I am extremely depressed. Family doc started me on Cymbalta Oct 3. After one month of bad side effects, he changed it to Lexapro. I continue to be extremely depressed. I have another doctor's appointment next week. What other anti-depressant can I suggest that would be best for a person with a pouch???????? Or even without the J-Pouch; what is good???

Anti depression meds are very individual. I went through 4 or 5 before I found one that worked well for me. The only pouch concern is that it is not time released, or that it releases in the blood and not the gut. Some of these take 6 weeks to come to full effect, so you have to give them time to work. Alot medical professionals recommend seeing a mental health professional instead of a general practioner for depression issues. They know those drugs better. Good luck.

Peggy, I am in the same boat as your. I am on Paxil though. I am planning on asking the doctor to switch me to something else the first of the year when I call to schedule my fistula repair.

Good luck!

As you have already heard, there are lots and lots of different drugs for depression. I take Lexapro [ 10 mgs per day ] and have gotten pretty good results. I think I have some abnormal dreaming - a listed side-effect.

While being treated for depression it is good to see a counselor to monitor your situation.
If you can find someone, once a week or once every two weeks would suffice. A LCSW [ licensed clinical social worker ] works for me.

Good luck and Happy New Year.

Bodoni,

I did call for a talk therpist and plan to start after the first of the year. My doctor's office called and increased my Lexapro from 10 mg to 15 mg.

I have a lot of dreams since I've been on Lexapro - but the dreams are fine.

How long did it take before you noticed improvement with lexapro?

Big D - keep us posted on your condition!

Peggy,

I started out taking 2.5 mg per day, then 5,
then 7.5 and now 10mgs. So it was a very gradual thing. I guess 6 or 8 weeks til I saw results. You may need 15 to 20 mgs per day. I am a bit older, and they usually give us folks just 10 mgs. per day.

I take Celexa 20 mg.. I dont know how much it helps me... lol I started taking it in the hosp. befor my emergency surgery. I was told it is one of the AD that has the least side affects. If this is what is making me deal with the colectomy so well then bring it on.

I am one of the older ones. I am 54. Maybe when I see the doc he'll want to increase my Lexapro to 20 mg beings I'm already taking 15 mg. daily.

My biggest complaint is.... NO energy. I just drag through the day; very depressed. Part of it could be my life change of having to quit my physical therapy job due to this J-Pouch combined with Epstein Barr Virus. My last day of work was October 5. The depression started in August or earlier and continued to get worse. It's probably a shock to my body not getting up to go to work.

DonnaT - you are so new to all of this. My daugter takes Celexa and is doing fine with it. I read that Lexapro uses an ingredient from Celexa.

The lack of energy could be a symptom of the depression itself, or it could be a side effect of the medication you're currently on. There are several options you could discuss with your doctor. Two antidepressants, Wellbutrin and Effexor, have mild stimulant properties that help some people overcome the loss of energy.

Michelle,

That was my big question; is the lack of energy due to the depression or from the medication or both?

I just talked to Holly and she had several suggestions but one for sure was to get back on the Effexor and off the Lexapro beings I know that Effexor worked for me before.

I have a doctor's appointment Jan 2 regarding my depression... so you are saying Effexor AND Wellbutrin?

If the Effexor worked for you before, your doctor will likely try that one first. It works a bit differently from the Wellbutrin, which can sometimes give people the side effect of feeling a bit agitated or jittery. Normally they're not prescribed in conjunction with one another since they both have stimulant properties to them.

Hi Peggy, I'm new, but we are around the same age, your post made me want to respond. This past January I was headed for reconnection which failed, but developed an abdominal fistula, which gave me infections, which led me into a colectomy and successful fistual repair.
This January I head for a j-Pouch. I could not return to work as I was out for 6 months, and was hospitalized too often and just too sick.
I was devastated, no matter what I did I could not get back my health and return to work. I loved working and have worked all my life, I feel so left behind from the pack, from the world, still kinda do. If I had been part of an Indian tribe, they would have left me to die last winter!
I interacted with hundreds of people in a day on my job, to no interaction, home all day sick or healing with no one else who's home at my age. Friends and family were busy working, and all, including me, got sick of my health conversations and continual health issues. Talk about darkness.
So I finally followed through on what you said you would do after the new year, and called a therapist. I see him every week in preparing for J-pouch surgery, anger and sadness issues, you name it. And the one thing he told me was to come very week and discuss these matters with him, and when I'm with family and friends to just enjoy myself. Well, that has revolutionized me and the dynamics of my relations. Now that I have somewhere to take these matters, I can enjoy the people I love much more, and not burden them with my issues. It has strengthened me. Along with medication considerations, I strongly urge you make that call. Vicky

Vicky,

So sorry to hear that you have to go through so much. Thank you for your response regarding my situation.

Are you not on any depression meds?

Hi Peggy,
Right now I'm not. I did take celexa for about 6 months, it did seem to help. I was put on remiron during a long hospital stay, but fell away from taking it. However, I really do need to consider making a commitment to begin medication again. I've finally accepted blood pressure pills as a regiment, and I take a prescription vitamin, Vitaplex plus Amp. I'm pain-free and managing comfortably with a temp ileo that has served me well, and seeing a therapist gave me somewhere to unload. Headed for j-pouch surgery and the unknown is giving me high anxiety, that appears to be overriding the depression. All the more reason to look into medication, thanks for responding to me. Vicky

Peggy,

I take 150mgs of Zoloft per day and have for many years because of deppression and anxity issues.
I also had very low energy and when I was dx with Low-T levels and started male horomone treatment for the Low-T and it has also helped with the energy. Being female I wouldn't think for you it was Low-T but low female levels. You should have that checked out also. As we get older both men and women our body goes through changes, not to mention going through major changes from surgery.