Question:
Does anyone have depression as a side affect to any of your asthma
medications? My son (he's 12) is going through what i would call
depression. He, all of a sudden, has a lack of intrest in things and he
seems very tired a lot.When i ask him whats wrong he sais hes bored.
This is so not like him and i wonder if the "bored" feeling he has is
depression.
He takes advair 500/50 , zyrtec at night , claritin-D in the am ,
nasonex spray , and has to take antibiotics continuously. He was on
750mg of cipro 2x a day but we just switched to Levaquin 500mg 1x a day.
Is there any chance any of this is causing depression?
Answer:
In children, recurrent or persistent ear infections can be a symptom of
chronic sinusitis. If the sinuses are chronically infected, the infection
can easily spread to the ear. But sinusitis, especially in children, is
frequently missed by doctors.
I suggest you see an otorhinolaryngologist (ear-nose-throat ENT
specialist)--and have your son evaluated for sinusitis and persistent ear
problems. The ENT may also find other ways to deal with the ear infection
other than antibiotics. For example, my young cousin had surgery for a
persistent ear infection that antibiotics didn't touch. He's been fine ever
since. If he hadn't had the surgery, the ear infection wouldn't have
cleared, with any amount of antibiotics.
Inhaled corticosteriods can have a systemic effect once you reach
250mcg.
Since your son is taking such a high dose of corticosteriod 500 mcg that
it could be causing him to feel clinically depressed or just a little
"down in the dumps."
Has his doctor suggested Accolate or Singulair. Usually doctors add this
so asthmatics can take less steriod.
Prednisone and inhaled corticosteriods have been known to cause
psychiatric symptoms such as depression or mania but disappear when meds
are reajusted.
I would talk to your son's doctor and try to see if an antileukitriene
like Singulair might help him and reduce his need for so much steriod.
