There is much anxiety & depression associated with the uncertainity of this disease

and its possible progression.

Has anyone been prescribed drugs to combat this?

 

I do not have cancer, but I do have other serious autoimmune disorders as well as depression and anxiety. Wellbutrin works as a maintenance anti depression drug for me, but for instant relief of sudden deep onset of depression and or anxiety, for me, nothing beats Kava Kava (Gaia brand) or GABA(Source Naturals brand) sold OTC (over the counter) in health food stores and some drug stores. If you try these, be sure to only take one or the other, not both and take 1 capsul no more than every 6 hrs--- if you are my weight (110lbs). If you are heavier you can take 2 Kava Kava if 1 doesn't work.I do not know about taking more GABA ( I'd suggest you read about it to be sure what could work for you). Also, and importantly, be sure you give either one of them 15 -30 min to work.
I've been dealing with depression for over 50 years and I've taken many different RX drugs and these natural herbs and minerals, ect work the best for my depression and anxiety. Hope that helps.
BTW alcohol, sweets-(ie, cakes, candy, cookies, pies, etc), caffeine and various other drinks and foods will cause you to feel depressed and anxious...this I know from much experience!
You can get a handle on depression and anxiety in as little as a few min. Of course that depends on what you are going thru and on what you have eaten.( Many people do feel better within mins of taking 1 or the other of Kava Kava or GABA. I can tell you for sure is they work for me.
NOTE....be sure to read up on them before buying them to see if you can take them.If you are uncertain if they are OK to take with your other drugs you are taking, ask a pharmacist or if you are uncomfortable with trying anything on your own, ask your Dr. 1st.

Thanks, Ed. I was afraid of that. I was told not to stop taking it abruptly because of rebound effect. I did try to just stop but couldn't stick with it hence tring to lessen the dependence slowly. I have quit a lot of difficult habits in my life (smoking, drinking, etc) but have never experienced anything quite like this. Hopefully once the worst of all this is over I can stop taking it completely.

EJC - were you prone to anxiety & depression attacks BEFORE getting cancer? If you weren't - you might consider NOT taking any meds... In theory, you will come to grips with the desease all by yourself and won't need to be medicated...

Steve n Dallas said...
EJC - were you prone to anxiety & depression attacks BEFORE getting cancer? If you weren't - you might consider NOT taking any meds... In theory, you will come to grips with the desease all by yourself and won't need to be medicated...

That's a great response.

Some in my family have suggested I might want to take something for the anxiety I feel vis-a-vis periodic testing, the future etc. But I hate taking any pills and only take what I must take. Also, it seems like ti could be somewhat counter productive. We are all trying to get back the best of our mojo, the pre-surgery quality and I've always heard that such medications kill libido and can cause temporary ED. MAybe not true, but I've certainly heard it many times from users.

Personally unless it becomes crippling, I'd rather learn to deal with my new situation without meds. Some will argue that it's those meds that balance you out and thus enable you to deal with those situations from a fair/natural starting point but I don't buy that.

I lost 35 pounds in six weeks due to stress and anxiety over a failing relationship. Went to three docs that wouldn't give me the time of day   Let alone any meds... Ended up seeing a head shrinker and he helped me to heal myself..