Antidepressants

Question

Just an open question. Anyone that has hep-c oand is on Antidepressants what is your experience? Do they work? Fear of liver damage? I have read alot but want to see what everyone thinks?

The only AD that I have found to say "not for patients with liver disease" is Cymbalta. But what about the others??

Thanks for your feedback!

hdkash · Answer

I have been on Effexor since Aug and it seems to keep my fairly even. I was seeing a significant increase in ager before taking it.
It is interesting the comment about RLS, I have not been diagnosed but since starting tx for Hep C I feel like I have it, everynight, a few times during the day and every morning.

Rudytrue · Answer

I am hep c + stage and grade both 2 out of 6.I am bout to start treatment.I have been and currently take celexa 40mg. It really helps alot,but it really interferes with Restless leg syndrome

domusic · Answer

I to am on Zoloft, since January 2007. They started me on it while I was in the hospital for my heart attack. I didn't know I was taking an AD until about six weeks latter and was surprised at how calm and mellow I was. Zoloft is great stuff. It does it's job well. No buzz or any other effect to them but they do work. 

Years ago my Dr. prescribed some kind of AD and within a week I was a zomby. I quit them very fast and refused any ADs after that, until they slipped Zoloft in on me in CCU.

I'll begin HCV TX in a couple weeks and they said they will probably up my dose of zoloft. 

DoMusic

PokerRon · Answer

Last March 2007, I went on TX and a month later i was prescribed LEXIPRO 10MG
Adivan too, both really helped me survive the TX process

After 33 weeks i was declared a partial responder but was taken off of tx.

however i am still on the LEXIPRO 10MG., i like lexipro a lot, it really gives me a feeling of well being and confidence,..

when i re treat in 2009, i plan on telling my doctor i want to double up to 20mg of lexipro
and possibly later in tx triple up to 30mg,
to me an AD and in my case LEXIPRO is the most important weapon in my arsenal to help me last the entire length of tx (in my case, im likely looking at 72 weeks and i wouldnt even attempt it without plenty of lexipro and also Adivan..

i hope this helps good luck
poker ron

Artopia · Answer

AD's work differently with everyone. Unfortunately you have to take them for a few weeks to kick in before you know if they are right. My fist tx I was very weepy, would start crying for no reason frequently. The Dr. prescribed Zoloft. It stopped the weepiness but I felt nothing else, no laughter, no anger, no nothing, but it got me through 48 weeks without crying. This time on tx I'm doing Paxil cr (time release) I really like it a lot. I'm able to laugh at myself when I complain too much. I'm also considering staying on this after I'm done with tx which will probably be 72 weeks if I don't relapse before that.

nygirl7 · Answer

I went on Paxill 20mg and liked it so much I've stayed on it after treatment (72 weeks of treatment).  it's really helped me just sort of keep even.......and I was never able to do that before, I'd be all over the place!

I have no intention of going off them.....at all I likey!

cierra2007 · Answer

I was dignosed with sever depression,Anxiety sleep disorder and mood swing. 
I dosent sound that bad..... But it runs in my family.
After many different AD's I feel good with Effexor-xr 300mg,Clonazepam 1mg, and Zyprexa 
5 mg. 
I feel really good now,I started tx November 2007 I can't even cry anymore, I due sleep better @ night but still dealing with anger issues. 

I tryed all the others mentioned on this forum but some did not aggreed wit me. Everyone is different. Ask lost of questions and let your Psy know whats save for your liver ( IN MY OPINION NO MED'S ARE GOOD FOR YOU)........ 

GOOD LUCK  

AND TAKE CARE 

CIERRA2007

beamishboy · Answer

i used celexa during trx-started on 20 mg aday then ramped up to 40mg when the full blast of trx drugs started draggin me down,down,down...even with these AD's i found trx drugs really amped my 'underlying ' depressive&anger issues...talk w/ yr Doc & GOODLUCK!

wed1942 · Answer

I started on Zoloft last week, the same time I started treatment. I decided that with the big possibility that you can get major depressed while on treatment, and all of the warnings about suicidal tendencies, etc, I wasn't going to take any chances. I was just diagnosed in Nov 2007. Think mine has been around close to 40 years. I figure since I'm going to be going through this treatment, I live alone, and I want to make this as smoothe a period of time as possible, why not go on something. If it helps then it's worth it. And I'm not one for taking any kind of medicines. I just don't like taking anything. 

I didn't feel depressed before starting the Zoloft, so not sure if it's making any difference. I'm just hoping it wards off evil spirits. I know they say it takes two or three weeks to really start working so I didn't want to wait until I was having problems to take something. I want to (have to) continue working so I want this to be easier on the folks I work with too. Mood swings can make things difficult when you have to be around people. 

My doc didn't have any problem ordering this. I figure they know what's best as far as drugs affecting the liver, etc. Plus I always check with my pharmacist to see what she thinks about everything that I'm taking. 

Good luck to you. Ricki

alagirl · Answer

I take 300 wellbutrin xl and 20mg lexapro daily.  So.... I think you could say that I'm fairly swimming in AD's.  But it's helped me out a LOT on treatment.  I've had a pretty difficult time on treatment just in terms of hospitalizations, and financial issues, and I think the only thing that's allowed me to maintain a fairly even keel (well, ok, sometimes the boat tips a little, but I try) is that I began a pretty high dose regimen of AD's prior to tx, kind of in anticipation of treatment because I'd heard that sometimes people got depressed during treatment, and I just wanted to deal with that as little as possible.

I am an acute HEPC treater though, having begun treatment only three months after contracting HCV, so I don't have to worry quite as much about things that are toxic to the liver.

vik97 · Answer

I started taking antidepressants for the first time in my life to treat side effects of treatment.  I've been on Lexapro for 3 weeks now and I don't feel much different except that I sleep more,

Vik

mcmcorp45 · Answer

I was on Cymbalta and I liked it. But then i got this letter and it was a strong warning by the FDA that Cymbalta will worsen any underlying liver disease. But you guys arent the first i have seen on it, it seems dr's do use it in hepatitis patients. So i do not get what the FDA is talking about with this strong message about anyone with liver disease should not take it? any thoughts?

mcmcorp45 · Answer

I was on Cymbalta and I liked it. But then i got this letter and it was a strong warning by the FDA that Cymbalta will worsen any underlying liver disease. But you guys arent the first i have seen on it, it seems dr's do use it in hepatitis patients. So i do not get what the FDA is talking about with this strong message about anyone with liver disease should not take it? any thoughts?

kittyface · Answer

Hi, I'm on Cymbalta as I'm about to start tx and not concerned about liver warnings.  I think lots of rx drugs have those broad warnings about the liver.

I've tried other AD's: prozac:  loved it but quit working after a few years.

Effexor: made me lazy, apathetic and gain weight

Lexapro and Celexa: felt sleepy and zombie-like.

Cymbalta: really like it, feel very energetic and steady happy but can still feel feelings and cry if I want.  However, have read that many have problems weaning off it.  However, if it can get me through tx I can deal with that later.

Everybody's response is different to different AD's so you may have to try a few before you find a fit.  Good luck!

Best regards,

Kittyface

drew1985 · Answer

I was on antidepressants for two years due to my anxiety. I just found out that I had hep-c but the ones that worked best for me were Zoloft and Effexor XR.

But I'm not really one that should speak because me and anti-depressants don't get along. I usually have the opposite side effects of a lot of meds (e.g. if it's supposed to make you gain weight I'll loose weight). Here's my experience with each of these (keep in mind that I only took them for mild mood swings and anxiety):

Paxil: I hated it. It made me feel more depressed than I was (wasn't really depressed at all before).
Zoloft: I loved Zoloft (made me feel great) but had to stop taking it because it took away my appetite.
Effexor XR: I liked effexor XR for the most part but there were a few days every month where it made me feel really-really terrible (mood wise).
Cymbalta: I just got prescribed that but haven't took any yet because of the hep c that I just found out I had (am really afraid of anything that goes into my system now). I would be interested as well to hear peoples comments with Cymbalta.

I wouldn't know about the toxin levels of AD's but in terms of anti-anxiety meds my doctor told me that Klonopin has less toxins than Xanax/Valium. I've heard otherwise on this forum however.

I haven't been on anti-depressants since early December but of course plan on starting them up again before and throughout treatment. My current doctor said it's safe to stay on antidepressants and anti anxiety meds... i'm not sure if I trust this guy 100% though... most of you on this forum seem to have more knowledge about hep-c that this guy.