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Anyone using medication for COVID-related anxiety and/or depression?
I tried Zoloft, Escitalopram which worked somewhat, but the Citralopram, and a few other made my already racing heart crazy! It's a double-edged sword for us.
I read online that Covid, as we all know is an inflammatory / immune nightmare, creating pain, and host of symptoms that Duloxetine, which is for anxiety/depression and pain has helped a lot of people.
Also, since Covid affects our nerve endings, for those folks that get the awful nerve sensations that want to make you jump out of your skin, Gabapentin helps.
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Cymbalta has helped me.
@mitfit - did it take away your anxiety/depression completely?
Covid set off an anxiety nightmare for me and I lost over 25 lbs. Given I was slim to begin with this is NOT good and I'm down to 95 lbs wet. The wind could blow me away. At 5'4" I normally weighed a healthy 125 lbs.
I'm so scared. I eat every hour and can't gain back the weight and I'm sure all this worry, pain, and feeling so overwhelmed in feeling ill doesn't help.
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6 ReactionsOh my gosh! You sound like me. Like you, I have always been slim, but never like I am now. I worry about it constantly. I eat but the weight is not coming back. I had Covid and also complications from total hip replacement surgery (pulmonary embolisms). I am 108 and usually weigh 126. I am 5’ 7” and none of my clothes fit. What do we do???
Ugh. . . I would love to be 108. I was an Exec Ass't to Presidents and VP's of a very large company and LOVED my job, my beautiful office and I had to result to working from home because all my beautiful clothes would drop off my hips to the floor. I look terrible. I had to take all my casual clothes I would wear for hiking, working in the yard and take them all in the back.
Dr. said if I lose anymore weight I'll need a feeding tube! What causing our weight is our extreme 'flight or flight" mode and adrenaline burning off our food. This happened to me in he 80's when I was under a lot of stress due to a divorce, loss in family member. Back then, I just took Zoloft and 6 mos later I felt fabulous and weight was back.
I tried Zoloft again but no luck. This Covid beast is strong and different in reeking havoc in ou body and mind. We do need to take an anti-depressant though. Someone just replied and said they are taking Duloxetine. Have you tried it?
Have you tried any meds?
@mitfit - thanks for the {{hug}} you sent. Not sure if you saw my question. Did the cymbalta help get rid of your anxiety/depression?
Yes, the Cymbalta helped with the anxiety and depression and actually gave me a bit of energy. I started at 10mg and went to 20. My niece also had a good experience with this medicine.
Thanks for the reply. I'm OK with my energy, but my mind is racing with fear over this Covid beast within us and as my note said I lost over 25 lbs and can see my ribs. Do you also get the internal trembling and shaking? It's so bad in the morning, every morning immediately upon awakening. If so, I hope it helps with that also.
I'm going to talk to a Neurologist today also about taking propranolol for the racing heart which someone on this forum said it helps. I researched online and it said it also helps with anxiety and fight or flight mode.
Just curious, did you also try Propranolol? Quite possibly you don't have the racing heart issues where you feel like your heart is jumping out of your chest.
I'm so glad we are all here to help on another. We are all we got and need to be our own advocates since most Docs think it's all in our heads and just anxiety.
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1 ReactionHas anyone tried medical marijuana for anxiety? I’ve heard it helped soldiers with PTSD that wanted an alternative to pills.
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1 ReactionI so understand how you feel. I had Covid early 2020. I was debilitating sick for two years. Lost 30 pounds, down to 74 at the worst, 5'2'. Gained a little the last 6 months but still 89 lbs; used to be skinny at 108 lbs. All my muscles are atrophied and I am so weak. Naturally I was in the worst mental state. I was put on a low dose of Zyprexa to address the depression and to increase weight, that is how I gained ab. little. For the extreme anxiety I took a probiotic, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus. There are plenty of studies describing its effect on anxiety and the gut. It really helped the anxiety. I hope you can get it, I am so glad I found it.
All the best to you!
@yasmineseropian - have you considered an Rx for Propranolol? In reading many of the posts on this forum for Long Term Covid, many folks who talk about the internal trembling and racing heart (that's me) said it really helps. In reading it up online it indicates it's also very helpful with anxiety and 'flight & fight" mode - that's me as well 24/7 and I can't seem to get my mind and body of this state.