Med Induced Depression?

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Med Induced Depression?

Postby meg » Jan 11, 2005 8:27 am

I am curious to have some opinions about Reglan and depression. I have taken the max daily dosage of Reglan, via sub-q pump and now orally, for 14 wks or so. I also took it orally for about the same length of time with my previous pregnancy. My question is this: if the Reglan didn't seem to cause depression when I began taking it, could it be the cause of the depression that has suddenly hit me in the past few weeks? I want to know because I am considering weaning myself off of it. I certainly had some dark moments in the worst part of my HG, weeks 8 to 15, but it wasn't pervassive. Since Christmas I have been pretty gloomy off and on and it is getting to be more on that off. I know this is going to sound a little crazy, but it feels chemical. I can disassociate myself from feeling depressed and say to myself, "Oh, you just think that because you're depressed." It's very strange! I also notice that my mood lifts a bit in the evening when I usually feel my best and often forget to take my Reglan until I start to feel pukey after dinner. Then my mood seems to descend again. I don't know if this is because my emotional state is so closely linked to my physical state or because there is a connection between the blues and the Reglan. I asked my dr for a referral to a therapist and she said she would ask around and try to find someone that has some experience with HG or at least depression in conjunction with pregnancy complications/illness. She blamed the Reglan but didn't really want me to wean. (Recently I missed a few doses, feeling good, and suffered a few days of nasty rebound!) I was hoping that the stress of Christmas and the mild dehydration I was suffering then was the cause of the blues but it doesn't seem to be the case... Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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depression and reglan

Postby IslandDreamer » Jan 11, 2005 9:53 am

Hi Meg,

Sorry to hear that depression is an issue for you sometimes. I think it's possible it's the reglan, but I couldn't say for sure. I have a history of depression (ppd, etc.) and IV reglan in the ER cause hallucinations and a panic attack. But that's with a past history.

I think any time we change our chemistry...starting or stopping a med, it's possible to induce depression. Also, there is a statistically higher instance of perinatal depression with moms suffering from hg...I don't know if it's been clarified whether that is situational (being miserable and isolated), chemical (dehydration, etc.), or both. I would think both. And the general depletion of a "normal" pregnancy can depress healthy moms, so add the huge depletion of our pgs, and depression is even more possible.

I know I didn't answer your question, but I would watch your symptoms, maybe log them, and I will also look for some links for you.

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Postby meg » Jan 11, 2005 12:28 pm

Suzanne,

Thanks for your reply. I had a long conversation with my Dr about this at my last appt and I think its just one of the many frustrating things about HG. Not to mention if you look at symptoms of depression, physcial and behavorial, so many of the questions I answer yes to could be caused by HG or Reglan or depression. Reglan, for instance, can cause stomach pain as can HG as can depression. Depression can result in deep fatigue as can HG as can Reglan. And as we all know HG can interfere with your ability to function in your everday life as can depression and I am beginning to think Reglan! As I said, it's very confusing and a vicious circle. I think I am going to try to wean myself off the Reglan very slowly and see how it goes. If I don't start losing weight or getting dehydrated, I think it might be the best thing for me. I also just read somewhere that Reglan crosses the placenta quite readily in the last trimester and as I am 24 weeks and fast approaching that marker I felt a little less at ease about taking it. I'll keep you posted.
Hugs,
Meg

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Postby jjbeck » Jan 11, 2005 1:48 pm

" I know this is going to sound a little crazy, but it feels chemical. I can disassociate myself from feeling depressed and say to myself, "Oh, you just think that because you're depressed." It's very strange! "

I dont think that sounds crazy. I used to and still feel that way with certain meds. Reglan was certainly one of them . I had my first panic attack from one of the antimetics commonly used for emesis. The first time I had HG, many of the meds I tried triggered anxiety as well as insomnia which made me feel more depressed. I dont know that it caused my depresssion, but I am 100% certain that it was one of the more significant factors. Many meds can contribute to depression as well as anxiety. Including antianxiety meds.
Maybe the hormonal changes and feeling so physically horrible makes us more sensitive to meds.

Good luck and I hope that you feel better.
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Postby Vicki » Jan 11, 2005 1:49 pm

Hi Meg,
I too am on Reglan (although it is just called metoclopromide or Maxalon in the UK). I have also started to become depressed. I have never sufferred from this before, however I recognise it as my dh suffers with it and has been on and off medication for it.
I am not as bad as him, because like you, I can tell myself that I am depressed whereas he just has to go and sleep, or have a cry.
I am only taking the one medication so I am sure that that is the problem. I too don't want to stop taking it though because I felt better, stopped it for a couple of days and then had to go back inot hospital for rehydration because of all the vomiting.
I am not tired though, rather I cannot sleep. Most nights I am awake from 3am to about 6am and then I throw up and go back to sleep.
I also have a really short temper at the moment and if my neighbours play their heavy metal music one more time I am going to get dressed in my uniform (I am a police officer, but am off sick), go round there and confiscate their stereo. Not a normal response for me! In fact dh has hidden my badge!
Anyway sorry for the rambling, but am feeling a wee bit strange today. If you find anything that helps please let me know as I don;t want to stop my drugs just yet.

Love

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Postby meg » Jan 11, 2005 9:33 pm

Jen and Vicki,

Thank you so much for your posts. I skipped one of my doses of Reglan today and will see how it goes. I am hoping that if I go slowly things will go OK. I really appreciate your input.

Jen, I am glad you could relate to the "chemical" feeling I have. It is really like nothing I've experienced before.

Vicki, my husband suffers from depression, too. I think that's what scares me the most about feeling this way -- I've really seen how he suffers and I don't want to go down that road if I can avoid it. It is really scaring my husband to see this happen to me over the past few weeks. I hope that things go well for you. I will keep you posted on how things go for me or if I find a good substitute for the Reglan.
Hugs,
Meg

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Postby jjbeck » Jan 11, 2005 9:42 pm

Hi Meg. I am not sure how many meds there are for motility other than reglan and domperidone ( motilium). I have heard the domperidone has very few side effects, the problem is it is not FDA approved.

As far as that horrible chem feeling, I feel that way w/ most of the antimetics that are the antihistimines too. Benedryl, unisom etc.

As far as the HG, the only drug that has really helped w/o having a neuro effect of any kind was the prednisone.
Ambien for some reason helped the nausea and sleep a great deal, but increases the risk of depression.
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Postby meg » Jan 12, 2005 3:56 pm

Well, I've only skipped one dose -- yesterday at dinner -- and so far... mixed results. My mood is better today but I really think it is a combination of having the morning to myself, without kids, a rarity and the fact that it is nearly sixty degrees here today and this afternoon the sun came out, another rarity! :) I think its too early and I'm still taking too much Reglan to see any actual mood improvement related to the med itself. However, I have vomitted a few times and this afternoon I have terrible stomach cramping. I'm not sure why. I also felt AWFUL when I woke up this morning. :( On the other hand I have a nasty cold at the moment and I think the post nasal drip is contributing to my nausea and vomitting. I'm going to stick it out a few more days and see if I notice any improvement. Or, I guess if things get worse, I'll go back on my full dose of Reglan. Either way, I'll let you know.
Hugs,
Meg

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Postby meg » Jan 13, 2005 3:23 pm

Things aren't going well. I have had increasing nausea, dizziness and now vomitting since skipping my initial dose yesterday. I was hoping that my cold was the culprit but I am not suffering from my cold to the same extent as these all too familiar HG symptoms. I had a similar experience the first time I tried to wean from my Reglan sub-q pump. It was just too early. I guess I'll have to hope that some therapy can alleviate these "blue" feelings because I can't take care of my kids feeling like I do without my full dose of Reglan. This situation is really making me angry. :evil: I am tired of HG. I'm tired of this medication and all the others. I'm tired of having to choose between the lesser of two evils. Constipation or nausea? Vomitting or depression? How do people do this? So many of you have it so much worse than me!!! How have I done this in the past? I just can't wait to meet this baby and hold him or her and feel all that love so I can let all this misery go.
Hugs,
Meg

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Postby Vicki » Jan 13, 2005 4:14 pm

Oh Meg,
I am so sorry that you are feeling ill again. You are right, there is no easy way to chose between which way you want to feel bad, depressed or vomiting?
I personally would choose depression , at the moment that is. The reglan doesn't seem to affect me all the time, it just makes my reactions extreme to emotional stimuli. I do think that it is causing the insomnia though. What I would give for a good nights sleep.
I missed my afternoon does this afternoon by accident (or maybe it was out of sympathy for you!) and it only took about 3 hours for me to feel nasty and sick again.
Ah well, it looks like we have a bit longer on the old meds then.

Best wishes and I hope you feel better (sickness wise) soon. I don't know what to say about the depression, just that I will say a happy prayer for you whilst I am awake all night :roll:

Vicki
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Postby meg » Jan 14, 2005 11:12 am

Vicki,

Thanks for your post and the happy prayer. I wish you could sleep. I had terrible insomnia in the earlier weeks of my pregnancy which I blamed on my Zofran. It was awful because I really didn't feel well enough to read and even TV made my head swim a lot of the time so I was forced to just lay sleepless and exhausted. Between the evils of insomnia and fatique, at the moment, I'll take fatique. I suppose I, too, am choosing depression over vomitting at the moment. As you said, the depression isn't constant. Also my doctor gave me a referral to a therapist and I'm going to use it. If nothing else someone will have to talk to me for an hour a week -- lol.

I'm just amazed how dependent I am on the Reglan at nearly 25 weeks that two missed doses could affect me so dramatically! This pregnancy is the best managed of my three in that I've had the fewest trips to the ER and my weight loss was corrected and now I've actually seen a healthy gain. However, it is also the sickest of my pgs. I guess I'd just like to be well, rather than managed. Who wouldn't? :)
Hugs,
Meg

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Postby izhak » Jan 15, 2005 11:00 pm

Just wanted to say thanks. I guess this explains why my DW is sleeping as much as our dog (actually more). :)

One portion of her meds cocktail is Maxeran (Reglan). She is taking 10mg 4 times/day.

Just the other day she commented that she does not know why she is sleeping so much. We had suspected the meds, but I guess now we can most likely blame it on Maxeran (Reglan).

Obviously we will take sleeping over the vomit and nausea any day.

From your experiences, does the depression get worse as time goes by? She has more or less been on this since around week 7. She is now 17 completed weeks.
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Postby meg » Jan 16, 2005 10:28 am

Izhak,

I am glad that my experience helped you to understand more about your wife's own sleepiness. Yes, I agree, I would take sleep over vomitting and nausea any day. It is very difficult to always feel sleepy and no be able to sleep, though, which I can't often do because I have two small children!

Anyway, I took Reglan by mouth for about a 14 wk period with my 2nd pg and had no depression. I mean I suffered from the occasional blues, but nothing pervassive. What HGer doesn't suffer a dark day now and again, right? This pg I have taken Reglan either via sub-q pump or orally since I believe wk 8, although my husband thinks wk 6... At any rate, it wasn't until Christmas that I started to notice any problems with depression. I should say that the holidays were very stressful for me and I tried to do too much and I payed the price with extreme fatique and nausea and vomitting. I have improved since Christmas physcially, but the blues seem to have stuck with me.

I hope this answers your question. Good luck to you and your wife.
Hugs,
Meg

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Postby BlueEeyore » Jan 16, 2005 10:42 pm

I haven't read all the replies, but here's my $0.02:

When I was on reglan for my first HG pregnancy, I became very depressed and very exhausted. My husband would come home and ask what he could get me and I always replied, "a loaded gun." I don't think I would have killed myself, but I didn't care if I lived or died, to be honest.

This pregnancy, I have HG again. I refused reglan. While the HG does get me down and I am tired, it is nothing like how I felt on reglan. I called Matria, a home health agency that deals with HG, and asked them if there was a link. They said absolutely. Their protocol is to avoid giving any woman with a history of depression any reglan at all.

Reglan can also be used to promote milk supply in lactating women. I've talked to a few women who used it for that purpose only (they did NOT have HG) and they also reported depression - from mild to very severe. One reported the depressiong subsided when she stopped taking the drug.

Frustrating, isn't it?
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Postby kirsty » Jan 17, 2005 1:19 am

i am interested in a connection with reglan and milk supply.
how many here have had an over abundance of milk?
I always had enough for triplets. too much for one baby
anyone else?
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Postby meg » Jan 17, 2005 7:47 pm

Kirsty, I used Reglan in my last pg as well as this one and I, too, had enough milk for triplets! To be honest, though, I was like that with my first pg, too, and I took no Reglan then.

BlueEyeore, it is very frustrating. I don't actually have a history of depression and this wasn't a problem for me in my previous pg so I wasn't too concerned about taking Reglan this time but here I am.
Hugs,
Meg

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Reglan

Postby IslandDreamer » Jan 17, 2005 8:12 pm

Hi Meg,

Ugh, Reglan. I'm sorry it is giving you yucky side effects. Yup, depression over vomitting was my choice too, but it's a miserable choice, without a doubt.

When I first responded, I was hesitant to blame Reglan for anything but really suspected it could be the culprit. But from further reading and these posts, yup, seems a connection :wink: . Geez, surprise. The antiemetics make us feel gross...great.... :roll:

And I cannot believe anyone stays awake with HG :shock: . I slept like a puppy both times...a very uncomfortable puppy as I had contant intense nausea. But wakefulness? Ugh...just to enjoy all the nausea????????? :oops:

Hope things improve.
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Postby meg » Jan 20, 2005 8:19 am

Well, I have accidentally given up my bedtime dose of Reglan. I have a nasty cold and I've fallen asleep early for the past several days. My DH ususally wakes me with my bill when he comes to bed if this happens but he couldn't wake me enough to make me cooperate the first night and just skipped it after that. While skipping my "dinner" pill really made me nauseous and caused a return of my vomitting, skipping the bedtime dose seems to have no ill effect. And, despite my cold, my mood is a bit improved over the past few days. I'm exhausted and achy and cranky but not so deeply unhappy. Maybe I just don't have the energy -- lol. Just wanted to keep everyone posted.
Hugs,
Meg

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Postby BlueEeyore » Jan 21, 2005 7:35 pm

During my first pregnancy, when I took reglan, my breasts started leaking at 20 weeks. I had to wear nursing pads constantly and I continued to leak (and soak the bed) after my dd was born for about 15 months. (I did nurse her during that time, so it wasn't like my body refused to dry up. But I had plenty of milk!

Reglan also causes exhaustion. I am exhausted enough with HG. And while sleep is a nice escape, it's nicer to get better control of the nausea and be somewhat alert.
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Postby jjbeck » Jan 21, 2005 8:33 pm

Gosh, I would have loved it if Reglan caused exhaustion. For me, it causes extreme aggitation and sleeplessness. It was horrible. One of the worse drugs I have ever taken.
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