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Can Remicade Cause Depression and Mood Swings
My husband takes Remicade for Crohn's Disease. He has severe mood swings after taking Remicade and then high and lows that resemble Depression. Are there any reported cases of this happening with anyone else?
My husband also takes Remicade for Crohn's Disease and also has severe mood swings with highs and lows that resemble depression. I was searching on the internet to see if this could be caused by Remicade. He is usually an upbeat, easy going person. I feel there has to be some relationship to taking the Remicade.
I was just researching the same thing. My 16 year old son was diagnosed with Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis a year ago (September 2010). Over the past 6 months, I've notice a big change in his behavior. He's depressed, aggressive, lethargic, and frustrated. He lacks motivation and feels hopeless. He goes from being pleasant to screaming at the top of his lungs and telling me that he doesn't care about life. It's not that he's suicidal. He just said that he doesn't feel like trying. He just wants life to happen however it's suppose to happen without working to change the outcome for the better. He has no dreams or goals anymore. He feels like his childhood has been taken from him and he said that although he's more happy than sad, there's still more unhappiness in his life than he'd like. It breaks my heart. He's an honor roll student and isn't hanging out with "the wrong crowd". I really believe his medicine is changing him. I don't recognize him anymore. He use to be so happy go lucky.
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Breneh - very similar story with my son who's been on Remicade for about 3 years. We stopped taking it about a month ago and I've noticed my "old" son returning. It suddenly occurred to me that maybe the 2 were related, and seeing this on-line chat has confirmed that in my mind.
@jacquieCA what medicine did you switch too?
I know this is an old comment, but I’m glad your son seemed to be returning to his old self. I hope everything is well with him now. I’ve been on Remicade for 8 years for Crohns too and have experienced a few episodes of depression and was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. I know it’s definitely brought on by living with a chronic autoimmune disorder, but I also experience those highs and lows and I hate it. Currently experiencing it now. I wanted to ask, what medication did your son switch to?
I know this is an old comment, but I’m glad your son seemed to be returning to his old self. I’ve been on Remicade for 8 years for Crohns and have experienced depression and was diagnosed with a anxiety disorder. I know it’s definitely brought on by living with a chronic autoimmune disease, but I also experience those highs and lows and I hate it. Currently experiencing it now. I wanted to ask, what medication did your son switch to?
My wife has been taking Remicade for Crohn's Disease for 5 months now and, like all of you, I have noticed a drastic change in her behaviour over the past 3 months. She's become extremely impulsive, aggressive, distant and detached. I've researched the side effects of using Remicade and hadn't come across a correlation until I came across this forum. Our marriage seems to be unravelling before my eyes and her strange behaviour is affecting our 2 yr old son. One odd specific trait of her behaviour is that she seems to want to retrieve and hold on to past issues in her (and our) life that have long since been resolved (no, this behaviour is not exclusive to our relationship; work issues, past friendships, her immediate family all are fair game). She just wants to run away from everything, even things that are non-issues in actuality. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
I have had 3 infusions of Remicade for RA and i have noticed extreme depression since i started it. I am usually a happy person so this was new to me. I have been in the ER 3 times and a metal institute. It is being investigated by my doctor weather or not it's the Remicade. I am no longer taking remicade
Was the ER for mood Swings? and were you depressed while on remicade? How has your mood been since you have stopped remicade? Hope 2012 is better for everyone!!
I became severely depressed about 3 months after starting Remicade. And terrible fatigue too. I have had some mild depression before, but nothing like this. I manage to get to work most of the time, but if I am off I will usually stay in bed all day. I don't bathe very often, can't get motivated to clean, and have stopped doing the fun things I used to do - social life, dance and language classes, photography, working out, etc. Now I would rather stay in bed and watch Law and Order reruns all day. I am on bupropion with some improvement. Was on citalopram, didn't help much, too many side effects. Tried Effexor twice - got so dizzy that I couldn't get out of bed at all. I think I have mood swings and over react to almost everything. I have UC and am on a pretty high dose, thinking of seeing if my GI will decrease the dose and see if this helps.
My 13 year old daugher was diagnosed with Juvenille Rheumatoid Arthritis and Uveitis (inflammation of the Iris) at age 2 and 4, repectively. She is on methotrextate and has been on Remicade for 4 years now to help control both. I never had a problem until last year. My daughter has also gone through a big change. She's full of anxiety, especially at bedtime. She also has mood swings. She is also having trouble falling asleep at night. She is very restless and it can take her up to 2 hours to finally fall asleep. She is extremely exhausted the next day and it is always an effort to get her up in the morning. She too lacks motivation and seems to have lost her focus in school and the desire to do well in school. She was an honor student but due to falling grades was taken out. She never had sleep issues, as she's always been my best sleeper and slept without a nightlight and the door closed. She never had a problem before with schoolwork and her personality was always pleasant. Now she flies off the handle very easily. It is very stressful being around her because you don't know what mood she will be in. I am convinced the changes in her are from Remicade but I haven't found anything online that confirms these side effects. Is your son still on Remicade and is he doing better?
I just had my first remicaide treatment and i seem to be screaming alot at the people i care most about. I feel over whelmed for no reason and little things seem to set me off the only thing that hepls is my anxiety med. i hope this does not last long please let me know how thing are going for your family.
I can totally relate to what your going through. My husband started remicade April of this year for his crohns. Before the remicade he was a totally different person. He has terrible mood swings and depression. He is obsessed with relationships from his past and doesnt seem to care about how i feel. He is making decisions that are not totally thought through. Its taking a big toll on our marriage and we have only been married for two years. Im not sure what to do anymore.
I was doing well mentally and emotionally for more than 5 years after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (although at the time I was coping with all the pain, cramping, etc). In spite of the frequent BMs and daily pain, I was able to complete a challenging masters degree and exercised vigorously for an hour almost every day.
After starting Remicade, I lost all my motivation. Most days I could barely make it to work, and I even went on short term disability for awhile. I thought it was depression and saw a couple of pyschiatrists. The antidepressants didn't help much. I had trouble concentrating. After work I went home and straight home to bed. I quit having a social life. I didn't care that I didn't have a social life. Some weekends I didn't even leave my bedroom. I quit taking care of my yard and my home and my kids (17 and 23) had to take care of me. I have had some mild depression that lasted a week or 2 in the past, but nothing like this! I don't feel sad or cry or feel suicidal or anything like that.
It has now been 13 weeks since my last infusion and I feel quite a bit better. I started taking low dose naltrexone prior to stopping Remicade. I work for a pharmaceutical and I urge anyone who has these type of symptoms to report it to the company that makes Remicade or to the FDA. Drug companies have to report side effects to the FDA and track all the problems that are reported to them.
I have regular blood work to check for drug induced lupus, which Remicade can cause, and so far that is negative.
After starting Remicade, I lost all my motivation. Most days I could barely make it to work, and I even went on short term disability for awhile. I thought it was depression and saw a couple of pyschiatrists. The antidepressants didn't help much. I had trouble concentrating. After work I went home and straight home to bed. I quit having a social life. I didn't care that I didn't have a social life. Some weekends I didn't even leave my bedroom. I quit taking care of my yard and my home and my kids (17 and 23) had to take care of me. I have had some mild depression that lasted a week or 2 in the past, but nothing like this! I don't feel sad or cry or feel suicidal or anything like that.
It has now been 13 weeks since my last infusion and I feel quite a bit better. I started taking low dose naltrexone prior to stopping Remicade. I work for a pharmaceutical and I urge anyone who has these type of symptoms to report it to the company that makes Remicade or to the FDA. Drug companies have to report side effects to the FDA and track all the problems that are reported to them.
I have regular blood work to check for drug induced lupus, which Remicade can cause, and so far that is negative.
My partner has just initiated Remicade therapy and I have noticed after the first two doses that he is aggressive, distant, and 2-3 times more than the prednisone "blues" that I've gotten accustomed too. He is usually strong willed and positive but now just the oppisite. He is taking it for his U.C. and I am finding it hard to tolerate him sometimes, I love him sooo much. He stood by me during chemo and I will with him. I understand what you guys are going through. Please advise if you can...
I have been on remicade for almost a year. After every single injection, usually 6-10 hours after, I will have a sort of break-down. I have extreme rage, I cry uncontrollably and yes, I take it out on my loved ones. I always thought that this was a result of being on birth control AND remicade, but now I am not sure. I am not saying that I go through a long period of depression, but I definitely have "down days" where I don't talk to anyone and I'll just sit in my room in the dark. My boyfriend is extremely worried about me bringing up past wrongs of his. I get somewhat paranoid and very angry at every single thing he has done to upset me in the past. I accuse him of being disloyal and trying to humiliate me on purpose. I also have severe separation anxiety when he goes away for long periods of time. In addition to this, I have difficulty staying asleep every night. I wake up once every hour and feel exhausted during the week.
I AM FEELING MUCH OF WHAT EACH OF YOU ARE FEELING FROM THE REMICADE. MY WORST FEELING IS THE NERVOUSNESS AND ANXIETY IM ENDURING. SOMETIMES IT GETS TO THE POINT OF A PANIC ATTACK. I FEEL HOPELESS AND JUST LACK INTEREST IN SO MUCH OF LIFE. MY GRANDSON IS MY JOY AND I THANK GOD I HAVE HIM. HE MAKES ME REALIZE THERE IS HAPPINESS. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT AS THE REMICADE WEARS OFF MY SYMPTOMS START TO SUBSIDE.I EXPRESSED THIS TO MY DOCTOR BUT IT WENT UNHEARD.
I'm in tears reading all your posts because I can relate to all these stories of 'down time', depression, anger, ect. My husband started his infusions in April 2013 after his second surgery for crohns. I had spoke with the Dr. At one point about my husbands 'downs' afterwards and how I felt that he was having some depression. My husband passed it off as it wasn't that he was depressed it was just that he didn't really want to do anything..(DUH). So we went to see a counselor who flat out told me that people who live with disorders such as his can often feel a gap and have 'down' times. At this point iI'm starting to think I'm going crazy and there really wasn't anything wrong with him taking Remicade; that I was the problem. I started looking into my hormones thinking that maybe I was the one having the swings and that he was just fueling off of me having a bad day. Now I'm walking on eggshells afraid to even ask a question sometimes in fear of it starting another anger session. Tonight's battle started with a simple question that progressed to a broken chair and wall items being bounced off the wall as he left. I start running everything in my head together as far as his infusion on the seventh, him complaining the past two nights of his knees and joints hurting, and his mood the past few days. When I go back to our last arguement that lead me to buy a pack of Ciggs (I'm not a smoker but my needed it for my nerves) it was after his previous infusion. Each MAJOR even I can document leads to an infusion within two weeks before. The scary part is that the anger and swings are progressively getting worse. I'm at the point of being scared of him. I WILL be calling the Dr. first thing in the morning because after reading this page I know depression isn't the only major side affect to watch out for! I feel as though I should have seen this long before now. I do encourage ANYONE seeing signs of anger or aggression to please call the Dr. ASAP.
My sister who has suffered depression has completely gone off the planet since being put on infliximab. She is now in a mental health facility and thinks she is possessed by satan. The doctors say it is not related to the Remicade . I think it could be this as it happened after the first infusion ( within a couple of weeks) . She has tried to kill herself twice. She has never done this before.
I did speak with the prescribing gastroenterologist the next day. Keep in mind that everyone responds to medications differently, but after hearing my concerns and meeting with both of us, he agreed that the infusions were to be stopped IMMEDIATELY,- even skipping the upcoming infusion. We did discuss other medication options and decided Humira would be best for us. My husband hasn't started the Meds due to some complications with insurance and ect, so my husband has been off any Meds since his last infusion in January(?). I am proud to report that hubby is back to his old self again with some occasional joint pain. The mood swings did rapidly disappear, but the extreme joint pain is decreasing slowly. I will say that if you are noticing a major difference in your loved one speak up!!! As part of their support team, you may know them better than anyone else and be able to see when something isn't right before anyone else. In cases of depression and suicidal thoughts- contact the dr. IMMEDIATELY!!!! Due to HIPPA, the dr. can't speak of the patient to you without consent or being their guardian, but you can explain your observations and concerns to the dr.!! At the time all this was going on, hubby didn't see a problem besides the joint pain and was convinced I was overreacting. Looking back now; even he agrees the Remicade was not right for him. Hope this helps!
I have severe chronic plaque psoriasis and am starting my third year of remicade. I have noticed my mood swings going more and more to depression and just not caring anymore in the past few months. I have researched side effects but can't find anything contributing to my mental state. I just can't concentrate anymore. Recommended meditation isn't helping much. I am afraid to say to much to my doctor for fear of him taking me off remicade. It is what's keeping me alive. I'm not that concerned about dying, I just rather it not be anytime soon and my psoriasis will kill me.
Immunosuppression, as much as the biologics' makers claim to be targeted,
still leaves the patient vulnerable to its effects, some of which include survival of unregulated low grade underlying infectious conditions , causing all types of damage when activated by various factors
The cumulative biological stress (hidden) added to the stress experienced daily by the sufferers of such serious chronic conditions, is enough to cause significant adrenal/hormonal and other deficiencies and imbalances.
Meditation: It is not as simple to get into it when suffering with severe plaque psoriasis or other severe chronic conditions.
I suggest you do a search under "Brain Wave Generator" .
The free software program will help you get into a therapeutic meditative state.
Cheers!
Niko
still leaves the patient vulnerable to its effects, some of which include survival of unregulated low grade underlying infectious conditions , causing all types of damage when activated by various factors
The cumulative biological stress (hidden) added to the stress experienced daily by the sufferers of such serious chronic conditions, is enough to cause significant adrenal/hormonal and other deficiencies and imbalances.
Meditation: It is not as simple to get into it when suffering with severe plaque psoriasis or other severe chronic conditions.
I suggest you do a search under "Brain Wave Generator" .
The free software program will help you get into a therapeutic meditative state.
Cheers!
Niko
My father was on remicade for arthritis, none of the doctors warned us about depression being a side effect. And the mood swings, please let your doctor know about your depression/mood swings. My father was on Remicade for probably about 6-7 months and in July of this year he took his own life. Please do not ignore the symptoms.
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