my brother, finally a depression diagnosis

[justabowlofsteamformeplease]

Hi there
I wonder if anyone has experience of symptons like these? My lovely, kind, gentle brother, has bee suffering for the last 6 months or so with what seemed to be digestion troubles. His gp has carried out lots of blood tests: he has been referred to.hospital, had camera down to look internally, been perscribed and taken lots of medication to ease these acid stomach issues. And, during all this time has lost so much weight, he literally is now a shadow of his former self. Whilst he was a little over weight prior to the onset 6 months back, he has now lost, I think around. 4 stone, is gaunt, eyes bulging, is distant, exhausted, uninterested. He started with whst seemed to be heartburn symptons, to now, being sick after every morsel, and unsble to keep anything down.

His wife went with him to the gp again yesterday, the gp doubled his antisickness medication and has now perscribed anti depressants, saying all extensive blood tests failed to reveal anything else, so it must be depression.

When I spoke to my brother yesterday, I didn't want to question him too much and put pressure on him, but my heart is breaking, I want to help him so desperately, I simply told him I'm there for him no matter when/where, but what can I do and does this diagnosis seem right, the weight loss is just so dramatic, I can't articulate it, he literally looks like he could collapse he appears so weak.

Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you x

[temporaryusername]

Sorry to hear about this OP, it sounds awful for your brother and for you all .

I don't know if depression could cause this, I have never heard of that happening but perhaps others will know. I would be worried though, and would keep pushing for another opinion - different consultant, further tests. I just wouldn't want to risk something being missed here in terms of a physical cause. In the meantime you can be seeing if the ADs do have any effect on symptoms. I don't like depression as diagnosis of exclusion, if you know what I mean.

[justabowlofsteamformeplease]

Thank you both so much for your replies. When we spoke yesterday, he sort of acknowledged the depression, something he's never spoken of before. When he first startedto lose weight, he said his heartburn was kindof forcing him to eat more healthily, and that he felt good for the weight loss, then, as time progressed and he was becoming thinner and thinner, he has mentioned lots of excluded foods, essentially carbs bread, potato, that he just can't get down, like it gets stuck, so he ended up on salad and soup, any drinking lots of water just to digest, and then now it transpires the sickness is out of control.he said his gp reckoned depression can manifest itself in severe physical ways like this. I tried to ask if he was worried about money, work, but he said lots of things,but that he didn't want to talk about it.

My husband text him last night as I was just so worried, I can't stop thinking about him, he looked so ill yesterday i felt literally shocked, crying all last night, but I know that he won't open up to me, he's just a very quiet private person. My husband just said on the text to him that id mentioned to him about the depression diagnosis, that he himself had suffered some while ago but medication had helped, and if he wants to chat, then anytime he's there for him too. My brother did reply, which was a real result because he often doesn't with me, thanked him for the message, said he really appreciated it, that he was praying the ad's kicked in soon. So my dh is going to text him again more regularly going forward, just every few days so as not to pester, but to try to build another avenue for db to vent if he needs to.

I feel like he doesn't think we all care, but I.don't want to cause him anymore stress by tellimg him how worried we all our, if that makes sense. Our parents are in their early 70's, they're really struggling to understand how quickly thus has all.happened, in truth though, I think he's been falling lower and lower for years, I've just been too wrapped up in life, kids,work to see it properly and haven't been there for him enough . Xxx

[temporaryusername]

I think you and your DH are doing the right thing trying to keep in touch. You don't need to stress him by implying you can't cope - you can say that you're concerned and very sorry he is suffering, but give the impression you are strong enough to lean on. You sound very caring and I'm sure your support means a great deal to your brother. I hope he sees some improvement. No need to post back if you don't want to of course, but I'd be interested to know if the ADs do help.

[justabowlofsteamformeplease]

Thanks temporary, I've text his wife today and she says the antisickness tablets the doc doubled the dose for do seem to have helped today, since he'd not been sick at that point of texting, she's trying to give him regular high calorie snacks to get his intake up, difficult though to monitor for the next 4 days as she will be back in work. I've stressed our being there to.help, to her too, no doubt she's going through terrific strain herself too seeing him like this.

Thanks for your advice, and I will update in a few weeks when the ad's kick in and hopefully he starts to feel a turnaround xxx