Depression is not just feeling sad and unmotivated. It has many physical effects that can be confused with other disorders such as arthritis, lupus and fibromyalgia.

I am a 40 years old Hispanic male, and I was misdiagnosed with a "unknown type of arthritis" when I was 23 years old. During the first few years I was taking ibuprofen, and icy-hot for my joint pain. I was prescribed celebrex 200 mg when ibuprofen wasn't working anymore. After 5 years on celebrex, my hematologist added plaquenil 200 mg and occasional cortisone shots when pain was too much.

Plaquenil is a nasty drug with lots of side effects such as causing glaucoma, photo sensitivity and skin rashes. I never had any problems with celebrex, but cortisone shots caused me to gain weight. My arthritis symptoms were getting worse every year. I was used to be in pain everyday, but fatigue was almost unbearable.

My wife died in 2008 and I ended up seeing a my general physician to treat me for insomnia. He prescribed me Cymbaltta for depression, but i refused to admit i was depressed, never got my prescription filled. I became very emotionally sensitive, and that caused a lot of problems with my parents. I used to think about suicide all the time but never said anything anyone. Life was very difficult and painful.

In 2011 my was prescribed prozac 20 mg, and this time i got my prescription filled. During the first week i had weird headaches that almost made me quit taking prozac, but those headaches went away after the second week. After the third week i notice i was in a better mood and my joints were not hurting as much. i stopped taking plaquenil to see what happens, and my joints kept getting better and celebrex was reduced to once a day. Fatigue was almost gone, and i was able to be a lot more productive and got things done a lot quicker.

Prozac was a miracle drug for me, and I wonder if I was misdiagnosed with arthritis. I believe now that I lived many years of depression and that caused all my arthritis like pain and fatigue. I am not saying prozac works for everyone, but hopefully read my story and talk to your doctor. I only take prozac 20 mg and glucosamine supplements. I live with almost no pain, and have energy to work and play with my son.