Antidepressants and MC?

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birdlover3
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Antidepressants and MC?

Post by birdlover3 »

I was just told that the Cymbalta that I take is SNRI (I need to find out what that means) and could have triggered my MC that I have.

I would like to hear from people that have similar problems and have found solutions. What anti-depressants have you found that do not seem to cause MC triggers?

What words in drugs do I need to watch for in investigations that will help me to understand?
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis November 2012.
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Post by tex »

SNRI stands for serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. IOW, that's how it works to treat depression.
birdlover3 wrote:I would like to hear from people that have similar problems and have found solutions.
I doubt that you will get many responses, because most people who have that problem, stop taking the drug (or drugs), go into remission, and move on, so they don't post anymore.
birdlover3 wrote:What anti-depressants have you found that do not seem to cause MC triggers?
That information may not do you any good, because we are all different, and all antidepressants cause MC problems for some of us, but not for others.
birdlover3 wrote:What words in drugs do I need to watch for in investigations that will help me to understand?
Look for these names: antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, beta blockers, ace inhibitors, antibiotics, bisphosphonates, proton pump inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and statins. That's not all of them, but those are the most common drugs that trigger MC.

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Post by mzh »

I suspect that's going to be very individual. I know someone who took fluoxetine and the constant diarrhea he had stopped!
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Post by Fish2575 »

I have heard from people here that Elavil (amitriptyline) can help. Don't know about the others. I took Wellbutrin (bupropion) for a while and when I stopped it I got severe MC symptoms? Tex may be able to weigh in with something more scientific :wink:

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Post by mzh »

Susie, what I was trying to say is that sometimes SSRIs can cause then opposite (stool normalizing) instead of what the normal side effects (i.e., diarrhea) usually are. So you don't know unless you try a drug. I'm on generic Lexapro and have had zero side effects other than I'm less anxious. :smile:

Are you saying that the Wellbutrin helped your mic symptoms and that you reverted to more diarrhea when you stopped or that you got MC for the first time after you stopped the Wellbutrin?
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Post by Fish2575 »

I actually have no idea!

I had ebbs and flows of MC because of pregnancies, complete remission during 3-9th trimesters and up to a year after the birth. I had gone dairy free with my last child, and I think that is what helped keep me in remission for almost eighteen months. About three months after going gluten free I decided to stop my antidepressant. When I did that I got weird tingling in my feet and my diarrhea got worse. I guess I could assume that stopping the Welbutrin put me into a flare.
It just seemed a little too coincidental that everything got bad when I stopped the antidepressant. I think you are right though about it helping MC. I haven't started one up again, but was told it might be worth a try~
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Post by mzh »

I think it's worth a try to start up again if you're feeling anxious and/or depressed. But if your MC symptoms stopped during the pregnancies, maybe lack of hormones when you aren't pregnant has something to so with your problems. Just wild guess here. :lol:
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Post by Fish2575 »

I do believe it has something to do with estrogen being my enemy (more progesterone makes me better), but as for the pregnancies, I think it is more that the body is in an immune depressed state so that it does not attack the baby. One doc suggested I take progesterone, but I have multiple clotting disorders, so that is out!

Not anxious or depressed! though I might be soon if I don't start getting better!
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Cymbalta - WOW

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WOW!!!! After investigating all of this stuff I just called my family doc's office and asked when I was first given samples of Cymbalta to try, and also when was my first complaint of "D".

My first complaint of "D" was December 2010 and my first samples of Cymbalta was September 2010.

BINGO!!!!!!!!! I rememmber the D was going on some time before I went to the doctor with my complaint. As mentioned before I have taken different anti-depressants over 25 years including Prozac and Lexapro, but not until I started with Cymbalta did the D start!!!! This truly makes me believe that the Cymbalta is the reason for my "D".

I'd like to hear other people that have started Cymbalta that have developed the "D". I do have MC - that was proven through testing. Of course I don't know if it CAUSED it, but it definitely didn't show it's nasty head until the Cymbalta came into the picture. WOW. A major break through.
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Post by mzh »

Wow, I was thinking of trying Cymbalta. Maybe not now!
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Post by Denise »

Fish2575,

I would be interested in discussing with you your blood clotting disorder. I have not posted mine after searching posts I did not find someone with this disorder. I had a DVT 25 years ago and was told it was due to birth control pills. I was told since I made it through a pregancy it would not happen again. When I had my son after multiple miscarriages I had a C-section and was put on heparin and coumadin as a precaution. Well this fall I had another DVT 25 years later been too many doctors looking for cancer due to the immflamation from MC and the DVT. Thank god all negative what I knew in my heart was true. I have an appointment in a few weeks with the head of the vascular department at MGH in Boston to see what he thinks. I am afraid to stop the coumadin for testing. One doctor said 6 months another said 1year and another said for life. It is very scary situation. If you do not want to discuss on the forum can you send a PM exactly what you have. At one point I did test for an anthrobim deficiently but they did not believe it what low enough to worry about at that time 10 yearago.
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Post by Fish2575 »

HI Denise, I don't mind discussing here. I figure it is all good info for others to hear, though I am not sure I will be of much help.

I have an MTHFR mutation and a Factor II Leiden Clotting disorder which causes me to clot. I had a clot in my arm when I was pregnant with my second child. I was first told to take an aspirin a day, but that killed my stomach, so the hematologist said I was okay without blood thinners unless I am pregnant. But I definitely cannot take birth control because the hormones increase clotting likelihood. I have actually been fine since, but you may want to talk with a good hematologist. They are the ones who really seem to know how serious things are and which medicines to take for how long.

My mom has very bad clotting and has had several mini strokes (she and I both have a PFO -hole in the heart that lets the wrong blood through to the brain) She had one big stroke before she figured out the problem and they eventually fixed the hole in her heart. I will ask her what her regimen is. She takes something right now, though I can't remember what. Hope that is helpful. Ask away if you have more questions. My dad is a physician so I can always run things by him too :pigtail:
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Post by Denise »

Susie,

I do see a hematologist who has done a lot of testing. I see him at the end of the month and MTHFR is on my list to ask about recommended testing from ND doctor. Factor II Leiden has been fine in the past. I have to stop taking coumadin for 4 weeks for to repeat the anti-coag testing. When you have a clot the testing will not be accurate. I had the testing 15 years prior. I just feel everything is related when I went to a forum for Stop the Clot the people asking the questions stated they had celiac, ulcerative colitis and chrohns' disease. My AMS nurse deals with patients with IBD. My clots have been in the sub clavian veins. This last clot was in the sub clavian vein plus several in the arm, I waited too long to go to the doctor. At the forum they did say if you had a clot in the past there is a 50 percent chance you will clot again. It is very scary feeling. Now they send you home with heparin shots and Coumadin, 25 years ago you stayed in the hospital for a week. Maybe my anti-coag levels have changed. Very frustrating situation since I am afraid to stop coumadin.
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Post by Fish2575 »

I think you are right about the coexistence with autoimmune disease. I know that having lupus puts me in an at risk category to clots. I am so sorry! What an awful feeling. Do they want you to be off all anticoagulants before the test? That seems crazy!
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Post by Denise »

Yes according to PCP and hemotorgist to get an accurate result. I am waiting to see the head of the vascular dept. at MGH in Boston before I do anything. He spoke at stop the clot forum and is impressive the best in Boston!

Thanks for the replies!
Denise
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