Brief Answer:
There are many different meds that can help.

Detailed Answer:
Hi there, Thanks for coming to HealthCareMagic. I'm sorry to hear about your need for Lorazepam while on chemo.

I want to try and clarify something before we dive into your different options for treating depression. Lorazepam isn't an antidepressant. It's not even very good at that. It's a VERY good ANTI - ANXIETY medication. In fact its one of the best for managing symptoms and signs of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The two problems are different and need to be treated differently.

If Lorazepam helps you with your symptoms beyond the nausea. There is no reason to stop it. It is used by millions of people worldwide in simple cases of sleeplessness and anxiety. So I think you can talk to your doctor and get your existing prescription extended.

Now, depression during and after chemo are very very common and certainly can't be ignored. I would suggest that you talk to your primary doc about getting an appointment with a good pyschotherapist or psychiatrist. I think Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the like (counseling, rather than medications) is a good first step to managing this issue. I don't want to recommend medication for the treatment of depression unless it's absolutely neccesary. Flecanide is a pretty complex drug that reacts with lots of other meds.. so i want to keep the number of meds you need to take for these issues to a minimum if at all possible.

So, to sum up. In my opinion, I think you can continue taking the Lorazepam well beyond your chemo days with your doctors blessing. For the Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression (counseling or meds), you need to get in to see a Mental Health provider as soon as possible.

Make sense? I do hope i managed to clear things up a bit and give you a plan of action. Let me know how else I can be of help or if there is anything else that I did not clarify well.

Vinay

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