DH now depressed about this latest research - anyone help?

[mrsmalumbas]

Hi there

DH is on citalopram 20mg for anxiety/depression. He had been feeling loads better and said they had changed his life. Now they have published this latest research that says that anti-d's are no more effective than a placebo. He is now depressed again thinking that he has just been fooling himself and feeling that there is no "cure" for his depression after all. It is so frustrating. I had definitely seen a huge difference in him and this feels like a big setback. Surely if they work, they work? I don't see the research as saying that AD's never work - but he sees it that way. Has anyone else seen the research? Any thoughts?

Mrsmalumbas, the research states in MILD to MODERATE cases of depression a placebo may have the same effect as some anti-depressants, but that for severe depression they hava an appreciable effect...

I knew this publicity would cause probs for some people.

The research isn't saying that anti-Ds don't work. It's saying that SOME people's depression can improve just because they believe they are getting treatment, just because they think someone cares. And that has always been known about depression, it is why counselling therapies can help in a proportion of cases.

But there are also people who's depression runs deeper than that, where it can have a 'physical' cause, because of chemical changes in the brain. My dh falls into this category (may or may not be related to a few years of epilepsy he suffered as a teenager), and anti-Ds have been our saviour, helping fairly intractable recurrent depression. Our GP has suggested a long-term 'maintenance dose' for him, in much the same way that someone may need insulin because their body doesn't produce enough.

In many people (and in all probability your dh is one of them) a few months on anti-Ds 'resets' the brain chemistry, and they go on to manage perfectly well without them.

I'm so sorry you are suffering this with your dh. At the very least, get him back to the GP and discuss it there.

Good luck

That's interesting RubyRioja, I didn't know it was widely prescribed in ICU, but I can understand why.

I agree that 'depression' is hugely over diagnosed. My father suffered it for many years (looking back was probably bi-polar, but that was unknown then, and he had alcohol problems too), after having a complete breakdown when I was about 10.

And I was devestated when I realised that dh suffered it too, but again, his medical history may be related.

But it does anger me when people are diagnosed with depression (or self diagnose) because life is hard, they can't find happiness for a while, or are struggling because the hand life has dealt them is hard.

I always suspect the timing of this kind of research.
Why now?
Of course anti depressants can work.
Does the government/NHS not want to pay for ads anymore??
Ads have been used for years and years so why now has it been discovered that they don't work?

I think that research is crap crap crap. Prozac literally saved my life, I just wan't functioning at all.

Lustral also did the trick when I couldn't stop crying and wouldn't get out of bed after a miscarriage.

Can't help feeling there is a hidden agenda in this.........

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I am quite iffy about the research - since a lot of the studies seemed to be of people who had only taken them for between 4 and 8 weeks, which isn't really all that much time. Prozac literally saved my life when I was PG.

There was a reason why this research was released when it was released.

There was thread about the press release a few days ago on here and someone mentioned that in fact the government are about to train more CBT practicioners - how good will that look in the light of how, suddenly, after years of use ADs don't work

Your poor DH - this is exactly why this sort of research, in the hands of the media, can be lethal .

Will try to find link to thread for you.

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I thin they work I am on Prozac and I was on citalopram only swapped because of circumstances that made me need a higher dose that made me ill.

Is he having any talking or other therapies along side the drug treatments? Like some of the others anti d's saved my live but I have also had some benefit from CBT, counselling etc

here on second page posted Tue 26th 22.14.

There is a lot of interesting discussion on that thread that might help.

Good luck

btw 20mg citalopram worked well for me, don't care how or why.

BigBadMouse totally agree with you with many drugs there is a certain amount of what they call the placebo effect and that is what they keep saying about many alternative medicines. If it works and is not doing any harm then what on eath is the problem.

my DH would not be able to function without ADs
Fact, research or no research
I have seen the evidence with my own eyes