How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
I was curious as to how many people take an anti-depressant along with your pain meds(opiod/opiates)? What anti-d do you take and does it help with the depression and tired feeling and lack of motivation?
I am thinking about starting up an anti-d and want to hear from some people that do take one along with their pain meds. This would include any anti-d(Cymbalta, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, etc.)
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
Brian:
I take 20mg of Paxil, but have been on that for YEARS as part of my migraine preventative regime. I've probably been taking it since some time in the 80's. My original surgery did not happen until 2004, so I really don't have that much to offer you.
I do know when I first started taking it the medication made me VERY tired. I don't know if it will help combat the fatigue or not. It took me almost a full month to get used to the side effect of the fatigue. I'm fairly used to it now.
I just live with the fatigue. I don't really reckon there's much I can do about it. It's pain, or fatigue. I'll take the fatigue. Especially on a high pain day like today! GRRRRR!
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Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
Well I don't really need any more fatigue so hopefully I can get on one that DOES NOT cause this. I just called my psych and she is going to be out of the office until MAY 13th. I am going to call my PCP doc and ask if I can go ahead and start the Wellbutrin that I already have(I only took it for a couple of days last year but I think it was interacting with the Ultram). I am off the Ultram and never going back on that. I need something because I did not even want to come to work today, I just wanted to stay in bed. Please guys and ladies continue to pray for me. I figure that the Wellbutrin may not have the same side effect/interaction effect that it did last year since I am on different meds.
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
Hey Brian,
Had an appointment this am with my doc, he took me off the Lyrica and put me on Neurontin (600 mg at bedtime). Also gave me Ultram. He said, absolutely, do not take it with an anti-depressant. I thought of you. I did not ask him about Lyrica and an AD, though....too foggy to remember that on top of all the other questions I had for him.
What happened when you took Welbutrin the last time? These ADs react so differently in all of us, it's scary to try them. However, I have two friends who took Welbutrin and had positive results.
I took Paxil several years ago with Vicodin and Flexeril, and the Paxil made me tense. I could feel my heartbeat in my toes, stomach, neck, etc. The duma$$ doctor told me to stay on it anyway, which I refused to do. He was convinced I was depressed because of my severe insomnia. Ultimately, Elavil (the tricyclic AD) worked for me for a very long time, although i did gain a lot of weight with it.
How are you doing with your pain? I continue to pray for you every day....
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
Hi Brian,
I have been on antidepressants ever since I first started in CP treatment, my first 'official' med for CP was the tramadol, which as we have discusses before, also contains an antidepressant.
I started on prozac at 20 mgs per day. amd the combination of the pain meds and the prozac worked wonders for me, my dose went up to 30 for awhile, then I switched to Lexipro and dropped back to the 20 mgs pre day.
When we lost our medical benefits, I switched from the lexipro back to the prozac, because both Walmart and Target have generic prozac on thier $4 plan.
I figured when I went off the tramadol for good and switched to the methadone, It would mess with my anti-D's effectivness, and it did, I was very depressed going through the tramadol withdrawal, even more so then expected.
I talked to my doctor and wound up going up to 40 mgs of prozac a day, doubling my dose, and I feel really great. I think most of it is because the methadone had been such a good med for me, my pain levels are better then they have been in over a decade, and I'm sure that is helping my depression as much as the higher dose of prozac is.
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
Fabby,
I know you told me that this would probably happen and that I might need to get on an anti-depressant. Well I think that you were right. I do know that the pain meds, the pain, and our limitations all contribute to depression.
I also have some other things going on in my life right now. Essentially the relationship that I have been carrying on, with my brother's gf, is coming to an end. I have become very attached to her and I think that I may have fallen in love with her. I knew from the beginning that it would have to come to an end. She has helped me emotionally and mentally and also to stay clean. Her sister is going to be getting out of the army and moving in at the beginning of june. I just need the strength to be able to let go which is not going to be easy. I become co-dependant very quickly and I have almost used her "like a drug" to be happy and not depressed. Now the time has come for change and as hard as it will be, I know that I have to do it. Please pray that I have the strength to be able to do it. I need to start going to meetings now as long as I can actually get the motivation to get out of bed.
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
I am surprised your not on one Brian, I thought for sure you were and I think it would help with your depression and anxiety issues.
I take 10 mgs of paxil a day. I don't have depression but I do have anxiety and I get irritable and a little OCD about my house and yard, so it helps keep me in check and I don't clean as much. Its a good med and very cheap. Wal-mart has it for 4.00.
I think it might help you, cymbalta might be a good one for you as it helps with nerve pain too.
SS
Last edited by slipperyslope; 05-06-2008 at 04:58 PM.
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
Quote:
Originally Posted by slipperyslope
I am surprised your not on one Brian, I thought for sure you were and I think it would help with your depression and anxiety issues.SS
My goal was to get off of as many meds as possible and see if I did actually need an anti-depressant. I tried Cymbalta for several months and had some bad side effects. I also tried Prozac and experienced sertonin syndrome. I was Effexor for 3 months and experienced the lovely "gallbladder" pain and bad nausea the whole time. I was so ****** off that I figured it was the Effexor and after enduring 3 months of abdominal pain and nausea, EVERY DAY, and missing work several times, finally got off of it. It turns out that it was the Effexor causing all of it. Now just recently I have gotten off Ultram(tramadol). So, now I am completely free of any anti-depressant or medications that have anti-d effects. You have to keep in mind that all of these anti-d's were interacting with the Ultram(tramadol) so they may have different effects now if I were to take them. I never should have tried messing with anti-d's and Ultram(tramadol) in the first place.
I am seriously thinking about starting on the Wellbutrin again. I took that for several years, long before CP. So I might just be able to endure the effects from that. I will call my PCP doctor and ask to make sure since my psychiatrist just happens to be out of the office until May 13th. I probably have 20 days worth of it at home
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
I don't take any....Never have....May need to, however. But right or wrong, I refuse to take any more meds.
With that being said, my clinic's waiting room is filled with point of purchase displays and literature of anti-depressants....Very common side effect of PM.
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
Brian, If I remember right you said you were BiPolar? If so, most pdocs don't like for you to just take an anti-depressant as they usually cause mania, or hypo mania, generally they would RX a mood stabilizer/anti-psychotic that is approved to treat for depression, such as Seroquel, Lamictal, Depakote, etc. I only speak up because I'm BPII with Severe BP Depression for 17 years, so I know a bit about this. If you are BiPolar I would strongly recomend letting your pdoc handle your meds as opposed to a general practioner.
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
Hi Brian, I take citalopram (Celexa) 40 mg. daily along with my other meds which include Lortab, Neurontin, baclofen, and maybe two tramadol a day. Yes, I know about serotonin syndrome, but have not had any problem with the interaction. I was very depressed when I first got my diagnosis of adhesive arachnoiditis and all that that means to my life. The Celexa has done a very good job of lifting that since I went on it a few months ago. I'm also trying a trial of Trental and vitamin E for a few months, as this combo has been seen to dissolve scar tissue in a few small studies. Worth a shot. I have a cast iron stomach and have never had any kind of med side effect problem. Something else to be thankful for.
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
hello, i take up to 120mg oxycodine and i take zoloft 150mg, wellbutrin xl 300mg and metadate(ritalin) 60mg, and sometime baclofen and xanax..i am doing well with the combination.
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
Quote:
Originally Posted by bear30
hello, i take up to 120mg oxycodine and i take zoloft 150mg, wellbutrin xl 300mg and metadate(ritalin) 60mg, and sometime baclofen and xanax..i am doing well with the combination.
Wow you take Wellbutrin and Zoloft, that is a pretty heft combination. Do you suffer from Major Depression in addition to your pain or from Bi-polar?
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
Quote:
Originally Posted by brianpain33
p.s. What do you take for the Bi-polar and what are you pain meds if you don't mind me asking.
I take Seroquel 450mg, Lamictal 50mg (currently titrating up to 100 mg), Zoloft 50mg, Topomax 100 mg, Vitamin D 1000 IU for BPII; Fentanyl Patch 50mcg/48 hrs, Ultram 150 mg/day, norco 20/375 for BT; Ambien CR 12.5mg, Sonata 10mg for Severe Insomnia; Premarin .09mg, Singulair 10mg, Axert 10mg, for Cluster Migraines, Seizure Disorder, Allergies, etc. The Topomax also is for the Seizure disorder and migraines, and the Seroquel also helps with the insomnia.
Re: How many of you take an antidepressant with your pain meds?
Hi, I'ld like to add my experience. I was put an Lexapro but I really need HRT therapy. It helped intially but my PCP bumped me to the max daily and I became blunted and didn't care about much. I'm weaning off them now (not easy but not toooooo bad).
I think those who need an AD should try them and those that feel a little blue at times like me - I'm thinking of trying 5HTP when I'm off the Lexapro and if my doctor agrees.
I wonder if anyone here has experience with 5HTP?
Marie
. I probably have 20 days worth of it at home
