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Thread: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

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    God/dess
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    Default antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    I am not depressed. My doctor wants to try me on Paxil or Zoloft for my IBS symptoms because nothings really helping (i go for months at a time reasonably ok and can control my symptoms, but then I have times when life is just pain). They are supposed to work well as anti-spasmodics and apparently help the mind-gut dysfunction (plus IBS has been linked to anxiety, but that's not what causes it).

    I am desperate right now. I keep missing work because I fear I am going to be sick. Last night at work it was dead and I didn't feel so hot, so I thought "ok, get like two more dances and go home". So the next guy I ask turns out to be a winning lottery ticket of a customer. He just keeps getting dances, and he's very polite and nice...but after 90min I am dying of gut pain! I was in such discomfort, but I didn't know what to say to get away. I said "I have to go to the bathroom" at one point, and he just waited. I said "I have to see if I'm on stage", and he waited. It was just so ironic because he made my night but in the end I just had to say "my driver's coming soon, I have to go-" and stopped him short. I felt so bitchy and ungrateful. It's happened before too and it's the worst feeling.

    Sorry about the pity-party rant> trying to illustrate how 'end-of-my-rope' I feel. This has been going on for a year almost. Though I still am kinda spooked about going down the pill road. For anyone who has experience with anti-depressants, how bad can they potentially be? I've heard of side effects. I don't know.

  2. #2
    Miss. Kristina Lee
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    ativan works wonders for ibs becuase it is for anxiety. i say try a low dose of that before you go try antidepressents.

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    God/dess fancygirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    it's worth a shot. just let your friends know that if you start turning into a zombie or start exhibiting effects that would bother your non-pillified self to take you off of them. Sorry babe. there's got to be something out there to help you *hugs*

  4. #4
    madmaxine
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    Have you tried Saint John's Wort? It's cheap, widely available & the only side effect I had was sun sensitivity....There's also same-E. I advise against Paxil because it has heinous side effects, like bloating.

    There are some natural treatments for stomach troubles, like peppermint candy & tea, ginger root, chamomile....Keep trying. I'm not familiar with Chinese & Ayurvedic medicine, but any natural treatment is better than trying to fix a GI problem with antidepressants....Good luck and hope you feel better. (((Hugs))))

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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    I do take peppermint oil capsules, and drink fennel tea (both of which usually help enormously). But sometimes they are not quite enough. However I've also heard that hypnotherapy is supposedly very effective, and I actually made an appointment next week for a session. Can't hurt (?) I don't think. Thanks for the advice so far!

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    Featured Member tampadancer's Avatar
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    As a sufferer of IBD (ulcerative colitis) and an antidepressant user, I have to say that it's worth a try. Generally, it is the "mind-gut" connection that starts an episode. If you've got a good diet (void of any trigger foods like dairy and orange juice), and you take care of yourself, chances are that your stress/anxiety/nerves/sadness is what is causing your symptoms to act up.

    I cannot tell you how many times I went home from work in excruciating pain, or skipped work altogether because I felt bloated and ugly. When the syndrome, or in my case, disease is active, it can run your life (and make for a pretty lonely one too).

    I started on Wellbutrin in early April. I was depressed, but my doctor prescribed wellbutrin because I had IBD. They are in the process of marketing wellbutrin FOR IBS and IBD. The past few months have been an emotional roller coaster for me, but the wellbutrin helped take the edge off and kept my colitis at bay.

    If I were you, I would do some research on the different medications out there. Arm yourself with information, and make a decision based on that. I think it may be a good option for you If you have any questions, PM me

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    Senior Member BlindGroping's Avatar
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    Quote Originally Posted by madmaxine
    Have you tried Saint John's Wort? It's cheap, widely available & the only side effect I had was sun sensitivity....There's also same-E. I advise against Paxil because it has heinous side effects, like bloating.

    There are some natural treatments for stomach troubles, like peppermint candy & tea, ginger root, chamomile....Keep trying. I'm not familiar with Chinese & Ayurvedic medicine, but any natural treatment is better than trying to fix a GI problem with antidepressants....Good luck and hope you feel better. (((Hugs))))

    Don't take St. John's Wort and expect The Pill to work. St. John's seems to nullify it.
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  8. #8
    Cally
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    Okay... from my experiance when I was on and off anti depressents Zoloft was the way better one. Paxil made me feel robotic, Zoloft really just made me have a 'smoother' life. So since you dont want the robotic feeling I would ask to try Zoloft first. Thats just in my experiance.

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    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    You've done an elimination diet, right?

    I tried Zoloft when I was a teeneager- it was like crack. It acted as an upper on me, but not in a good way.

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  10. #10
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    Paxil is POISON. I was on it for a week for panic attacks when I was 19, and decided I'd rather have panic attacks than take that shit. I would avoid it if you can.

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    Senior Member HoneyHITZmore's Avatar
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    ask your doctor about the studies on Melatonin for IBS--- i'll try to find the study i had... good results.
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    I don't know if it's related but i used to have a lot of stomach problems and after I went on prozac for a while they completely went away and have not returned. I also quit drinking milk so that could be what changed. I'm not sure. But hey, it's worth a try.

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    Featured Member tampadancer's Avatar
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    milk is so bad for you - the dairy industry doesn't want us to know that though. I think anybody who eliminates it from their diet will notice an improvement in the way they feel

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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    I would NOT recommend anti-depressants. I took them (started on them about 6 mos after I quit dancing the last time) and I gained about 30lbs!! A lot of anti-depressants will trigger weight gain. Be very careful!

    If you're havign IBS probs, I personally would recommend trying Kombucha Tea. I drink it regulary and swear by it.....its done wonders for my irregularity, mood, PMS symptoms, just to name a few. I got my culture from a friend who specifically started using it for HER IBS.

    Kombucha is basically a probiotic culture -- a collection of good bacteria. You can go in and google "Kombucha" and get a wealth of info. I would suggest natural remedies before putting any processed chemicals in your body -- they always come with side-effects.

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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    Thanks again...I'm going to keep doing research...Dietary restrictions do help, but there is only so much a person can restrict, and some days my stomach will bloat for no apparent reason (I'm already not supposed to eat high fat anything, dairy, high sugar, wheat, high amounts of insoluble fibre- which means I can't eat a salad on an empty stomach, red meat, citrus juices, carbonated beverages, caffeine, alcohol, spicy food, ice cold beverages...).

    I have found the herbal supplements help symptoms, but don't eliminate the problem. Maybe I'll ask about wellbutrin...I'll look into it. I was already unsure of paxil because a friend of mine very nearly managed to kill herself after she was put on it, and then wound up in the psych ward of a hospital for two months (she never attempted suicide before the paxil- it was spooky stuff). I don't want to gain weight either, obviously, but I wan't to well dammit! Probiotics haven't done much for me either. The problem is, it's a functional problem- a syndrome that doesn't have any real physical root. I'll keep looking.

    And I agree Tampa- if I am depressed, it's because being sick and alone all the time is damn depressing.

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    Featured Member tampadancer's Avatar
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    I know how you feel. One more thing about wellbutrin - it doesn't make you gain weight, most people actually LOSE on it. I'm not trying to be a pill pusher, but it has really helped me.

  17. #17
    madmaxine
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    Uh, molly, has endometriosis been ruled out...? Many women mistake endo for IBS, as I did. The hormone fluctuations & adhesions in the pelvic area cause gastrointestinal symptoms a lot like you are describing, plus malaise & unhappiness.
    Not exactly fun to consider, but it might point you in a better direction for treatment.......

  18. #18
    DJ Maimed
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    I just got proscribed Cymbalta and haven't taken it yet. Something about increasing "suicidal thoughts" as a possible side effect for an anti-depressant just doesn't jive with me. I got proscribed this cause of the possible pain relief for my spinal injury but my life has been hell enough without maybe "increasing suicidal thoughts". I hope the BEST for ya, getting out to the Star Bar and seeing some friends and some bands I think did me more good than any of the meds. Pain and isolation sucks more than anything, pain and seeing friends was definitely an improvement. If I dive in and try this stuff I'll let ya know about it!!

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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    How about " Iridology" ?
    it is method that can read from your eye - iris on what's going on in your metabolism.
    try to find some one who does it in your area.
    i would definately skip antidepressants.
    mm

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    Veteran Member ChloeTheRed's Avatar
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    Antidepressants aren't necessarily a bad route, but given the possible side effects and the difficulty of getting off of them (trying to go off Zoloft is torture for most people), it's more of a last resort. Zoloft was prescribed for me primarily as an anxiolytic, with its antidepressant effects being a nice side effect; it has decreased my sex drive slightly, and missing more than a couple days can be unpleasant. Still, it's been far more good than bad.
    I have noticed that when I'm more stressed, my digestive tract will either seize up entirely or proceed to attempt to empty itself of everything; while the IBS may not be directly caused by the stress, the stress it is causing you may be serving to reinforce your gut's "bad habits" and make everything worse. Antidepressants may be an option worth considering, but you're the only one who can decide if it's worth the potential risks.

    My mom had celiac sprue and ulcerative colitis so bad they thought she had Krohn's for a while; while accupuncture by no means cured it, it seemed to help boost the effects of her medication. One of my friend who has IBS went strict vegan, which helped control it fairly well, though she still has to be very careful about her fiber intake and the balance of soluble to insoluble fiber to keep her gut from getting pissed at her.

    Best of luck; IBS is such a hard thing to deal with.

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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    One thing to keep in mind is that antidepressants not only work differently for children and adults, they also work differently for those 18-25 and those over 25. I don't remember why this is but I've talked about it with my doctor when I was shocked that all of a sudden pills that did nothing for me when I was 22 worked wonders at 28. But hey, it's worth a shot. Being on one certainly helped my gut -- I was right there with you and oh, god, it sucks.

    I would also be interested in hearing if hypnotherapy, acupuncture, or homeopathy helped anyone out here. One of my doctors swore by acupuncture for treating IBS.

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    Senior Member ReleaseTheBats's Avatar
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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    I had clinical depression in highschool and paxil made me have suicidal tendencies like I never had before. I'd try an anti anxiety like valium, xanax, or antivan at a low dosage as suggested.

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    Default Re: antidepressants for the non-depressed?

    Well I had my first hypnotherapy session yesterday. It's too early to tell, but it's strange stuff. Not in a bad way though. It was very relaxing...I'll see how it goes. The therapist said that it would affect me without me realizing it- that I would realize a few days later I am not feeling sick anymore. I dunno. I'll have to see...

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