depression worsens with flu/cold?

[me0408]

I am on Paxil 30mg daily, and have been for 8 years.  Normally, I am fine, sleep well, moods good.  But, about 1 or 2 times a year, if I get sick with cold/flu,  I start to have insomnia and feel like I am on nothing for my depression.  It almost feels like I am starting over.  I have to take nerve meds/ sleep pill to get over the hurdle, which can take 2-4 weeks.  I almost think it has something to do with taking Motrin while i am sick. make sense?
I have handled some pretty stressful things the last couple of years, and it never effects my depression.  Only when I am sick.  Anyone help?

[Doc77]

Hi Me0408

It's normal for patients taking SSRI medications like Paxil to feel worsening of depression when having a viral infection. The reason for this is that the medication increases the amount of serotonin in the communication clefts between nerve cells which then, in turn, become less responsive to this transmitter substance. When your body is infected as for instance with the common cold or flu, the hormone cortisol rises, which makes the nerve cells even less responsive to serotonin. This leads to the symptoms of worsened depression.

People who don't take SSRI are less prone to alterations in cortisol level since their receptors for serotonin are not downregulated. Even in people not taking SSRI it is usual to see some minor symptoms of depression during viral infections.

I hope you can use my answer.

[Kobuk]

HI, I notice when I'm sick, I get more depressed because my defences are down.  When I'm sick, my nose is stuffed and have to blow it all the time, so I don't get much sleep, thus making me more depressed.  Then there's the headaches, fever etc - enough to make anyone seriously depressed.  It takes a while for your imunne system to get back up.  Hope this helps - this is what having a cold or flu does to me.

[whodunnit]

Hi,

Haven't heard of this before. Perhaps you are on the right track about the med you are on. I don't know that med either.

Insomnia of course is a regular problem for many of us, as is the opposite, sleeping too much. Perhaps the flu symptoms are simply causing you to be unable to breathe properly thus stopping sleep. Just a comment.

Sleep? I use Seroquel to get to sleep at night but I sleep a lot during the day, hard to drop off but needed. I'd suggest you talk to the doc about this.