Posted by Elizabeth on July 15, 2001, at 17:17:50
In reply to Medication induced depression-need opinions, posted by kid47 on July 14, 2001, at 21:22:02
> Hello. In August of 1999, at the age of 46, I had what was called a severe immuno-response (allergic reaction I guess) after eating a large amount of catfish. I had never had a problem with fish before but had to be hospitalized after eating this particular catfish.
Some people just have weird food allergies like that. Often, it runs in families.
> My entire body swelled up & my blood pressure was dangerously high.
That's odd. Usually anaphylaxis is accompanied by dangerously low BP. It's a good reason not to want to use epinephrine, though. Do you recall what your BP was?
> I was not given the standard treatment of epinepherine because of the high blood pressure, but was instead given Mega amounts of IV Benadryl & some other drug to lower blood pressure.
Yeah, under those circumstances, Benadryl seems like the way to go. OTOH it could trigger anticholinergic toxicity (dryness, fever, delirium, etc.) which would be bad.
> After being released from the hospital I was told to continue oral Benadryl @ 4 times the normal insert suggested dosage!!!
FWIW, the recommended doses of over-the-counter drugs can often be exceeded without any problem. (That doesn't mean you should do it indiscriminately, of course, but if a doctor says to go ahead and take more, it's probably ok.
> I was also started on a steroid pack.(Starting at like 6 pills a day, then reducing dose by 1 or 2 pills a day till I finished the pack in about a week) During that time I had what I now realize was a panic attack. I was told it was probably just a reaction to the meds & to reduce the Benadryl by half.
It might have been the steroids, actually. They can cause agitation. Unfortunately, if you're taking a high dose you really do need to taper it slowly, since they suppress your immune system.
> I have read that benadryl & steroids can both effect brain chemistry. Any thoughts on this?
Sure. Steroids of the type you took (I'm assuming) mimic the action of cortisol, a hormone which is definitely psychoactive. I've heard of mood disorders (particularly, dysphoric hypomania) being triggered by steroids.
Benadryl is a CNS-active anticholinergic and antihistaminic drug. It can cause any number of centrally-mediated effects, including dysphoria in some people.
> Possibly a combination of the meds & the trauma of the allergic reaction triggered my mental breakdown?
That seems like a reasonable guess. Unfortunately, I don't know what to suggest in the way of dealing with it. Maybe you could get some tests to find out if your immune system is working correctly? I'd talk to a GP about it and possibly ask for a referral to a specialist.
Good luck with things. And welcome to psycho-babble.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:69997
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010714/msgs/70219.html