I'd be worried but I just don't care enough ...
December 13, 2015 4:22 PM Subscribe
I haz a big ass bowl of apathy. I've been on anti-depressants for many years (various ones since they tend to crap out after a bit) and currently on Effexor XR 75mg. Was diagnosed with hypothyroid and was put on small dose of synthroid.
Two months later, I was in a funk the likes of which I've not seen. The kind where you lie in bed and ponder why you're even here and wouldn't it be easier to just shuffle off somehow. (No real suicide ideation, just more like 'be nice to not be here'). Called the doc, got blood work and saw that my thyroid levels were much improved but at the expense of my mental health.
He switched me to Armour and I felt GREAT for a month and now that we're coming up on 2 months in, I feel the huge warm blanket of apathy coming over me. Like, I really just don't care about anything. I go through the motions but I honestly don't care.
One theory that doc and I discussed is that since my thyroid has been low-level out of whack for a while, getting it back in whack put a hurting on my depression and perhaps a different anti-depressant (or higher dose) was in order.
I'll be calling him tomorrow to discuss and YANMD but looking for any thoughts you might have about this (intuitive hits are welcome).
Special Snowflake details: I work from home and it's the first year in 3 that I haven't gone back to corporate for a while. I realized I got a lot of my socialization needs met at that job and am lonely here at home. (Dogs are lovely and husband is too)
Thing is, I know I need to get out but I just don't care. I don't. And that's what it boils down to. I do not care about anything pretty much.
Why can't I just get to a normal (ha!) place of daily happy instead of plodding through the days being annoyed and sad? (Existential question, I know)
What's your suggestion for someone who is in the throes of apathy?
Two months later, I was in a funk the likes of which I've not seen. The kind where you lie in bed and ponder why you're even here and wouldn't it be easier to just shuffle off somehow. (No real suicide ideation, just more like 'be nice to not be here'). Called the doc, got blood work and saw that my thyroid levels were much improved but at the expense of my mental health.
He switched me to Armour and I felt GREAT for a month and now that we're coming up on 2 months in, I feel the huge warm blanket of apathy coming over me. Like, I really just don't care about anything. I go through the motions but I honestly don't care.
One theory that doc and I discussed is that since my thyroid has been low-level out of whack for a while, getting it back in whack put a hurting on my depression and perhaps a different anti-depressant (or higher dose) was in order.
I'll be calling him tomorrow to discuss and YANMD but looking for any thoughts you might have about this (intuitive hits are welcome).
Special Snowflake details: I work from home and it's the first year in 3 that I haven't gone back to corporate for a while. I realized I got a lot of my socialization needs met at that job and am lonely here at home. (Dogs are lovely and husband is too)
Thing is, I know I need to get out but I just don't care. I don't. And that's what it boils down to. I do not care about anything pretty much.
Why can't I just get to a normal (ha!) place of daily happy instead of plodding through the days being annoyed and sad? (Existential question, I know)
What's your suggestion for someone who is in the throes of apathy?
Effexor XR did nothing for me but the non-XR version gives me exactly the result you want. Not annoyed, sad, or angry. Just mostly positive.
posted by irisclara at 4:55 PM on December 13, 2015
posted by irisclara at 4:55 PM on December 13, 2015
Your dose of Effexor is fairly low; anecdotally at least, the noradrenergic effects of the drug (that is, it increases the brain's level of norepinephrine as well as serotonin) tend to increase motivation, so maybe the increased thyroid activity just means you also need a bump up to 150 mg a day of the Effexor. It'd be worth a try. Sounds like you have a good grasp of some changes in your life that would be good for you aside from medication.
posted by mister pointy at 5:36 PM on December 13, 2015
posted by mister pointy at 5:36 PM on December 13, 2015
Are you exercising? 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week or 60 minutes, 3 times a week.
posted by listen, lady at 5:45 PM on December 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by listen, lady at 5:45 PM on December 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
This definitely sounds like a drug issue. But secondarily: Are there co-working spaces in your city? Having a place to go every morning really keeps my mood up.
posted by jessca84 at 6:44 PM on December 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by jessca84 at 6:44 PM on December 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
I've watched my mother struggle with hypothyroidism all my life. Her experience has been similar to Hermione Granger's.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:08 AM on December 14, 2015
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:08 AM on December 14, 2015
Antidepressants result in apathy for me... they make it so I just don't give a $% about anything, sometimes including eating, which is normally my favorite thing! My guess is that the thyroid treatment is affecting how your antidepressants are working and yes, you'd be better off on a different one (or off them if that's safe for you to try in case you're like me).
posted by metasarah at 8:52 AM on December 14, 2015
posted by metasarah at 8:52 AM on December 14, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you all for the ideas and suggestions. Every time I go off ADs, I fall slowly slowly into a ditch of apathy and MEH so staying on them for now. I will talk to the doc about increasing the dosage and see if that helps.
Couch potato here so haven't been exercising or doing anything to move my body. I'd blame the apathy but that's been around my whole life.
Co-working and moving my ass seem to be in my future. :)
Thanks again!
posted by Mysticalchick at 10:37 AM on December 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
Couch potato here so haven't been exercising or doing anything to move my body. I'd blame the apathy but that's been around my whole life.
Co-working and moving my ass seem to be in my future. :)
Thanks again!
posted by Mysticalchick at 10:37 AM on December 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Hermione Granger at 4:49 PM on December 13, 2015 [3 favorites]