Jump to content

Depression--What will help?


Recommended Posts

Can anyone give me any insight as to what helped someone who was deeply depressed. My sister wakes up in the morning crying and has a really hard time trying to stop. She was given an antidepressant (Loxipro-not sure of spelling) and has only been on this one for a week, but is not helping a lot right now. She is hardly eating and does not want to do anything. Is this the norm?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, it is normal with LC to be depressed, not want to eat and not want to do anything. That is why each patient needs someone who will keep encouraging them to do things, eat and drink, talk, etc. Your sister may need to try a different antidepressant. It varies with people. She needs to eat and drink regularly, snacks every two to three hours, and she needs to get interested in something to take her mind off 24/7 LC and to feel she is accomplishing something. Continue to encourage her. Don

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure about Lexipro but most anti-depressant take a couple of weeks to get established in the system and start working full force. Encourage her to not miss a dose but certainly discuss with her doctor. In addition if there is anything she has ever enjoyed doing then encourage her to try it again. I had some friends that showed up at my door during treatment with a mask for me to wear and then whisked me off to the non-smoking room of a casino and we stayed for about 2 hours .... I had a blast and while wasting my $20 it sure kept my mind off the never ending battle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At one point I was on an anti-depressent AND an anti-anxiety med at the same time. And if I was having really down times i took an Ativan for immediate relief.

I found anything by Dr. Bernie Siegel (Love, Medicine, and Miracles) really helped. He has meditation tapes that I listened to daily.

Will she talk to anyone? I found a therapist who specialized in women and cancer, and I spent a LOT of time crying with her.

Hope this helps

gail

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As others have said, antidepressants take time. If there is no improvement in 2-4 weeks, talk to her doc about trying a different one.

In the meantime, help her get enough sleep by avoiding alcohol (and smoking) in the evening, avoiding long naps during the day, and possibly taking a sleep aid. Even an over-the-counter antihistamine can be helpful at bedtime - (25 mg of Bendaryl knocks me out!) Of course, any OTC drugs should be cleared with her doc first.

Ditto the post re: relaxation tapes. There are many good ones, some specifically made for people with cancer, others more general.

Link to the National Cancer Institute's recommendations for treating depression: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/ ... ient/page4

Detailed content on depression in cancer from Oncology Nursing Society:

http://cancersymptoms.org/depression/index.shtml

Best of luck to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My husband went through a terrible depression, actually he still is, but they started him on lexapro and also ritalin, which I think has been the med to really help him. (For adults, ritalin stimulates and increases energy.) He has made much progress since he started these meds. We also are seeing a psychologist at the cancer center who is helping him too. Best of luck to you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

During my Chemo & Radiation treatments I went through a period of being very very sad and at the drop of a pin I would cry. I do know that Chemo's can cause profound sadness. I know a lot of cancer patients that go through this very same thing as your sister. I was very touchy during that time.

Your sister needs to get some positive support and she needs to know that her cancer can be beat and that there are MANY MANY MANY long term SCLC Survivors in this world.

Antidepressants can take 3 to 6 weeks before they get into our system and really start to work.

Depression and cancer seem to go hand and hand, but talking about it can really help with the emotional part of this journey. Maybe a phone buddy for your sister would be helpful. You can check on the board here and see if there is a In Person Lung Cancer Support Group near your sister that she may want to attend. Katie has a list of Lung Cancer (In Person) Support Groups listed.

I totally understand what your sister is going through, but I can assure you with time and once her treatments are over, she should notice a difference and she will in time return to being somewhat herself again. It's a rocky road, but it's very doable and very beatable.

Give her my best. Tell her from one lc survivor to another, I'm here cheering her on. She can do this.

Sending positive vibes and good wishes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have had very serious depression all of my life. Although I cannot imagine what your sister must be feeling, I can tell you one thing that always helped me. I know it sounds trite, but in addition to meds and relaxation tapes, getting a breath of fresh air always helped to perk me up. Feeling the breeze in my hair and the sun on my face was like therapy some days. Especially if I could get myself to a park or beach. And little things like taking a shower with scented bath gel, or putting on really snuggly pajamas at bedtime helped too. Anything you can think of that brings physical comfort will translate to a better mood.

Hope this helps. I will keep you both in my thoughts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.