antidepressants

Anonymous

antidepressants

Anonymous

I have been takine zoloft and valium for years for anxiety and depression.  Lately I haven't been feeling well and my blood pressure started to go up at different times. My doctor says it might be time to change antidepressant and/or anxiety medication because she thinks it is anxiety and I don't need high blood pressure med. because its not consistantly high. She suggested Wellbutrin or Lexapro. I tried Wellbutrin once and instead of losing weight I gained weight and it didn't do anything for depression.  But that was so many years ago before b/c,mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, hysterectomy,lymphedema, menopause, empty nest syndrome, etc. Maybe it would work this time. ( You would think after all that I wouldnt need anxiety meds) I have always gone back to Zoloft and valium because they had the least side effects.  Im 50 and don't want to have to start over with a lot of side effects.  Did any of you start different meds after b/c that have helped you?  thanks for any info.

Anonymous

I tried neurontin, paxil, and wellbutrin, for nerve pain as well as depression. The SEs were wierd with neurontin, like being dizzy and having a buzzing in my head. The wellbutrin was pretty good, with only one major SE, but that was even less sex drive. (NOOOOO!) So, now I'm on cymbalta. Seems to be the best of the lot for me. Good luck to you and hope you and your doc can work this out.

TenderIsOurMight

I'm not sure I quite follow the link between anxiety and high blood pressure. Do anxious people have higher blood pressures? I don't know the answer. Do non anxious people develop high blood pressure. Yes, and family history of blood pressure weights in too, as does weight and sedentary life style.



It's an important point, I think, because doctors are increasing paying attention to blood pressure which is slightly elevated (above 130 to 135 /80 to 85). This kind of low high blood pressure is often obtained at the grocery store if you sit, or at home by someone's self monitor. Ambulatory hypertension it's called, and if present it's worthy of discussion as typically 6 years down the road with that low high blood pressure, some percentage of patients will have an "event" like a TIA, stroke or MI.



Changing one's antidepressant is often helpful: our brain adapts after a while to one and so another, even in the same family may work better for a while (this is called drug tachyphylaxis). So Zoloft to Lexapro is a good choice, in that Lexapro is helpful too with anxiety. Cymbalta on the other hand has a mild couple point elevation potential of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure values, so it may be better to avoid.



You don't mention if you have ER+breast cancer. If so, it's wise to know about the interaction of the SSRI's with Tamoxifen's metabolism. Here the seemingly best antidepressant choice, if any with Tam, is Effexor.



Lastly, much evidence is accumulating on Vitamin D's benefits. Most of us can't seem to get enough through sun exposure it seems. Of late, Vitamin D has been shown to improve our cardiac muscles ability to contract, and when such occurs, it plays back by helping to lower our blood pressure. So, if you haven't' read the threads here on Vitamin D, you may wish too. For general health, supplementation with cholecalciferol D3 (not D2 which is from plants) in the amount of about 2 to 4000 IU per day seems to be advisable. It's not cheap, so look for pharmacy twofers, or bulk, but take care you buy cholecalciferol.



Perhaps this is more than what you need to hear. Funny how one body function leads to discussion of another and so on, isn't it.



Wishing you much success,

Tender

Anonymous

Thanks for all the information. Yes I am ER-positive.  I'm taking Arimidex not tamox. My doctor did mention Lexapro also. She said it doesn't interact with other medications. But the reason she mentioned Wellbutrin was because of my concern for weight gain. Does Lexapro cause weight gain?

TenderIsOurMight

Well of course, we're all different. But for me it didn't.



That's not to say I haven't gained some weight. But I attribute it to lack of enough exercise, and not dieting as well as I should. For years I did do exercise and diet, and my weight remained stable.



Pushing to do different now,

Tender