Posted by Cybele on October 3, 2006, at 17:36:04
My dx is dysthymia/bipolar-NOS with no evidence of mania or hypomania other than AD-induced (which happened once about 11 years ago). Up until the beginning of summer, I had double depression, which lasted about a year (!). I've finally found an AD that works and doesn't cause unacceptable side-effects. Wellbutrin and Cymbalta both worked, but messed up my REM cycles so badly I could barely function during the day. I was almost narcoleptic. I tried Paxil and Prozac many years ago, and they made me feel *more* depressed.
I've been on Zoloft (100 mg) now for 4 months and have been doing great on it (yoohoo!), altho lately I feel like I am getting a tiny bit depressed again (spaciness/concentration/memory issues are my primary sympton of depression). My PDOC had suggested I might need a dose increase at some point, but now I have a complicating factor. I had DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) 5 months ago, which is a very early stage of breast cancer. The cancer was removed and I did not need radiation. My surgeon wanted me to think about going on Tamoxifen, and the last time I talked to her she reiterated that I should seriously consider it as my cancer was estrogen-positive and it might really help keep the cancer from coming back.
Reading up on this, I see that Zoloft can interfere with the Tamoxifen:
http://patients.uptodate.com/topic.asp?file=endo_hor/4619
http://www.bms.jhmi.edu/Sin/English/About/News/SIN_AboutUs_News_MNFYJune04.asp
Does anyone have any experience with this or insight? I can't bear the thought of going back to that black-cloud depression I was in for a year up until I went on Zoloft. I also feel bummed about the idea of the Tamoxifen side-effects (basically, early menopause). I am only 45.
poster:Cybele
thread:691591
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061003/msgs/691591.html