Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Anti-depressants & training
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
I'm signed up for this years VLM, I was put back on beta blockers a couple of months ago and it took a while for body to adjust, now I'm also on citalopram (2 days) and I feel so weak and wiped out that although I was enjoying getting out and trying to follow a training plan I just don't have the energy!
Any experience with how long it takes to adjust?
Also the feeling that I don't want to do anything else so therefore I shouldn't go running anyway!
Time being short I'm now wondering if it's all doable!
Hi all
Not been on site for a few years or run in that period for that matter. have been off a/ds for most of that time but lately getting to the stage I need to go back to docs. Usual symptoms no sleep, no motivation everything is a struggle.
Diggin-Deep forum has always been very friendly and most a/ds take a week or two to for you to adapt and any side effects usually wear off in that time period.
Hi all, hope its ok to add to the thread.
I'm currently doing a postgraduate masters degree in Sport and Health Sciences, with a special interest in how exercise affects people with mild depression.
I'm starting a dissertation and i'm particularly interested in how people with mild depression manage their medication, and how they feel exercising adds to their treatment. I would love to hear your views and opinions about whether you would(have) consider(ed) using exercise/running as an addition to antidepressant treatment, or whether you have approached your GP about exercise-related treatment.
Many thanks for your time and thank you in advance to anyone who responds.
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Hi all, to everyone out there also suffering I wish you all the best as I know everyday is a battle and even doing things you used to enjoy can take alot of willpower to get out there and do but it is a battle that can be won.
To Charlotte, I am not sure if you are still looking for views/opinions for your dissertation? but am happy to add to the discussion regarding exercise as a treatment if it would help as it is something my GP encouraged and I am finding helps along with the medication
Anyways, get yourself out tomorrow, drink lots of water and do all the things runners do. The 23rd will roll around and you'll probably have a finishers medal and be unable to walk.
I laughed at your bear, good to hear it's not the most accurate description of the two!
I recognise the arc, I feel reassured that you seem to have found a calm acceptance.
Thanks for the hugs, I've saved the kick for tomorrow.
I'll do my best to follow all the rules and hope for a better run
I finally gave up on managing it myself, and went and asked for some tablets this week. Popped my first Citalopram today (though, weirdly, feeling better since I got the prescription on Monday) and now thinking, with a marathon 3 days away, that this is a rather foolish thing to do.
I've held on for 6 months without these. I can definitely manage another 3 days. Digestion problems halfway round Edinburgh doesn't sound fun.
Its a low dose. I've found even that has a strong effect on my mood in the past. The thing is - a few days of feeling good - or at least better - I want that to be the norm, not the other feelings...
Feeling a bit woozy already, but it might just be psychosomatic.
I'd imagine your best bet would be to discuss your fears with your GP - could you perhaps just request a phone consult?
If it was me I would probably consider holding off on the new meds until Monday but it depends whether you feel the delay would be detrimental. I would imagine it wouldn't make much difference as it usually takes 2-3 weeks for SSRIs to start improving mood - most side effects wear off but perhaps not in 3 days.
I am not a doctor and am just giving my opinion.
Good luck with Edinburgh (see you there!!)
EDIT to add I don't think it's weird that you've been feeling better since getting the prescription - you've been feeling low and hopeless and horrible for a while and now you've been given hope that things will improve again on a prescription pad...makes sense to me!
Hi SOLB,
Thank you! It possibly did take some reflection to admit I wanted some help. Its never easy to do that. Your post shows a lot of understanding, which is always appreciated (and its nice to get a response!)
My GP was a bit ho..hum about me going on these anyway (she's actually very good with mental health issues), as we both agreed a lot of this is situational, rather than chronic. That said, I have been here before a few times. She'd be fine about me holding off - she wasn't sure about me taking them at all. And I can do three days. If the improved feelings continue I might even be able to keep going longer.
And, having popped one yesterday and been twitching, tensing and clamping my jaw all last night (not to mention the digestive joys attached) I'm actually not so keen on this avenue after all. I don't remember this happening quite so much last time! Maybe I've just forgotten. This is not how I want to experience Edinburgh.
I had been taking rhodiola for a while. Its a herbal supplement, similar to St. John's Wort but without so many reported side-effects (I am not qualified to recommend it in any way
). I'd been thinking it wasn't working, but I took it so sporadically that its not surprising it didn't. Maybe its time to actually try taking that in a structured, organised way before going back along this route.
Well, not long now. And good luck with Edinburgh yourself (thanks for the wishes)! You going for a particular time, or just get round?
Hi Ian & SOLB,
Hope you both have good runs in Edinburgh. I'm doing it too and looking forward to the weekend away - not caring about time this year!
Ian - I'm on Citalopram and having taken Sertraline in the past I found the Citalopram far easier to get used to. I didn't have the 'space cadet' feelings that I did when starting on the previous meds.
At a point now where I'm thinking about coming off them again but will need to consult with my GP. Did a good 6 months on Sertraline before and then stopped it, managed a few months (depression free), then cracked up last October while on hols - couldn't cope with flying, wanted to be at home in all honesty, couldn't cope with the crowds and the tubes when we flew from Berlin (our first port of call) to London, and was very anxious all the time about the next journey. Was diagnosed with general anxiety at that time.
I'm now in the throes of moving house, finishing a part-time Masters, having an inspection at work and am dealing with it all very well (& I coped with a trip to London last weekend for the football). I had hypnotherapy and feel that it's what's helped me more than anything.
Anyway, hope you both enjoy your run at the weekend. Will be thinking of you.
I know taking anti-depressants still has some stigma, and some people even see it as being a bit self-indulgent or weak. Personally I don't even think about it anymore. These kind of illnesses are an unpleasant pain in the arse. It makes absolute sense to use whatever is available to mitigate against the extreme and reductive effects they can have.
Really to all intents and purposes I am absolutely fine. And that's a balance I'm adept at keeping. I'd tried sertraline and prozac many years ago, but they didn't work for me. It's often a case of finding the right thing. I do think therapy can be very productive as well, but sadly provision on the NHS is limited and can be a bit hit and miss.
Anyway good luck, hope all concerned enjoy their running.
Hi Clag, JT41,
Thanks for the good wishes. And good luck with Edinburgh too, Clag!
Yup, the joys of the SSRI family. I've met one or two of them myself. So much better than the alternative, though. But, you're right, not right now... Not for a few days, at least.
It isn't the stigma that stops me, btw - I work in mental health myself so I'm a big believer in fighting that. And I'd say therapy can be very productive - but I'm somewhat biased. Good luck at keeping that balance, JT41 - its a toughie.
So - this time tomorrow...
Are you having a tough time SOLB?
I have personally found hypnotherapy to be of benefit. My GP suggested counselling which I went for and the counsellor suggested TFT (Thought Field Therapy) and the LLTTF website. I personally didn't find the website particularly helpful - think it's because I've made use of it myself with students and therefore have preconceived ideas about it, also the time factor in completing the 'workbooks' was not something I relished.
I went for TFT which was designed to help me with anxiety, and to some extent it was useful. The therapist also suggested hypnotherapy as he felt this may be of more benefit to me as he thought that perhaps there was a deeper routed cause of the anxiety and previous depression. I have found it to greatly help me in relaxing. Day to day I'm calmer and more confident, and I can use self hypnosis to relax at any time (this was all done over 2 sessions and through a free CD that he gave me to use at home as and when I wish). I'm in the throes of reducing my Citalopram which given that I've moved house and had some significant stuff going on at work I think is a good sign.
Hope you find something that helps you out.
I'll have a look at TFT and the website you mentioned, got to be worth a shot.
I think I would feel too vulnerable if I tried hypnotherapy so I'll probably avoid that for now. Thanks for the suggestion though.
Yes I'm really struggling, things haven't been this bad in a very long time. I had been using running as a coping strategy but a heart problem is preventing me from exercising. I'm really stuck now; I have no other safe ways to get through this.
Congrats on being able to reduce the Citalopram, that's really fantastic.
Thanks SOLB - hopefully it'll be a longer lasting thing. I was previously on Sertraline, managed to come off it for about 4 months and then went onto Citalopram. I do wonder sometimes if now that I've started on these drugs it'd be better just continuing as at least I'm well balanced while on them.
That's not good news re your heart problem. Are you able to do gentle exercise such as walking? I know it's not the same as running but it can help to get out and about.
The LLTTF website, I've just remembered, also has a forum and you may well find that helpful for suggestions as to what else to try to cope. Good luck with it! And don't feel you've got to stop posting here - you're welcome running or not.
Other safe ways - yoga. Go for a beginners and ideally one based around relaxation and breathing more than stretching (or a bit of both). Although that is exercise-related.
Or look for relaxation CDs (the spoken word type, not the floaty dolphin pan-pipe crap) that can be used along similar lines to hypnosis but not as deep, and there's nobody there with you to worry about (and you can listen to it first and check its okay).
I've used meditation in the past, but sort of lost touch with it recently. I would like to do it again.
Don't despair, it is hard initially but your body is eventually able to function through it.
I trained for and ran a marathon on 350mg of Quetiapine and 150mg Sertraline daily. There were a few tough days as you'd expect but not impossible at all. Stick at it, you can do this.
(Keep taking the meds regularly, missing doses drags out the initial period of side-effects)
I'm just coming out of a bad patch, just need to drag myself over the parapet and things will get better.
How about you honey?
x
I haven't been able to run for a few months cos I couldn't go outside and my living room isn't big enough to turn into a track. I'm getting there now though. The big bad world doesn't seem quite so big and bad now, the doors are unlocked and I've had people in so am hoping to go for an amble in the next few weeks.
Being stuck in going crazy has been horrible but it has it's advantages cos the enforced rest might have improved my cardiac function/blood sugar problem. I'm quite optimistic about returning to running soon.
I was supposed to be running Chippenham half but will have to waste the place instead
How about you? Do you have much on?
x
Ouch I just Googled 'sciatic and Ulcerative Colitis' sounds terrible, poor little kitten. I'm deeply impressed you've managed to keep things ambling along.
I'll get thinking of something to add a smile to the routine
x