› Forums › General Melanoma Community › depression following treatment
- This topic has 15 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 9 months ago by
LaurenE.
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- July 2, 2015 at 4:01 am
My husband's treatment with Pembrolizumab was successful, but he has become very depressed. The treatment did affect his thyroid and he does take synthroid now to replace what his body can't produce. According to recent blood tests, his thyroid level are now normal. However, he remains depressed.
It is so weird, you'd think he'd be very happy to be in remission.
Has anyone else run into this?
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- July 2, 2015 at 5:20 pm
I don't have experience with depression, but as a Stage IV patient myself, I don't think the psychology is as simple as "I'm doing well on treatment (maybe even a complete responder) and therefore I'm happy". Being diagnosed Stage IV is a traumatic psychological event from which many people will never fully recover in the sense of returning to one's old self. In a sense, even complete responders can never truly rest easy with the confidence that the disease will never return. Possibly not a helpful response, so I'll apologize in advance. Happy Fourth.
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- July 3, 2015 at 1:42 am
I totally agree with Mat. I'm NED for now after a successful year of Pembro. I often thought of how over the moon happy I'd be if my doctor ever told me they couldn't find any evidence of disease, but when it actually happened I just sat there like a bump on a log and didn't say anything. I finally asked him to repeat what he just said because I had almost as much trouble grasping NED as I did when I was told that I had Stage IV Melanoma. I've only known I was NED since mid-June, so that has something to do with it, but I think cancer is such a life changing experience and it's never far from your thoughts. I feel best after I've walked on the treadmill for at least 45 minutes, when I can use what I've learned to help someone else, when I pray, and when I listen to my favorite music. My doctors at NIH felt I needed to see a psychiatrist because a couple of months after treatment I still wasn't sleeping or eating and had a lot of anxiety. I've been seeing the psychiatrist for over a year and it has really helped. He first prescribed an antidepressant called Remeron which increased my appetite and helped me sleep. He then took me off of Remeron because it had done it's job in the appetite department 🙂 and put me on Prozac. I'm not saying every cancer patient needs to see a psychiatrist, but it helped me. I feel so much better but it's only natural to still worry…just not all the time or to the point where you feel so down that nothing really makes you happy. It's kind of scary when they take you off of a drug that has saved your life. I know the cancer is probably still there microscopically and the question is will my immune system see it as the enemy. I think your husband should discuss his depression with his oncologist. Depression is certainly a side effect of a cancer diagnosis and the uncertainty of it all is hard to deal with. I hope somehow this helps because I really enjoy life in spite of and sometimes because of cancer and I wish your husband could too.
Best Wishes and Happy 4th…Terrie
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- July 3, 2015 at 1:42 am
I totally agree with Mat. I'm NED for now after a successful year of Pembro. I often thought of how over the moon happy I'd be if my doctor ever told me they couldn't find any evidence of disease, but when it actually happened I just sat there like a bump on a log and didn't say anything. I finally asked him to repeat what he just said because I had almost as much trouble grasping NED as I did when I was told that I had Stage IV Melanoma. I've only known I was NED since mid-June, so that has something to do with it, but I think cancer is such a life changing experience and it's never far from your thoughts. I feel best after I've walked on the treadmill for at least 45 minutes, when I can use what I've learned to help someone else, when I pray, and when I listen to my favorite music. My doctors at NIH felt I needed to see a psychiatrist because a couple of months after treatment I still wasn't sleeping or eating and had a lot of anxiety. I've been seeing the psychiatrist for over a year and it has really helped. He first prescribed an antidepressant called Remeron which increased my appetite and helped me sleep. He then took me off of Remeron because it had done it's job in the appetite department 🙂 and put me on Prozac. I'm not saying every cancer patient needs to see a psychiatrist, but it helped me. I feel so much better but it's only natural to still worry…just not all the time or to the point where you feel so down that nothing really makes you happy. It's kind of scary when they take you off of a drug that has saved your life. I know the cancer is probably still there microscopically and the question is will my immune system see it as the enemy. I think your husband should discuss his depression with his oncologist. Depression is certainly a side effect of a cancer diagnosis and the uncertainty of it all is hard to deal with. I hope somehow this helps because I really enjoy life in spite of and sometimes because of cancer and I wish your husband could too.
Best Wishes and Happy 4th…Terrie
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- July 3, 2015 at 1:42 am
I totally agree with Mat. I'm NED for now after a successful year of Pembro. I often thought of how over the moon happy I'd be if my doctor ever told me they couldn't find any evidence of disease, but when it actually happened I just sat there like a bump on a log and didn't say anything. I finally asked him to repeat what he just said because I had almost as much trouble grasping NED as I did when I was told that I had Stage IV Melanoma. I've only known I was NED since mid-June, so that has something to do with it, but I think cancer is such a life changing experience and it's never far from your thoughts. I feel best after I've walked on the treadmill for at least 45 minutes, when I can use what I've learned to help someone else, when I pray, and when I listen to my favorite music. My doctors at NIH felt I needed to see a psychiatrist because a couple of months after treatment I still wasn't sleeping or eating and had a lot of anxiety. I've been seeing the psychiatrist for over a year and it has really helped. He first prescribed an antidepressant called Remeron which increased my appetite and helped me sleep. He then took me off of Remeron because it had done it's job in the appetite department 🙂 and put me on Prozac. I'm not saying every cancer patient needs to see a psychiatrist, but it helped me. I feel so much better but it's only natural to still worry…just not all the time or to the point where you feel so down that nothing really makes you happy. It's kind of scary when they take you off of a drug that has saved your life. I know the cancer is probably still there microscopically and the question is will my immune system see it as the enemy. I think your husband should discuss his depression with his oncologist. Depression is certainly a side effect of a cancer diagnosis and the uncertainty of it all is hard to deal with. I hope somehow this helps because I really enjoy life in spite of and sometimes because of cancer and I wish your husband could too.
Best Wishes and Happy 4th…Terrie
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- July 2, 2015 at 5:20 pm
I don't have experience with depression, but as a Stage IV patient myself, I don't think the psychology is as simple as "I'm doing well on treatment (maybe even a complete responder) and therefore I'm happy". Being diagnosed Stage IV is a traumatic psychological event from which many people will never fully recover in the sense of returning to one's old self. In a sense, even complete responders can never truly rest easy with the confidence that the disease will never return. Possibly not a helpful response, so I'll apologize in advance. Happy Fourth.
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- July 2, 2015 at 5:20 pm
I don't have experience with depression, but as a Stage IV patient myself, I don't think the psychology is as simple as "I'm doing well on treatment (maybe even a complete responder) and therefore I'm happy". Being diagnosed Stage IV is a traumatic psychological event from which many people will never fully recover in the sense of returning to one's old self. In a sense, even complete responders can never truly rest easy with the confidence that the disease will never return. Possibly not a helpful response, so I'll apologize in advance. Happy Fourth.
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- July 4, 2015 at 1:50 am
I am in full remission from stage IV but am still on oral medications. My doctor plans on stopping the drugs in December. The thought of taking nothing frightens me and I'm concerned about becoming depressed as I was when I was stage 2C and was NED after the first surgery. The uncertainty about my future and concern about a recurrence brought on depression. This may be what is causing your husband's depression. I hope the medication helps him. I think with time he will deal with his uncertainties better and become accustomed to his health status. Best wishes to you both.
Peggy
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- July 4, 2015 at 1:50 am
I am in full remission from stage IV but am still on oral medications. My doctor plans on stopping the drugs in December. The thought of taking nothing frightens me and I'm concerned about becoming depressed as I was when I was stage 2C and was NED after the first surgery. The uncertainty about my future and concern about a recurrence brought on depression. This may be what is causing your husband's depression. I hope the medication helps him. I think with time he will deal with his uncertainties better and become accustomed to his health status. Best wishes to you both.
Peggy
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- July 4, 2015 at 1:50 am
I am in full remission from stage IV but am still on oral medications. My doctor plans on stopping the drugs in December. The thought of taking nothing frightens me and I'm concerned about becoming depressed as I was when I was stage 2C and was NED after the first surgery. The uncertainty about my future and concern about a recurrence brought on depression. This may be what is causing your husband's depression. I hope the medication helps him. I think with time he will deal with his uncertainties better and become accustomed to his health status. Best wishes to you both.
Peggy
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- July 4, 2015 at 7:16 pm
Hi Claudia,
My cancer center has a 'psycho-oncology' clinic with psychologists/psychiatrists who specialize in helping with various issues that cancer patients may have. I wonder if there's anything like that around where you are? Like, this is the psycho-oncology clinic I've gone to.
– Kyle
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- July 4, 2015 at 7:16 pm
Hi Claudia,
My cancer center has a 'psycho-oncology' clinic with psychologists/psychiatrists who specialize in helping with various issues that cancer patients may have. I wonder if there's anything like that around where you are? Like, this is the psycho-oncology clinic I've gone to.
– Kyle
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- July 4, 2015 at 7:16 pm
Hi Claudia,
My cancer center has a 'psycho-oncology' clinic with psychologists/psychiatrists who specialize in helping with various issues that cancer patients may have. I wonder if there's anything like that around where you are? Like, this is the psycho-oncology clinic I've gone to.
– Kyle
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- July 8, 2015 at 1:36 am
I'm actually a psychiatrist, though I am here strictly as a family member. I will weigh in to say that if you feel your husband is depressed that this is worth bringing up to your doctor. There are a lot of reasons he could be feeling down – the stress of his diagnosis/treatment, the disease/treatment (inflammatory states actually predispose you to depression – so your body's reaction to the cancer, immunotherapy, etc), other hormonal imbalances. Depression is more than just being sad, so can definitely interfere with one's ability to celebrate the victories of treatment and can also decrease motivation, enjoyment of things big and small, change sleep, appetite, concentration, value of life – potentially many many things!
It is not uncommon when dealing with everything that comes with cancer, but it's definitely treatable! Oncology clinics frequently have social workers, and even psychiatrists, available – so call in and let a nurse know, tell your doc at the next appointment, or all of the above!
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- July 8, 2015 at 1:36 am
I'm actually a psychiatrist, though I am here strictly as a family member. I will weigh in to say that if you feel your husband is depressed that this is worth bringing up to your doctor. There are a lot of reasons he could be feeling down – the stress of his diagnosis/treatment, the disease/treatment (inflammatory states actually predispose you to depression – so your body's reaction to the cancer, immunotherapy, etc), other hormonal imbalances. Depression is more than just being sad, so can definitely interfere with one's ability to celebrate the victories of treatment and can also decrease motivation, enjoyment of things big and small, change sleep, appetite, concentration, value of life – potentially many many things!
It is not uncommon when dealing with everything that comes with cancer, but it's definitely treatable! Oncology clinics frequently have social workers, and even psychiatrists, available – so call in and let a nurse know, tell your doc at the next appointment, or all of the above!
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- July 8, 2015 at 1:36 am
I'm actually a psychiatrist, though I am here strictly as a family member. I will weigh in to say that if you feel your husband is depressed that this is worth bringing up to your doctor. There are a lot of reasons he could be feeling down – the stress of his diagnosis/treatment, the disease/treatment (inflammatory states actually predispose you to depression – so your body's reaction to the cancer, immunotherapy, etc), other hormonal imbalances. Depression is more than just being sad, so can definitely interfere with one's ability to celebrate the victories of treatment and can also decrease motivation, enjoyment of things big and small, change sleep, appetite, concentration, value of life – potentially many many things!
It is not uncommon when dealing with everything that comes with cancer, but it's definitely treatable! Oncology clinics frequently have social workers, and even psychiatrists, available – so call in and let a nurse know, tell your doc at the next appointment, or all of the above!
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