Hello LUVLYWMAN !! Welcome to the best copd group around.

Yes, I take antidepressants, and mine is because I get to anxious, and nervous , and I worry about everything!!!

This disease can really depress a person, so I try not to dwell on it to much, but the prozac helps keep me grounded

Prozac freaking rocks...... I can't say enough good about the stuff. It saved me when I went through a rough patch where my loved ones were dying every time I turned around. No one for 3 years now and I'm finally off and hope to stay off if my health gets straightened out.

bjrapp2020 yes it seems like u r my twin. i also get anxious and nervous then it just makes my breathing worse. Right now i take xanex but my doc wants me to take paxil or zoloft. do u know anything about these. Please let me know.

zigzzagz65 Prozac i now nothing about. any side effects.

I took zoloft for a while and it gave me diarreah so bad ii had to stop.
zoloft was doing a good job, but it mellowed out to much.

Paxil was a really good drug. I gave me leg cramps, These are just minor side effects and on most people, they go away in a day or so...not me!! So I take prozac, I stay awake, alert, but calmed down
i can still get upset and worry over trivial thing and he wanted to raise the mg from 10 to 20mg. That dose had me crying, jumpy, anxious, so they dropped it to 10, and I am happy again...hugs
BJ

i also have anxiety and nervous & worry about everything like bj explains so i take an anti-anxiety med.
xanax, lorazapam are benzodiazepines which are anti-anxiety meds
paxil, zoloft, prozac etc. are SSRI's which are anti-depressants.
much different type of meds so you should work with your dr to see what might be best for you.
BTW a warning= both SSRI's and benzodiazapenes should not be stopped suddenly, but should be tapered off of with dr approval & advice.
welcome LUVLYWMN, sorry you have to be here, but glad you found us :)

I take 100 MG of Zoloft every day (1 tablet) every morning. I have three incurables, COPD featuring severe end stage emphysema, PD (Parkinson Disease for 38 years and counting), and a MRSA infection throughout my entire respiratory system, with the main infection in what's remaining of what used to be my lungs. The meds don't seem to be doing their jobs anymore for my lungs, but the supplemental O2 is what is keeping me going. The Zoloft (generic: Sertraline) helps me to cope with all of this immensely The main thing I've discovered though is the endless "magic" of belonging and being a part of this DS family! I am so glad that you were led here to us by God. Stick around awhile and you'll see and feel the proof of that statement!
May the Good Lord rest His head on your pillow next to yours this evening.Jim

Welcome to the group LUVLYWMAN. Bj told you the truth about the kind and wonderful members here who will educate and support you whenever you need them. I previously was on Prozac. Now using Xanx due to anxiety attacks that have been to extrem for me to handle. Whatever works for some may not work for another. Please discuss with your doctor. Hope you find the right meds that work for you soon. Don't give up you have many options.

HUGS....

welcome to the family, if the antidepressants help then go for it. This disease can really drag you down so if you are offered a little help then take it. Breath easy and when things get to much come on here for a good chat and info x x

I guess I am just stubborn but I refuse to take any of the psychotropic drugs being pushed today. I have too many "healthy" friends who take that stuff and I can see it slows down their reflexes both mentally and physically. One friend who uses zanax sits at traffic lights long after they have turned green....just sitting there zoned out. Her short term memory is about as shot as my lungs. My sharp mind is about all that is left of the old Sandy and I'm not letting that go without a fight. Way too many RX being casually pushed. I am much more afraid of theses drugs than I would ever be of a pot laced brownie or candy if I wanted to relax and escape reality for a bit. Also big $s involved in the sale manufacture and distribution of psychotropic drugs. Legal pushers in my opinion. . Life can be depressing sometimes......it was that way before I got sick and will be that way long after I'm gone. I choose to meet life on life's terms.....not medicated and artificially happy.

I was taking Celexa when I first got diagnosed. It made me emotionally flat lined. I dropped it after a few months. Now I take large doses of life on His terms. Works OK for me...

Hugs,
Dennis

Hi luvly, welcome to our group. I take lorazepam and lexapro. But these were prescribed before I knew I had this stinkin' disease. Mental health is important. And I respect what kitties and dennis said. And it's true. But some of us - me - need some leveling of emotions. It helps me.

Hi! Hope we can help; and you can help us. Unfortunately, as you will learn, no one size fits all. After diagnosis, some of us have suffered with depression and anxiety, some a smattering, and some nothing related. However, you are not unique in that someone(s) here will fit your symptoms of being depressed/anxious post-diagnosis; and there'll be different approaches e.g. anti-depressants, meditation, positive thinking.

So...hopefully the discussion here will help you talk with your doctor to find the best approach for you.

My dad with copd has tried many drugs and they were all temporary for him except the xanax at night. After he was intubated a couple years ago he has severe anxiety at night and sometimes the diagnoses and the ability to do less gets him down.The xanax helps prevent the night panics. Xanax is a benzo so its really for temporary use. I have an anxiety disorder and used it for panic attacks and it worked quite well but not for daily use unless the doc says (like in my dads case).

It is true that no one size fits all, but also don't forget that anxiety and depression are real medical conditions and don't let anyone tell you to "just get over it". Some people will try to do that and I know don't let them! (Anymore at least) :)

Now a side note on antianxiety and/or depression meds. You will need to see a doctor (preferably a PsyD) along with a counselor (Ipersonally find cognitive behavior therapy to be the most effective alongside meds). That way they can diagnose depression or anxiety. They do go together but they need to find the underlying condition anxiety or depression...the meds will be different. I personally was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and it nearly crippled me. I was at the point of barely being able to get to work and function normally. I now take Celexa 10mg down from 60mg daily. it was a godsend. I initially fought medication but it turned out to be necessary for me. I find it doesn't have that many side efffects after the initial first week of taking it.

Durning a particurly difficult time my doctor prescribed Buspar daily for 6 months. My father also found relief with this drug for a month to get through a particularly rough patch. It is handy for hard times but not as zonking out as xanax is. It did make me fuzzy so when I felt better I had the doc wean me off of it.

All that said, the absolutely most helpful thing once the major anxiety was under control is cognitive behavior therapy and they use it for depression too. They help you find why you feel the way you do but most importantly what to do about it. You may be confronting your biggest fears from diagnoses and working through them at your pace when you are ready with a goood therapist you trust. The hardest appointment is the first, after that its difficult but not gigantic feat as the first appointment feels (I can discuss that with you too if you like as well, like how to prepare yourself).

Hope this helps!! I know my dad was helped immensely and I'm trying to find him a therapist that he trusts.

I take citalopram, Xanax and a sublingual for panic attacks. They work ell for me. I was a mess before I went on them. Totally depressed and I would panic when I got short of breath. Now that I have had the surgery, my outlook is much better and I am slowly weaning off the citalopram.
Don't be ashamed to ask for help. This is a classic case of better living through chemistry.
Welcome to our world.