Question:
After several years of compulsive running in order to reduce stress and
fight mild depression, my doctor recently prescribed Prozac as an
antidepressant. The standard dosage of 20mg. seemed to make it difficult to
get my heartrate up to where it used to be on hilly runs and I often felt
overly tired afterwards. I reduced the dosage to 10mg. per day and this
seems to have helped somewhat. I'm 50 years old and ran a comfortable 4hr.
marathon last June. I also weight train and bike quite a bit.
Has anyone else had any experience with this medication and running side
effects?
Answer:
I'd first think about diagnosis before prescription. If running is
compulsive then it was not a stress reducer rather it was a way of
exchanging one stress for another stress. Often our depression is a voice
speaking to us. You might enjoy David Whyte's "The Heart Aroused: Poetry
and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America." It touches on some
of the things which touch us and leave a "mild depression."...or a severe
depression.
I'm sure the journey you're on is interesting. As a group leader in the
Group Support for the Scripps Ornish Reversing Heart Disease Program, I
realize the importance of stress reduction. Somehow I get the feeling that
the voice of depression doesn't get your third ear or the mind's eye as you
run or bike or weightlift.
My experience is that anti-depressants - in my case Zoloft (which, like Prozac
is an SSRI) and Wellbutrin cause symtoms like dry mouth and excessive sweating.
This makes dehydration more likely running at the same level as before
starting the meds. Some antidepressants can cause weight loss/gain and this can
effect your energy level.
I hope more runners respond to this post. We need advice on the physiological
side effects of antidepressants that effect running preformance, as opposed to
spritual advice.
That sort of advice should be dispensed by clergy or therapists who are
familiar with the individual's situation,.
And following your logic, unless you are a Doctor I would say that you
should refrain from offering advice regarding the side effects of certain
meds. Afterall, your experience may be different from another individuals
situation.
Advice and suggestions that are offered by those around us should be
listened to. If, after careful listening(a little practiced art IMHO) you
find nothing of use then disregard and move on. Please do not presume to
limit my exposure to those more experienced or more insightful than myself
simply because you do not think that they should dispense their knowledge.
I was not offering advice. This would be clear if you had bothered to read the
post carefully. I was reporting on my own experience with anti-depressants as
the original post requested. Why don't you save this self-rightous crap of
yours for PC.com or maybe "self enlightened.com". This is a newgroup about
running - not new age spirituality.
I really would not presume to limit your exposure to anything - particularly
knowledge. I was merely trying to keep this thread on the original track
without all of this psycho-babble.
To those runners who would really like to hear what other runners who use
anti-depressants have to say , please don't be discouraged by this flamer. It
is important to hear and learn what affects these drugs have on other
runners.
