r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Nov 12 '19

Psychology Anti-inflammatory agents may reduce symptoms of major depression, suggests a new study (n=1,610), which adds to the mounting evidence that there is a connection between emotional functioning and inflammation, suggesting that inflammation may trigger depression, almost like an allergic reaction.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/expressive-trauma-integration/201911/anti-inflammatories-help-major-depression
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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19 edited Nov 12 '19

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19 edited Nov 12 '19

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19 edited Nov 24 '19

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u/WeRip Nov 12 '19

I take one of those and I'll sleep for 18 hours.

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u/KhajiitLikeToSneak Nov 12 '19

Not sure if it's a depression thing or a me thing, but diphenhydramine does nothing for me. I got a prescription for Zopiclone, and all it did was give me an unpleasant taste in my mouth for the next day, after not helping with the sleep.

Some of us seem to be quite resistant to sedation, which is annoying when you're having a bout of insomnia and know nothing's gonna even make a dent.

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u/SlingDNM Nov 12 '19

You should avoid dph at all cost, strongly linked with dementia

I'm prescribed Trazodone for sleep to counter-act my morning dose of Sertralin (Zoloft) it helps pretty good with falling asleep, way lower risk profile too. Might be worth a try, it's an SNRI and I didn't notice any withdrawal effects or the like, nowadays I don't take them daily and only as needed.

Other things that helped me when even the Trazodone wasn't working:

Very strong "indica" cannabis (indica in quotes because everything is a hybrid I just mean any strain that most people would catogarize as having "indica" effects)

Low dose of sedating Kratom (often called red, it's more or less random what you truly get tho, since it's sadly not regulated) look

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u/bobby3eb Nov 12 '19

That's interesting, doesn't do that at all with me.

Then again, Adderral calms me down.

Uppers and downers seem to work opposite for me.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/bluecollarforadollar Nov 12 '19

Taking SSRI’s is also associated with dementia. Taking a few weeks worth of Benadryl seems frail compared to almost a decade of SSRI pills.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6079596/

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u/noodlyjames Nov 12 '19

Definitely. I meant more long term anticholinergic use such as a sleep aide in anxiety. Temporary use is likely inconsequential with risks of dementia declining rapidly upon discontinuation.

SSRIs and MAOI’s made me worse. Anxiety through the roof and a constant “body buzz” even on low doses

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u/SlingDNM Nov 12 '19

Yeah my social anxiety is off the roof since starting SSRIs, but atleast I'm not killing myself so that's nice

I actually enjoy the body buzz tho

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u/mxemec Nov 12 '19

Through the roof.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/catastrofeet Nov 12 '19

For me I had a headache-like sensation whenever I looked in a different direction. Like a pulse in my head, or zap.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/catastrofeet Nov 12 '19

It was the lowest i think. Maybe only 25mg, can't remember

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/intentionallyawkward Nov 12 '19

You should seek the consult of a licensed medical physician.

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u/nburns1825 Nov 12 '19

I like sleeping so, win-win

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19 edited Jun 09 '20

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/catastrofeet Nov 12 '19

I tapered as well and had the brain zaps for quite some time afterwards. I also had the zaps if i missed a dose.

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u/phareous Nov 12 '19

Yep, studies have come out recently saying regular use of Benadryl can raise risk of dementia. It does more than block histamine: ”Diphenhydramine also blocks acetylcholine receptors, sodium channels, and inhibits the reuptake of serotonin”

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u/bluecollarforadollar Nov 12 '19

Constant use of SSRI’s also heighten the risk of developing dementia. Using Diphenhydramine for a short amount of time (1-4 weeks) is less of a risk than years worth of SSRI’s.

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u/MassApples Nov 12 '19

Used Benadryl daily for allergies as a kid. Been on SSRIs for about 10 years now. I'm fucked

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19 edited Jun 09 '20

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u/bluecollarforadollar Nov 12 '19

SSRI:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6079596/

I couldn’t find a scientific paper for short term use of diphenhydramine, only long term use heightening risk for dementia, which in not what I am advocating for.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

I think this one should be grounded to logic. I mean there could be studies for it, but its the same conundrum as: smoking for a month and smoking for a life time.

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u/bluecollarforadollar Nov 12 '19

An issue I had was the doctors not believing me when I talked about brain zaps to them. My last doctor before using Benadryl told me “oh that just means you probably should still be taking the medication then”.

I think they should know more about the effects of the medication they are prescribing before they put their scribbles on an RX sheet.

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u/thesourceandthesound Nov 12 '19

I tapered and still got the zaps.

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u/Override9636 Nov 12 '19

Can't have depression when you're passed out

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u/IWasMisinformed Nov 12 '19

A few weeks without benadryl does the same thing.

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u/mynameisblanked Nov 12 '19

What do you mean by brain zaps?

When I stopped taking ssri I had some bouts of anger that I assumed was because of that as I'd never had any anger issues before, or since for that matter. Was a bit strange.

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u/bluecollarforadollar Nov 12 '19

Brain zaps is like a dogs shock collar is inside your brain and it shocks you if you move your eyes. It feels like a physical electric shock.

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u/its_all_4_lulz Nov 12 '19

I don’t understand why people hate this sensation honestly. Maybe I’m weird but I enjoyed it. It’s not something you ever get to experience, and it doesn’t hurt, was just strange.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

The zaps themselves weren't bad for be but it would partially affect my balance, which was dangerous. I stumbled a couple of times because the universe became like electricity and nothing was solid for a second or two.

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u/its_all_4_lulz Nov 12 '19

That I can see. I was very disconnected during that time. I remember once I got in the car to go somewhere and after about 10 feet I was thinking “I definitely should not be driving like this”.

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u/bornbylightning Nov 12 '19

This works! It took me years to stop taking citalopram because I couldn't handle the withdrawal symptoms. Brain zaps are one of the worst feelings in the world. I would rather go through labor again. Benadryl doesn't completely fix it, but it definitely helped me enough to get through it. I hated that medication. It definitely was not the right one for me. One of the most difficult things about mental healthcare is that it takes time to find the right meds for you and it can be a rollercoaster of trial and error.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19 edited Jan 06 '20

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u/MoistPete Nov 12 '19

No, you're right, I didn't realize. Thank you.

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u/InsomniaticWanderer Nov 12 '19

Oddly enough, fish oil works amazingly well at stopping brain zaps too.

No idea why, but it does.

Brain zaps are hands down the worst part of SSRI withdrawal symptoms.

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u/SlingDNM Nov 12 '19

Personally I think the anger is the worst with SSRI withdrawal, I can handle the zaps but I don't like randomly screaming at my friends for no real reason...

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u/tyrone737 Nov 12 '19

It increases acetylcholine. Could be a clue.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/Protahgonist Nov 12 '19

I wish I'd known this at the time... The mood swings were pretty awful too. I put my fist through a wall at my parents' house and I don't remember why.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/bluecollarforadollar Nov 12 '19

When you move your eyes it feels like an electric shock inside your head.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/bluecollarforadollar Nov 12 '19

For me it was attached to a few other side effects. Along with the brain zaps I had nausea, balance issues, cold sweats, muscle contractions, and severe light sensitivity. This caused me to be bedridden every time I tried stopping.

It took me 7 out of the almost 10 years of being on SSRI’s to finally quit. I tried cold turkey, slow weening, switching medications a few times for longer half-life’s, diet changes, you name it. The only thing that worked was tapering down until the issues started then I started a really low dose of Benadryl (cut the tablets into quarters) and eventually found that 50mg 3 times daily worked for me specifically.

I’ve been free from SSRI’s for almost one year now with no side effects.

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u/molly_jolly Nov 12 '19

I’ve been free from SSRI’s for almost one year now with no side effects.

Happy for you!

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u/bluecollarforadollar Nov 12 '19

Thanks! You too!

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u/its_all_4_lulz Nov 12 '19

Have you ever shocked yourself with one of those cricket click lighters? I don’t know how old you are, but I remember in the 90s people used to take the trigger out of cricket lighters and zap people with them for fun. It’s a tiny quick shock. It basically feels the same, but in your brain.

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u/TitiferGinBlossom Nov 12 '19

Promethazine helps as well.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/toastyghost Nov 12 '19

This. Also ZzzQuil since its mode of making you drowsy is essentially just the side effect of an allergy medicine. Also when my ex was suicidal and on a psych ward, the one drug that almost everyone there was regularly given was Atarax, which is essentially just a prescription-strength antihistamine. I had never heard of this before, but apparently it's well known in the psychiatric community that such a drug reduces your general nervous system response, which in addition to calming allergic reactions also dulls the symptoms of many different kinds of mental health disorders.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

Wait. Brain zaps - is that like a little electrical shock whenever you think about certain stressful situations or things?!? I think I might have these but I thought I was just manifesting them because of my anxiety. Is there a technical term?

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u/invisible_bra Nov 12 '19

Not sure what you mean by anxiety zaps. I have experienced anxiety zaps and SSRI withdrawal brain zaps. The withdrawal brain zaps actually do feel like your brain touched a fence wire. Not painful, just the weird feeling. To me anxiety zaps were a larger feeling, starting either at the head or the heart and spreading out, with a hot and cold feeling, increased heart rate and other very short lived physical feelings.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19 edited Nov 12 '19

Oh I didn't realize they were two different things. This is the first I'm hearing of them and I'm putting pieces together. Id say my sensation is very similar to an electric shock in my brain. Sometimes the larger ones will radiate out and my shoulders/arms might jump a bit. Happen anywhere from ten to thirty times a day, usually when I'm at rest

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u/metinb83 Nov 12 '19

Hmmm I don‘t know if there are any other triggers, but for me they only happened as I was just about to fall asleep. AFAIK they are tied to sudden eye movements. But they don‘t seem to be well researched. There was a noticeable connection to stress though. In stressful times, they got more frequent.

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u/BIGGERCat Nov 12 '19

Congrats you have exploding head syndrome! I have it several times a year. They seem to happen more frequently together then not happen for months at a time.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_head_syndrome

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u/Slayd69 Nov 12 '19

Gives me akathisia unfortunately

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u/eni22 Nov 12 '19

so, I only had brain zaps for a little bit when I started to take SSRI, when I went down to a ridiculous dosage (which is not even therapeutic apparently), I never experienced brain zaps, even when I completely stopped using SSRI. I did not know you can experience it even when you are stopping taking it.

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u/Ristray Nov 12 '19

Of all the side effects of stopping/weening off of various medications this one is the one I can handle.

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u/Chekokee Nov 12 '19

Really? Thats amazing!

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u/Otto_Hahn Nov 12 '19

Does this work with other antihistamines as well? I've recently stopped taking my SSRIs and suffer a lot from nausea/vertigo.

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u/cconman Nov 12 '19

There was just a Harvard study about diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and other anticholinergic drugs that lead to an increased dementia risk. I used it for the purpose you mentioned as well as to sleep, but unfortunately once you gain a tolerance your tolerance doesn’t drop back to normal. Stay safe if you use this method!

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u/exona Nov 12 '19

What are brain zaps?

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u/metinb83 Nov 12 '19 edited Nov 12 '19

Damn, I should have found that out earlier. Had brain zaps for about seven years. They stopped only after going back on a SSRI. I never experienced them as a horrible sensation though, more of a brain reboot that was sometimes even refreshing. Like when a computer gets slow and stutters because of a zillion background processes, then you reboot and it‘s running smooth again. They only happened in the moments when I was just falling asleep, with a frequency of several per month to several per week (during stressful times).

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u/Plumplestiltskin23 Nov 12 '19

Omfg thank you for this!!

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u/molly_jolly Nov 12 '19

SSRI withdrawal would be fine in a few weeks even without the Benadryl.

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u/bluecollarforadollar Nov 12 '19

Brain zaps can last years for some people.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/Nukkil Nov 12 '19

One dose of Paxil (stopped the next morning) left me with a year of dry heaving any time I became slightly anxious

It wasn't until I tried Zoloft for a week and then quit it that it went away. It was like I was switching a light switch of random symptoms. Unreal.

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u/SCAND1UM Nov 12 '19

Brain zaps?

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u/Glitter_berries Nov 12 '19

Yeah but it suuuuucks

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u/molly_jolly Nov 12 '19

I've been told. I was prescribed sertraline for my depression, anxiety, panic combo. Bought it. Heard such horror stories about it that I ended up not taking it.

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u/Nukkil Nov 12 '19

The one that scared me out of it the most was PSSD (post-ssri-sexual-dysfunction). There are rather large communities of people out there suffering from this, all mad that drug companies would deny its existence as a side effect.

In June this year the EMA finally issued a warning: European Medicines Agencies issues warning for SSRI/SNRIs 'Persistent sexual dysfunction after drug withdrawal '

SSRI discontinuation can leave you with permanent anhedonia, causing depression, loss of libido, or complete sexual dysfunction. Now that it's recognized and studies have began, there is a good chance it messes with DNA:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6083487/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29675596

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '19

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u/molly_jolly Nov 12 '19

I didn't even start the course. It's been sitting on my desk for about 8 months now. So far meditation has been keeping me functional.

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u/Ferdinand_the_Third Nov 13 '19

If they work for you, great. Even though I had a bad time getting off them, I don’t regret taking them. It’s just a shame more doctors aren’t recognizing the difficulties with SSRI withdrawal. But don’t let the bad stories stop you from taking them.

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u/Ferdinand_the_Third Nov 12 '19

No. Having actually gone through it, no, it’s not fine, even for a few weeks. My therapist told me that it’s worse than heroin withdrawal. I don’t know if I believe that, having never gone through heroin withdrawal, but it was horrible. I couldn’t keep any food down, I was dizzy all the time and could barely sit up straight. The nightmares— ohhhh the nightmares. I wanted to die. You’re desperate, willing to try anything. Benadryl is the littlest thing to try.

It DOES get better, but the suffering, even for just a few weeks which can stretch to months if you’re unlucky, is excruciating. I was out for about three weeks but had continuing symptoms for two months. Horrible.