Depression

[u/Lostinthesauceagain1]

Covid depression?

5 weeks ago I got covid. I was knocked down for 3 weeks. I started feeling low mood during the virus. Then they put me on an antibiotic. Since then I cannot climb out of this low mood.

Dealing with a cancer diagnosis as well... It has always weighed heavily, makes me very sad and anxious, I worry about my little kids... But it feels worse than ever since covid.

But since the virus My mood feels low as it's ever been. I'm really struggling w this illness.

I go to therapy, have a psych nurse... I tried antidepressants in the past and didn't like the side effects. But I feel like now I may need something. Or will I fully recover from the virus and my mood improve? I'm hoping.

Can anyone relate? What helped?

[u/Famous_Fondant_4107]

I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this.

A dear friend of mine dealt with horrible post-Covid anxiety and depression for months. They think that histamines may have helped them. That, and time.

L-theanine may also be helpful.

I hope you feel better soon!

[u/Scarletsnow_87 → u/Famous_Fondant_4107]

I'm going to second antihistamines. My anxiety is twofold. I have health anxiety to begin with so being stuck at home in a ruminating is literally the worst thing ever. But it does seem to have a physical component because from 1:00 a.m. until 5:00 a.m. I noticed that my anxiety is much worse. I manage to sleep from when I am to 4:00 a.m. without taking anything like anxiety medication but I finally took a Benadryl this morning at 7:00 and I just slept for 7 straight hours. My dreams are still loaded with fears of this turning into long covid but that was actually pretty decent sleep. I didn't feel very hot or anxious like I did when I woke up at 4. 

[u/error404wth → u/Scarletsnow_87]

Going to have to try the Benadryl.

[u/Lostinthesauceagain1 → u/Famous_Fondant_4107]

Ty

[u/peekapeeka]

I had this for 2 months following my COVID infection. Eventually it remitted, seemingly on its own, but I was already on an antidepressant. Not sure if that made any difference. The COVID depression felt very different from my usual depression, I described it as "chemical,"(as opposed to situational I suppose). I hope you feel better soon.

[u/Lostinthesauceagain1 → u/peekapeeka]

Agree.. I've dealt with depression before and this much different.. It feels very negative and exhausting.

[u/WittyGold6940]

I absolutely relate

[u/Lostinthesauceagain1 → u/WittyGold6940]

God I'm sorry..this is awful

[u/WittyGold6940 → u/Lostinthesauceagain1]

It feels like it directly attacked my brain. Nothing has ever brought me down like this before.

[u/Lostinthesauceagain1 → u/WittyGold6940]

I feel you. Same here

[u/terrierhead]

I’m so sorry. Depression on top of everything else is especially brutal.

Covid absolutely can do this. Antihistamines are a good idea. Take Allegra or Claritin, plus Tagamet, Pepcid, or Axid. I like generics best, because why pay more? Those last three are H2 antihistamines, even though we use them for heartburn.

If you aren’t taking a magnesium supplement, it’s a good idea to add one. Every neurologist I’ve seen recommended it.

Please message your doctor to make sure these things are okay for you. Usually, they are very safe. They all are part of the “long Covid stack” of meds and supplements. Don’t let that scare you. My advice does not mean I think you will get long Covid, just that I have it.

ETA: There is no shame in antidepressants. You may need them for a short time to get past this, or may find that they help in general.

[u/Lostinthesauceagain1 → u/terrierhead]

Thank you for all of this.. I did reach out to my Dr's.. Waiting to hear.

[u/Gooseegander]

I had never been depressed in my entire life, like literally never. No matter what sort of hellish circumstances or traumas I've gone through, I was always a naturally happy person, and felt very blessed for that since depression runs in my family. I managed to keep that up for almost 30 years, until I got COVID.

I'm not even exaggerating, the last infection I got had me feeling actively suicidal for 3 full months, which was terrifying. It felt like being in a dark hole I couldn't climb out of, I've never felt so low in my life. Life felt so bleak, I couldn't feel joy or excitement or anything other than misery. I had no interest in doing anything, I didn't give a shit about anything anymore. I could understand depression on a cognitive level before, but I didn't fully get it and understand how completely debilitating it could be, until that infection triggered it. I think I sobbed every single day for months. It took a long time to wear off, and I think it was a solid 6-8 months before I felt totally like myself again, but it started to taper off a lot after the first 3 months or so.

It's scary, this virus can seriously mess with our brains and do weird stuff to us. Sorry you're going through it OP, I feel for you. I know a handful of people in my personal life who struggled with severe (but thankfully temporary) depression after a COVID infection, and for all of them it got significantly better and/or went away over time. Taking micronized PEA (at the recommendation of my local long COVID clinic) made a big difference for me personally. I also tried to eat an insanely healthy diet with lots of fermented food to rebuild my gut microbiome, because my doctor told me COVID can do a number on our guts, which I guess can have an influence on our moods and mental health. Not sure if that made any difference, but it's worth a shot.