Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

anti-depressants and sleep-aides

The overwhelming news of HCV itself floors a person.   I find myself depressed already,  at times hopeless.    Would be worse except for a friend I made online here just recently.   My question is how important are anti-depressants to treatment survival?   What drugs are working best for people?  And when to start takeing anti-depression meds in order to be effective against depression in persons with HCV?

And what's working to help people sleep,  stop the mind from racing and get the rest so crucially needed to deal with fatigue.   Not yet on treatment and already experiencing sleepless, walk-around the house,  sit in the chair and worry like hell nights.
6 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
"I just yell at the newscasters on TV"

hahahahahaha!  I did that too.  Sitll do!

jd
Helpful - 0
717272 tn?1277590780
If you look back later I think you'll realize that you are anxious now rather than depressed, and why shouldn't you be?  A bit of that will stick with you until you start hopefully getting positive PCR results back.

About half the people who take interferon will develop some kind of mood disturbance, either depression or anger.  Which one you get depends on who you are, I think.  I started getting irritable after about 6 weeks.

I started celexa and it made me fat, anorgasmic and overly calm (I answered everything with "I don't know" or "I don't care").  Went off that one to wellbutrin, prescribed by an idiot because that is the wrong family of AD's for irritability.  It made me insomniac paranoid and enraged.  If you try one and it ruins your sleep, switch right away, it won't get better.  Xanax did the same.  I finally went back to a cousin of Celexa which was Lexipro.  Tried a full dose (10 mg) and it was okay, then started to worry that it was dragging down my platelets and went to a half dose (5 mgs) and it's working just fine.  I'm not sedated, annoying things still are a bit annoying, but do not enrage me...in other words I function perfectly normally on 5 mg. Lexapro.  It was a rough journey to find the right one but I am still married and still working without wanting to scream at everybody (I just yell at the newscasters on TV).

Sleep:  Be sure and take your ribivirin evening dose by 5 in the afternoon.  It can keep you awake if you take it at bedtime.  Basic guidelines allow up to 200 mgs of benedryl (sominex).  Start low and work up until it does the trick.

I also have a prescription for ambien, which works for me but I rarely take it unless I've been sleep deprived for a few days and want to catch up.  Ambien is the sleep aid that makes people drive to McDonalds and eat while they are asleep if they take it continuously for a long time.
Helpful - 0
682838 tn?1240604330


Leave a Note
Send Message
Add as Friend
stonewall611
Male
Member since Apr 2009
Mood: stonewall611 is ...

Hi, I would try to find a doctor that can talk to you so that you understand. This site is full of people who understand what you are going through. I thought that I could wait to treat my hep c and really was scared from watching a good friend of mine do treatment. I'm sure you have heard the stories of how difficult treatment is but if I could go back in time I would do it in a minute. I'm diabetic,obese,with high blood pressure and cirrhosis so I have to watch everything I do. The weight seems to be my biggest issue now because If I don't loose weight I can't get a liver transplant. I was worried about work and I had given up on diets and felt hopeless so I understand what you are going through. I take an anti-depressant and I believe that it helps. Acceptance of your disease is a good first step. Try to stay positive. Surround yourself with people that understand and get through 1 day at a time. I would treat the hep c as soon as possible. After you clear the virus you can live a long wonderful life. the longer you wait to treat the worse things can get. My doctors have told me that because of my other problems that I can't start treatment yet. Now I'm racing the clock hoping my liver doesn't quit on me before I can loose weight and try to either treat or transplant my liver. I also take a sleeping pill to help me sleep. With all of this stuff hitting you it is normal not to be able to sleep. Again find a doctor that cares enough to talk to you and who wants to help you get better. Also if you see more than 1 doctor keep all of them up to date with what the others are doing. It's like a team approach. They say 2 heads are better than 1 and have found in my case it works good. Sorry so long winded. Hang in there, there is hope. You can recover.
Helpful - 0
427265 tn?1444076436
I wanted to do without AD's but by week 12, I started coming unglued every day after work. I started on 20 mg Celexa and found that to be too much, but I tolerated 1/2 dose well. My mood swings have balanced out and my evenings are much better. Except for maybe a little more dry mouth issues, I've had no problems on the lower dose.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
For anxiety I take the occasional ativan (lorazepam).  Exercise helps a lot.  I did 48 weeks of treatment without ADs - but I did not have depression, just anxiety.  I was offered Effexor before I started tx, but decided to wait and see if I developed depression  I never did so I'm glad not to have to deal with the extra meds.

Best of luck!

jd
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You've got two separate issues (or maybe three) – HCV can cause psychological alterations, the treatment can cause them as well, and it sounds in your case that you're currently dealing with garden-variety anxiety based on receiving this alarming news. For the garden variety anxiety part, I'd get a few valiums (diazapam) from your doctor. Many folks like xanax, but it is addictive and it's a little easier to manage the valium.

Regarding the treatment – the interferon can effect the serotonin in the brain and cause depression. Many HCV patients take ADs to alleviate these symptoms. I took Celexa which seems quite popular. However, as you probably know, the ADs are not without their own side effects. In my case, the Celexa made me happier and less stressed, but I think it also added to my lethargy and mental fog, since these are side effects of that AD. Some people recommend going on an AD before you start treatment but I'm not so sure. There are many people who never experience these side effects.

I think most patients undergoing treatment find that their doctors become veritable drug pushers and are more than willing to prescribe sleeping aids and ADs.

If you do not currently do so, I strongly encourage you to develop a fairly intense regular exercise program as a way to relax and alleviate stress. It will make you much healthier and has no bad side effects. Also the better shape you are in, the better chances the treatment has of working. Once you start treatment, exercise is one of the most important ways to moderate side effects. It's good to have a routine in place before you start. That will make it easier to continue once you start treatment. I don't know where you live, but in the East the weather is perfect now for taking up jogging.

Good luck!


Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis C Community

Top Hepatitis Answerers
317787 tn?1473358451
DC
683231 tn?1467323017
Auburn, WA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Answer a few simple questions about your Hep C treatment journey.

Those who qualify may receive up to $100 for their time.
Explore More In Our Hep C Learning Center
image description
Learn about this treatable virus.
image description
Getting tested for this viral infection.
image description
3 key steps to getting on treatment.
image description
4 steps to getting on therapy.
image description
What you need to know about Hep C drugs.
image description
How the drugs might affect you.
image description
These tips may up your chances of a cure.
Popular Resources
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.