What antidepressant can I take

[exhortae]

Hi,


I have been gifted with microscopic colitis (MC) and general anxiety disorder. My anxiety and depression are so high right now that I need to take an anti depressant to be able to get my head off the water.

I have tried tryclic AD but I add cardiac problems on them. I have tried mianserin and mirtazapine but the noradrenergic effect have made me feel very agitated. I also did try ssri but my MC always got worse on them (prozac, zoloft, deroxat).

It seems that the only ad left is venlafaxine. I wonder if some of you with MC did try that AD and how did they do on it.


I'm in full remission right now concerning my MC (I don't have any symptoms but the biopsies are positive) and I don't want to reactivate it, but I feel I'm going crazy with anxiety and depression (I have a long history of this illness running in my family)


Thanks

[tex]

Have you tried Wellbutrin, (bupropion)? It was originally developed as an antidepressant, but it's frequently prescribed to treat anxiety disorder, also, because it tends to cause fewer side effects than most meds of this type. I don't have any experience taking any meds in this class - I'm just repeating what I've read and heard here, and many other places.

As I'm sure you're well aware, in many cases involving meds of this type, the key to a solution is in finding the correct dosage to fit your body's needs. Good luck with finding a solution.

Tex

[natythingycolbery]

The only thing I can suggest is avoid any type of AD that has SSRI's in it.

Unfortunatley it may have to be case of trial and error.

[nancyl]

My daughter suffered from depression and was on Prozac and some others. She did not feel it was helping at all and didn't want to stay on it. A pharmacologist who owns a great health food store recommended that she take 5 HTP and St. John's Wart. She said she felt such a difference and has been taking it for well over a year now with no side effects. Of course she does not have MC or any kind of IBD. I have taken Alprazolam for anxiety. I have the lowest dose and take 1/2 pill when needed. It actually slows down the "D". I don't take it for that, but when I have I've notice total relief.

Nancy

[annie oakley]

I take paroxetine 20mg and I have irregular heartbeat**have never had any problems with it. I understand about the "gifted with" thing**I was gifted with MC, irregular heartbeat, Fibro,osteo and rhuemitoid arthriris. My Mother was a full blown bi-polar and manic depressed person when there was no name for it. She passed not only her physic abilities to her three kids she also passed the depression as well as the anxity (spelled wrong hahahah) But........There's a story behind it all and I will not complain about it too much. some day will have to share some stories. Love to all<
oma/annie aka calamity Jane (Barbara)

[TXBrenda]

I take generic wellbutrin & cymbalta. Neither have had affect on D or C. St John's Wart helped me in the past. I was about to try 5 HTP but my doctor decided to prescribe AD so I never tried it (was in denial about depression lol).

[exhortae]

Have you tried Wellbutrin, (bupropion)? It was originally developed as an antidepressant, but it's frequently prescribed to treat anxiety disorder, also, because it tends to cause fewer side effects than most meds of this type. I don't have any experience taking any meds in this class - I'm just repeating what I've read and heard here, and many other places.

As I'm sure you're well aware, in many cases involving meds of this type, the key to a solution is in finding the correct dosage to fit your body's needs. Good luck with finding a solution.

Tex

Hi,

It seems from my experience that I only suffer from low serotonin levels, any AD that boosts Norepinephrine or dopamine neurotransmitters will give me agitation, increased anxiety and panick attacks, bupropion seems to primary acts on dopamine receptors.

[exhortae]

The only thing I can suggest is avoid any type of AD that has SSRI's in it.

Unfortunatley it may have to be case of trial and error.

The problem for me is the fact that some people do not develop MC right away after taking an SSRI. It make take up to years before it starts. I'm afraid to have a relapse, because before I went into remission I seffured for 3 years with MC. At a point I lost 70 lbs (I'm 6'2). This is what scares me in this trial and error protocol.

[exhortae]

My daughter suffered from depression and was on Prozac and some others. She did not feel it was helping at all and didn't want to stay on it. A pharmacologist who owns a great health food store recommended that she take 5 HTP and St. John's Wart. She said she felt such a difference and has been taking it for well over a year now with no side effects. Of course she does not have MC or any kind of IBD. I have taken Alprazolam for anxiety. I have the lowest dose and take 1/2 pill when needed. It actually slows down the "D". I don't take it for that, but when I have I've notice total relief.

Nancy

I will consider 5 HTP and st John's wart as possible alternative, although I suffer from extreme anxiety, this is why xanax never worked on me because I'm extremely anxious throughout the day. My mind is racing, I can't even read a book nor write long texts.


EDIT : After research it seems that st john wart boost all thre level of neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepineprhine, dopamine). I have had bad experience with drugs like mianserin and tianeptine, I just don't think it would do the trick.

[exhortae]

I take paroxetine 20mg and I have irregular heartbeat**have never had any problems with it. I understand about the "gifted with" thing**I was gifted with MC, irregular heartbeat, Fibro,osteo and rhuemitoid arthriris. My Mother was a full blown bi-polar and manic depressed person when there was no name for it. She passed not only her physic abilities to her three kids she also passed the depression as well as the anxity (spelled wrong hahahah) But........There's a story behind it all and I will not complain about it too much. some day will have to share some stories. Love to all<
oma/annie aka calamity Jane (Barbara)

Hi, I tried paroxetine and it does seem to trigger my MC. I only took it for 4 days and I already started to get fecal incontinence

[exhortae]

I take generic wellbutrin & cymbalta. Neither have had affect on D or C. St John's Wart helped me in the past. I was about to try 5 HTP but my doctor decided to prescribe AD so I never tried it (was in denial about depression lol).

I guess that only SNRI (like cymbalta) are not deirectly linked to microscopic colitis. They seem to have anecdotical cases about the link between MC and SNRI's. I guess I will have to take my chance on it. Maybe I'll try venlafaxine because my little sister is on cymbalta and tried to commit suicide 3 times in a week.

thank you all for your answer and may god help us all in this long journey.

[klhale]

have you tried Lorazepam (Ativan)?

[exhortae]

have you tried Lorazepam (Ativan)?

Hi,


Nah I just don't like benzodiazapines, they are good for short term relief of anxiety but are very dangerous long term. Right now I'm taking my chance with lexapro (escitalopram), it's been two weeks, I don't have diarrhoea altough my bowels feel a bit on the loose end (might be my body adjusting to the drug). i'm crossing finger here.

[JLH]

I emailed it to my family and myself but have been busy and then forgot.....

http://drhyman.com/why-antidepressants- ... ssion-497/

[alclarkson]

PLEASE do not try Cymbalta. It started my lovely journey wy/ LAC. It hit me 5 weeks after I started Cymbalta. On my own intuition and the information from this lovely support group, I went to my AD Dr. and asked for a change in meds last week and have not had any DA since 2 days after starting new meds- citalopram 40mag and desipramine 25mag. Iamb 90% sure it also caused my high BP and chest pains. There is a good website aptly named crazymeds.us You can find tons of info on all the meds out there. Of course it's all general info as everyone will react differently to these types of meds.