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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jakeman on December 6, 2003, at 14:52:14
Last week I came down with a nasty cold. I started taking Nyquil at night, and occasionally, Alka-seltzer plus in the day-time.
Then, I had about a 3-4 day period where my mental state dramatically improved, althought I felt like crap physically. I actually felt happy and my ongoing anxiety disappeared. Has anyone had an experience like this? I know there's been some discussion on here about histamine levels and depression, maybe I should investigate that.
Unfortunately, my doctor seems to know nothing about alternative treatments. I've been taking Celexa... it quit working months ago, but I'm still on it.
Posted by TeeJay on December 6, 2003, at 16:48:32
In reply to I caught a cold and my depression lifted, posted by Jakeman on December 6, 2003, at 14:52:14
Yep, I experience this often. Either the flu alters ones brain chemistry a little temporarily, or its psychosomatic, IE your flu takes your mind off how depressed you feel.
Personally I think its a bit of both.
Phil
Posted by stjames on December 6, 2003, at 18:48:58
In reply to I caught a cold and my depression lifted, posted by Jakeman on December 6, 2003, at 14:52:14
If it happens every time you get a cold, then you have a cause and effect. Depression tends to come and go, a remitting condition. Now, there is
quite a bit of well supported data on some illnesses causing depression. Any differential Dx for depression should consider any primary illness
that can cause secondary depression. Nyquil is 50 proof
(25% booze), also. Many have pro-mood effects from booze but long term is is not sustainable.
Posted by TomV on December 13, 2003, at 22:45:08
In reply to I caught a cold and my depression lifted, posted by Jakeman on December 6, 2003, at 14:52:14
> Last week I came down with a nasty cold. I started taking Nyquil at night, and occasionally, Alka-seltzer plus in the day-time.
> Then, I had about a 3-4 day period where my mental state dramatically improved, althought I felt like crap physically. I actually felt happy and my ongoing anxiety disappeared. Has anyone had an experience like this? I know there's been some discussion on here about histamine levels and depression, maybe I should investigate that.
> Unfortunately, my doctor seems to know nothing about alternative treatments. I've been taking Celexa... it quit working months ago, but I'm still on it.I've experienced the same phenomenon, but my slight lifting of depression was due to my taking handfuls of ibruprofen for my cold. I also noticed the same thing when I was taking tons of IB for a toothache. My depression has a always had a real strong, heavy head type of feeling, sort of like perpetual headache. But one can't take IB forever?? Right?
Posted by Anna P. on December 17, 2003, at 0:39:28
In reply to Re: I caught a cold and my depression lifted » Jakeman, posted by TomV on December 13, 2003, at 22:45:08
I've had the same experience with cold meds. This fall, when I got the winter depression, I was helped with Nyquil. I realized that that was a stimulant pseudopherine, the Nyquil ingredient that helped with my depression.
It really saved my life, and helped me to keep my job. It removed the most of my symptoms.Anna p.
Posted by Tony P on December 22, 2003, at 19:46:50
In reply to Re: I caught a cold and my depression lifted, posted by stjames on December 6, 2003, at 18:48:58
I'm sure I've experienced positive effects on my depression in the early days of a cold. reagardless of medication. Another thing sometimes helps my mood too, being a semipro singer, a mild cold (preferably without laryngitis) can turn a rather ordinary baritone into a lovely rich bass!!
No question that Sudafed is a mild stimulant - and hence temporarilty helpful w/depression. I'm quite sensitive to it so I usually avoid it for colds and allergies, but occasionally 60-120 mg of pseudoephedrine plus 10-20 mg. of Valium (or equivalent other benzo) has helped to break me out of a short-term "frozen" depression, to which I am prone.
Posted by Omega Woman on January 3, 2004, at 3:44:06
In reply to Re: I caught a cold and my depression lifted, posted by Tony P on December 22, 2003, at 19:46:50
Results of a search
Effects of histamine H3 receptor ligands in experimental models of anxiety and depression.
Perez-Garcia C, Morales L, Cano MV, Sancho I, Alguacil LF.
Laboratory of Pharmacology, University of San Pablo CEU, Madrid, Spain.
Histamine H3 receptor ligands have been proposed to be of potential therapeutic interest for the treatment of different central nervous system disorders; however, the psychopharmacological properties of these drugs have not been studied extensively. In this work, we investigated the possible involvement of histamine H3 receptor function in experimental models of anxiety (elevated plus-maze) and depression (forced swimming test). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated i.p. with the histamine H3 receptor agonist R-alpha-methylhistamine (10 mg/kg) or the histamine H3 receptor antagonist thioperamide (0.2, 2 and 10 mg/kg) and 30 min afterwards the time spent in the open arms of an elevated plus-maze was registered for 5 min. The immobility time of male OF1 mice in the forced swimming test was recorded for 6 min, 1 h after the i.p. administration of R-alpha-methylhistamine (10 and 20 mg/kg), thioperamide (0.2, 2, 10 and 20 mg/kg) or another histamine H3 receptor antagonist, clobenpropit (5 mg/kg). The locomotor activity of mice was checked in parallel by means of an activity meter. Both saline controls and active drug controls were used in all the paradigms. Neither thioperamide nor R-alpha-methylhistamine significantly changed animal behaviour in the elevated plus-maze. R-alpha-methylhistamine and the higher dose of thioperamide assayed (20 mg/kg) were also inactive in the forced swimming test. By contrast, thioperamide (0.2-10 mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased immobility, the effect being significant at 10 mg/kg (33% reduction of immobility); clobenpropit produced an effect qualitatively similar (24% reduction of immobility). None of these histamine H3 receptor antagonists affected locomotor activity. These preliminary results suggest that the histamine H3 receptor blockade could be devoid of anxiolytic potential but have antidepressant effects. Besides, the stimulation of these receptors does not seem to be followed by changes in the behavioural parameters studied.
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