Have you been diagnosed with a depressive disorder?

I'm better now that I'm off medications for MS (except methotrexate for it and Crohn's disease). Avonex was the worst for me. Definite cause and effect there.

I think added to the question should be What MS medication are you on. We may find the depression of so many MS suffers may be caused by the medication.

I have PPMS, take only LDN 2 mg daily and have been diagnosed with anhedonia. According to Wiki - Anhedonia is often experienced by drug addicts following withdrawal. Seems quite logical to me - my life before MS was one long high, no drugs - just the joy of being able to do anything I wanted. Now, some bustard cut off my supply......

Watergypsy, I can really identify with your comments - I have had a similar experience - except - Recently, in the past 12 months, I had found a pretty good place via the benefit of Solumedrol and Provigil in addition to my ABCR therapy. Then - the company that runs the Rx benefits for the health insurance I am covered by, decided that monthly Solumedrol is experamental for MS, (ok for accute exacerbations - but not for one every month) and also they denied me Provigil because it was not approved for MS specifically. Fighting their decision without the benefit of these energy sources has proven tough and has left me with a diagnosis of depression and spending a lot of time in my recliner in front of the TV.

What I think is hysterical is that I am now considering switching from my ABRC treatment (which runs more than $12k a year) to Tysabri (at more than $24k a year). This, due do the fact that the Rx organization in their small minded wisdom won't cover the cheap steroid ($80) and it's admin (another $60). Penny wise and pound foolish anyone? They didn't see the humor when I raised this to their attention - leaving me further "depressed".

CD, we have the same absurdities in the UK – healthcare bosses think it much better to pay thousands per year to keep an Mser in residential care rather than allow the use of LDN at £30 per month to enable someone to stay in their own home. And we’re the ones with the cognitive problems?

It runs in my fathers side of the family. Never knew any different. Thought everyone was like me. LOL!

So mine is not MS involved. As long as I take the medication I am fine.

I had major depression and msjor cognitive loss long before M.S. was even considered -- though they couldn't figure out why I had them and why I didn't respond to treatment.
of course that was back in the '50s and '60s
when such was not admitted, and maybe not even considered?

In my early 20's I got depressed episode (while I am normally a happy-go-lucky, positive person). Could not figure out why. Now looking back (after MS diagnosis 2yrs ago) it makes sense, hormones, flare-ups (back then not feeling good) would make the depression worse. I never realized how down I was, until my friends reminded me that it was pretty bad back then (yes, I have good friends, 15 yrs later and they are still there!). The Avonex made it worse for a while, but after severalmonths with meds it got better. Tried stopping with anti-depressants in the winter -> not a good idea, wait for the spring, tweeting birds, flowers and sun make it a lot easier to quit anti-depressants. For the past year only taking Avonex. There is a silver lining.

I have had recurrent major depression since my teens...long before MS which struck at 46 yo as best I can tell. I was diagnosed 2 years ago at 48yo.

My depression is both genetic (mother was depressed for much of my childhood) and situational. It is also much worse in winter and became more problematic when we moved from St. Louis to the Boston area.

But MS sure didn't make my depression problems better! I started a new and challenging job within 10 days of diagnosis and my 1st 18 months after diagnosis were rocky with 5 courses of IV steroids despite Avonex. Chronic pain and crushing fatigue are my most prominent and troublesome MS symptoms. I have always been a very energetic person and scarcely missed a day of work for decades despite back problems, herniated discs and depression.

Much to my surprise and delight my depression lifted within a couple of weeks of starting Tysabri. It was bizarre and so organic! I couldn't wean my anti-depressant fast enough even though it was December which is a predictably bad time for me.

I guess my point is that depression is such a complex thing in people with MS.
I really believe there was an active biologic process going on in my brain that worsened my depression and has been alleviated by Tysabri. I did not really appreciate that Avonex was contributing but I now think it was a significant contributor to both my fatigue and depression. I have enormously less pain since starting Tysabri...which certainly makes it easier to feel cheerful. And after two years I am sort of coming to terms with this damn disease including the need to leave a career I have loved that is simply too physically demanding now.

Also I could never have survived the last two years without the support and guidance of my kind and skilled psychiatrist. I feel incredibly fortunate that I connected with him more than a year before my diagnosis.

I care for my wife is is quite incapacitated with MS; she is on a mild anti-depressant which keeps her in good spirits. Sometimes I feel depressed, but we all do sometimes. I have not been diagnosed or treated. I'd like to see more on the site for MS caregivers. Keep up ypur good work.

Ed

I have had PPMS for thirteen years now. I have gone from being an active person, teaching, gardening, doing printmaking sewing house cleaning, walking, etc. to sitting in a wheelchair and pecking two fingered at the computer. You should have a fifth question. Do you have MS and are you depressed but trying to cope anyway? YES For some of us more drugs is not the answer.

I've had MS for 21 years and just started Copaxone. Had some anxiety mostly in dreams the first few weeks. The only time I took an anti-depressant was during menopause. I used effexor and my hot flushes went away. I got good sleep for the year I was on the medication. While depression is in my family, I have not experienced MS related depression.

Hi All, I was diagnosed with RRMS approx. 2 years ago and while never had any issues in the past with depression or anxiety am now having a problem with total irrational anxiety. I wonder if it's caused by the medication I take -- Rebif... Dr. gave me Lorazapam which helps to take the edge off but don't like relying on meds all the time. Wondered if anyone else was having this issue and could offer any tips or technques to help deal - losing my job because of lack of focus due to anxiety is NOT AN OPTION. Need those health benefits... :) Thank you in advance!!

I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder with Anxiety 6 years ago, and MS 2 years ago. I'm lucky in that my MS was diagnosed early and I have not had another episode since the diagnosis, but the depression has increased significantly since then.

Initially I was on Avonex which made me practically bedridden, and my psychiatrist had to increase the dosage of Effexor that I was taking. During this time, I began having neuropathy pain, and I ended up on Neurontin as well.

After a year of Avonex treatment, my neurologist and I decided to change treatment and she put me on Copaxone. I had an allergic reaction to it so that only lasted two weeks.

I have been off treatment for a year now, and feel better than I had, although I am now unable to decrease any of the psychiatric meds due to a recurrence in symptoms (both depression and neuropathy). My neurologist now says that treatment is not an option with Rebif or Betaseron due to the side effect of increased depression, so the next episode that comes will leave me with only the option of Tysabri.

Depression was my first symptom of MS, which came on after 50 years old. I am an MD, know the definition, signs and symptoms, and had never had depression before in 50 years, so I believe there is a very high possibility it was directly caused by the disease. Since I did not know I had MS, it was not caused by the awareness of having a chronic disease.

Because of the leakage from the neurons from the lesions, certain neurotransmitters don't work as well (or are released/not released at inappropriate times, or very little is released to be effective to keep emotional homeostasis--like insulin with diabetes). It happens whenever it wants to, and especially more often when exposed to increased stressful experiences. It's unfair and sucks. But, there are effective medications to "keep things in check" as a sort of kick-start, until a more effective program can help without the meds (meditation, yoga, exercise, psychotherapy, etc). Even dietary changes can help. Sometimes though, the meds might have to be taken for the rest of your life because the affliction is uncontrollable conventionally--like with myself. Lastly, never try to "self medicate." That's a very bad idea and can/will make things much worse (i.e. drinking alcohol without moderation, smoking cigarettes (which upregulates glutamine to neurotoxic levels), taking drugs without Rx, etc).

I was diagnosed with depression before I was diagnosed with MS. I truly believe that the depression was a symptom of my MS. Since lesions are in the brain tissue, it seems to me that it would be pretty common for a disruption in brain chemistry. Which more than likely causes an imbalance to occur causing depression.

both betaseron and avonex really worsened the depression, but avonex was by far the worst. The antidepressants increase fatigue and motivation. Between a rock and a hard place.