Medication for depression

by Dizzy Cat 21 Replies latest watchtower medical

• 

  LyinEyes

  God, I have also been on every anti-depressant out there too.

  I have mood swings, maybe bipolar disorder 2, the one that doesnt get as high and irratic in behavorior as Bipolar 1, but the depressions are as bad. Tell ya the truth , when I do feel good , I feel very great and get alot done, so it was not easy for doctors to figure out that is what I had, until the mood swings became more apparent.

  So , you really need to go to a doctor that can tell the difference between all the forms of depression, there are many kinds. Also the possiblity of a mood disorder. Could it be Post traumatic stress disorder, or panic attacks. Each thing is treated with diff. meds.

  Personally, I am off all meds, except I have a prescription for panic attacks, Xanax and it helps when my heart races and I feel like I am suffocating. But it is addictive and you just have to weigh the cost . I would love to get off of it one day, and never have to turn to it , but I am working on that.

  It is true , what others are saying, exercise, resting, having some fun are all important. It would be good to every day write your feelings down and see what kind of pattern is going on . This can help the doctors too.

  I always thought a pill would make me all better, but I am seeing that in my case I can help myself so much more. If I ever get depressed to the point I have been in the past , you bet I will go back on the prozac. But I wont' stay on that forever, and use it only until I get better. I hate to take pills and depend on anything, but I have a plan to get myself in shape with better eating, exericing and vitamins and even some herbs. I am working on myself emotionally too, by reading, writing and meditating on what is really eating at me. In my case, alot of things that are bugging me are not because of a chemical imbalance , it is things I went thru and am still going thru. I guess I am a work in progress.

  I totally understand the fear of getting on meds, all the risk and side effects. There are alot of things you can do if you don't want meds, but if none of it works short term use of meds may help you out.

  Let us know how you do, I am always interested in others ways of getting thru the dark times and what others do in forms of therepy.
• 

  IronGland

  This might sound silly, but have you tried regular exercise? It really helps with depression. I realise some people suffer from SERIOUS depression and need to be on medication, but it seems like it's handed out a little too frequently these days, and as you mentioned, many anti-depressants have unpleasant side effects. They seem to just flatten moods so that you don't experience lows OR highs, which seems pretty depressing in and of itself.

  Recreational drug use, however, im all for.
• 

  KKLUV155

  Hi,

  Clinical Depression seems to run in my family. My mother, sister, and a couple of brothers are all on Zoloft. So am I. It has done wonders for my whole family. The only side effect I seem to have is dry mouth. I stay thirsty all the time. It's worth it though. I was on Paxil but I didn't like taking it because of the way it made me feel, kind of on edge all the time. Talk to your Dr. He/She knows best.

  kkluv
• 

  KelleyBlair

  Hey DizzyCat

  You know when I was on med's I gained 40lbs in less than one month. I have had a terrible time losing weight even now since I have been off med's (off for 8 yrs) because it damaged my metabolizism, it slow it down so much that now I have a real hard time losing wieght. I also have highblood pressure and other major health problems associated with the long term affects of taking all of those medications. At one time they had me on Thoriazine 700mg - 20mgs will put a 100lb dog down for a week, I learned how to cope with that much med's. My daughter was a baby when I was on that and I didn't have any help from my mom because she was pioneering at the time and couldn't take off to help me out (you know "priorities", lol). Is my opinion but from what I have studied in college and on my own most of the things that people are diagonosed with are just labels for just not dealing with underlying issues. Let me explain or clarify what I mean. We have all heard that stress can cause heart attacks and ulcers, headaches, etc. If you we were able to deal with the emotional and psychological issues that we face then we would be alot more healthy and would live longer too. I have heard "I have a chemical inbalance" but the question should be why do I have a chemical imbalance? Yes our body get thrown off and we experience depression, panic attacks and etc., but our bodies are designed to learn how to compensate. But when it does that it, it also throws off other areas when trying to compensate. So if we can learn to deal with what is causing the imbalance then we are actually one step ahead. But doing this is a lot hardier than just taking a pill. It is a lot easier to take a pill or "put a bandaide over a gun shoot wound" than putting forth the effort to fixing the problem. I don't mean to sound self rightouse because it is very hard for me to do things like this to, lol. But it makes it alot easier if we have help (therapy, friends, diet, excerise, messege boards, lol). I hope some of this makes sense. I do a lot better talking out loud then typing lol I think faster than I can type, lol. Good Luck and take care of yourself.

  Kelley
• 

  LyinEyes

  Regarding the chemical imbalance thing, I have read that just one severe traumatic episode in your life , especially the younger you are can , forever change your brains chemistry. I am not talking about the everyday stresses or other more common triggers. Things like child molestation, witnessing a tragic death, war experiences, rape, etc. can trigger a chemical imbalance that may never go back to the way it was before.

  Also , use of any drugs can do the same thing. There were many pro and con books on the use of Prozac, saying if you ever use it , it will forever alter your brain chemicals too.

  The rave drug X, they say can be used once and also completly screw up your brain chemicals , just with one use. The longer you use it of course it gets worse, but just once, wow, scarey.

  That is why some folks must stay on anti depressants for the rest of their lives, if it truly is a chemical imbalance, just as being a diabetic is an imbalance. Sometimes all things tried will not help once a diabetic gets too far in the diesese and they must stay on meds to live.

  In my case, I tried all of the other things for my mood swings, and depression, I hated, I mean HATED pills. My mother abused pain pills and muscle relaxers so I swore I would never never take anything.

  I did the herbs, vitamins, all of the things you should do, but it just got worse. So I broke down and realized if I didnt do something, I wouldnt have any quality of life, and I tried antidepressants, and they worked. Then one time I had to go on them and they didnt work. I think sometimes we do think a pill will work for anything, when we may can get to the root of the problem with therepy. Each person is different and even each person depressive episode can be different from the one before. Right now I am doing pretty good, but who knows , even I sometimes don't see the tell tell signs of it creeping on me, but I hope it stays the heck away.
• 

  Dizzy Cat

  You all make sense and it is for "me" to find a way that suits my problem. Taking responsibility for me at the moment is a nightmare. I just about pull myself out of bed somedays. But don't feel sorry for me please, as I know you all know where I am at and there is recovery down the line somewhere.

  I think the first thing to do is to break out of the unhelpful rituals that bind me. I am dependent on ritual to keep me sane. When I say ritual, I mean having everything a certain way in life. Breaking out of my routines hurts be badly on an emotional level and I think it is this barrier "I need" to break first. I am bound by obsessive behaviour and the realisation of this does not lessen its impact upon me personally.

  Thank-you for all of your comments again. I will pop them in a Word doc and refer back to them. They are of value to me.
• 

  Kingpawn

  Dizzy Cat,

  I've been on Paxil, Wellbutrin, Fluvoxamine, Zoloft, Effexor, and Serzone...maybe more.

  Side effects? Nightmares. "Weird dreams" (for example, maybe a person from work might be in it, in situations which made no sense). Tremors so bad my wife would grab me to keep me from falling out of bed (which happened a couple of times). One of the tremors was brought on by a dream where I felt I was floating five feet above the bed. Just as I realized (in the dream) I was falling, I woke up--I think on the floor. Extreme drowsiness when getting up. Decreased sex drive.

  I quit cold turkey, against all advice, because of these.

  Today, I feel better. I've begun coming out as a gay man, my diabetes is under better control, hidden resentments are being expressed more, and overall I have a more upbeat attitude. Therapy might've helped had it been one-on-one but my wife insisted on coming along. And I didn't want to rock the boat so I said nothing. Today I would. I walk some, which is good for stress relief and problem-solving.
• 

  LyinEyes

  DizzyCat, I know exactly what ya mean. You hang in there ..... remember the old poster, with the cat, a little kitten , hanging on the tree branch??? It says, " Hang in there Baby"?????

  God, I am really showing my age, that was a 70's poster and I had it in my room,,,,,oh my gawd!!!!

  Anyway, do what you can for yourself, have some fun, even if ya have to force yourself to get out of the house, and maybe hook up with some buds for a game of pool. My hub and I go out at least 1 night a week just for us, away from the kids and troubles. We have some beer and play pool. He is great at pool( he makes me sick lol) , the man is good at whatever he does, yuk yuk,, Just kiddin,, but hey, I am his competition. But even I can see I am getting pretty good, just need to learn more rules and I can even bet him sometimes. LOL

  Just little things at first , find something to look forward to.

  And remember to remind me of these things when I hit rock bottom, for I know sooner or later it will hit me , it always comes back.

  We really need each other to help remind us that we are important and that life is good, even when we forget it.

  Hugs, and wishing ya the best,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Dede

  Kingpawn,,,,,,,,,,,,, I am glad you are better, you sure have been thru alot too. I went cold turkey off meds, and I sweat I wouldnt tell my worst enemy to do that!!!!!!!!!! The dumb thing about me, I have done it several times...... I never learn,,,,,,,,,, But glad you are finding your way,,, hugs........
• 

  petespal2002

  Ciprimil has given me my life back with NO adverse effects whatsoever.
• 

  Been there

  Dizzy,

  I wish you could bring your self to take some medicine. It would help you not to suffer soooooo.

  Sounds like you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder also, along with the depression. I suffer from depression and panic attacks. I am a pill phobic also so I know how hard it is to take pills. I have sat in the doctors office and taken new medicine before. Zoloft is good for depression (for me anyway) and the panic attacks, good for OCD too. It has no major side effects (I do get diarrea when I first start it but that goes away after a few days). When I start taking it, the bad days aren't so bad, then there are some good days with the bad days, then there are some bad days with the good days, then bad times in the good days, then it's mostly good, good days. I'm not a zombie at all, it's not mind altering, it's not habit forming. It starts out with a small dose 25mg. a day for a week, then 50mg. for a couple weeks, then 100mg., I'm on 100mg. now. My theory is they do this to minimize any side effects. The doctor has samples of pills, don't waste money if you won't like them or take them. Please don't suffer. All the other advise is good, exercize, eating right, therapy etc. but it's all hard to do if you can't get started. Medicine will help take the edge off to let you do all the other things. Don't waste your life suffering when there is so much help for you. In the oldin days people suffered their whole life because there was not the drugs to help them, or they where classed as insane and put away. Those same people now could live normal lives with the medicines out there for these disorders.

  Sorry I got carried away. Good luck, I'm rootin for ya.