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Post by carlysmom on Feb 24, 2014 21:52:46 GMT -6
Hello-fairly new to this site but very happy to have found it. My daughter was diagnosed with stage 2-3 anaplastic spinal ependymoma that came with a host of other issues as you all are very familiar with. We are approaching one year since her diagnosis and she is still wheelchair bound. Today we visited a counselor for the first time (which I was so glad she FINALLY agreed) and without a detailed medical summary or list of current meds, the first thing the counselor told us was that she must be put on antidepressants. Now, of course we have visited with our oncologist about this and we were told that it would be difficult to find something that would not have adverse affects with her current list of meds...currently gabapentin, oxycontin, oxycodone, marinol, ativan, acyclover, bactrim, dexamethasone, compazine, zofran, prilosec, ritalin, levothyroxine not to mention miralax, senna and dulcosate. I'm wondering which antidepressants any of you have been prescribed (if this meds list is similar to yours) and any experiences you've had with them. Any info would be appreciated! Thank you and God Bless!!
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Post by samuridude on Feb 25, 2014 18:15:23 GMT -6
Hello-fairly new to this site but very happy to have found it. My daughter was diagnosed with stage 2-3 anaplastic spinal ependymoma that came with a host of other issues as you all are very familiar with. We are approaching one year since her diagnosis and she is still wheelchair bound. Today we visited a counselor for the first time (which I was so glad she FINALLY agreed) and without a detailed medical summary or list of current meds, the first thing the counselor told us was that she must be put on antidepressants. Now, of course we have visited with our oncologist about this and we were told that it would be difficult to find something that would not have adverse affects with her current list of meds...currently gabapentin, oxycontin, oxycodone, marinol, ativan, acyclover, bactrim, dexamethasone, compazine, zofran, prilosec, ritalin, levothyroxine not to mention miralax, senna and dulcosate. I'm wondering which antidepressants any of you have been prescribed (if this meds list is similar to yours) and any experiences you've had with them. Any info would be appreciated! Thank you and God Bless!! Interesting mix of drugs! The opiates and dex are causing constipation / stomach issues, so the doctors prescribed six other drugs to counteract. The other drug issue I see is the mix of opiates vs the use of Ritalin, then ativan. I used warm prune juice, it does the trick. I'm not a fan of pharmaceutical companies, or the drugs doctors "push" for them. I guess it comes from the years I've dealt with them on a business level. I don't have a Phd, but neither does most of the "reps" who push these drugs to the doctors. With that said I would speak to someone about getting her off most of those drugs. Forget about the antidepressants (ssri), until you get your daughter off all the depressants. |
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Post by leks on Feb 26, 2014 6:53:27 GMT -6
I take mirtazapine for anxiety/depression along with dex and gabapentin, not sure about the interaction between mirtazapine and oxy/opiates.
but, mirtazapine has been doing me well, its not an SSRI, so not so many horrible s/effects, and it has been a life saver at times.
for the stomach issues re dex, I take omeprazole with every dose dex, ask your doc about it.
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Post by lw on Feb 26, 2014 8:42:18 GMT -6
Ditto here. I think it's called remeron in the States. It's been a literally a life saver for me because I was so ill I couldn't eat or drink in the end and would have been hospitalized. My depression/anxiety symptoms were 100% physical and so it took me a long time and many tests to figure out what was going on. There's a thread on here about my on-going problem entitled 'Possible brain tumour too', or words to that effect. I still have the head pains but I don't feel as though I'm going to pass out all the time and I no longer feel sick to the stomach. As Leks says you don't get any nasty side effects (well I don't and I'm unusually sensitive to most medications) and it doesn't seem to interact with too many other drugs; it does say on the leaflet to use with caution when taking opiate pain killers.
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Post by funnywalk on Mar 23, 2014 17:02:35 GMT -6
I've just been prescribed duloxetine, another anti depressant which is said to help sometimes with neuropathic pain, but no change so far.
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