Guest guest Posted January 20, 2007 Report Share Posted January 20, 2007 Not sleeping well and fatigue are signs of depression. Also signs of low functioning thyroid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2007 Report Share Posted January 20, 2007 Hi Elinor, I too have been on the Effexor, same mg. for about a year now. My doctor just doubled that dose hoping it would help with the fatigue. But he also warned me it would interfer with sleep, which I have issues with anyway. So he put me on Lunesta 3 x's a week. Hoping all of this will help. Thanks, Teri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2007 Report Share Posted January 21, 2007 Hi Teri, If you haven't done so already, search the internet for depression. There are a lot of sites that have questionnaires that help you determine if you are deressed or not. The fatigue and lack of motivation to do things that you enjoy doing both point to depression. Depression has a lot of negative connotations attached to it. It's incredibly easy to think things like " If I just had enough discipline, will power, umph, etc, I could get up and do this or that. " Depression isn't a matter of will power. It is a chemical imbalance in the brain. In my case, it also involved a lot of beating myself up for the things that I knew I should do that I didn't have the umph to do. (My girls had cereal for supper a lot before I sought treatment!) So, the negative thinking had to be addressed as well. Just be open to the possibility. Don't let the negatives attached to the thought of depression keep you from possibly improving the quality of your life. Tonya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 HI Greg, I have depression and have had it most of my life. For me depression is actually then having CMT and the all the complications that come with it. I have been on three different antidepressants. They all work differently. I take Welbutrin right now and it seems to only take the edge off. You may need something stronger. Before I started antidepressants I had a wonderful therapist. This was 11 years ago and I still implement what she taught me at least a few times a week. When I was going through the therapy I didn't feel like I was getting much out of it. I think it takes a while for it to sink in. I fought the depression, I still fight it, it takes a lot of courage. I know you have courage Greg but it gets a lot easier if you have the right medication! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Hello, I rarely write but read all of your posts. You folks are great. The reason I am writing is to ask if anyone has gone through a severe depression and, if so, how did you fight it? I am currently going through a very tough stretch. I am 45 y/o and was diagnosed with CMT (X linked) 15 years ago. I am in constant pain, have little control over my bladder and bowels and impotence to top it all off. I am taking Wellbutrin, Vicodin, Darvocet and Ditropan. Am currently seeing a psychologist with no positive results. She suggests that I seek some sort of hospitalization but that isn't financially possible. There doesn't seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. I am so sorry, I'm sure you all can't cure what ails me but I just had to tell someone. Thanks for letting me vent. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Yes, Greg, at one point in my life I was majorily depressed, and on alot of medications too. For awhile I thought the meds were making me more depressed, so slowly I was weaned off them. Then I started to exercise and that exercise really made me start feeling good. Perhaps you might want to change to another professional. My psychiatrist not only got me off a ton of pills, helped turn my life around, and through the process of 'self - discovery' in cognitive therapy I sure learned alot. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel; it's just that you can't see it right now. That's what someone told me during a deep depression and I trusted that one day I would in fact be out of the tunnel in the light. I held onto that, and slowly made changes in my life and worked on my inner being. ~ Gretchen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Greg, I too have gone through some pretty deep depressions; wasn't sleeping for months on end, not eating, losing a lot of weight and just couldnt see the " forest for the trees " It doesn't help that you are always in pain and feel like you can't even control your body. I agree with Gretchen that you definately need a new therapist and maybe see that person more often until you start feeling a little better. I had found a new therapist that was more like a grandmotherly type who started to change my diet and added some herbal supplements and vitamins and oils and it seemed to help me and another friend I referred. Whatever it is that works for you, try it. What I am trying to say, that one day you will come out of this and you will again start feeling good again. Time is a terrible and a wonderful thing. I know what you are going through and everything seems like such drudgery. Try to find even little things that make you smile, even if just for a moment and hopefully those moments will start to last longer. I do wonder if maybe you are on too many medications and maybe a different " cocktail " would be better. I found that Wellbutrin was not as beneficial for me. There is a medication called Cymbalta which helps with depression and nerve pain, so maybe ask doctor about how that might work for you. Be your own advocate! Take care and feel free to email me off-list, if you just need to talk or vent. Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Greg, Listen to Gretchen. Slowly wean yourself off your meds, get into some exercise, a well-balanced diet and some good (chat) friends. It takes time, but you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. I felt I had to write, because I've been there too. In '99 you couldn't have convinced me I would have seen the year 2000 roll around, but here I am. It's been tough, but I take one day at a time. Take Care and hope to hear from you again soon. Gretchen, your the greatest!!!! Debbie from MO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Hi Greg - I am so sorry that you are depressed. I have been " clinically depressed " 2X in my life, and there is nothing worse than not feeling right mentally....nothing else really matters, and like Gretchen mentioned, people tell you that you are going to come out of it, but that is hard to comprehend when you are in the " hole " . I was given Paxil the first time and Zoloft the second. The meds did nothing for me and actually made me feel worse. I have heard that cognitive therapy works wonders, but I never tried it. Both of my episodes were brought on by the discontinuation of Vicodin and Neurontin. These drugs were working on my neurotransmitters and had changed the chemical balance in my brain. Once the " withdrawal " period was over, my depression passed...thank God. Not qualified to give medical advice, but you might do as Gretchen did, and try to wean yourself off of some of your drugs. I think they can sometimes do us more harm than good. A good friend of mine has suffered from depression off and on all of his life. He spent the last 5+ mos. on disability due to his severe depression. He was seeing a group of doctors here in Dallas called Minirth Meier. Minirth and Meier founded this group and now they have something in place called the Day Spring Christian Counseling Center in , Texas. They are non-profit and work on a sliding scale if you do not have insurance. If you are not in Texas, you might contact them and see if they could refer you to someone in your area. Their website is: www.dayspringcenter.com Hope you can get the help that you need to come out of the depression. My heart goes out to you. Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2007 Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 Hi Greg, First, if you decide to try to wean yourself off of the antidepressant, only do so under the direction of your physician. I've taken antidepressants for the past 9 years or so. Finding the right one to help me was a matter of trial and error. Some made my head feel like it was buzzing, others did nothing for me. I've tried paxil, prozac, celexa, lexapro, one that started with an e (effexor??). Keep working with your doctor to find what works for you (even if it's no meds...). Therapy also helped. I spent a lot of time beating myself up for all the things that I didn't do that I knew I should do, but just couldn't get moving. That cycle had to be broken for me to start feeling better about myself. Exercise as much as you're able to. I had one therapist tell me that an hour of exercise each day was as powerful as an antidepressant. The hard thing here is to get moving in the first place. Take care. Tonya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Hi Greg, Good advice from Gretchen! I am so sorry that you are going through what you are going through. Depression is so draining. I was in severe depression one time in my life almost 3 yrs. ago. I got to the point of feeling hopeless & helpless. I had to take leave from my job, because I simply wasn't able to function. It got so bad that I stayed in bed. It was terrible and it felt like I was drowning and couldn't get any air. I was placed on an anti- depressant (Lexapro) which got me through the rough part. But to tell you the honest truth... how I really got through it is that God breathed life back into me. I renewed my relationship with him and have been at peace every since. Whether you believe in God or not, find your peace in something you do believe in and hang on to it. I will keep you in my prayers and I hope you get to feeling better. Life is hard enough & to have a debilitating disease on top of it makes it harder. Keep your chin above the raging waters... you will Breath again!!!!!!!! Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Hi , Talking about what bothers you is the only way to make them go away. Please keep talking and asking questions. Have you tried any medication to help you with depression? Depression is as much physical as it is mental. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Roxanne, Wow can I relate to you!. I am also severely depressed and I have a 9 year old son. I am also addicted to pain meds and will probably go to rehab soon. Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Hi, I suffer with depression and I also have CMT ,I think my CMT makes me more depressed,I have an 8 yr old son also with if it wasn't for him I think by now I would of commited suicide each day is like waking up in " HELL " Roxanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 , Right now I am on Cymbalta. It is as much for the neurological pain as depression, but I may discuss a change with the psychiatrist if he has a better idea. I am looking to make positive changes right now, which includes opening up to express myself to whoever about whatever. Silence changes nothing. Thank you for your support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Dear ; Hi my name is Roxanne and I suffer with chronic depression since I was a child I am now 43 yrs old all they do is keep switching meds around and none seem to work my CMT really gets me down alot I don't go out of the apt to much as it is hard to walk as I have diabetes as well ,I take Dilaudid for pain which is 8 times stronger than Morphine but I feel its not working as well as it used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Dear Jen, Thank-you now I don't feel all alone as you I am also addicted to narcotic pain meds but I can't go to rehab, what will you do about your pain? Can you tell me what state you live in, I live in Canada. Mostly everyone from this group is from the States,I would really like to hear/meet someone from Canada with this awful thing called CMT. Roxanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Roxanne, You sound just like me. I have suffered from depression for years, and truely believe that CMT makes it worse ( just don't feel NORMAL) you know. My son is 23, and is severely affected with CMT and can barley walk. He has a 2 year old daughter and one on the way, and cannot hold a job, and his wife loves to make him feel like less of a man. He called me the other day crying, saying he wishes he could just end his life, because he feels so bad. I lost the love of my life a year and a half ago, and still cannot recover. I have thoughts of suicide quite often, but think of my little grandaughter. Your exactly right. Waking up in HELL! it's getting old. Contact me if you want and I will give you my home phone number. You can call me and talk anytime you'd like. Donna in Indy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Dear Donna: I am so sorry about your loss,please tell your son he is no less a man because he is not,it is not his fault he has CMT,I know from experience how he must feel but he has 2 children (almost) to think about ,I KNOW how hard life is and if it was not for my 8 yr old son im sure i would take my own life because I can't stand living like this any longer,im also a diabetic and a whole lot more of medical problems,maybe your son's woman needs to grow up and accept him for who he is on the inside as well,now a days people judge you from the cover and they think that's good enough but it is not,I wish you and your son all the best if you want to give me your phone# thats ok I do live in Canada where do you live? Roxanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Oh I feel bad for your son Roxanne.I know where he is coming from..he sure don't need someone beating him down...I have been there to many times....hope he can find help for himself...Good thing he can lean on you! Tell him not to give up. He must know their are people that love and care for him and you too...hang on to one another.I too get very depressed ..In my prayers. Geri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 Roxanne, My number is (317) 298-8366. I work 12 hour nights, so sleep most of my life away while I'm not working, but I will call you back or email if you leave message. I've been a single mother of 3 for 15 years now, and live in Indianapolis, Indiana, right down the street from the Indy 500. Donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2007 Report Share Posted April 23, 2007 Good Morning, I sent my e-mail before I got 3 this one. I had a lot of messages (which I luv) this morning. I know about the depression also. I take cymbalta for mine. Even so, when the depression takes over, nothing helps. I'm 48, if u don't mind what is your age? Fayray >From: <kyrik@...> >Reply- >RA < > >Subject: [ ] Depression >Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:30:39 -0600 > > I have > > realized that when I'm flaring, part of the flare is to feel > > depressed. My doc has said that flares can affect the central > > nervous system and make you feel blue. > >My first symptom - besides the years of feeling sick, of course - was >severe depression. Crushing, all-consuming. I'd been on Zoloft but have >epilepsy, too, and ending up having two almost deadly seizures. So much >for that drug. (This was before I knew I had RA.) > >But my new neurologist put me on a low dose of Lexapro. I didn't think >anything of it until I was in the middle of a flare from hell, had to >be on antibiotics for 18 days and it takes another 3 weeks or so to >get the Enbrel back up to speed. Before, when that happened, I had >'episodes', which meant I went into a depressive abyss and cried all >the time. Couldn't control it at all, unlike before RA when I had normal >situational depression and could jump start my way out of it. > >But this time, even though I had horrible pain and fatigue and some >tearing up when I watched the news, I didn't get so horribly depressed. >Honestly, I never thought anything could help the 'episodes', they >seemed so tied to the RA and so systemic that nothing could help. But >the Lexapro did. > >Just my two cents, maybe it can help someone else... > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ Exercise your brain! Try Flexicon. http://games.msn.com/en/flexicon/default.htm?icid=flexicon_hmemailtaglineapril07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2007 Report Share Posted April 23, 2007 It is VERY important to talk to your doctor about depression. It IS very common with many chronic illnesses. What worked for me was medication, regular exercise (when I was able) and talk therapy. Never ever ignore long standing symptoms of depression. Get help! Carol In a message dated 4/23/2007 12:10:12 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, kyrik@... writes: I have > realized that when I'm flaring, part of the flare is to feel > depressed. My doc has said that flares can affect the central > nervous system and make you feel blue. My first symptom - besides the years of feeling sick, of course - was severe depression. Crushing, all-consuming. I'd been on Zoloft but have epilepsy, too, and ending up having two almost deadly seizures. So much for that drug. (This was before I knew I had RA.) But my new neurologist put me on a low dose of Lexapro. I didn't think anything of it until I was in the middle of a flare from hell, had to be on antibiotics for 18 days and it takes another 3 weeks or so to get the Enbrel back up to speed. Before, when that happened, I had 'episodes', which meant I went into a depressive abyss and cried all the time. Couldn't control it at all, unlike before RA when I had normal situational depression and could jump start my way out of it. But this time, even though I had horrible pain and fatigue and some tearing up when I watched the news, I didn't get so horribly depressed. Honestly, I never thought anything could help the 'episodes', they seemed so tied to the RA and so systemic that nothing could help. But the Lexapro did. Just my two cents, maybe it can help someone else... ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2007 Report Share Posted April 23, 2007 I am on Prozac, but not sure if it's working anymore. I've tried several different meds. My doc put me on Wellbutrin that worked well, but with plan D, you only get what you can afford, which sucks. I see my GP Friday, and will talk with her. Would love to try Cymbalta, but again, plan D:( I'm glad your med is helping you, Tawny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Hi everyone...I must say..is so nice to find a site with so much info on CMT. I hate to admit it..I have been so depressed this past year.I was a busimess manager and a makeup artist for Clinique.I enjoyed making people feel beautiful about themself. I miss working and miss being needed.I miss the independent of being a simgle mother of three and handle things on my own.Now with SSI income and child support..I barely making end meet.I try going back to work but with my experience ..I have to stand and work with my hands...I'm 35 and I do feel my life is over...is hard for me to shared this with u.I grew up being stronge and at the moment I don;t feel so stronge...How do u deal with it?any advice is greatly appreciated... Nuwee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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