What's the deal with depression?

• By IreneMarie
• Posted February 8, 2010 at 8:07 pm
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Welbutrin alone is not adequate for Sarc depression sometimes. How does your doc keep treating you with this if it has not been working for so long? Any psych med that doesn't help after three mos of bumping the dose is the wrong drug. Get a new doc !
Even a PCP could do better. Neither you nor your family deserve to be living with this anchor. Toss it and start enjoying life again. We can be sick and even in pain, but we can still be happy.

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• By idgitbaby
• Posted February 8, 2010 at 9:10 pm
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I asked just about the same question regarding keeping or making friends about a week ago. I also live in a very small town andI find it very difficult since I can never be depended on to be able to do what was planned on. It seems to me that the depression with sarc is different and hard to treat. I would however talk to the doctor or find another that will try until it is treated appropriately. Is there a hospital near you that might look into starting a support group?

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• By thatsryt
• Posted February 9, 2010 at 2:29 pm
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Yes the depression totally sucks. I too wanted to start a support group and then wham!!!! lack of energy and focus curbed the idea. I used ti have a lot of friends. Not anymore. Years ago Prior to sarc dx I suffered from Panic/Anxiety problems. This caused some depression for me. I took Paxil, Effexor, zoloft and even tried wellbutrin and various times. I took the paxil for almost 2 years. Even after dx with sarc and the depression it brought on, I wont ever take the stuff again. I turned me into a zombie!!!! It felt was worse than the panic, anxiety and depression. Not to mention the withdraw symptoms. They were a living nightmare!!!!! I am not saying not to take something else. Everybody is different and for me I chose to not take them anymore. My friends (former) just couldn't understand what I am going through. Many of them looked at me and saw a healthy looking guy that always complained of problems or thought I made excuses as to why I did not go out with them. Aside from my wife and kids my family doesn't even understand. My dad called me yesterday out of the blue. I recently complained that I thought my job was in jeopardy so he called me to give me some advice. His advice was to buck up and be man. Go the extra mile at work to show my employer how good I am. Stay late son!!! Not once did he take into account how I feel and what I go through everyday. Sorry I am rambling. Depression, yeah....it sucks.

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• By ilikepotatoes
• Posted February 9, 2010 at 3:18 pm
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Digital friends may be just that... BUT we understand what you are going through! I have also tried wellbutrin (realize I probably spelled that wrong), and I've tried other things as well. Now I take Celexa and it really seems to help. It's hard to get out the rut I know. A little thing that helps me is to make myself realize what I have instead of what I don't have.

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• By stevieb
• Posted February 9, 2010 at 5:45 pm
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Thanks for the comments, it helps. I started out on celexa and graduated to wellbutrin, but hellooo... it simply doesn't work. I can look at myself, like third party, and say, what an a$$h*le, what's the matter with that guy? It's almost an out of body experience...the disease itself is so surreal...you wonder if it's really your life. Thing is...I look 110 percent, appear very healthy, I can run for miles and miles at the gym on a treadmill. That kills the disease credibility right there in it's tracks. I've worked SO hard to be able to run, and hike and climb anything, to spite this disease. So, I'm making do (or is it due) with the physical aspect of the sarc, but oh man, the mental part is like doing a concrete face-plant.
I feel like a puppet on strings, totally out of control of my manic-depressive emotions.
I've moved on to an anti-inflammatory diet, so I can't even resort to comfort foods. I eat nothing that will trigger an immune response, (at least that's the theory, and the visible lymph node swelling has reduced 50% in two months, so I'm gonna keep it up.)
I listen to music to cope, and it seems to be somewhat effective as well. Really. I find certain stuff, from classical, metal, techno, trance, numetal, country, gabber, pop, hip hop, folk, native american to dirty souf rap, you name it...I listen to it and try to use it to heal. It's the only real companionship I've got some days. Sounds strange as I look back over it...ah what the heck, if anyone might understand it would be you.
Thanks for being there. Steve

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• By LeslieSez
• Posted February 11, 2010 at 5:47 am
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Have been taking Cymbalta and what can I say? IT WORKS! Have read several posts, some back a year ago about the same results. How I read it to be, the internet is saying depression is a *physical* condition. When our body is fighting so hard like with sarc, its *over* producing...thus causing our bodies to be very busy, we get so drained!! No energy. Aches. Pains. Its like our bodies are a punching bag inside. When it becomes too much...these cells then start clumping together from the overproduction. There are two chemicals in our brain: norpinephrine and seratonin and Cymbalta is a re-uptake inhibitor. We need the increased seratonin and norpinephrine to help our bodies fight. I took Cymbalta for a while before I noticed the good results. I did get dizzy from it...but I know its a double edge sword and I didnt care anymore, I needed relief. I got it!!! It has helped the depression, decreased pain...and I am starting to feel normal again. Does this coinside with maybe.....just maybe I am burning out this disease process? I never give up hope...ever. I am right at the two year mark from what I can figure was *onset* of sarc. Pharmaceutical companies can not reproduce these two chemicals in the lab. So...we found a way to increase these chemicals in our own systems so we can fight. So far it has made good sense to me. Thank goodness cuz so much doesnt with sarc. Am I just in a ...remission? Dunno. But I will take it for now cuz the last two years I have felt so crappy!!! I actually have stopped taking my pain meds except one at night before I go to bed.
Amazing so far. Please God...let this work for me and others so we can find relief and where we put our life before sarc!~ ~Leslie Charlotte, NC ~

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• By Landeleah
• Posted February 11, 2010 at 11:07 am
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I take nothing. I walk. Just remember if you go for a very long walk you have to return home. and always take the cell phone just in case you need to call for someone to come and get you . I walk and cry and laugh at myself.
Then I thank G-d for all the blessing that i have.I am not in the hospital.I have many friends.Helping other who can no longer do the things that i am able to do.We can understand their frustration be it from a child or and elder.these are the things that help me. When I was on a large amount of meds. I though of the people who have to take 400 pill a day or more just to breath and said Thank you lord I don have that.So I took my few pills and smiled. We have sarcord. this is a fact yet we do not have so many other things that can be worse. G-d Bless Smile and do all that you can to make your life easier. Give as many hugs as you can and get as many kisses as possible. We all need to be touched. Tomorrow will be a new day and different make it special . If only by walking.

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• By jocamin
• Posted February 13, 2010 at 10:59 am
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Well despite being so depressed, thatsryt, your "picture" animation has certainly given my mood a lift! Thank you for that! And if any of you can afford the purchase price - I've found having a mini trampoline (or rebounder) in the corner of my room helps raise my spirits as I raise my body in very tiny "health bounces" for a minute or two throughout the day. Also, visiting The Gardeners wonderful cartoons always brings a smile. Hope you all find something that works for you.

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