Anti-depressants and RNY?

So I was on Lexapro for 9 wks and now I switched over to Zoloft.  Zoloft worked for me great after I had both my kids and then I went off it in about 6 months.  It was basically just for PPD and I felt great about 2 months after I had my other 2 kids.

So it's day 7 of the zoloft and I started taking it in the morning yesterday, instead at night to try and combat the insomnia I've been having for the past 4 days.  I am taking Lunesta to help me fall asleep and stay asleep and it is working so far for this week I've been taking it (2-3 mg).  My baby sleeps pretty well at night (he's 2 1/2 mos old) and sleeps sometimes 10-4 or at least 4-5 hr stretches already (he's formula fed).   I am a person that really needs sleep or I go a little crazy and the last two nights, I've only gotten like 3-4 hrs each and it's affecting me today.   I feel depressed and just want to get through the day.

So I try to stay busy and know that I won't feel this way forever and kind of just "go through the motions" for now until the zoloft kicks in.  I know I will feel better in about 2 weeks when it really starts to work.   I went to my ob today and he said to just take Lunesta for a month and then we'll wean me off it but for now I need my sleep.  He knows how I get when I don't get sleep.

So how do you get by when you are depressed and are waiting for your AD to kick in?  Every day is different for me too, yesterday I felt pretty good.  But today, I feel a little anxious and depressed.  I hope eventually like the other 2, I will be able to go off the meds and then be fine mentally.   If not, I will go off and see how I feel and go back on if needs be.  

Also do you think that RNY makes us absorb the meds differently and we have to take a higher dose?  I'm on 100 mg of Zoloft and with the other 2, the highest dose was 50 that I was on.  I am switching to a PCP that is more familiar than my current one with RNY and hopefully he can help.  I am also scheduled to go in for counseling soon, going to call on monday to make an appt.   This is so hard, depression sucks!!!

Christy,

I so know where you are coming from! I battle depression and anxiety pretty much every day, meds or not. I think it is great that you want to do counseling- I think that's a safer bet than just doing meds alone and then weaning yourself off them. Sometimes just having someone to sit there and listen to all the things rolling around in your head is helpful. Unfortunately I don't have any real words of wisdom- I usually take one day at a time too. There are says that suck, and those that are better. When I have a bad day, I try to sit and htink about what is really bothering me, or why today is different than yesterday, which was better. There is usually something that set it off, or tapped into our thoughts or beliefs about yourself. Then I try to think about that and how irrational I am being. For example, I am currently in grad school and two days before I went into labor I had a big comprehensive exam. I failed one part of it, which I have never done in my whole life. Of course, they let you re do it. But what this did was activate my, "You are hopelessly flawed and nothing can ever change that" belief I have about myself. It took more than a week for me to talk myself into feeling better about that one- meds or no. Unfortunately right now I am not seeing a therapist because of financial strains, although I wish I could. So, long story short, maybe you could try to figure out what set things off today- it was bound to be something that you may not have even realized. Also, journal writing might help in this process. Good luck! I hope you get feeling better soon.

Carrie

Hi, I just switched over from Effexor to Wellbutrin. I definitely feel the side affects. I totally believe if you had RNY then part of the meds are malabsorbed, which is why I had to switch (effexor worked fine at the max dose for 8 years, but have been depressed and angry for about 7 weeks...coincindence? I had RNY 2 mos ago, lol)
Anyway, I found that if I spend as much time as possible being outside in the sun, running errands, ect..it really does help. Watching tv or vegitating on the computer for hours is definitely not helpful in this stage. Make sure you stress to your provider that RNY DOES make some meds malabsorb (you'd be surprised how many doctors I have come across in the past 2 months that was not familiar with this theory) and that you may need to be on a higher dose. Good luck!

 Hey Girls,

Well, I started crying reading your posts because I remember like it was yesterday what I went through with PPD with my son (he's 3 now).  I had stopped my anti-depressants for the safety of the baby, but this time around I am staying on them the entire pregnancy and post-partum (I am 11 weeks pregnant).
I wanted to comment on the absorption question you had.  I originally was on Wellbutrin 300mg SR (slow release) when I had my RNY.  I requested my doc change the dosage to a non slow release pill because I was afraid of the absorption issue.  I had read that we don't have enough stomach acid in our stomachs to break down slow release pills like a non-RNY patient.  So now I take 3 pills per day, each one 100mg Wellbutrin.  I take two in the morning, then the third at 1pm.  This works for me so far.
It's hard waiting for the antidepressants to "kick in".  I remember it from when I picked them back up after my son was born.  It seemed like an eternity before I could feel "normal".  My only solution was to be around people.  I felt extremely isolated and being by myself was when the depression and anxiety would be at it's worst.  Even if you don't feel like you want to be around people, once you do it, you feel better.
Good luck with everything, and congrats on your little one :)

Hi Christie,
Just curious why you switched from Lexapro over to Zoloft? If you don't mind me asking... did you find the Lexapro wasn't working anymore?

I was on Lexapro for about 2 years. Changed my life and when i found out i was pregant my OB recommended i get off of it. So i have been off since i was about 2 to 3 months pregnant.

I will probably need to go back on after the baby is  born.

Hang in there and know you aren't alone.

After 9 wks of  being on it, I still felt pretty depressed and some anxiety.   My doctor told me that the full effect was 8 weeks and I wasn't feeling like I should on it.  I was on the highest dose of 20 mg and it wasn't working for me.  The zoloft worked for me before on the other 2 times and so I wanted to try it again since Lexapro wasn't working for me. But I was on 25 or 50 mg of zoloft the other times and this time I'm on 100 mg.   I know I need the higher dose due to my RNY, so I'm glad my doc upped the dosage.

I'm trying to hang in there and it's really hard.  Just taking it day by day and trying to stay busy!!  This is the hardest thing I've ever had to suffer through!