[Sam2]

Does anyone out there who is not on anti-depressants but has depression experience profound weakness? I'm on a lot of meds for pain, but have been on the same ones for years.

As time goes on, I feel so weak that its painful if that makes sense. Even laying down, I still feel like I won't be able to get up. I had blood tests at my last yearly, and was slightly anemic, but not enough for the Dr. to do anything about. It feels like gravity is pulling me down and the floor isn't low enough.

I don't take anti-depressants, they don't agree with my system. I'm only fifty, but have constant migraines, back pain, my legs don't bend so I fall alot even with a cane. I rarely make it to work, and to be honest, going is so painful I dread it. I can't quit though, no other income and a $600 plus monthly health insurance premium. Its almost impossible to get disability here.

Any thoughts?

Sam2

I am on an AD but I only started again last year when things got bad. I have felt physically weak in the sense that my whole body is tired driven by my brain. That's the best way i can describe it. At home I would sink into my bed no matter what time of the day it is. I am more prone to headaches. I do not normally get headaches or colds.

What you are describing here: "have constant migraines, back pain, my legs don't bend so I fall alot even with a cane" seems like more then depression. Unless the pain meds are treating something related and the depression is making it worse?

Another thought and this is just my own idea... If you are slightly anemic is that an indication of other nutrition deficiencies? Did your doc also check for vitamin d? The medical community is still very new when it comes to diagnosing nutrition deficiencies but there are some basics. The "standard American diet" or SAD is a killer when it comes to mood disorders.

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[Rohag]

Originally Posted by Sam2

I had blood tests at my last yearly, and was slightly anemic, but not enough for the Dr. to do anything about.

Any possibility those tests - or the people examining them - might not have picked up on a megaloblastic anemia?

Before I started on AD, depression exhausted me to the point that every movement was painful.

I am not so much better on them and I find that the less I move, the more effort it takes when I do.

A body at rest....

[Sam2]

Thank you all for answering. The Dr. I go to does not know of my depression, and I want to keep it that way. My insurance won't cover anything psychiatric. The meds I am on are a cocktail of methadone, dilaudid, meperidine, phenergan and clonazepam. With the exception of the meperidine with phenergan, they are daily drugs. I've been on them for years though, so although my fatigue may in part be causing some of the exhaustion, it doesn't explain the severity.

My GP gave me a prescription for iron, but I don't take it. It rips up my GI. I think the anemia was mild and for what my opinion is worth, is probably because I'm a vegetarian. I had started to vary my diet to a wider variety of foods, but now I'm too tired to eat. No appetite at all. That tends to happen when something bad is going on, be it mental or physical.

There are so many things I want to do, but don't have the energy. With all my health problems, I can pick one thing to do a day, and then it knocks me out for 24-48 hours.

Maybe I shouldn't complain like this, but the headaches etc. have robbed me of the ability to work, ride (horse/pony), or for that matter even getting out there. I've used all kinds of toothpaste, whitener, flossing etc. but the long term medication has kept my mouth dry and my teeth are disintegrating. Literally. So far I've had five pulled because I can't afford the root canals, and many of the molars have cracked. Sometimes after brushing my teeth, a chunk of tooth will come out. The flossing had to stop because it was fracturing my teeth.

Basically, my health issues have taken everything I once loved doing and dashed in on the rocks. The Dr. doesn't seem to think the fatigue is a problem. I need to change GPs because he is a real ***. We got into an arguement when I went in for a blood test. He doesn't listen, and I caught him in more than one lie about changing some medication. (My pain Dr is great, its the GP that is an ***).

Lately, its been hard to have any hope. Most of the issues are permenant. I'm only fifty, but feel like a 90 year old man.

Sam2

[Clara22]

what about B12 deficiency? My nephew is a vegan and he is having that problem

[healingme4me]

If insurance doesn't cover psyche care, what about a neuro exam? Could be many things...
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[The_little_didgee]

Low folate? Your B12 level is really worth getting checked out.

Have you tried eating greens, beans etc with a vitamin C rich food? The iron in plant foods isn't easily absorbed as the meat variety. Vitamin C helps absorb it.

If you drink tea and/or coffee, drink it before or after a meal. Wait at least 1 hour. Caffeine prevents the absorption of iron in plant and enriched foods.

Iron pills are gross. I refused to take them. My ferritin level went down to 7 but I wasn't anemic even though I was pale and dizzy. I started eating a lot of liver and added a lot of different foods to my diet such as beans, nuts and raisins. My ferritin level gradually increased.

Iron in the Vegan Diet -- The Vegetarian Resource Group

Just another thought, I know you said you wont take Iron supplements because they mess up your GI tract. All those other pain medications could be doing the same though, as in constipation wise. There is another version of iron, that did not cause any problems for me GI wise. Its called SLO-FE, here, so it gradually goes in your system, like an extended version. Also, have you been tested for lupus? Its a very difficult one to diagnose, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, doesn't usually get diagnosed, I think there's still no definitive way of them knowing for sure if you have that, by blood tests etc.
You are reluctant to take iron, but you do take all those other medications. Not trying to sound bossy, but trying to make you realize that there may be solutions and you could ask your pain doctor. I know antidepressants, have tried from a to z, and they can make you tired as well, but some, will give you the energy you are needing.
How about trying those ready bought nutritional shakes, you can buy at the grocery store? Sometimes they go on sale, and they are reasonable considering the nutrients you get for them. I know I don't eat right, but when I drink them for a few days I really feel less pain and exhaustion.
Do you eat nuts, greek yogurt? Its packed full of protein that you need. Or buy a protein shake powder.
I hope you and your doctor can figure out what you need. It sounds so depressing in itself being in the condition you are. Best wishes to you

[Curupira]

Just to throw one more thing into the mix. The last time I experienced severe weakness, as in difficulty moving around, constant lightheadedness, muscle fatigue etc. it was because I had a vitamin D deficiency.

The doc did a full blood panel on me and that is how she discovered it. I took about a 12 week course of a super high dose taken once a week. I felt loads better and now I just need to take calcium with vitamin d in it.

[Sam2]

Everyone has good suggestions. Unfortunately, most of them have been tried. A couple of years after I started taking methadone, I was tired of feeling so crappy and didn't want the drugs in my system. I was detoxed in the hospital, hell of a time, and when I came home, we tried drug after drug. At that point, migraines were still the main problem. Besides the regular meds for migraines, we tried all the cardiac and anti-depressants whose side effects were that they tended to stop migraines in the patients taking them

I was so weak that the other people in the house got me a large bicycle horn to honk if there was a problem. After about a month, I gave in, mainly because without the methadone, the migraines were so bad I felt like I was going insane.

Opioids are a no no for migraines, but my pain doc had tried everything else first. He also reffered me to two neurologists. I had cT scans, MRIs, dye studies, bloodwork, allergy tests, you get the picture. When we went over triggers, there were so many that there was no way to avoid all of them. We even tried chiropractics and acupuncture.

Most of the health problems i have now are related to the migraines. A couple years ago, we tried optimizing my diet, multivitamins etc. There was no change and I gave up on it after about 8 months.

I know there are people much worse off. At least I live with a couple friends who have been there for me. Its just that everything is slowly being taken away from me, one by one. My parents are in their 80s and still climb mountains. Here I am at fifty and can't even walk around the block without severe pain. Eight years of school down the drain, the horse and pony I got before things got bad and I had a good income are just pictures on my computer. (Fortunately, my friend's daughter rides one and the other, who is retired has been pseudo adopted by the barn owner). My dog wants to play and I can't get out most days. I fall at least once a day even with a cane. i'm starting to lose hope. 3 hours at work puts me in the dark on a bed for the rest of that day and all of the next.

I know there are no answers. Thank you for letting me vent. I don't have enough energy to get angry at anything anymore.

Sam2

I can imagine hearing one more "tried" solution might get old but bear with me. Nutrition is one of the newest sciences out there. Only about 100 years old. I would suggest continuing this path regardless of what else you do. As long as you are not doing anything that leaves out essential nutrients it is unlikely to make things worse. There are people with success stories. Not talking about anything dangerous mind you. Second note is there is fairly new research that indicates nutrients from pills are not as effective as vitamins pills. One theory is there are other things in food that work with the nutrients. Extracting vitamins may make them ineffective. There is also a growing amount of research that vitamins aren't all that good for you.

Do you live in a place with legal medical marijuana? I personally do not think it would work for my depression but a lot of people think it does for theirs. What makes me think of it more is your description of pain. I am Soooo not an expert in this area. Perhaps you have even considered it. If not then maybe it is an option.

You sound like you could really use a break. I hope you get one soon.

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