Suggest Treatment To Cure Anxiety And Depression

Posted on Sat, 3 May 2014

Question: I am 71 and 5ft6 and weight 258. I have had a problem for years with anxiety and I guess depression, I do not feel like doing anything, I sleep a lot , I have been retired for 19 years, I drove a truck for 31 years. I had a part time job for about 5 years after retiring, but quit not feeling up to it anymore, I have no hobbies, I just sit most days and watch tv or mess with my tablet or sleep. I just don't feel like I want to do anything! I have had blood work done,-- when this first started several years back I would wake up in the night in a panic. my doc wants to put me on fetzima, but after reading all the side effects and several reviews I am leary of trying it, I have had the high pulse and blood pressure and take medicine. I am at my the end of my rope and need help, but ,like I said I am afraid of this new medicine, I have been on celexa for several years. thank you XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar (32 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Need some clarification... Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query. I understand that you are going through a difficult time due to your problems. I would like to have some things clarified so that I can advise you better... 1) What medicines do you take for your hypertension and thyroid problem? (This is to check if any of these could react with Fetzima) 2) Other than Celexa, have you been on any other psychiatric medication so far? If so, what medicine and for how long? What was the response? 3) Do you have any specific heart or kidney disease? Please get back to me with this information, and we can take it from there. Wish you all the best. Regards, Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar MBBS, DPM, MRCPsych.(U.K.) Consultant Psychiatrist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar (28 minutes later)

I have tried other meds, but they didn't seem to work. i take triat-hctz75.50-synthroid, metetopral, doxazosin

Answered by Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar (2 days later)

Brief Answer: Caution in persons with high BP and pulse rate... Detailed Answer: Hello again and thanks for the clarifications. Fetzima is the brand name of a medication called Levomilnacipran. It is an antidepressant belonging to a class of antidepressants called SNRIs (Serotonin and Nor-epinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors). It is usually used as a 'second line' antidepressant - what this means is that it is generally prescribed when other common antidepressants fail to work. The advantage of Fetzima over the other commonly prescribed antidepressants called SSRIs is that Fetzima acts on two different brain chemical receptors - namely Serotonin and Nor-epinephrine. So, it is considered to be slightly more effective. Since you have mentioned that you have already been on different medicines before and that they were not very effective, this may be the reason why your doctor had decided to stsrt you on Fetzima. However, you should remember that like any medication, Fetzima can also has a few side effects. Usually ony very few people experience these side effects and they are mostly mild and temporary. So, you needn't be scared about the side effects, but it is good to be aware of them so that you will be able to identify any problem early in case it occurs. The common side effects are nausea, gastric irritation, sweating, palpitations, etc. The other thing important thing to keep in mind is that this medication has to be used with caution in people with Hypertension (high BP) and high pulse rate. This is because Fetzima can have a side effect of increasing the blood pressure and pulse rate. You have mentioned that you have been diagnosed to have hypertension and are on medication for that. So, I would suggest that you check if your blood pressure and pulse rate is well controlled before you start Fetzima. Wish you good health. Regards, Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar MBBS, DPM, MRCPsych.(U.K.) Consultant Psychiatrist

Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar