Crohn's Disease Support Group

Does anyone that has had crohn's deal with severe anxiety and depression? I made myself sick for 3 months, not eating or drinking nothing and lost 30 pounds. I thought it was my crohn's but it turned out to be my anxiety and depression. I was on Xanax but that was not helping. The recently put me on Klonopin which helps but not enough. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

I have both too. Plus crohn's I just started some antidepressants prozac... for my anxiety I take ativan 1mg... it takes to a long time kick in but it works fast when it really needs too.

I think it's part of the disease

maybe

I have not heard that it is directly linked to Crohn's diseasebut anyone that suffers chronic illness's is at risk to feel depressed or overwhelmed at times. Recently I have developed high anxiety. Could bethe birth of my son. I have been taking paxil it seems to help at times but I still feel like the world is closing in especially when something doesn't go as planned or there is something suprisingly comes up.

Definitely agree. Having a chronic illnes can definitely cause us to have depression and anxiety. I've suffered from both since being diagnosed and do not recall feeling either before I was diagnosed with crohns. My PCP has me on antidepressants which do help. Only started those about 2 years and should have after I was diagnosed with crohns 20 years ago.

BTW Just my personal opinion but if we were treated by the medical community with more compassion and understanding I feel alot of our anxiety and depression would not be so bad.

Post edited by: libit, at: 04/20/2010 06:06 AM

I have to agree that if we were treated with more compassion that maybe we'd be more trusting and relaxed. However, I too suffer from anxiety. I was diagnosed with crohn's 3 years ago but apparently had it for many years they said. I was in and out of the hospital for years and no one could figure out what was going on. Anyway escpecially when I'm experiencing a flare up I suffer from a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I feel like I can't relax at all. My gi doctor tried me on a few different but they were much too strong... One I couldn't stay awake at work, the other was causing some sexual things not to happen so my new PCP asked me to work out even more by doing pilates or yoga to relax. It has helped me so far. I've only been doing it for a bit. Please let me know if any of you figure anything else out.

I have suffered from anxiety probably my whole life. I was always a little "wound tight" and when even the smallest thing happened it would send my body in a whirlwind, making me physically ill. I was just recently diagnosed with Crohn's but have found that when my anxiety is peaked, my Crohn's sympoms are so much worse. Mostly the stomach pain and diahera are the main things to increase. I have been on Prozac off and on for a couple years, I've found that it is the best for managing my anxiety. I take Xanax as needed when the anxiety is unmanageable. Of course one feeds the other, I'm anxious because my symptoms are worse and my symptoms are worse because I'm anxious. I still haven't found a successful treatment for Crohn's.

I've had anxiety since before I was diagnosed. As a kid, about 8 years old, I was always depressed and felt the "wound tight" feeling also. I went from a bubbly lil girl and having lots of friends to a depressed girl that felt like no one liked her. Now a days, if so many bad things happened in a row I would just flip out and go into deep depression. Paxil helped for a bit and then I was put on Prozac. It worked for a lil bit, but seemed to wear off after a couple of months. Has anyone noticed being more emotional?

Yes, definately more emotional.