Anti-Anxiety/Anti-Depression - Chronic Headache Med

whoatherechunk · #1 01-15-2009, 09:21 PM

Sorry to make another one of these damn threads but sometimes I feel like the people at TB are my shoulder to fall on. If you know me....well i've been through a bit of hard times last year and this year. This time has been a process of rebirth and pretty much an attempt at a tabula rasa (clean slate) in my life. I've had some health issues and they have cleared up for the most part. The one thing that has clung onto me is my chronic headaches. My dr's tell me it's purely tension due to me being depressed and having severe anxiety. I've never felt the need to be on anti-dep/anx. meds but now i'm going to take them in the attempt to chill out and get back on track. The drug I am taking is Cymbalta. Anyone have experience with these types of meds? The Dr. tells me that it takes some time for them to actually take effect. Wish me luck.

MJ5150 · #2 01-15-2009, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoatherechunk

Wish me luck.

Rather than luck, I will wish you success in achieving whatever it is you desire from this treatment.

-Mike

whoatherechunk · #3 01-15-2009, 10:29 PM

thanks mike. i'll take it with me as a learning experience.

**MAJOR METAL** · #4 01-15-2009, 11:41 PM

All the best in your recovery, its a rough road that will lead to a better of quality of life. Live long and prosper.

Stumbo · #5 01-16-2009, 12:10 AM

My chronic headaches were related to various items at the same time that caused complications in figuring out exactly what was wrong:
1) eye glasses not being the right prescription - I needed specific prescriptions for computer, tv and driving.
2) undiagnosed problems with my teeth (needed root canal but no pain in teeth or gums, facial nerve that travels near gums got the brunt of it.
3) a minor, but painful untreated pulled muscle in my lower back - acupuncture/massage for 11 months and then chiropractic treatment for 6 months took care of 99% of this problem.
4) lack of oxygen while sleeping due to sleep apnea - a sleep study and a CPAP machine pretty much took care of this.
5) sensitivity to various supplements/herbals - I figured this out by reducing my diet to nothing but super bland, lo-cal, lo-carb, lo-protein, and water for a few days. Basically the minimum needed to survive and let my system clear out. I then started adding back what I usually ate and supplements/herbs I took until I figured out what was causing the problem.

I suggest keeping a "headache" log book (time, date, activity) and a diet log book. Maybe yoga might help. Back massages helped me as well. If there's a massage therapy school in your area, prices are usually reasonable.

If the headaches are continuing even after all your troubles have disappeared, shouldn't your headaches be going away as well? When did the headaches start? Have they been getting worse?

If the headaches are continuous I suggest asking for a referral to a neurologist so you can get some pics of your brain to see if there's anything going on.

I would also ask your Doc for a full blood work up including all vitamin levels. Deficiencies in certain vitamins may cause headaches.

Here's a good summary for Cymbalta info http://www.drugs.com/cymbalta.html

Good luck.

BTW, I took several anti-depressants for years only to find out later that it was my disturbed sleep that was causing my depressive type symptoms. I learned from that to keep digging into other causes that have similar symptoms to get to the bottom of why I was feeling so crappy.

whoatherechunk · #6 01-16-2009, 06:09 PM

good advice stumbo. thanks. basically the headache have started ever since my stomach issues began. my stomach issues have cleared up...but my headaches have not gone away. i got a ct scan of my head and everything came out negative. dr's are pretty sure it's stress related...dep/anx.....so maybe these drugs will help me out. i'm just going to be patient and try and be mentally strong.

Commreman · #7 01-16-2009, 10:34 PM

I had cluster headaches nearly 20 years ago that I thought would kill me. I would get up to seven per day, and they were blinding. Believe it or not, the combination of specific chiropractic for the top two vertabrae of my neck leading into my skull and a complete change of diet (no sugar or caffiene, nothing processed) cured them. This was after MRI's, CAT scans, and neurologists/neurosurgeons telling me that there was nothing that could be done other than taking a mountain of pills (which I refused to do).

In terms of your anxiety and depression issues, the best "drug" for me has always been a combination of endorphins and adrenaline. I am a runner, soccer player, and mountain biker. I also do body weight strength training, yoga, and meditation (hard to believe for an old guy from Joisey!) Getting all that fresh oxygen rushing throughout your body will do wonders for your other symptoms, improve your attitude, make you a lot more mentally clear and focused, and give you the added benefit of looking better in and out of your clothes.

In terms of focus, try this - develop an attitude of gratitude, no matter what. Be thankful for the headaches, because they are telling you that something inside is out of balance and needs to be addressed. Start simple - be thankful for the air you breathe, and that you are on the Earth instead of under it, and work out from there. All these steps have worked miracles in my life. Try it - you have nothing to lose but the headaches!

NJL · #8 01-16-2009, 10:40 PM

try to work out as often as you can

make sure you're hydrated.. most people are dehydrated all the time..

good luck and as always, keep your head up, but your chin down

whoatherechunk · #9 02-03-2009, 10:30 PM

i got an MRI today....sounded like the DJ band Justice was playing! hahaha. those noises were totally reminding me of synths hahahaha.

excane · #10 02-06-2009, 11:55 AM

I would ask your doctor about benzodiazepines, first for the anxiety. They are the class of drugs that diazepam (valium), lorazepam (ativan), and alprazolam (xanax) fall under.

If I recall, Cymbalta is an SNRI, not a SSRI. There can be wide ranging side effects and numerous differences depending on how your body reacts to each one. Discuss each option with your doctor.

excane · #11 02-06-2009, 11:58 AM

I should add, that SSRI's and SNRI's DO take time to work (weeks, months)

Benzodiazepines are a controlled substance and work immediately. They are used for different purposes.

DudeistMonk · #12 02-06-2009, 12:04 PM

Quote:

I had cluster headaches nearly 20 years ago that I thought would kill me. I would get up to seven per day, and they were blinding. Believe it or not, the combination of specific chiropractic for the top two vertabrae of my neck leading into my skull and a complete change of diet (no sugar or caffiene, nothing processed) cured them. This was after MRI's, CAT scans, and neurologists/neurosurgeons telling me that there was nothing that could be done other than taking a mountain of pills (which I refused to do).

I dunno if you are aware but there is a drug that supposedly effectively cures cluster headaches (LSD)...but its highly illegal and no doctor could prescribe it post 1965. That wouldn't stop me if I had cluster headaches though.

blueskid · #13 02-06-2009, 12:16 PM

i really love cymbalta, it has helped my generalized anxiety. i also take benzodiazepines, but that don't last all day. either way, the cymbalta has helped with the depression the anxiety and the random aches and pains that they caused. it may take a bit, but it has been totally worth it for me, and for the other people i know on it.

MatticusMania · #14 02-06-2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoatherechunk

i got an MRI today....sounded like the DJ band Justice was playing! hahaha. those noises were totally reminding me of synths hahahaha.

No way?! That sounds awesome, almost makes me want an MRI. I can only imagine laying on a gurney and tripping to Justice and a bunch of crazy lights!!!

**Eric Perry** · #15 02-06-2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by excane

I would ask your doctor about benzodiazepines, first for the anxiety. They are the class of drugs that diazepam (valium), lorazepam (ativan), and alprazolam (xanax) fall under.

If I recall, Cymbalta is an SNRI, not a SSRI. There can be wide ranging side effects and numerous differences depending on how your body reacts to each one. Discuss each option with your doctor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by excane

I should add, that SSRI's and SNRI's DO take time to work (weeks, months)

Benzodiazepines are a controlled substance and work immediately. They are used for different purposes.

All well said. Cymbalta is an SNRI. There are a host of side-effects, but they are generally rare, compared to placebos, in double-blind trials.

I personally am not a fan of benzos unless there's an issue of acute anxiety issues. They can be highly addictive, and lose efficacy over time, leading a need to titrate the dosage up.

Depressive and anxiety sx co-exist pretty frequently. Trying an antidepressant first is common practice (again, assuming there's no acute anxiety attacks, etc... In this case, an anxiolytic is certainly merited).

As excane stated, expected 2-3 weeks to notice any change, and up to 6 weeks to reach full efficacy. Don't give up on it after a few weeks if it's not addressing any sx. Give it the time it needs.

excane · #16 02-06-2009, 01:25 PM

^^ Good info as well.

I will add one more tidbit....I personally would stay away from tri-cyclic antidepressants. These are one of the oldest class of drugs of this type and usually carry the highest number of adverse side effects. (Of course check with your doctor)

One of the more popular TCA's being clomipramine (brand name anafranil) used most commonly for depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Having the "new wave" of SSRI's have shown significant reduction in unwanted side effects, reducing the need for resorting to the TCA's.

coreyfyfe · #17 02-06-2009, 01:44 PM

Give Cymbalta some time to work. That class of drugs take some time, but they can help once you find the one that works for you. My girlfriend went through a few before she found one that helped her anxiety.

I wouldn't recommend the benzos unless you go through everything else first. Personally I'm of the belief that SSRI/SNRI type drugs make more sense for this type of disorder than tranquilizers.

Of the people I know personally who take/took SSRI/SNRI type drugs, the side-effects were very mild or negligeble enough not to be noticed. When coming off the medications my girlfriend had a lot of issues with what they call "shock-sensations", where she would have little spans of time where she felt like her face was getting zapped, but it went away fairly quickly.

kickstand22 · #18 02-06-2009, 02:40 PM

Dang.........you guys have a lot of good info.
As with any medication, they all have a s-load of side effects, and if you read them all.....you probably wouldn't take the med. Plan on getting chilled and not taking it for a long time. When you're ready to get off of it, tell your doc and get off of it gradually as Corey mentioned. Good luck with it all!!

Kickstand RPh

kickstand22 · #19 02-06-2009, 02:46 PM

When did you yahoo's get so smart? I'm very impressed the knowledge/advice.

Kickstand RPh

excane · #20 02-06-2009, 02:59 PM

We're occasionally good for something.

I still fail.