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hepatitis c treatment and suicide
I have been on treatment for about a year now. However the last few shots I have noticed my depression getting worse. Also when I close my eyes I imagine myself dying via suicide. It scared me enough that I obviously let my girl friend know and will talk to my doctor asap. But is this considered "suicidal ideation" I have two months left on treatment and just am getting tired of this. I want to enjoy life and I have been so I don't want this to complicate things. Has anyone else experienced this? Or have advice?
Hope all is well to all.
Hope all is well to all.
Be patient while your body takes time to recover. Expecting quick results now that the drugs have stopped can lead to further disappointment and perhaps impede mental recovery. Just hang in there and allow your body and mind time to recover. Continue to reach out to your doctor and others as needed and you'll get there. Wish you the very best outcome in all this.
Trish
Trish
"Be sure to tell your doctor about EVERYTHING that is going through your mind. "
I made that mistake once. He promptly locked up the latex gloves and told the nurse she wasn't allowed in my exam room without an escort.
I made that mistake once. He promptly locked up the latex gloves and told the nurse she wasn't allowed in my exam room without an escort.
My depression got really bad the last few months too. I don't remember seeing images of myself doing anything when I closed my eyes... actually my brain seemed to just stop thinking when I was quiet. I noticed that while driving if I didn't have the radio on my mind was totally blank, which is the opposite of pre tx when I always had so many thoughts going through my head that it was frustrating some times trying to keep track of them.
Be sure to tell your doctor about EVERYTHING that is going through your mind. You need to be on ADs, and will probably need to be on them for a while after you finish tx, to give your body time to relearn how to live normally without all of the drugs you are putting into it now. You just have to do whatever it takes to make it to the end... it isn't all that far away.
Good Luck!
Diane
Be sure to tell your doctor about EVERYTHING that is going through your mind. You need to be on ADs, and will probably need to be on them for a while after you finish tx, to give your body time to relearn how to live normally without all of the drugs you are putting into it now. You just have to do whatever it takes to make it to the end... it isn't all that far away.
Good Luck!
Diane
Good to hear from you and good to know you've already followed up w/ your docs - you made wise choices. May you stay undetected and reach SVR and never have to revisit treatment.
Being scared of suicidal thoughts indicates you are still safe.
Wanting to enjoy life shows you have reasons to live.
Let the chemicals clear from your system and you should be fine.
If at some point you lose your fear of death and your interest in living you need to talk things over with a close friend to see if dying is the best option, and then make a rational decision.
Dying by not treating a disease is neither sinful nor illegal, you just need to be sure of what you are doing, and you should make the decision with a clear head and with someone who cares about you and can understand your situation clearly.
Wanting to enjoy life shows you have reasons to live.
Let the chemicals clear from your system and you should be fine.
If at some point you lose your fear of death and your interest in living you need to talk things over with a close friend to see if dying is the best option, and then make a rational decision.
Dying by not treating a disease is neither sinful nor illegal, you just need to be sure of what you are doing, and you should make the decision with a clear head and with someone who cares about you and can understand your situation clearly.
Thank you all. I saw all the doctors and they decided to stop treatment. It is a long story but I had to do more than the normal length of treatment because the pharmacy gave me the wrong dosage for the first few months. So they are not worried it will make an impact on the viral load by stopping. They did up the wellbutrin and I will see them next week. Hopefully soon this will all be over.
Hope all is well with everyone!
Hope all is well with everyone!
I commend you for posting. If it is on your mind it is a signal that you need to reach out and take some actions. After all; you started TX in order to save your life. To be dwelling on ending your life is a pretty huge signal that you are not thinking "right".
I'm aware of a person who seemed to be seriously considering it. I won't go into the details but I am as certain as one can be about it, considering that it was over the internet. There were numerous signals and a public posting of sorts which made me take it seriously.
I am also aware of another person who attempted post-TX.
This is a very serious situation and one that you should get help with. It is not a situation where you should try to "soldier on", man up, tough it out or silently suffer. People can do very impulsive things on TX. You need to talk with a doctor or whoever is handling your anti-depressants/anti-anxiety meds. Quite often a ace in the hole, like a xanax can also get you past a few rough spots when needed. Sometimes knowing there is relief when you most need it is a valuable aid in itself. Find someone you can also reach out with when you feel particularly despondent.
Please take this seriously and take some action. Keep posting and let people know how you are doing. There is always somebody here who can help.
best,
Willy
I'm aware of a person who seemed to be seriously considering it. I won't go into the details but I am as certain as one can be about it, considering that it was over the internet. There were numerous signals and a public posting of sorts which made me take it seriously.
I am also aware of another person who attempted post-TX.
This is a very serious situation and one that you should get help with. It is not a situation where you should try to "soldier on", man up, tough it out or silently suffer. People can do very impulsive things on TX. You need to talk with a doctor or whoever is handling your anti-depressants/anti-anxiety meds. Quite often a ace in the hole, like a xanax can also get you past a few rough spots when needed. Sometimes knowing there is relief when you most need it is a valuable aid in itself. Find someone you can also reach out with when you feel particularly despondent.
Please take this seriously and take some action. Keep posting and let people know how you are doing. There is always somebody here who can help.
best,
Willy
"To my recollection, no active members have commited suicide. "
I'm not sure you need your substantial recollection skills for that, simple logic should carry the day on this one.
mcoste45: As others suggest - speak with your doc right away for an assessment and stay in touch on this board. It can literally be your lifeline.
I'm not sure you need your substantial recollection skills for that, simple logic should carry the day on this one.
mcoste45: As others suggest - speak with your doc right away for an assessment and stay in touch on this board. It can literally be your lifeline.
I lost my son to suicide and take this subject very seriously.
Have you been dx by a psychiatrist? Suicidal ideation is one of the symptoms of both major depression and bipolar depression. Its important to recognize these thoughts for what they are: expressions of a treatable medical illness.
Contact your local mental health dept., psychiatrist, physician, family or friends - tell someone right away and please get help dealing with this.
You, your family or friends can also contact:
National Suicide Prevention Helpline @ 1-800-273-TALK
AFSP www.afsp.org
DBSA www.dbsalliance.org
Do keep in touch and let us know how your doing.
- Rhonda
National Hopeline Network @ 1-800-784-2433
Have you been dx by a psychiatrist? Suicidal ideation is one of the symptoms of both major depression and bipolar depression. Its important to recognize these thoughts for what they are: expressions of a treatable medical illness.
Contact your local mental health dept., psychiatrist, physician, family or friends - tell someone right away and please get help dealing with this.
You, your family or friends can also contact:
National Suicide Prevention Helpline @ 1-800-273-TALK
AFSP www.afsp.org
DBSA www.dbsalliance.org
Do keep in touch and let us know how your doing.
- Rhonda
National Hopeline Network @ 1-800-784-2433
You should definitely let your doctor know about these thoughts immediately. I'm a therapist and if one of my patients had the thoughts you're describing, I would definitely take it seriously, especially if I knew that person was on meds that are known to heighten depression. I'd assess, and take action if needed, and monitor the situation very closely.
Check in with all of us and let us know how you are doing.
Check in with all of us and let us know how you are doing.
Well my husband did but he wasn't on treatment. That's the only one I remember out of all the folks who have come through here........I dont remember any.
Has anyone else experienced this?
I've been on this forum for several years. To my recollection, no active members have commited suicide.
I've been on this forum for several years. To my recollection, no active members have commited suicide.
Wellbutrin..like any major anti - depressant has many possible side effects in its own right. Interestingly enough Suicidal thoughts and behaviors are one of the rare ones,especially in younger people.
Also ,you say you have added benzos to the mix ,which also come with a whole host of side effects,made even more confusing mixing that with the AD.
As said above ,,the HCV tx. meds can also cause mood altering and often major depression in some. so all and all taking no less than 4 or 5 of these very powerful drugs ,it would seem a full clinical evaluation by someone who is very familiar with all these meds ( a good physiatrist) may be in order.
Good luck and congrats on coming to the end of treatment..
Will
It's amazing what these medications can do to our emotional condition and thought process. Were you depressed prior to treatment? For me it was also amazing how quickly my mental and emotional condition improved after treatment.
It's important that you see your doctor immediately and don't hold back explaining how badly you feel and the thoughts you are having. Are you seeing a psychiatrist as well as hepatologist?
Seroquel is a major tranquilizer and for most people it causes weight gain. My wife took it for a few years and seemed very out of it and more depressed to me. When she stopped the weight came off quickly and she felt alive again. She has taken many different antidepressants over the past 10 years before she found what works the best. She takes effexor now which she said helps with both depression and anxiety. Everyone responds to medications differently of course.
Have you tried any other types of antidepressants? did the well Welbutrin help initially? It does not work for everyone.
Try to remember that you will be done with this treatment fairly soon and this is not a permanent condition. is this your first time treating? How early in treatment did you become undetectable?
Take care and as everyone mentioned please keep posting.
-Dave
It's important that you see your doctor immediately and don't hold back explaining how badly you feel and the thoughts you are having. Are you seeing a psychiatrist as well as hepatologist?
Seroquel is a major tranquilizer and for most people it causes weight gain. My wife took it for a few years and seemed very out of it and more depressed to me. When she stopped the weight came off quickly and she felt alive again. She has taken many different antidepressants over the past 10 years before she found what works the best. She takes effexor now which she said helps with both depression and anxiety. Everyone responds to medications differently of course.
Have you tried any other types of antidepressants? did the well Welbutrin help initially? It does not work for everyone.
Try to remember that you will be done with this treatment fairly soon and this is not a permanent condition. is this your first time treating? How early in treatment did you become undetectable?
Take care and as everyone mentioned please keep posting.
-Dave
When you say that you can imagine dying by suicide does that mean that you have thought about how you would do this? I ask because the more you have an actual plan in place the greater the danger of actually attempting the action. If this is the case please contact a mental health person today so that they can help you through this. Also, if you can remove the method you would use that can be helpful i.e. - die by car accident = give your keys to someone...
Keep checking in with us, please.
Keep checking in with us, please.
Ask your doctor to see if increasing the dosage of your Wellbutrin might help with your depression. SInce you are so close to finishing treatment there may not be enough time to switch to another anti-depressant. First you may have to let the Wellbutrin clear out and try a new med which can talk up to 6 weeks to start working.
Suicidal ideation means wanting to kill yourself or thinking about suicide without actually making any plans to do it. I am not clear what you mean by 'I imagine myself dying via suicide". If you mean you imagine killing yourself and what it would be like, and how you might feel relief, then I would say you are experiencing suicidal ideation.
From my own personal experience of major depression I would obsess about cutting my wrists or pushing a knife into my skin for hours, days, weeks, months and years at a time. I wanted to escape the mental pain I was in. It was intolerable at times. Everything appeared gray and lifeless. I couldn't experience any pleasure at all. Food tasted like cardboard. I felt like a zombie. More dead then alive.
Depression is a very, very serious illness. Even though it is a side effect from the treatment meds, it is just as real as if you were suffering with the same type of thoughts if you didn't know the cause. It is very painful to be that depressed. People who haven't been truly depressed have no idea how devastating it can be. It must be bad if people will overcoming the human instinct to live and kill themselves. No laughing matter.
So talk to your doctor as soon as you can about increasing the dosage of Wellbutrin. The effect of the higher dosage should kick in in a relatively short amount of time. There is no reason to suffer with depression if you don't have to.
Best of luck with your treatment and depression.
Hectorsf
Suicidal ideation means wanting to kill yourself or thinking about suicide without actually making any plans to do it. I am not clear what you mean by 'I imagine myself dying via suicide". If you mean you imagine killing yourself and what it would be like, and how you might feel relief, then I would say you are experiencing suicidal ideation.
From my own personal experience of major depression I would obsess about cutting my wrists or pushing a knife into my skin for hours, days, weeks, months and years at a time. I wanted to escape the mental pain I was in. It was intolerable at times. Everything appeared gray and lifeless. I couldn't experience any pleasure at all. Food tasted like cardboard. I felt like a zombie. More dead then alive.
Depression is a very, very serious illness. Even though it is a side effect from the treatment meds, it is just as real as if you were suffering with the same type of thoughts if you didn't know the cause. It is very painful to be that depressed. People who haven't been truly depressed have no idea how devastating it can be. It must be bad if people will overcoming the human instinct to live and kill themselves. No laughing matter.
So talk to your doctor as soon as you can about increasing the dosage of Wellbutrin. The effect of the higher dosage should kick in in a relatively short amount of time. There is no reason to suffer with depression if you don't have to.
Best of luck with your treatment and depression.
Hectorsf
good news congrats on clearing hope you remain that way only completing treatment will tell hang on how long have you been on wellbutrin seroquel puts me out for like 24 hrs i took wellbutrin years ago it worked but i had to keep increasing dose be careful with benzos i wish you well
Lab test are good. Virus is clear. On wellbutrin. Was on seroquel but caused weight gain. Also trying different benzos to help with sleep anxiety.
it could be thought of as suicidal ideation in which case your dr might discontinue treatment it could also be thought of as severe depression are you taking an antidepressant you probably should be or should have been did you cleared the virus before 3 months or 6 months hows your lab tests
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