ALS and antidepressants, are you taking them now?

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Blubear

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Joined
Oct 24, 2009
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941
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Lost a loved one
Diagnosis
09/2009
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US
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Wa.
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Puyallup
Hi guys,
My dad is (what I think) depressed. He has always been against taking any type of antidepressants. He always chastised me for taking them. Rosella (thelma313) told me her dad was the same way about them, but started to take them after she told him that ALS effects the brain since it is a disease of the brain and he took them after that.. It helped. Have any of you started antidepressants AFTER your diagnosis? If so, did it help? Which ones are you taking?
Hugs in advance for your answers!
~Kari
 
Web-immediately AFTER the diagnosed and the first time in his life. He started out on 10 mg Paxil every morning and is now on 20 mg of Paxil every morning. It was very obvious when we needed to have the dose increased. He also has Xanax for moments of anxiety. This fing disease is DEPRESSING!
 
Kari
Serena (Dx 07) started taking Amitriptyline in Feb. and it seems to really help take the edge off her stress level. I think she finaly asked for something when she noticed that she was overreacting to student issues in her class. When your depressed even the small thing can seem huge.

Jim
 
My mom is on Zoloft......it has helped alot....she takes it at night.............that was what she was told by her neurologist is the antidepressant drug of choice for ALS....we have been told absolutely NO zanax, as it compromises the breathing............hope this helps.....
 
It took me a while to break-down and ask for some.

I remember the night, there was one of those damned cheeseburger commercials on TV and I was crying because they were no longer on my menu.

The help , even just a little , is sometimes enough. Chances are they will need to be tweaked once in a while.

Tell your Dad that there is no shame in accepting some help to feel better. "And it takes less beer to get you happy"



Glen
 
Our ALS Neurologist thinks that Paxil is the drug of choice. Xanax? You would need to take a lot to compromise your respiratory status but as Web is so fond of saying, What is the worst thing that can happen? I'll die! wink wink We survive on complete and utter black humor and look death right in the eye and HOWL and LAUGH! There truly are things worse than dying!
 
My father in law is on zoloft since right before offical diagnosis and seems to help alot.
 
I take the Paxil. 30mg in the morning!
 
have been taking Paroxetine, the horrible stuff it is impossible to come off, for 10 years after a breakdowN Wonder if it possi ble to add Paxil?
 
Yes, I started taking Lexapro shortly after diagnosed. I guess it helps some.
 
iris, paroxetine and paxil are the same drug. Paxil is the brand name, and paroextine is the generic name. If its not working well , there are other medications in the same family of SSRI's that may work better for you , but its best to have your DR wean you of one and slowly start another so that you dont shock your system
 
Amytripitiline does several things. Drys up the mouth, helps sleeping, helps pain, and fights depression. Les takes 30 mg at night. He also take .25 of zanax a day. HUGS Lori
 
Impossible to wean off paroxetine. Any PALS who are thiknking they might want to come off it in ten years time are advised to try something else;-)
Thank you for the info, friends
 
Remember that you may need to increase the dosage periodically to get a therapeutic effect. Now that is problem that I would love for Web to have! ;-)
 
Thank you so much everyone! I am printing this thread out as part of my arsenal of things for him when I go and visit tomorrow. I have been on amytripitiline a LONG time ago and it made me completely out of it. But since then, I have been on Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Cymbaulta, Effexor and then Effexor with Zyprexa after my husband died. I build up an immunity so about every 2 years I have to switch. I dont have to take the Zyprexa anymore, that was when things were pretty dire for me and I am much better now.
IRISMARIE ~ could be you need your dose adjusted, or you need to switch. Every time I had to ween, they lowered my dose of the current antidepressant and at the same time put me on a low dose of the new one. Over time, you end up only on the new one and then they up that dose. No withdrawals! Got to do it all as the doc says, otherwise you can end up with "seritonin syndrome and that can be fatal.
Again, thank you so much everyone!
~Hugs, Kari
 
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