Anyone found an antidepressant that helped with fatigue?

[Viala]

Since depression is usually the first what doctors have on their minds when we tell them about our symptoms, I wonder if prescription antidepressants helped anyone here with their fatigue or pain?

Some take them to improve their mood, sleep or anxiety, but do they really help with ME/CFS fatigue? By help I mean being functional, being able to work again at least part time, do some light exercise, socialize and so on, without getting PEM or crashes, for at least a couple of years without getting worse, meaning you don't have to take more to get the same effect. So any significant change in fatigue that gave back some basic functionality. Anyone had luck with that?

 

[Wayne]

I wonder if prescription antidepressants helped anyone here with their fatigue or pain?

Hi @Viala -- I recently started taking Methylene Blue (technically a drug), but you can get it online without a prescription. I immediately starting noticing improved energy, better ability to relax, improved sleep, better cognition, and a greater sense of well being. The following link will take you to an article that gives some good information on it.

Methylene Blue: Benefits, Dosing, Where To Buy, And More

From the Article:

How Methylene Blue Works In The Brain

Methylene blue works in the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier. Once it’s in the brain, it can reversibly inhibit MAO-A. This means that methylene blue can prevent dopamine and serotonin from breaking down, leading to increased levels of these neurotransmitters.1​

​

Dopamine and serotonin are essential for cognitive function since they play primary roles in memory, focus, learning, mood, and many other aspects of brain health. By increasing levels of these neurotransmitters, methylene blue can provide significant benefits to cognitive performance and overall well-being.​

​

In the body, Methylene Blue can help you when there is a problem with how the body’s cells use energy. When the body does not work right, it can’t make enough ATP, which might cause issues like too many free radicals. But methylene blue helps the cells use energy more efficiently and lowers free-radical production.2​

 

[Andryr]

I wonder if prescription antidepressants helped anyone here with their fatigue or pain?

No (for me).

 

[Hufsamor]

Yes, it helped me a lot with my fatigue for a while.
Then it didn’t.

 

[cheeseater]

NO

 

[JES]

Bupropion is viewed as a non-fatiguing and activating antidepressant. Worked well for me for a couple of days until it stopped working like most drugs for me.

 

[jaybee00]

Abilify—search for long thread on here. Also FB group with 1000’s of members.

 

[lenora]

The earliest antidepressant that I know of that was used was an old one, Elavil. This was given in small amounts and did help with the severe pain of FM and in most people, sleep. It's still being used today.

For better help with pain, an old anti-seizure drug called Gabapentin was used. I was in a trial for it....and doses were still unknown. I lost my mind for probably 3 mos., but in the end it was miraculous. By then they knew the doses were too high, they were reduced in most people and for the first time, pain was finally controlled.

It now has members in its family, one of the most used is Lyrica (which I'me on). Compound creams (need a prescription) are also excellent. Some people even returned to their jobs. So things change...and there are probably newer ones that I know nothing about. When something works, you tend to stick with it. Yours, Lenora

 

[Giacobone]

Hi @Viala -- I recently started taking Methylene Blue (technically a drug), but you can get it online without a prescription. I immediately starting noticing improved energy, better ability to relax, improved sleep, better cognition, and a greater sense of well being. The following link will take you to an article that gives some good information on it.

Methylene Blue: Benefits, Dosing, Where To Buy, And More

From the Article:

How Methylene Blue Works In The Brain

Methylene blue works in the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier. Once it’s in the brain, it can reversibly inhibit MAO-A. This means that methylene blue can prevent dopamine and serotonin from breaking down, leading to increased levels of these neurotransmitters.1​

​

Dopamine and serotonin are essential for cognitive function since they play primary roles in memory, focus, learning, mood, and many other aspects of brain health. By increasing levels of these neurotransmitters, methylene blue can provide significant benefits to cognitive performance and overall well-being.​

​

In the body, Methylene Blue can help you when there is a problem with how the body’s cells use energy. When the body does not work right, it can’t make enough ATP, which might cause issues like too many free radicals. But methylene blue helps the cells use energy more efficiently and lowers free-radical production.2​

How much are you taking and how long did it take to see an improvement? I've been on it for about two weeks, haven't seen any difference yet.

 

[heapsreal]

Any antidepressant that is suppose to help with energy has made my insomnia worse.

Although not an antidepressant, modafinil in low doses like 50mg, (a normal dose is 200mg), has help me function on low energy days. It's hard to explain it's effects but it doesn't energise you but more so you don't feel as tired, if that makes sense. If I use it I take it first thing in the morning and it doesn't seem to make my sleep any worse than usual. Although maybe the first 2 times I used it my sleep was crappy that night.
It's classed as a stimulant but best described as an anti-fatigue Med. Personally never felt a crash afterwards like some do after using traditional stimulants. I will say this, if I'm in a full on cfs crash, nothing gets me out of it except time, rest and sleep.

My mood was low at the end of last year and the start of this year because of a couple of non cfs medical reasons. I've tried many antidepressants in the past and zoloft I was able to tolerate but my last stint trialling zoloft and other antidepressants, I just got exaggerated side effects from them. Zoloft (on a half of a normal dose), is suppose to be somewhat energising, it wrecked my sleep. Another antidepressant that was calming made me groggy and fatigued. I just gave up on the antidepressant thing and started taking 5htp 100mg twice a day and after a couple of weeks I could feel it helping. No side effects at all.

My tip for anyone wanting to try antidepressants would be to ask the dr for a tablet, not a capsule if you can, that way you can cut it in half or a quarter to start. I think alot of failure rates with antidepressants especially with cfsme is that drs start patients on too high of a dose and also try to push the doses higher. If you start on a quarter of a tab, then go to half a tab and feel good at that dose, just stay there. Many drs try to increase the dose to what they are told is normal for psychiatric patients not cfsme pts. Good luck.

 

[Viala]

Thanks everyone for your replies. So it seems that there is not much luck in this department. Even Abilify from what I see works for some people only for a while and it still can have side effects, but nothing that would keep steady, higher and functional energy levels. Someone wrote that SSRIs can cause permanent side effects even after a short term use, which is worrying. All of it suggests that there is no point in taking antidepressants for fatigue, unless someone needs to improve their mood. As a side note, I wonder if having low energy levels but good mood, would still be diagnosed as depression.

 

[jaybee00]

Some people on Abilify for more than 3+ years and still working, but many develop tolerance.

 

[Andryr]

I wonder if having low energy levels but good mood, would still be diagnosed as depression.

They can qualify low energy levels as loss of interest in normal activities. And loss if interest is a symptom if depression.
Abilify afaik is not what is typically used to treat depression. I read some evidence from those who used Abilify for CFS and they used it in very low doses. That is what I am going to try very soon.

 

[Viala]

They can qualify low energy levels as loss of interest in normal activities. And loss if interest is a symptom if depression.

Thing is it's the other way around, we have strong interest in normal activities, but we don't have the energy to do any of them. We can develop depression eventually, because our possibilities are so limited. If antidepressants can't help us long term with our fatigue, that's another reason to not to diagnose CFS as depression.

 

[lenora]

Lyrica works very well for muscular pain and has some other beneficial side-effects. It's true that high doses of drugs are used, but it's b/c amounts are figured for a man. I agree that starting low is the way to go. One can always go higher if needed. High doses play with one's mind. Yours, Lenora

 

[Vladimir]

Hi,

Sertraline 50 mg a day plus Baclofen 10mg X 3 per day put me almost into a complete remission. Then it led to severe urinary retention and I had to stop it all. Later, I tried Sertraline with Pregabalin and got the same results.

Sertraline alone did not do much though.

Similar effect was from 30 mg Mirtazapine, 10 mg Baclofen per day.

As a result of these experiments, now from time to time I have unbearable cravings for dairy/wheat flour sweets which calm my anxiety down but lead to the urinary retention.

This illness has definitely something to do with serotonin/dopamine imbalance and broken biochemistry.

 

[lenora]

I was on Baclofen many years ago. Either you take enough to knock you out for 8 hrs., or it seems to keep you awake even longer. I no long take anything for sleep....and I've been through them all. Unfortunately they'll work for just a few hours or a night or two and then that's it. Sleep clinics never helped (2 of them). Yours, Lenora

 

[cheeseater]

The earliest antidepressant that I know of that was used was an old one, Elavil. This was given in small amounts and did help with the severe pain of FM and in most people, sleep. It's still being used today.

For better help with pain, an old anti-seizure drug called Gabapentin was used. I was in a trial for it....and doses were still unknown. I lost my mind for probably 3 mos., but in the end it was miraculous. By then they knew the doses were too high, they were reduced in most people and for the first time, pain was finally controlled.

It now has members in its family, one of the most used is Lyrica (which I'me on). Compound creams (need a prescription) are also excellent. Some people even returned to their jobs. So things change...and there are probably newer ones that I know nothing about. When something works, you tend to stick with it. Yours, Lenora

GABA is really no different than Elavil or any of the Serotonin boosters. GABA inhibits Dopamine (creating a calming effect) and by doing so effectively raises the ratio of Serotonin in your system. While not a direct Serotonin booster, it works indirectly. SOS (same old story)

 

[Wayne]

GABA inhibits Dopamine

Hi @cheeseater -- I've never heard of GABA inhibiting dopamine before. Do you happen to recall where you ran across this information as I'd be most interested in it. The methylene blue that I'm taking supposedly inhibits the enzyme that breaks down both seratonin and dopamine, thereby getting higher levels of each. So, just trying to figure things out here. -- Thanks!

 

[cheeseater]

Hi @cheeseater -- I've never heard of GABA inhibiting dopamine before. Do you happen to recall where you ran across this information as I'd be most interested in it. The methylene blue that I'm taking supposedly inhibits the enzyme that breaks down both seratonin and dopamine, thereby getting higher levels of each. So, just trying to figure things out here. -- Thanks!

Dopamine rev's you up. Cocaine and amphetamine increase dopamine. Theories abound about significant mental illness involving too much dopamine. Pharmaceutical researchers have long sought things to lower dopamine, in hopes it could treat things like schizophrenia. More recently they have sought to lower the ratio of dopamine by raising other neurochemicals like Serotonin. Apparently lowering dopamine also has a calming effect on nerve pain and can sometimes control seizures. Neurontin is gabapentin.

It used to be fairly common knowledge that GABApentin worked partly or completely by lowering dopamine. Now they make it hard to find that key piece of info.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6137869/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10350028/