Anti-depressants

Hi folks.

Nothings changed for me and I'm doing well, but I'm starting to lose the ability to stay asleep.

The doctor put me on Ambien for ten days to try to break this cycle, but it's not working. He has suggested an anti-depressant.

Does anyone here take these, and if so, how much and what kind??


Thank you kindly-Bob

A couple of ideas:

Trazodone is an anti-depressant that is now most commonly used as a sleep aid. It is not addictive like other sleep aids and can treat both mood and sleep problems. I took it the last time I was on Prednisone and it helped me to sleep normally.

The most commonly prescribed anti-depressants are SSRIs (Prozac, Zoloft, etc.) that increase the amount of serotonin at your synapses. Loads of people find them safe (probably the safest of all antidepressants) and effective. The downside to taking them can be increased bowel motility (diarrhea) since serotonin is also a major player in the digestive system. I don't think it would induce a flare but it may exacerbate some symptoms if you have any issues with loose stools already. They can also cause weight gain and reduced libido.

Wellbutrin is another option. It works on dopamine rather than serotonin and can have the opposite effect on your poo as SSRIs- decreased bowel motility. This may lead to constipation if your stools are normal but if they are currently soft, it can firm them up and ameliorate symptoms. Research also suggests that it may inhibit TNF-alpha, a pro-inflammatory agent that is often elevated in UC and is targeted by Remicade (note that Remicade has a much bigger effect). So Wellbutrin can treat depression, firm up loose stools, and help to decrease your body's elevated immune response. The downsides of Wellbutrin are that it can increase your risk of seizures so if you have ever had one, your dr won't prescribe it to you. Also, it has some stimulating effects that can reduce sleep (but also fatigue). Most people can get around this by taking it first thing in the morning but some have persisting insomnia. If depression is what is causing your sleeplessness, however, you may still end up sleeping more if you take it.

Other options are available but those are the drugs that are usually tried first. Dosage completely depends on you. A competent dr will start people with mild to moderate depression at the lowest dose and, after a few weeks (it can take up to 6 weeks for full efficacy), increase as needed. All 3 of the above medications are good options. I would suggest reading up on the benefits and side-effects of each and then ranking them according to your preference. Your dr can help you to make the choice based on your preferences as well as your individual health concerns. Note that the effects on bowel motility that I mentioned above are common but not certain so don't completely discount any class of drugs on that alone.

I would also suggest looking at your sleep hygiene. Sometimes just altering your routine can have positive effects on your ability to fall/stay asleep:

http://www.umm.edu/sleep/sleep_hyg.htm

Thank you all for your info and replies!!

InSoFla-

How does L-Threonine work? I've been trying to find some information about it but what I've found is either way-over-my-head chemistry or just sites trying to sell things. I'm only familiar with it as a precursor for glycine.

The OP never said he was depressed. He just wanted something to help him sleep.

Gotcha. Occasional xanax helps me with both anxiety and sleep. Might be worth looking into.

When I was stressed, do to my husbands health probs and mine, I couldn't sleep well either. That had never happened to me before. I took Xanax and it helped. I took a very minimal amount and it calmed me. I tried Prozac I think too for one day and it was too weird, I think I slept all day and with young kids I said forget it and never even gave that stuff a chance. I only used the Xanax off and on for a year and as the situation with my husband improved I didn't need it any longer.

I take Lexapro. It has really helped my anxiety and OCD. It did not affect my UC.

Klonopin helps me sleep but I don't havve any trouble sleeping these days. I take pristiq and I feel like it gives me more energy.

CoffeeMan, I haven't had prolonged insomnia before but caffeine keeps me awake. Judging by your name you like indulging in the boasted brown bean. How much coffee do you drink and what time of day?

I also back the exercise suggestion (not too close to bedtime) it releases endorphins which helps regulate mood. Also Are you getting any outdoor time where you're exposed to sunlight. Getting a bit of sun on the face and in he eyes helps regulate sleep hormones too.

You've probably thought of all these but figured I'd mention them on he off chance.

Valerian (herb) is supposed to help sleep also

ColitisMastery- good point re melatonin- Granted, there isnt much data on melatonin for UC- there is the one mouse model study where they used 15 mg/kg (injected and nit orally administered, at that) which, even if it were oral, would equate to a human having to take an entire bottle full of melatonin caps in one sitting!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11168901

The only human study was a Russian one with an abstract, that does indicate some potential though:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21516743

I'm surprised, given how innocent and commonly used a supplement it is, that there isnt more melatonin/IBD data. Hard to see a downside, though (if I can ever get back down to low dose pred before I lose this colon) I would like to get benefit from LDN again and wonder if LDN and melatonin would be incompatable or not?

Post Edited (Probiotic) : 5/25/2012 5:40:19 AM (GMT-6)