1. Community
  2. Skin and nails
  3. Urticarial Rash

Depression and Uriticaria

Posted , 5 users are following.

Meemaw29
Meemaw29

I'm curious to know what medications seem to be working to control the anxiety and depression that we all experience.   I had to discontinue the Doxepin due to the effect it was causing on my joint pain.   I am on Venlifaxin daily but it's just not working well enough.  Looking for advice before I see my doctor again tomorrow for my fourth series of Xolair injections.  Thank you!  

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • julia36103
    julia36103 Meemaw29

    Posted

    I actually take Ativan for my anxiety. Seems to work very well for me. And is on a need basis so don’t need to take everyday if I don’t need too...  After trying other meds for that I prefer this one. Of course it’s what you and your dr feel is appropriate for you. Good luck to you ❤️
    • Meemaw29
      Meemaw29 julia36103

      Posted

      Thank you Julia...........you're right, everybody is different.  

    • Meemaw29
      Meemaw29 julia36103

      Posted

      I got my Xolair injections today....and I told my doctor about all the muscle/joint overall body pain I have been having the first couple of weeks after my injections for the last couple of months.  For once, he didn't seem very sympathetic today and was definitely not interested in hearing about my weight gain or hair loss.  He does want to do a metabolic blood work up to make sure that the Xolair isn't causing damage to my kidneys or some other muscle condition that he rattled off and I didn't catch because I had never heard of it.  He's so happy that my hives are gone that the other issues that are concerning me just seem insignificant to him.  He did tell me to go back on the Doxepin and that it is a very old drug and has no side effects and is used to help me stay calm at night.  Guess I'll try that again and maybe, just maybe I can just pull my boot straps up and kick this discouragement/depression that I've been fighting.   Some days, it's just hard to keep your chin up!   

    • wendy62425
      wendy62425 Meemaw29

      Posted

      Meemawi.......I dint know you were having hair loss.  xolair injections did not work for me unfortunately and while I was having injections I had a lot of hair loss.  If you google Xolair and hair loss others have that issue as well.  I'm sorry you were not able to get the Lexapro as it does help with anxiety.  I have a wonderful Dr. That treated my Urticaria with Cyclosporine very slow going up and added Prednisone very slow going down..Very slow!! 1mg at a time for weeks.  I have been hive free for over two years.  Please keep us posted.  Are you in the US?

    • Meemaw29
      Meemaw29 wendy62425

      Posted

      Yes Wendy, I live in the state of Missouri.  My doctor REALLY "poopoo'd" on the complaint of hair loss from Xolair.  He said that basically everybody complains that every drug causes hair loss.....but I know ME and I know that this is not normal and wasn't happening until I began the injections.  There was NO sympathy today over my continual weight gain and the discouragement that I am having due to the side effects.  

  • desmond01416
    desmond01416 Meemaw29

    Posted

    Doxepin worked well for me, when things were at their worse.

    Atarax was similar, before I tried Doxepin, but a lot less effective.

    I tried SSRIs after Doxepin (Paroxetine, Prozac and another), but I wasn't depressed at the time and they started to cause restlessness, inability to concentrate, early waking insomnia, diarrhoea and increases appetite (apart from Prozac which made me eat less). They were all similar for me, dulled the itching and made me feel happier, but quickly led to excess energy.

    Now, I'm on Gabapentin and that helps even things out a lot for me. With me the problem was always insomnia, mainly from the itching, then later from anxiety. It helps calm that anxiety down. I only take it at night now for sleep, though if I have tough periods I'll take a little after lunch. It's much better than Doxepin for me as I don't feel drowsy the next day once I get past the initial dizziness first thing in the morning. Gabapentin helps with nerve pain, but not sure it would help with joint or muscle pain.

    My consultant said amitriptyline can be better than Doxepin for some people. He also said low-dose naltraxone can help.

    I tried CBD oil briefly too and that did seem to help calm things too.

  • desmond01416
    desmond01416 Meemaw29

    Posted

    Oh, and I forgot to mention. I've started taking a number of high-quality probiotics that have psychobiotic properties along with Inulin prebiotic power and switched to a high-fibre, vegetable and fruit rich diet. These are mainly Lactobacillus, especially L. Rhamnosus which produces GABA for mild tranquilising help. But also I've been taking Bifidus and eating L. Casei and Bifidus rich yoghurts and kefit without added sugar. All of this has definitely helped improve my mood and especially reduced anxiety. I want to try Mutaflor and am interested in trying Florastor too. I'd also like to try VSL3 again, but taking it with prebiotics this time and a cleaner diet.

    Cutting out simple carbs and especially sugar and alcohol has been helping. Though the latter is tough and I regressed a bit since Christmas and really feel worse since. Kicked all the sugar, carbs and alcohol again since yesterday, which has been hard, but will be worth it to feel like I did the previous 6 months when I felt 90% better.

    I take Vitamin D, Magnesium, B complex, Folic Acid and Vitamin C too.

     

  • wendy62425
    wendy62425 Meemaw29

    Posted

    Hi Meemaw

    i have used Lexapro for anxiety in the past that has helped me!!  Are the Zolair injections working for you??

    Wendy

     

    • Meemaw29
      Meemaw29 wendy62425

      Posted

      Yes Wendy, they absolutely are working.  I have not had a break out since October 12th, 2017.  I remember the day exactly because it was the same day that my husband had brain surgery.....obviously I was stressed!  
    • wendy62425
      wendy62425 Meemaw29

      Posted

      Hi Meemaw

      I am so glad to hear that the injections are working for you.  Ask your doctor about the Lexapro. There is a generic for the lexapro.  It helped my friends mom as well as she was going through a difficult time.

      hope this helps.

  • bill38855
    bill38855 Meemaw29

    Posted

    Meemaw, I am sorry to hear that your ICU has caused you to become depressed. I don’t think this should be taken lightly and would strongly encourage you to see a professional that can give you guidance and hopefully the right medication. This can be very difficult as people react differently to anti-depressants.  Although I get very stressed and suffer from anxiety and sometimes severe anxiety attacks I have not suffered from what I would consider depression. For the anxiety I take Xanax as needed. I think I mentioned before that I feared I might become addicted and someone commented that they had no problem stopping. I went for 2 days without Xanax and got very jittery and a little paranoid but think I could ween off it assuming the Xolair works. I had my first injection 2 weeks ago today. The flu kicked my ass the first week but I had no blow ups or hives until Saturday. I had some beers watching the Falcons (lose) and Sunday morning I blew up like a balloon.   Had to travel for a speaking engagement on MLK day and pummeled hydroxizine until I didn’t look like an exploding tomatoe and also took Xanax to calm me down.   I suggest you make sure you see someone that fully understands your situation and what has caused the depression and more importantly be sure to tell them everything you are taking!!  Prescription meds and herbals and supplements. All of these can interact with each other and sometimes create a chemical imbalance that can sometimes make things much worse. I wish you the best and will continue to keep you in my prayers. I also hope your husband is doing well after his surgery. Best, Bill
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.