I have never experienced what I would call depression, I don’t think. I have had some days where I just didn’t give a damn. The doctors and other pwp keep telling me to watch out for depression. I don’t know if I would know or recognize if I was depressed. I have read all the symptoms of depression and it is hard for me to imagine feeling that way. So for those of you who do experience depression, did you recognize you were depressed or did someone else inform you that you were depressed?

I recently discovered that I am going through it right now, and have been for a while

About 2 years ago, I felt pressure on my chest, and was at an APDA board meeting..I told a nurse who was there how I was feeling, and she told me to go to the ER, I might be having a heart attack, so I did..After 2 EKG's, blood work, chest x-rays, etc, they concluded that my heart was fine..About 10 months ago, I had a stress test, and 2 more EKG's..Conclusion:..heart is fine

My neuro has examined me about 8-10 times in the past 2 years..Conclusion:..Muscle tone is good, pd is still mostly on one side, minimum of rigidity, mild dyskinesia, in right leg, motor skills good, balance good, response to meds is very good............yet when meds wear off/are wearing off, all hell breaks loose..Pressure on my chest causes me to breathe heavy, sweat pours off me for prolonged periods, freezing, stuttering, weak voice, whole body feels extremely weak, and moderate to severe depression comes on me like the plague..I get so uncomfortable sometimes, that I want to jump out of my skin..I ask myself why I am depressed?..The only problem I have in my life is pd, everything else is good..I have absolutely no other reason to be depressed, except for the way I feel when my meds wear off

So..My neuro gives me a good report on my condition on every examination..In his words.."You are on top of your game"

I still respond well to meds, and you cant tell I have pd when medicated..Yet I feel like Im dying when my meds wear off

If this was put into mathamatical terms, it wouldnt add up

How can I be in such good physical shape, respond the same to meds, go fishing twice a week, and feel so crappy when my meds wear off?

It is an established fact that stress, and anxiety raises hell with pd symptoms..Whatever goes into me emotionally, manifests itself physically in symptoms

I talk with a friend last night who does not have pd, but has an anxiety disorder, and has been on meds for years..I asked him what anxiety/an anxiety attack feels like?

His response:.."I get this pressure on my chest..It feels like Im having a heart attack..I have had EKG's stress tests etc, and they couldnt find anything wrong with my heart"

BINGO!!..That is "PROBABLY" my problem, and tomorrow I am going back to my neuro, and get on some meds to address this..I never discussed this problem in detail with my neuro, cuz I didnt think it was pd related, but now I am reasonably sure it is

Sorry to hear you are having all those problems Steve. While I do have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both are kept under control with medication and exercise. I do not have pressure in my chest, all my ekg's are normal, stress test have been normal except for one a few years ago. I am the only person I know that has had a stent installed in the heart vessels to repair broken toes (long story).

More and more I find that when I go out and try to do something physically taxing, walking, move my daughter into college, mow the lawn, shovel snow, repair rain gutters, my body hurts like crazy and I am down for two to three days before it recovers. Other than that I get along just fine.

That other little nasty that plagues so many of us for no apparent reason - ANXIETY. What you are describing sounds very much like a panic attack. Personally, and this is a very personal opinion, I would rather be treated for anxiety than depression because the medications don't seem to make as many major alterations in your chemistry as the antidepressants do.. Can't back that up with science, it's just my experience.

I never could reconcile myself to depression because I felt like I was pretty happy, all things considered, until I was in the grips of one of those retched little episodes. My doc figured it out and I haven't had one in a long time.

Good luck,
Pam

If you dont mind me asking, which anti-anxiety drugs have you taken?

You might discuss propranolol with your doc. It is an old beta-blocker (i.e. it blocks adrenaline), is cheap, and has some crossover value for PD. Professional classical musicians use it for anxiety as do Olympic athletes. Search wikipedia for "beta blockers".

Thanks Rick!..What is your take on Wellbutrin?..It is a dopamine re-uptake inhibitor, as well as an anti-depressant

Steve-
I'm afraid that I know nothing about Wellbutrin. The older the drug, the better, is my philosophy. Gives time for the problems to show up.

Keep in mind that in dealing with anxiety you aren't necessarily working with dopamine. Adrenaline is more likely. -Rick

Well, GregD, YOU seem to be an extraordinary person. I mean that. From what I've read of your various posts over the years, I can only vaguely recall maybe a couple of times when you seemed only slightly down. That's amazing to me. Keep it up.

GregD said "I don’t know if I would know or recognize if I was depressed" Trust me - you will know! It creeps upon you, but you consider that you don't want to wake up breathing the next day, you will know. I usually recognise it coming on when I hurt the ones I love most.. I get angry with the world. I u sed to fuss at my sweet pug, and when we had to put him to sleep, I nearly died.
Depression doesn't just slam dunk you, but it certainly makes your PD symptoms worse. That and the apathy is how I know that it's time to check my brain's chemical composition. It usually is common in PWP due to the fact that we bombard our brains with L--dopa. Seritonin, etc. But it is a time when I feel like nobody cares - and neither do I.
Peg