Antidepressants

[Franky]

It seems like part of the standard procedure for Doctor's and their morgellons patients is to prescribe some type of antidepressants. I know this is a tough personal question for some, but did you find it helped at all. Did it make you feel better at all or just mask some of the symptoms?

They had my friend on multiply types and for him it did not work at all. He said, "it felt all it did was mask the feeling for a while but it always came back". Early on my life I dealt with lots of people taking these medications and for some they worked miracles and for others more of numbness effect. Anybody care to comment on this?

[jannyjo]

Ditto...to what bubba said. I was prescribed several different ones, and couldn't tolerate any of them. They didn't mask the symptoms, they just made me numb...like with an "I don't care attitude" about anything, plus made the brain fog a lot worse. IMO, you need to feel the anger of this disease to cultivate the energy to fight it.

I stopped taking them 2 years ago, and that was one of the smartest things I did, because while in a tranquil fog, I did not want to research for answers, and I felt too drugged and tired to even continue to find a Dr. to help me.

Dr. H is "right on" when it comes to this area of treatment.

jannyjo

[beverlybdmd]

One of the things that I have found is that many Lymmies and Morgellonites, due to the areas of brain that suffer nerve damage, develop forms of depression that often respond to bipolar-type medications, rather than typical antidepressants. They might either actually develop actual bipolar symptoms gradually over time, with cyclical mood changes and energy levels, or they may only have unipolar depressive cycles.

In either case, we respond far better to the class of medications that are known as "membrane stabilizing drugs," usually used for a second-line choice medication to control a seizure disorder. These are drugs such as Topamax, Tegretol, Dilantin, or Depakote.

(NOT anti-psychotic meds like Respiradol or Seroquel, or Zyprexa, OR anti-depressants such as Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac, Welbutrin, Effexor, Lexapro, & Celexa.) Although, sometimes one of these might be used in combination with the first mentioned class, in combination, in a lower dosage.

The important issue is that this treatment is NOT to STOP symptoms of DOP!! It is to control the uncontrollable mood swings caused by YEARS of bugs-in-the-brain causing neuro-transmitter imbalances and hormonal dys-regulation. It won't change the restless legs, the crawling sensations, the biting, stinging, or fix your sleep, if you are disturbed by these Morgies and NOT by your past--but, it will help you cope with the crying every day; the screaming at your beloved family for no reason; the hopelessness and sometimes, even the appetite issues.

I take anti-depressants everyday of my life and I will for the rest of my life. I am NOT ashamed to stand up with Morley Shaefer and say this. If you need help: get it. But for goodness sake, be careful, because most shrinks, will just want to put you on simple anti-depressants (which probably won't have much effect, IF you are having cyclical problems.) OR they will want to treat you with anti-psychotics, if you tell them about the REST of your "symptoms" (the morgellons-type problems.)

It took me SIX YEARS of working with my shrink to learn what I have about these meds, and ALL of it was trial & error, until we finally found something that worked. That is a very long time to feel like a lab rat, and keep switching your "MIND-MEDICINES." Talk about your basic feeling crazy! "Hi! This was me on my latest mind-altering mood-drug-of-the-month!" Nope, guess that one isn't any good, let's try a different one the NEXT month!.... :P

I have been on the same meds now, though, for over 4 years, with only minor adjustments, Thank Heavens

[jannyjo]

I agree with Dr. Beverly, that some people may need these meds for chemical imbalances, I did not mean to imply everyone should not take them. In my case, I was very depressed about what was happening to my face, mouth, and hair/scalp, so it might have been a good thing that I felt numb for awhile

That being said, I was also fainting with seizure type activity and the Dr. put me on Klonopin (baby dose) 0.5 mg...this was after discontinuing antidepressants, and I never had another fainting episode. This fits in with what Dr. Beverly is saying. They, also, diagnosed me with ADD, which was really the brain fog, but prescribed Adderall, and boy did that help the fatique and fog. My point is that it is a matter of trial and error, because everyone is different.

[maryok]

Franky, don't know if this helps any but I've been on an anti-depressant since BEFORE I got Morgellons -- and also an ADHD med: Paxil & Adderall. I haven't been taking the ADHD meds during the worst times of this as I read somewhere that stimulants give the creatures more energy. (Maybe that added to my brainfog?)

[michelle]

Originally Posted by Franky

It seems like part of the standard procedure for Doctor's and their morgellons patients is to prescribe some type of antidepressants. I know this is a tough personal question for some, but did you find it helped at all. Did it make you feel better at all or just mask some of the symptoms?

They had my friend on multiply types and for him it did not work at all. He said, "it felt all it did was mask the feeling for a while but it always came back". Early on my life I dealt with lots of people taking these medications and for some they worked miracles and for others more of numbness effect. Anybody care to comment on this?

I have been prescribed many different types to try and deal with muscle and nerve pains. I also felt impared like I was drunk. The first three days on welbutrin were fine the next I was a basket case and could not even make a list. My mind felt like a remote control flipping channels. Lexapro was fine for a month and then I became very Depressed for no reason . My family and I made jokes "you cant be depressed your on antidepressants" I then used Nortriptyline it helped with pain but after six months I started feeling bit, on hand and foot and then would bleed under skin. I stopped taking and stopped bleeding under the skin. It looked like abnormal bruising. Amptriptyline made me itch and there are others. I take a 5 htp before bed and 150 mg gabapentin for neropathy. I have done well with this for a couple years now. I tried saint johns wart and it made the skin on neck and arms red and sensative to the sun.

[MELISSAJ]

Great posts!!

[jano]

I've been on antidepressants for over 20 years due to chemical imbalance and they have been a God-send for me. I know they are not for everyone but I couldn't live without them. Initially I was on Prozac and then switched to Zoloft 14 years ago. I suppose it is different for everyone. I do agree that it is wrong when the doctors try to treat morgellons with the other drugs when that isn't the problem at all.

[beverlybdmd]

LinnySue,
You have noticed improvement with the medication that you take. You told your Doctor about this medicine that you are on, and that is why he did NOT say that these drugs were NOT indicated in MORGELLONS PATIENTS WHEN HE SPOKE TO YOU. Because he wanted you to feel GOOD about continuing to take the medicine that is helping YOU, and that works for YOU. Everyone is just a little bit different in what they need and what is the very best treatment for them. We are Not Cakes, and it takes more than a simple recipe, to make a good treatment. One size NEVER fits ALL...

[linnysue]

Oh my, bubba, I am so sorry if it was me who seemed defensive. I was trying to understand. I read Dr. H's recommendation in the article, so I was wondering why he didn't mention it to me when I told him I was on a particular antidepressant. Beverly answered the question. The list of meds was very informative, and I'm sorry if it was my fault you felt you had to remove it.