Hello

[rayjay]

Well, I'm not sure if I should be on this site or not. It looks a lot more advanced than I should have need of.

I have been in a series of memory programs/studies and apparently after the last appointment which was about 45 days after my wife died, they determined I had a problem and sent my Doctor a letter saying I was clinically depressed. Now my doctor wants to put me on Pristiq, figuring I have need of an anti depressant.

I don't like taking medicines and I have to take too many now for my arthritis, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and low grade displasia if the oesophagus. Oh yeah, and blood pressure pill too. I've had these afflictions for over 20 years so they are not new things that I have to live with so the only new thing is living without my long term wife and I admit I miss her a heck of a lot.

I do have a sleeping problem from time to time but that too is not new, just a little worse. I have a weight problem again for 20 years but it has worsened in the last year.

That's about all I can think of just now to tell about myself.

I looked up about this Pristiq medicine and am somewhat concerned to the point I hope I don't really need this and hope the Doctor is just "over-prescribing" to be safe or something.

I am concerned about the blood pressure increase, the interaction with NSAIDS, specifically as I take 2 500mg of Naprocin E daily, and then I find out that in Europe, it is not even sold there because of the concerns Europe has for the medicine not being good enough for their standards.

I found this site when I googled Pristiq, and the thread was a few years old.

Are others taking this and finding good results with few side effects?

The only plus thing I saw in the prescribing information was that it may decrease appetite.

How do I find out if I really need such a medication or not.

I personally feel that I'm not going through anything more than anyone else having lost their lifetime partner and I really believe I'll adapt to living without her without medication. I have no suicidal tendency at any time and figure the medical people may have misinterpreted my feelings that I believe when life becomes just an existence with no quality of life remaining, we should be able to appear before a tribunal to OK euthanasia. I have not reached that point and don't expect to for some time but I would like to have the option when my mild cognitive impairment becomes senility or Alzheimers.

 

[Retired]

Rayjay,

welcome to Psychlinks and sorry to hear about your situation.

How do I find out if I really need such a medication or not.

Your doctor is the only one who can determine what is the best treatment strategy for you, based on your diagnosis and medical history. Doctors do not usually prescribe unnecessarily; and if indeed your doctor has made a diagnosis of depression, it is not an illness that can be "willed away" but rather it needs to be treated as a medical disease by restoring the chemical balance in the brain that is thought to be the cause of the illness of depression.

it is not even sold there (Europe) because of the concerns Europe has for the medicine not being good enough for their standards.

I don't have a list of the Countries that have approved Pristiq (desvenlafaxine), but I find the claim that this medication does not meet international standards to lack credibility. The parent of this medication, Effexor (venlafaxine) has become an international stadard for treating depression since its introduction in the mid 90's and its derivative, Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) improves on the way this newer compound is metabolized and absorbed.

I am concerned about the blood pressure increase, the interaction with NSAIDS

Your doctor would take a baseline blood pressure reading and monitor your BP on a regular basis to determine if you might be one of the few people in whom this adverse reaction occurs. Your doctor would be your best resource to determine whether there is any risk in your case for the dose of Naprosyn you take.

No one likes taking medications frivolously, but when a medical condition can respond to treatment with medication, and there is a rational reason for considering that option, it should not be ruled out without good reason.

 

[forgetmenot]

Hi i am sorry for your loss Have you considered some grief councilling at all.
It does help in that you can talk about your emotions and your sadness
The therapist will also help you by showing you some coping mechanisms you can use to help you get through the days that you are so low.
Meds can help in that it does take the deep sadness away
It is your choice really whether you take meds or not but maybe just for awhile then you can discuss with your doctor when you want to stop them

 

[rayjay]

Thanks for the replies.
In part, the comments by the reviewing agency for the ECU included these words: In relation to its parent substance, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine seemed to be less effective with no advantages in terms of safety and tolerability.
As for grief counselling, it was offered by the Cancer Centre but I couldn't even hack the first full session, seeing nothing in what they were saying that would help me. It was definitely "not my thing" but I'd never condemn it for those that do believe in it.
I don't see it as "day" that I'm low, but only moments in some days where memories get the best of my mind and then it's over.
Other than that, it IS a strange feeling being alone in the house after a lifetime of always having someone around.
For now, I'll keep thinking on the Pristiq matter as I have a month before I see the doctor again.
I'll spend more time researching the drug and see if I can find people who have been using it for similar situations.

 

[forgetmenot]

I hope that you can perhaps join a group some activity that will connect you with other people and decrease the times you are alone
Maybe do something that will commemorate you love one like plant a beautiful tree she loved something that will even carry on some of her wishes
I do hope in time the memories of your wife will bring less pain inside and you can remember with more happiness Researching medication is good but remember that everyone reacts different to the same meds okay So for you it may be the right drug even though for someone else it did not work take care

 

[rayjay]

Thank you again for your thoughts.
I've already planted a tree, and before the first killer frost I brought in the plants she has been given in the last year that she liked best and am going to try to keep them alive as long as I can.
I don't have a problem with being alone, it is just strange. I've been a loner all my life so other than my wife and kids I've not really had contact with anyone other than in the workplace. I have now retired and at first I missed it, but in the last year now I've realised I don't even think about it any more.
I have my hobby of salt water aquariums and seahorses so with the numbers of tanks, it can keep me busy as it now takes so long to do anything.
I guess the only way to see if the drug will do anything for me is to try it. It's just hard to accept someone telling you need something when you don't feel you have need of it.

 

[forgetmenot]

Wow that sound so interesting your aquariums and seahorses wow. I am glad you have such a hobbie something that brings you joy
Yes trying the medication i think it is a good step because only then you can see if it is helpful or not remember it will take awhile to build up in one system though.
YOu always have the choice then to continue with it or stopping it
You said you planted a tree in you wifes name that is nice hun what type of tree was it just wandering hugs to you.

 

[Retired]

It's just hard to accept someone telling you need something when you don't feel you have need of it.

Rayjay,

You now have valuable insight into how the illness of depression and how this illness ditorts one's thinking, judgement and ability to process thoughts in their usual rational manner.

Depression is an illness that is as much a medical illness as it is a disorder of the mind, because the illness is thought to be caused by imbalances in the neurochemicals responsible for causing the illness of depression. Additionally MRI diagnostic imaging has demonstrated physicial changes in parts of the brain in people diagnosed with depression.

Many people diagnosed with depression often feel that if they can just regain control of their thoughts or emothions, they can work their way out of the feelings of extreme sadness, hipelessness and lack of interest etc.

Taking back one's life after depression, requires rational treatment by a mental health specialist who has the training and clinical experience to recognize your sypmptoms, has the skills to provide the supportive psychotherapy to deal with the specific issues affecting your life, and to have an armamterium of medication protocols to treat your symptoms.

It should be understood there is no "one size fits all" medication that treats everyone with the same effectiveness and tolerability.

Once you begin treatment sessions with your doctor, you might find one particular medication does not relieve adequate symptoms for you after an initial trial, so your doctor will recommend switching to another compound.

This process is not unusual as today's state of the art methodology in treating depression often requires several courses or trial and error, until the right combination of medication seems to provide symptomatic relief along with good tolerability for your particular body and brain chemistry.

Your patience and perseverance will do you well in working with your doctor to find what works best for you.

So in the long run, by focusing on one particular compound, such as the Pristiq, which which you started this discussion, you may find this may or may not be the righ one for you at this time, and your doctor will have prescribed either another similar medication or a med from an entirely different class of meds.

The medications we have available today provide your doctor with a number of options to find the best possible treatment suited for your particular requirements.

Hopefully you will pursue a course of treatment as an informed patient, but with an open mind to rely on the expertise, training and clinical experience of the medical health professional you choose to consult.

Keep us posted on your progress

 

[rayjay]

You said you planted a tree in you wifes name that is nice hun what type of tree was it just wandering hugs to you.

The tree is a Japanese Lilac tree. She always loved the Lilac bush we have, and last spring we talked about getting a Lilac tree but then she got worse and I spent all my time looking after her until her death. I just wanted to go ahead with it because I knew it was something she wanted.
I have house projects that she wanted to do and while it will take a long time, I'm going to do them because it is what she wanted.

---------- Post added at 06:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:51 PM ----------

Thanks for writing again Steve.
I had wondered how the heck the geriatric department of Parkwood hospital could tell I was clinically depressed. The testing that goes on is for my memory.
Now, after you mentioning MRI, it brings up the fact I just had an MRI brain scan at Robarts Research Intitute. The purpose was to see how far the cognitive impairment has gone and to get a baseline to compare for when things get worse for me. Now I'm thinking it was this that showed something that made them write to my Doctor.

 

[making_art]

Welcome Rayjay!

So glad you joined us!

 

[AmZ]

Welcome