P Developed After Starting Antidepressant Meds?
from Benny S.

Hi Ed:  I was wondering if you or anyone else has developed P after starting antidepressant medication?  I have found myself with lots of outbreaks on my hands and scalp.  I would be grateful for any info on alternative treatments that have been semi-successful.  Thanks.  –Benny S.

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Ed’s Response:  If you search on “depression” here, Benny, you’ll be linked to at least 42 documents (mostly emails with responses), and if you search on “antidepressant” you’ll get 11 hits (most redundant to those containing “depression”).  It’s been a recurring topic since the late 90s. 

In spite of Depression Drug Worsened P in this month's email, most links between P and antidepressant meds seem to be circumstantial.  What all the anecdotal info seems to add up to is that it’s not unusual to have P and be depressed (duh!) and its not unusual for those who are depressed to take meds to counter it.  Period.  There doesn’t seem to be any single antidepressant medication that causes P.  Can any trigger it?  Perhaps.  But studies haven’t been done — that we’re aware of here — to determine if it’s the meds (and, say, not the depression) that actually triggers the P (or even simply exacerbates it). 

The door is still open here to any and all evidence associating (I’m hesitant to even say relating) P, depression and use of antidepressant medications.  Stay tuned, Benny.  –Ed

P.S. - There are hundreds of alternative treatments that people have found "semi-successful."  A good place to start is the National Psoriasis Foundation's booklet titled Alternative Approaches.  If you belong to NPF, you can download this booklet from their website (click on link in previous sentence).  If you don't belong to NPF you can join on-line and/or ask that a copy of the booklet be sent to you.

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