Antidepressants

Does anyone know a antidepressant med that will not cause a drop in platelet count? I am having conflicts with my doctor and she is getting upset with me. I had a major drop of platelet count taking Bactrim for UTI and had to be hospitalized 3 days with transfusion so my fears of medicine is justified but she wants me to try citalopram 10mg. I am so fearful to take this because side effects are bleeding. I don't know what to do. I do need something for anxiety and panic attacks but what can I take that won't send me back to hospital? My doctor is no help,she thinks I am over reacting. Thanks for your help.

Charlotte:

Any drug has the potential to cause a platelet drop. The PDR lists thrombocytopenia for most drugs, Rituxan included. The only way to know if it will affect you is to try it. A lot of us have taken that particular drug with no problem, if that helps.

I've had drops from Amoxicillin (twice) but others take it with no drops and some people even get a rise.

Chronic ITP'ers will most likely have to take several drugs over the years to treat different things. I am on a few drugs that are contraindicated for ITP, but I have no choice. They have not caused a problem. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

Thanks Sandy for your post.I am so scared to take any kind of meds and my doctor is getting mad at me. I think she is hoping I go find another doctor to treat me because she doesn't want to deal with me being so cautious. I think someone who had to have transfusions from a med causing thrombocytopenia you will always have that fear inside you.

I don't like taking risk with meds so guess I will not take the depression med and just live with it.

Charlotte - it's not that I want to push the meds on you, but like I said, there are times when you'll need an antibiotic or something and you'll have to take it. I was like that when I was first diagnosed - I stayed away from anything that I thought would cause a drop. My counts dropped any way. In time, I began to relax about it and not get so paranoid. I found out that I actually did okay with certain meds and I quit obsessing.

It's not good to live with depression and stressing can't be good for your health either. I don't believe that drugs are the only fix for that though. You could try therapy. That might even help your fear of medications which you should address. You just might need some one day and not have a choice.

Hi
Last year I was diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder and along with it given a box of prozac.

Being a MIND volunteer and service user I went home, read the patient information leaflet which clearly said do not take if you have a history of bleeding dissorders. And having found it that it was prozac I simply threw away the tablets, eventually swapped general practictioners (Am in England) and applied for cognitive behavioural thereapy with a one to one psychologist of which I am doing at the moment.

I am not saying you should get rid of the tablets but I would like you to seriously question if there is some other way you can get help and support? Doctors will give tablets as first line of treatment. But really it is the support we need to help us change our thinking patterns and antidepressants do not do that. Most people in UK on anti depressants are on them simply because their GP has supplied them though it is difficult for the GP because some people actually think they want the tablets not realising that they are doing more harm than good because one becomes dependant on them etc...

If am allowed to say so, I would strongly urge you to bin the anti depressants and find yourself a psychologist and a Mental Health organisation that you help you look at your own thinking patterns etc. It will take time but worth it! Honestly;)