Antidepressants?

[JimWright]

Anyone on them to deal with the stress of MND? Do they help? I’d be very interested to hear what family members think of the effects?

[Barry52]

Hi Jim,

In my experience citalopram doesn’t help deal with stress but it does make me a calmer person whereas before I would get angry and frustrated about the loss of functions. It also helps control emotional lability.

Best wishes,
Barry

[Sheila]

Hi Jim, I take amitriptyline, mirtazapine, and diazepam for anxiety , to be honest it does not help much with my anxiety, but it keeps me a bit calmer. I saw my Mnd nurse today, and she is worried about my anxiety.

Sheila.

[Gillette]

Jim, I was already taking Citalopram for depression and Propranolol for anxiety before my diagnosis. They each seem to be keeping me fairly ok (with occasional blips, but nothing major):

[Sheila]

The Mnd has definitely made my anxiety worse, I worry all the time about it. Yesterday was a bad day, but today has been better I must try to keep occupied. I hope everyone is ok.
Love Sheila

[Gillette]

Sheila, did you suffer from depression and anxiety before your diagnosis? I am wondering whether your local mental health services have offered you any therapy to help you cope with it? If not, perhaps your MND nurse or someone else from your care team would make an urgent referral for you? Anxiety is so difficult to live and cope with. I really hope you are able to access some help very soon.

[JimWright]

Thanks for all your help so far my psychologist seems really worried about my low mood I’m a fairly calm person so that’s never really a problem. I just get a bit tearful now and again .

[Sheila]

Yes I do suffer from anxiety and have suffered from it for years! This on top of it doesn't help. MND nurse knows about and she's going to inform my neurologist. I see my doctor next Friday so "maybe" she will come up with another tablet or something to keep me calm.
I am in the mindframe that what anyone will say, Won't help or change anything! There is a lot on my plate (like everyone!) Some people seem to cope with this a lot better than me. There are some days when I am a complete wreck! Crying for hours on end.
Maybe therapy will be the next step? Get my mind in a better place! My mum died in 2017. Then not long after I was diagnosed with osteoporosis and now this. A triple dose of nothing but bad luck.

[Gillette]

Sheila, I hope your care team will quickly organise some form of therapy for you. MND is big enough to cope with, even without pre-existing depression and anxiety. I'm afraid I can only send virtual hugs to you, but I hope they will remind you that there are people here who understand what you are living with.

[Gillette]

Jim, how do you feel about the prospect of taking antidepressants? I hope you are giving it serious consideration. There are times when one's brain needs a little help to find an even keel. Of course, antidepressants can have side effects but your doctor should be able to find one that you can tolerate. Good luck.

[Dan]

I take sertraline which has been my life saver. I was lucky to be prescribed this very soon after diagnosis but was told it could be difficult to take at the beginning. I had weeks of hell and feeling sooo bad I nearly gave up but my GP encouraged me to keep trying. After 7 weeks exactly I haven’t looked back with no depression or anxiety. I live alone but have lovely family and friends which helps!

[Gillette]

Dan, it's good to hear that sertraline is helping you.

[Sheila]

I did try sertraline but I felt like a zombie, really tired. Maybe I gave up to early. I see the doctor next Friday, I might suggest trying it again, maybe half a tablet a day as i am only little. Glad it worked for you Dan.

[Dan]

Sheila..I felt like a zombie as well. I was so lucky to have met a wonderful doctor who said that sertraline was the best drug for anxiety. She was a locum but her encouragement to keep going has made such a big effect on my life. At the time my daughter said she couldn’t believe that a drug that was supposed to make me feel better was making me feel so bad! My GP friend said it’s like buying a pair of shoes....keep trying until you get one that fits.... Good luck x

[Sheila]

Dan! Thank you so much for the information. I think it is worth giving Sertraline another try and sticking with it this time! The doctor I had was a locum but she has now left! So it's a fresh start with someone else. The trouble is at my surgery, the nice doctors don't seem to stay long!

Sheila x