Running and anti depressants

[whibbles]

I graduated from the C25K last year and am slowly making my way up to 10K. I suffer from anxiety and depression and have tried to deal this by adopting a healthy lifestyle and running has helped a lot. However, after two and half years off them , I am thinking about taking anti depressants again so I would be interested to know if anyone else takes anti depressants and how this affects their running. Although we can all talk about physical injuries, its never very easy to talk, at least for me, about mental health issues so hope its ok to post this.

[Equi-geek Graduate10]

Hi Whibbles! I can’t answer your question but, as I’ve also experience A&D myself, I think it a perfectly acceptable question. Wishing you all the best. 🤗

[Sqkr]

Of course it is, and I think it's brilliant that you did as it's relevant to so many! I don't personally have any experience of running on medication but I'm sure there are people here who do, and who can offer some practical advice/reassurances. I see no reason why there would be any significant difference to running off meds as long as you don't experience physical side effects as a rule, and don't go out straight off the back of taking them—oof the heartburn! 😓 There are many others here—myself included—who find the same as you, that running can go some way to help give you a bit of peace from a whirling mind, and a chance for some clarity when you need it most, and if you feel you can get further balance with meds then I'm sure that's only going to improve your running journey, and everything that happens around it 😊

[Hidden]

Hi there Whibbles, and thank you so much for posting this. It's an important issue that's close to my heart. I have had a rough few years personally, the breakdown of a my marriage, and dealing with the depression brought on by that and also an unhappy few years before that, so I do know some of where you're coming from. In the end I went to see my GP. Didn't get much helpful advice, so I left it. I then returned to the GP a few months later when I was feeling worse, saw a different doctor who is BRILLIANT, listened to what I had to say, and took a step back to view the overall situation, and prescribed anti-depressants just to help me get to the point where I could have enough mental strength to deal with the root causes.

For me that was a key thing, realising that I wasn't a failure by being on anti-depressants, and nor were they the cure, but they got me to the point where I could deal with the causes myself and start to function more like a human being again. I'm actually seeing my GP after work today, to discuss stopping taking them altogether. So that's the first point, anti-depressants, for me at least, have simply helped me to get to the point of dealing with stuff.

Now when I was feeling a little better, I thought that some physical exercise would help, and certainly the GP said it would. I didn't know he was a keen runner himself at the time, but I do now, and we have good chats when I pop in But anyway, I started C25K nearly a year ago, graduated in early November, and that gave me the biggest boost ever to my self-worth, because I had managed to do something I never in my wildest dreams thought I could do. So point 2 - definitely definitely keep up the running if it makes you happy and lifts your mood and helps, which it sounds like it does.

If you are thinking of going back on antidepressants, don't beat yourself up about it, but if your GP is good and understands mental health properly, then an honest conversation with her/him may well be worth it. But please don't think you've failed or anything, your body/brain most probably just needed a bit more help to get right.

As for how anti-depressants affected my running, I think for me, it was more than anti-depressants got me to the point of being able to consider giving it a go. Much much easier to stay on the couch and wallow rather than get up and actively do something about it. I still remember that amazing feeling after Week 1 Run 1 of Couch, thinking I'd done something unbelievable. And this continues too. I ran my first 10k a couple of weeks ago, and I was over the moon. Take that, low self esteem, bet you never thought I'd manage it, right?

I can't tell you what to do obviously, but what I can do is share, as I have, my perspective on things, and my experience, and let you know that I know I speak for everyone else on here when I say that you are most welcome here, and we will be with you, in spirit at least, every step of the way, and if you need anything, just shout, OK?

All the best, Neil

[Sandraj39 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Completely agree and relate to so much in this post, Neil. I was on medication for anxiety and depression in my twenties (along time ago now!) and they were very much the thing that enabled me to start making positive changes. They were, as you say, most definately NOT a magic wand but enabled me to get to the place where I could start to take control of my life again and find a better way to manage my emotional wellbeing. I have not needed them since thankfully although I still have to manage my anxiety which has been really hard at times. Maybe it is being older and wiser and knowing what works for me (running is definately one of them!) . Thanks for sharing your story.🙂

[Hidden in reply to Sandraj39]

I’m so glad things have improved for you, I know just how tough it can be. I’m in the waiting room at the doctors now, let’s see what he says!

[Sandraj39 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Hope things went well for you.🙂

[whibbles in reply to Hidden]

There are so many horror stories about giving up these meds but in my experience I didn't have any big problems giving up escitalopram after three years. Good luck

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for asking - in the end, we had a chat, and agreed that I should now come off them, I have about 2 weeks left of the course I had, so he's suggesting halving the dose just to tail it off as gently as possible. And then, that's it! I feel relieved yet slightly unsure about what's going to happen, but I'm pretty sure I'll be fine with it, as I've dealt with most of the underlying issues I think. New chapter in my life? Hopefully!

[whibbles in reply to Hidden]

Many thanks for the reply. You're so right about beating yourself up and that seems to characterise mental health issues - if you get flu, its not your fault ! With me, there is an element of failure in taking antidepressants but as someone once said, there’s enough in the big wide world to fight without having to fight yourself as well. I did quite a bit of cycling before I decided to start running and I love the new challenge and the "addiction" and am lucky to have a great Parkrun near me. I am lucky in so many ways but its the constant rumination that gets me down i.e "why do I feel so depressed and anxious" and in the past, antidepressants helped to neutralise these feelings and allowed me to get on with my life. I've a got a 10k charity run at the beginning of September so I am going to focus on training for that and see where I am after that.

[icklegui]

Hi, and thank you for asking your question. The only thing I can think of practically to consider is side effects. I tried citalopram many years ago and that gave me a dry mouth and I think running with that would have been really irritating. The one I ended up settling on makes me drowsy so if I'm to take it, I have to think that in a couple of hours after that I'll be no good for anything and I especially wouldn't want to be out on a run when the sleepyness hits. There are of course a myriad of potential side effects so think about what affected you last time or consider, if you're going to go on a different one, what that might do? Or even if the side effects change over time.

Good luck! Reminds me that I need to stay on mine for a bit - some changes at work at the moment, and I was hoping to come off them entirely but I think have to revise that plan for a bit. But I don't even take them every day at the moment.

Wishing you well!

[whibbles in reply to icklegui]

Many thanks for the reply and the side effects are one of the reasons that I don't want to go back to taking them. I guess I am looking for the perfect solution !

[icklegui in reply to whibbles]

I should admit that I find the drowsy side effect quite handy! I often have trouble getting to sleep. Requires management of the "morning after" medication hangover though, often I sleep a bit too long if I've taken it the night before - so usually rules out an early morning run!

Regarding a perfect solution ... definitely hoping for that here. But have to settle for improvement each time, rather than hoping for perfection...

[Sandraj39 Graduate10]

I am not on medication myself but have struggled with anxiety at different stages in my life and did take medication for a while many years ago. Like you, running has helped me enormously (I call it my 'medication' because without it, I honestly find things harder). What I did want to say is that if you are thinking of going back on medication, it is because you know that you just need that extra help to help you get back to that good spot and it is obviously something you have thought about. As far as it affecting your running, I have a close family member who has run many a half marathon, who has been on antidepressants for quite some time, so I don't think it should affect your running. I also wanted to share the wise words of a GP who supported me a few years back - she said "the step to where you want to be, from where you are now, is not as big as it feels to you today." This made me cry(!!) and made perfect sense - she was of course, absolutely right! Best of luck with things and do keep running though, it is so good for our mental health.🙂x

[Hidden in reply to Sandraj39]

Yes to everything you’ve just said Sandra! Thank you for sharing your story too. At risk of hijacking whibbles’ post, this has really helped me too. Also, running, for me, had worked wonders!

[Elfe5 60minGraduate in reply to Sandraj39]

That quote from your GP is great thanks - so relevant to so many situations. 😄

[whibbles in reply to Sandraj39]

I think you're very right when you say that I need that extra help to help me get back to that good spot and I am thinking that the combination of running and medication will help raise my baseline to be able to better cope with the bumps in the road. I will certainly keep on running

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate10]

Of course its OK to post this. This is a safe place to say pretty much anything you need to.

A lot of us here suffer to varying degrees with anxiety and depression.

I'm lucky that I have always been able to manage with talking therapies however I know many people that need medication.

I think you need to listen to your body. If the tablets work for you then don't let stigma stand in your way of better mental health. Best wishes either way. 🤞🌞

[mountaindreamer Graduate10]

Of course it’s ok to post here. ❤️ Lots of great advice already whibbles . I was on and off antidepressants for years due to chronic pain problems, though finally came off them completely years ago. Although I started C25k this year on very little daily meds, I’d spent the previous decade on high doses of many different nerve pain medications, and during that time I’d been pretty active (hillwalking / gym / climbing - no one thought I’d ever manage running!)

It really is all about finding out what particular side effects you get (everyone is different), and then about how these side effects change over time depending on when you took the tablets. I’m sure you’ll find a “window” when running works for you, even if you do need to adapt around any side effect issues, or tweak what time you take your tablets. I still use the same principle even without drugs, to find the “window” when my undrugged spine will let me run. Just experiment, and I’m sure things will workout fine. And all those mood busting endorphins from running are really going to help too. ❤️

(I don’t remember getting a dry mouth from Citalopram, but have had from some pain meds. One thing I found that helped with that was chewing sweets such as fizzy cola bottles. Helps get your saliva going better.)

[davelinks Graduate10]

Running has helped my mild AD and was able to do a 10k race, I wasn't on antidepressants at the time, but had been on them for a spell in the past before getting into running, and found they helped initially so a good thing there, but they did turn me into a bit of a zombie state so came off them.

I'm back on a low dose of sertraline at the moment, due to circumstances beyond my control with my wife's serious medical conditions probably gave me some stress and I eased off the running.

I can't see any problem with taking the tablet's, I've done some runs while on them and been fine, albeit a bit of nausea when first starting on them, but they can only help..

Now you know that we are on here with you, batteling AD, we really have to push ourselves don't we, but we've conquered c25k, I've manage to do a 10k race, and your on your way to that, so, RESULT!😊💪

[Sandraj39 Graduate10 in reply to davelinks]

Good words Dave - and glad to see you here. Best of luck with things ...keep on runnning!🙂

[davelinks Graduate10 in reply to Sandraj39]

You to Sandra!👍