I learned recently that some medications can negatively affect mood (and not just the usual suspects, like benzodiazepines or other mood-altering drugs).
I was having a problem with frequent nausea, so I went to my doctor, who diagnosed it as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and prescribed Prilosec (Omeprazole). This drug is generally regarded as safe and has a high level of effectiveness.
Well, it didn't work for me, but I did notice, as the weeks passed, that my mood was getting lower and lower, until finally I got to the point where I really couldn't function (my boss made me go home and take care of myself instead of trying to tough it out on the students' graduation day).
I thought my antidepressant had stopped working, so I called my insurance company and got a list of psychiatrists who took my insurance. I managed to get an appointment, but not for almost a month, so I went to my regular doctor.
My regular doctor admitted to not knowing much about psychiatric medicine, but she gave me a prescription for Ativan (lorezepam, a benzo that I take very seldom because I'd rather not risk getting dependent on it) and told me to stop taking the Prilosec, which causes a rare neurological reaction in some people that includes anxiety and depression. (I'd already quit taking it after reading about that side effect, and also after realizing that I'd had so many migraines that I'd gone through half of a large bottle of Excedrin Migraine in 2 months).
It's been almost a month, and though I'm still not 100%, I'm a whole lot better. I'm still going to see the psychiatrist, but getting off the Prilosec helped.
In short, if you have a sudden problem with depression, or a sudden worsening of an existing problem, check the side effects of any medications you're taking. Sometimes they have unexpected side effects.
