possible cause for depression

Hello All! I have been quite the lurker over the past year. I mostly read and rarely post but I have a reason to post today! I went to my doc appt. and was discussing my depression which has not gotten better since surgery even though they have increased my meds. The doc today told me it was because effexor is a time released medicine and I need an immediate release medicine. I guess the ones that are supposed to release the medicine over a period of time don't work well for gastric bypass patients because we end up getting less of the med. I'm sure most of you knew that but I didn't! So now I'm going to stop taking effexor and in a few weeks time switch over to wellbutrin. Hopefully it will go well. I know effexor is known for its withdrawal symptoms. He prescribed a small dose or prozac to ease the withdrawal symptoms. I'm excited though. Hopefully in about a month I might be a bit more cheerful. Patty

Patty: glad you are going to get something that works. I found Wellbutrin worked for me for a while, but then I had to switch. I hope it does wonder for you.....depression is so hard to deal with. Take care tracey

Hi, I suffered from Panic/Anxiety disorder prior to my surgery and found it somewhat decreased but it's still there. Lately, since my father died, I have found that my sadness comes from a variety of things going on and I take .05 mg of Xanax up to three times per day as needed. Which is rare, but it's there if I need it. I had a complete hysterctomy at 31 and never had kids so there were many things in my life I held accountable for my depression and sadness. One thing that really works for me and I don't know about anyone else but music. It's music. I can be so down and out and put on some music and headphones or drive and I'm fine. Now, lately, my mp3 player crapped out on me so I've been upset and not walking. Everyone has alternative ideas how to fix it but there really is no motivation for me to walk without music. Find what works for you and stick with it. I wish you happiness ahead and do keep me posted how you are. All my best and hugs

Hi Patty, I do miss your posts. I am glad you decided to post tonight. It is good to hear from you. My surgeon warned me about my time released meds. I too suffer with aniexity/ panic attacks. I have tried many different meds the best one I found for me is zoloft, but I am taking prozac right now because of the cost. Prozac has a generic and zoloft doesn't yet and I have to pay 50% copay. Even with the regular release I still had to increase my meds so you may want to take that into consideration when discussing dosage with your pcp. I hope that your symptoms subside for you soon. God Bless and take care---Toni

Thanks guys for replying! It's a relief to know I'm not the only one. I thought it was kind of strange that I would still suffer from depression after the surgery. I had once thought the root of all my problems was my weight but I guess the weight was a sympton of the problem. So today I took my effexor, prozac, and actually a mood-stabilizer. Tomorrow will just be the mood stabilizer, and the prozac. I had been feeling better lately because I thought I was going to go to Cosmetology School full time next month but it looks like that is not going to happen. It's too expensive to pay for the childcare. So I might be able to do it this fall when the kids go to school. I hope this snow leaves soon and we can get some warmer weather! Thanks again for replying! It's a relief not to be alone. Patty

Patty, I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who is experiencing depression! I've been coping with it for many years, and it probably started in the mid 90's when I realized I wasn't going back to work after neurosurgery in 1990. The weight gain didn't help either, even though I did lose 42 lbs in 1999. I had hopes of a possible relationship, but it didn't pan out... I started mystery shopping in 2002, but I got more depressed when I started gaining more weight. I didn't want to be social and withdrew from it in late 2004. While I realized that having WLS would not cure my depression, I thought it would be aleved somewhat. That does not seem to be the case. I tried to explain things to my PA long before I even had surgery, but she didn't seem to really understand. I wish I had someone that I could talk to about this....

You can talk to me anytime. I'd love to hear your story. It's always comforting to share our struggles. You can email me anytime you like. Patty

Hi Patty! So many of us suffer (or have suffered) from depression. I had a "meltdown" back in 2001, and after a short time in therapy and the drug Celexa, I've been fine, and taking the Celexa, 20 mg., ever since. My WLS was in 2003, but I never changed the dosage, but I seem to be okay, although I will stay aware in case it needs to be upped. They have this in generic, so that is great for me. I found that depression/anxiety disorders, etc. can be hereditary, which makes perfect sense in my family. I just thank the Lord they have meds that can help if you need it. Glad to see you posting again Patty! Hugs, Theresa

I'm really honest here when I say I'm glad I'm not alone. I've been concerned. But I see now that this is something we all might face and we don't have to be alone anymore. Thank you all for sharing.

Patty, I had the same issue with Effexor XR. If you had success with Effexor you might want to look at regular Effexor (non XR). It is immediate release. I take it 3 times a day and had success with it. I think depression is a very important topic for post-ops to keep up on. Thank-you for sharing your experiences with us!