle" it. He explained to me the brain can actually rewire itself in times of depression that makes it more predisposed to remaining depressed or becoming depressed again in the future. Taking an AD would short circuit that rewiring.

So I did take the Lexapro and the results were subtle, but much improved. I didn't feel all happy all the time like I thought an AD would make me, I just stopped feeling so low and hopeless and tearful all the time. It helped me cope a lot better with what all was going on in my life.

about four months after starting on the Lexapro I decided to try Remicade after much agonizing. It was a godsend for me, and did allow me to keep my colon -- but not forever. It's going out in seven weeks but the Remi did give me the time to come to terms with that and get through to a time when I and my family are better able to withstand the rigors of the surgery.

Please get help for your depression and don't be afraid to take medication for it. If the first one you try doesn't work there are others out there, just keep trying.

For those battling to keep your colons, don't be afraid to explore the surgical option. I consulted with a surgeon long before I made the decision to have the j-pouch surgery. Knowing what would be involved helped me to make the decision in time, with all the information I needed. Prior to my consulting with a surgeon my decision to continue trying medication after medication was based more on fear of the surgery than anything else. I know that had I not spoken with the surgeon, now that the Remicade wasn't working as well I'd probably be fighting with my insurer to let me try Humira. Instead I am getting ready to put my years of UC behind me.

If the Remi was still working, mind you, I would have been quite happy to continue infusions indefinitely. But now I just want my colon OUT!!

Meesh

don't worry about getting addicted to ambien, you can break the pill up , or something like that, to taper off, your sleep is more important...

Glad I'm not the only one taking it often, good or bad. I look forward to it to which is why I was starting to get worried. I think my problem is not being able to relax and feeling anxious. So I've been weighing if I would be better off taking an anti-anxiety med vs. taking ambien.