anti-depressants for depression which is completelty safe

[francois]

Hello people,

I just want to know what kind of anti-depressant I can use with no harm to my rosacea. I dont want to see a psychiatrist. I believe there are many people on the group who fights or fought with severe depression. I also have anxiety, and panic attacks. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you all in advance.

[IowaDavid]

If you can afford it, a psychiatrist that specializes in chronic diseases may be quite helpful. I had a malformed idea of what mental illness was, and a misunderstanding of what taking medication for my illness would do.

I'm currently seeing a psychiatrist for acute depression related to the rosacea. He's very cool and helps me think outside of my situation (as you probably know, it is very easy to get locked into a singular mindset that no one else can understand when you suffer from this disease; personal triggers, etc. make all of us individuals and strange, in this sense).

Anyway, I've used fluoxetine and Celexa. Neither caused rosacea problems. On the contrary, they gave me a footstool to step on out of a very bad black mental spiral.

I don't know which depression-specific meds may cause flushing in rosaceans--some of the doctors or others here might help. But my experience with the two meds above were benign for flushing and greatly improved my quality of life and, I would argue, my body's ability to heal itself.

Good luck,

David

[irishgenes]

Fluoxetine (Prozac) should be started with a very small dose, like 5 mg. and tried for 5 days before going up to 10 mg., 15 mg., and then 20 mg., but only if the smaller doses don't work. A lot of people find the usual 20 mg. dose is too much to start with and flip out. They get serotonin syndrome, which makes them extremely anxious and nauseated. These are the people who often wind up in the ER acting weird or commit suicide. The right dose of Prozac should make you feel entirely normal and side effect free. Doctors tend to give everyone the same dose of a medication, but with Prozac and drugs like it, it is especially important to tailor the dose to the individual.

[IowaDavid]

I had exactly the opposite reaction. I've only heard of 20mg as the lowest dose for fluoxetine? Maybe I'm wrong. I had to ramp up to 80mg relatively quickly. I think I may be able to start backing down slowly, but I found really very little help at 20mg or 40mg. 60mg was all right, but I've been on 80mg for about a year now and I'm just now beginning to really feel that I'm getting back to "normal."


David

[irishgenes]

There are people for whom 5 mg. is plenty, and others like yourself who need 80 mg (which is a large dose). 20 mg is the suggested starting dose, but it is just too much for some. It shouldn't have taken a whole year for you to find relief. That is a very long time to be depressed. A lot of people stop being depressed within a week of starting Prozac. I would think that maybe you needed to try a different drug months ago.

[IowaDavid]

Sorry, I was being unclear. I was on celexa for awhile, which brought me out of acute, very bad depression. But the lingering effects of depression--loss of motivation, that "spark," it takes awhile to build up after you've started on meds.

I noticed a drastic improvement within a couple of weeks after going on Celexa. I just switched to fluoxetine for the price. :D

[Blondie]

Francois,

I know you said you don't want to see a psychiatrist, but I would urge you to reconsider. I have a history of chronic depression. Having a safe place to discuss your feelings of depression, anxiety, etc. is a great relief. A good therapist can help you find ways to cope. There is HOPE for a happy life if you reach out.

You could ask your doctor for a referral, or check with your insurance company for a doctor on their panel specializing in chronic diseases. If you don't have insurance, the doctor may have a sliding fee scale. I don't know how it works in Turkey. Many therapists have sliding fees here in the U.S.

Over the years I have been on several medications. I can't say I have noticed any impact on the redness/flushing of my rosacea. There are a long list of anti-depressants and a good doctor who has properly diagnosed your symptoms will be able to help you decide which is best for you (some meds work better to treat specific symptoms).

One thing I would recommend is that you research the side-effects. Many anti-depressants are quite drying on the mucus membranes, and we rosaceans sure don't want to dry out our eyes any more than we have to!

Best of luck to you. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

[bettina]

Don't want to be a wet blanket, but when I was on AD's -- Prozac -- it caused a dermatitis. And so did the withdrawal. My anxiety and depression went into overdrive.

Try meditation, yoga, etc. I speak from experience; adding meds only confounded my skin issues, and I would hate to have you go through what I did.

[snwbdrloco84]

I know this may sound nuts, but I saw a few studies on the spice saffron and how it has helped people with mild to moderate depression. However, the clinical studies are quite small and this spice is quite expensive. Luckily, I have quite alot of this stuff around my house since my Dad is Iranian and goes back there once a year. Check out pubmed.org and type in "saffron depression" in the search engine at the top of the page(don't use the quotes). I wonder though if this positive effect may just be due to people thinking that the spice is helping them(the placebo effect).

Ray

[satx1988]

This medication helps me out. I am in a new place becasue of it.

Sandra

[Jonesy]

I was prescribed celexa (citalopram hydrobromide) today to try and pick me up and also hopefully have some effect on my anxiety induced flushing- this is my main trigger. My doctor asked me a string of questions and concluded that, in addition to possible rosacea, I have developed bad social phobia. The doctor I saw was absolutely brilliant- asked me to go back in a few weeks and then re-assess the situation. As I've mentioned on here before, I haven't managed to get diagnosed with rosacea by other doctors, they said I was too young etc etc which is of course nonsense. This doctor didn't rule rosacea out when I mentioned it, and said we'll monitor the situation and see what happens. He was also of the opinion that if my anxiety levels are reduced, this might take the edge of (but not prevent) flushing induced by physical triggers too, because my anxuety/depression/fear of flushing makes ALL of my flushes worse, whether they are induced by physical triggers like exercise, or by mental things like stress, nerves etc.

I mentioned clonidine and he admitted that he had only prescribed that it he past for menopausal flushing, but said that if I wanted to give it a go down the line then he'll allow me to do so. I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere, maybe in a few months/years the light at the end of the tunnel will be in sight.

[SteveYork]

I've heard that many tolerate Elavil well.

[IowaDavid]

I was prescribed celexa (citalopram hydrobromide) today to try and pick me up and also hopefully have some effect on my anxiety induced flushing- this is my main trigger. My doctor asked me a string of questions and concluded that, in addition to possible rosacea, I have developed bad social phobia. The doctor I saw was absolutely brilliant- asked me to go back in a few weeks and then re-assess the situation. As I've mentioned on here before, I haven't managed to get diagnosed with rosacea by other doctors, they said I was too young etc etc which is of course nonsense. This doctor didn't rule rosacea out when I mentioned it, and said we'll monitor the situation and see what happens. He was also of the opinion that if my anxiety levels are reduced, this might take the edge of (but not prevent) flushing induced by physical triggers too, because my anxuety/depression/fear of flushing makes ALL of my flushes worse, whether they are induced by physical triggers like exercise, or by mental things like stress, nerves etc.

I mentioned clonidine and he admitted that he had only prescribed that it he past for menopausal flushing, but said that if I wanted to give it a go down the line then he'll allow me to do so. I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere, maybe in a few months/years the light at the end of the tunnel will be in sight.


Hey, man--I got a "severe hypochondriac/delusional" diagnosis from one of my doctors. :( He was completely wrong. He took my drive to find relief as pathological/delusional behavior.

Let us not forget--obsession is, at times, beneficial--at least when all you can think about his avoiding the next painful flushing episode and how one might avoid that experience.

You can get to the end of your tunnel. But I've only met a couple of physicians/laser docs that were tolerant of my state/helpful.

I've found all of the information at the various rosacea boards and my self-education/experience with this disease far more helpful than any doctor.

All the best,
Rock on with your bad self!

David 8)

[natalja]

Hi Francois,

I posted about Remeron (mirtazapine) in another thread. It helps me a lot with anxiety and depression so far, after 5 weeks. I was on celexa before and amitriptyline. Both made me sweat and thus flush more unfortunately, but as you already know I'm an extreme flusher. The Remeron has definitely helped my flushing though! I'm less red and flushed now. Side-effects include increase in weight and appetite though, and I developed a little itchy rash on my face this week, but that might not be related to the remeron at all. Another nice thing about this drug: it works much faster then most other antidepressants: within two weeks generally.
I have waited with AD;s for YEARS, and now just regret i didn't start earlier with this drug. Before starting i have researched this one extensively, to be sure it won't cause a raise in blood pressure, like many other AD's. And it won't: it even drops the blood pressure sometimes and makes you sleep ok.

take care, natalja

[lafittevillage]

Hi Francois,

I posted about Remeron (mirtazapine) in another thread. It helps me a lot with anxiety and depression so far, after 5 weeks. I was on celexa before and amitriptyline. Both made me sweat and thus flush more unfortunately, but as you already know I'm an extreme flusher. The Remeron has definitely helped my flushing though! I'm less red and flushed now. Side-effects include increase in weight and appetite though, and I developed a little itchy rash on my face this week, but that might not be related to the remeron at all. Another nice thing about this drug: it works much faster then most other antidepressants: within two weeks generally.
I have waited with AD;s for YEARS, and now just regret i didn't start earlier with this drug. Before starting i have researched this one extensively, to be sure it won't cause a raise in blood pressure, like many other AD's. And it won't: it even drops the blood pressure sometimes and makes you sleep ok.

take care, natalja'

My father is on antidepressants to help him beat his smoking addiction. So far so good except for one side-effect and that is --pimples! I've heard a lot about antidepressants causing acne so I've never wanted to be prescribed any. I also don't want to depend on anything but my own fist to treat my emotions (don't take that literally..well, don't take it so literally :D), but in my father's case (and aside from the pimples) it has done wonders.

[natalja]

Hmmm, that might be the case with me as well, someway. I thought it was a rash: it came a week or two ago: rash like red spots, they itch a bit as well. Thought it had nothing to do with the AD, but maybe it is acne.
Lafittevillage: do you think this side-effect will go away again when you discontinue the AD after time?

[lafittevillage]

Hmmm, that might be the case with me as well, someway. I thought it was a rash: it came a week or two ago: rash like red spots, they itch a bit as well. Thought it had nothing to do with the AD, but maybe it is acne.
Lafittevillage: do you think this side-effect will go away again when you discontinue the AD after time?

I have no idea if they will. I think you should google up ad/acne or maybe ask around on the acne boards. Sorry. :(

[natalja]

An update: the acne like p&p outbreak / rash is gone again. I just continued the mirtazipine and after a few weeks with a rash, my skin is ok again lately. I would still advice flushers to give this med a try. It works very well on the flushing and has relatively little side effects.

Natalja

[janet_m]

Hi Francois,

I'm new here (this is my first post). I have had rosacea for quite a few years, but my depression and anxiety is my primary problem. I have been suffering from major clinical depression and anxiety for a little over a year. I have been on Lexapro for almost a year now, and it has not made my rosacea worse at all. I can say though that every time I have a relapse with my depression/anxiety, my face breaks out. The worse my depression gets, the worse my face breaks out.

I noticed that some people have said that the antidepressants work within a couple of weeks, but that certainly was not the case with me. I was on zoloft prior to the lexapro, and both of these meds took about 6 weeks to start working. I think that the SSRI type of antidepressants have to build up in your system before you begin to improve.

Take care :)

Janet

[redhotoz]

Hi Francois,

I'm new here (this is my first post). I have had rosacea for quite a few years, but my depression and anxiety is my primary problem. I have been suffering from major clinical depression and anxiety for a little over a year. I have been on Lexapro for almost a year now, and it has not made my rosacea worse at all. I can say though that every time I have a relapse with my depression/anxiety, my face breaks out. The worse my depression gets, the worse my face breaks out.

I noticed that some people have said that the antidepressants work within a couple of weeks, but that certainly was not the case with me. I was on zoloft prior to the lexapro, and both of these meds took about 6 weeks to start working. I think that the SSRI type of antidepressants have to build up in your system before you begin to improve.

Take care :)

Janet

Welcome to the Forum Janet!

I started taking Lexapro (Escitalopram) a week ago and was told by my GP that it would take 4 to 6 weeks to take effect. I must say, within a day or two, I noticed the difference. Maybe this is a placebo effect? I don't know but it has been the best thing for me. No noticable effect on my Rosacea, which is a good thing.

I posted in another thread and thought it might be a good idea to link it to this thread too:

http://forum.rosaceagroup.org/viewtopic.php?p=18869#18869

It seems that we all get that down and out feeling from time to time with Rosacea but sometimes it is more than that. I'm glad that we have eachother here to 'bounce' off!

Red