Anyone found an antidepressant that helped with fatigue?

[Jackb23]

Yes, I found bupropion 450 mg and Sertraline 200 mg to vastly help many, many years ago. I did rTMS after this and was pissed when I found out I could now no longer tolerate Sertraline. Literally ruined a treatment I had going for me.

My brain is screwed up from all of the different brain treatments that I have done, but you could get benefits from some of these medications.

I am trying to take sertraline right now, I am only on 6 mg and am having side effects such as agitation so I dont think it is going to work for me. I will likely try to go back to bupropion after this.

 

[L'engle]

Yes, I found bupropion 450 mg and Sertraline 200 mg to vastly help many, many years ago. I did rTMS after this and was pissed when I found out I could now no longer tolerate Sertraline. Literally ruined a treatment I had going for me.

My brain is screwed up from all of the different brain treatments that I have done, but you could get benefits from some of these medications.

I am trying to take sertraline right now, I am only on 6 mg and am having side effects such as agitation so I dont think it is going to work for me. I will likely try to go back to bupropion after this.

Did it help you specifically with post-exertional malaise? Hopefully buproprion works for you again.

 

[Jackb23]

Did it help you specifically with post-exertional malaise? Hopefully buproprion works for you again.

Everyone is different but I would say that sertraline did. BCAAs too.

I had a horrible crash my first year of illness when I was flooding my system with amphetamines to keep afloat in school. Over time this wrecked my system. I took Zoloft and felt a ton better weeks later.

 

[Viala]

Everyone is different but I would say that sertraline did. BCAAs too.

I had a horrible crash my first year of illness when I was flooding my system with amphetamines to keep afloat in school. Over time this wrecked my system. I took Zoloft and felt a ton better weeks later.

How long did it work for you? Were you able to function again, doing mental and physical tasks without any crashes, being able to go back to work etc.?

 

[Viala]

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.

Hi @Wayne, is methylene blue helping? I hope you are feeling better.

 

[CSMLSM]

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?

Hi Viala,

depending on where you are this medication may or may not be available on prescription, I am talking about THC.

THC combined with some CBD from my many years experience treats depression and gives energy, motivation and pain relief.

THC on its own can be too much for those unfamiliar to this type of medication. Adding CBD tempers the high feeling and smoothes out and improves its effects.

It is how I managed 20+ years.

I do not use it now as I have discovered CBD and caryophyllene, along with addressing vitamin B12, vitamin D and omega 3 deficiencies that are extremely common in our condition.

What I use now causes no effects other than feeling normal and pain free.

 

[Wayne]

Hi @Wayne, is methylene blue helping? I hope you are feeling better.

Hi @ @Viala -- Yes, it's been a "boon" for me, and I'm most definitely feeling better, thank you! I first noticed that very low doses of methylene blue left me with a very noticable sense of relaxation in my body and psyche. After I slowly started increasing my dosage (still at low dose), I began to notice increased energy.

Because of how much is documented about MB and its ability to protect nerves and improve brain function, I can see why many people are using it for depression, Alzheimer's, traumatic brain injury, ADD, and just about every other brain dysfunction a person can think of. I truly think it should be a "go to" item for anybody trying to positively affect their brain function. For me, it only takes very small amounts to make a very big difference.

Hi @CSMLSM -- Thanks for sharing; great post!

 

[Jackb23]

How long did it work for you? Were you able to function again, doing mental and physical tasks without any crashes, being able to go back to work etc.?

Yes. It worked so well that I stopped taking it but then crashed again.

 

[hapl808]

Because of how much is documented about MB and its ability to protect nerves and improve brain function, I can see why many people are using it for depression, Alzheimer's, traumatic brain injury, ADD, and just about every other brain dysfunction a person can think of. I truly think it should be a "go to" item for anybody trying to positively affect their brain function. For me, it only takes very small amounts to make a very big difference.

What dosages have you tried so far? Seems like everything from the mcg to mg range is used.

 

[Judee]

Because of how much is documented about MB

Something I was reading online about it said something about helping with the mitochondria and maybe oxygen getting into the mitochondria something Dr Systrom discussed being a problem in us.

Do you have any circulatory issues? For instance, I have Reynauds. I think it's been better since I started a beta blocker but if you have issues like that do you find the MB helping?

 

[Wayne]

What dosages have you tried so far? Seems like everything from the mcg to mg range is used.

Hi @hapl808,

I started very slowly at three drops a day, and worked up in 3 drop increments. The first couple of days on 3 drops, I noticed a definite new kind of relaxation in my body and psyche. It increased more so when I went up to 6 drops for a couple of days. When I got to 9 drops, I started noticing increased energy.

When I got to 12 and then 15 drops, I started to feel really happy, bordering on feeling giddy. Since it IS technically a drug, I decided to step back from that, and have now settled in at around 6-9 drops, about 5 days a week. I also noticed a bit of insomnia and a coffee like feeling at those higher doses.

I think anybody with ME/CFS with high sensitivities would do well to start out at low doses, and monitor closely as you add. I believe I was able to discern some subtleties by starting slowly that I might not have otherwise noticed. Below is a link to a good article on MB, and a good number of health issues it's helpful for:

The Surprising Health Benefits of Methylene Blue

I initially purchased a 3.5 oz. 1% solution bottle at Amazon, but you can also buy it for much less if you get the powder (same company) and dilute it with purified water. The ratio is 1 gram of the powder to 100 ml. (about 3.5 oz.) of water. The exact ratio is not really important, and some people like to make it both stronger and weaker than the above ratio. The 1 gram to 100 ml. ratio is the most commonly used however.

Here's a LINK to another dry powder product (which I ordered last week and am expecting soon). Both this product and the above linked products are pharmaceutical grade (USP), which is what they recommend for taking it internally. There are other less pure grades out there for fish tanks and laboratory use.

 

[Mary]

Elavil made me suicidal after two days. I had never had been suicidal before. Suicide and even murder are known effects of prescription ADs which is why they have a black box warning. I wasn't a teen-ager at the time btw. So I've steered clear of them! Late last year I tried a very small dose of liquid amtriptyline for sleep and couldn't even tolerate that. It did "help" a little with sleep (though it didn't feel like real sleep) but left me feeling quite yucky.

@Wayne - I was looking into methylene blue, it sounds quite intriguing! But I read that it can increase blood pressure See Methylene Blue for Distributive Shock: A Potential New Use of an Old Antidote

The data suggested that in human septic shock, methylene blue increases mean arterial blood pressure through an increase in cardiac index and systemic vascular resistance [85].

I'm guessing this might be part of the problem also re methylene blue and BP:

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis by methylene blue​

So - has the methylene blue had any effect on your blood pressure? I know it's more usual for people with ME/CFS to struggle with low BP, but mine runs high unfortunately, and I've been struggling to lower it without drugs.

Also, fwiw, very unfortunately I've read that high levels of BCAAs can cause high BP - and I won't be without my BCAAs because they have reduced the length of my crashes by more than half! Damned if I do, etc.!

 

[hapl808]

I started very slowly at three drops a day, and worked up in 3 drop increments. The first couple of days on 3 drops, I noticed a definite new kind of relaxation in my body and psyche. It increased more so when I went up to 6 drops for a couple of days. When I got to 9 drops, I started noticing increased energy.

When I got to 12 and then 15 drops, I started to feel really happy, bordering on feeling giddy. Since it IS technically a drug, I decided to step back from that, and have now settled in at around 6-9 drops, about 5 days a week. I also noticed a bit of insomnia and a coffee like feeling at those higher doses.

I think anybody with ME/CFS with high sensitivities would do well to start out at low doses, and monitor closely as you add. I believe I was able to discern some subtleties by starting slowly that I might not have otherwise noticed. Below is a link to a good article on MB, and a good number of health issues it's helpful for:

Thanks, that's great info. I ordered one that looks similar, although yours seems like it's half the price even in the liquid form.

I'll probably start off at one drop or less (dilute it in water) and very slowly work my way up. Do you put it in water or any particular method of administration?

 

[Viala]

Hi @ @Viala -- Yes, it's been a "boon" for me, and I'm most definitely feeling better, thank you! I first noticed that very low doses of methylene blue left me with a very noticable sense of relaxation in my body and psyche. After I slowly started increasing my dosage (still at low dose), I began to notice increased energy.

Because of how much is documented about MB and its ability to protect nerves and improve brain function, I can see why many people are using it for depression, Alzheimer's, traumatic brain injury, ADD, and just about every other brain dysfunction a person can think of. I truly think it should be a "go to" item for anybody trying to positively affect their brain function. For me, it only takes very small amounts to make a very big difference.

That sounds great and promising! I am happy for you.

It seems better than what antidepressants can do for us from what I hear. Interesting that it helpes with oxygen transport, inflammation and ATP production, may be indicating what's behind CFS. I can see that it also helps with methemoglobinemia in which the symptoms are mental status changes (~50%), headache, fatigue, exercise intolerance, dizziness, and loss of consciousness, sounds like a good fit for us.

It would be funny to be healed by a blue dye. The color is wonderful by the way.

 

[Viala]

Elavil made me suicidal after two days. I had never had been suicidal before. Suicide and even murder are known effects of prescription ADs which is why they have a black box warning. I wasn't a teen-ager at the time btw. So I've steered clear of them! Late last year I tried a very small dose of liquid amtriptyline for sleep and couldn't even tolerate that. It did "help" a little with sleep (though it didn't feel like real sleep) but left me feeling quite yucky.

That says it all, I am sorry you had to go through this. That is why I am wary of this idea, we never know how we will react and it can be serious. It just seems too risky to even try them, unless someone suffers from depression and has a clear reason to take them.

 

[Mary]

That says it all, I am sorry you had to go through this. That is why I am wary of this idea, we never know how we will react and it can be serious. It just seems too risky to even try them, unless someone suffers from depression and has a clear reason to take them.

To be fair, when I had 23andme testing done, I had some sort of SNP related to SSRI's - I can't remember what it was but it might be why I reacted so badly. But if that's the case, then I think this testing should be done before SSRI's (or their newest iterations) are ever prescribed.

Also, 5-htp can help raise serotonin levels. Lots of things to look into, but too many doctors and people reach for these drugs which alter the brain and how it processes serotonin.

I strongly believe doctors (and patients) should be educated about possible causes of depression, including low omega 3's and low vitamin D which are easily remedied. Also, did you know that too low cholesterol can cause depression and serious health issues? We need a certain level of cholesterol to be healthy (minimum 160) but you'd never know that from our culture. My brother's got down to 140 and he was so proud and his doctor didn't say a word. So I sent my brother some literature showing the dangers of cholesterol which had gotten too low. It's maddening - I think doctors and the general public are brainwashed about cholesterol - seriously.

 

[Mary]

I was looking into methylene blue, it sounds quite intriguing! But I read that it can increase blood pressure See Methylene Blue for Distributive Shock: A Potential New Use of an Old Antidote


I'm guessing this might be part of the problem also re methylene blue and BP:

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis by methylene blue​

So - has the methylene blue had any effect on your blood pressure? I know it's more usual for people with ME/CFS to struggle with low BP, but mine runs high unfortunately, and I've been struggling to lower it without drugs.

@Wayne - I think my question above got lost in the shuffle! Can you tell me if the methylene blue has had any effect on your blood pressure, up or down?

 

[Judee]

@Wayne, do you think it is helping with oxygen utilization and any circulation issues you may have been having previous to taking it?

 

[Viala]

@Mary Definitely, if testing is possible then it should be done before starting SSRI. Then, why to give a drug if it can be caused by some nutritional deficiency, that should be checked in the first place. Why to prescribe a drug that can potentially cause further damage, instead of trying to fix the root cuase of the problem in the first place, and if that wouldn't work, then a drug would be a good solution. Of course it is obvious why it is being done, but I am still perplexed why doctors do not think this way.

Also, did you know that too low cholesterol can cause depression and serious health issues? We need a certain level of cholesterol to be healthy (minimum 160) but you'd never know that from our culture. My brother's got down to 140 and he was so proud and his doctor didn't say a word. So I sent my brother some literature showing the dangers of cholesterol which had gotten too low. It's maddening - I think doctors and the general public are brainwashed about cholesterol - seriously.

Oh, that is something new. I guess we should rely more on our taste buds Fatty foods like meats and eggs are delicious and easily found in nature, we ate them for thousands of years and our bodies know what is good for us. It is funny that we have our science and we need to learn about something that we already naturally know. It's like relearning how to be a human. Animals know what to eat instinctively, we need doctors and dietitians and somehow they still don't get it entirely right.

 

[GreenEdge]

Yes, just eat more red meat.

https://www.google.com/search?q=vegans+more+likely+to+have+depression

People who follow a vegetarian lifestyle have around twice as many depressive episodes as those who eat meat, according to the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health.
See: Vegetarians Suffer More Depression Than Meat Eaters

Paul Saladino MD - On Food Truths, The Carnivore Diet,
& What Processed Foods Do To Our Guts