depression

[jamie41597]

The last 6 months have been living hell for me.  My hubby & I moved to a nicer neighborhood/house-so I decided this would be a good time to quit smoking.  6 months later and 25 pounds heavier I am smokeless (it was HARD).  Now I am depressed all of the time-I dont get much sleep (0-3 hours a night and not all together).  Everything is pointless-I dont like doing the same things I used to like doing.  I wouldnt even get out of bed in the morning if it wasnt for my 4 yr girl.  I finally went to the doctor last Friday-she thinks its depression but waiting on the thyroid test results before prescribing anti-depressants.  She gave me 6 ambians-wow it felt great to get 6 hours of sleep in a row!  Anyway she thinks I am depressed because I moved (lived in the house for 12 yrs)- I think its because I quit smoking.   Has anyone else ever gotten severe depression from quitting smoking?

[jamie41597]

Thanks everyone for listening.  Turns out I am depressed.  Zoloft was prescribed-taking 20 mils a day for a week-then 40 mils daily after that.  I was very dizzy today-is that normal for the first day and will that go away?

[kcossich]

I, too, quit smoking in Jan. of 2000 before I became pregnant with my first son in Feb.  It was SO hard after I had the baby not to smoke again because my father died 5 weeks after I gave birth.  I began taking Celexa because I slipped into a depression and it actually has helped me not want to smoke...just my 2 cents worth.  It is also an SSRI that is fairly new, I think.

Kristy

[grrlfriend]

Yes, I have.  They say that nicotine has an anti-depressant effect, so many folks who smoke don't realize it, but they are really self-medicating for depression.

If your thyroid comes back normal, there are great anti-depressants out there. Welbutrin (also called Zyban) is great for the quitting phase, but if you've already stopped, you might like one of the SSRIs, too.  I'm on zoloft and like it, but there are a million choices you can discuss with your doc.

Chin up~!  It WILL get better!

Girlfriend

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

It is extremely common to get depressed when you quit smoking. Besides taking antidepressants I would see a psychotherapist to help you learn about your depression. It is a great opportunity to learn something important, and learn it quickly.  You might try the Masteringstress program to get you started.