Depression Meds
 

As I'm sure I've mentioned before I've battled severe deperssion for most if not all of my adult life. One of the things I've found difficult is finding the appropriate med or combo thereof to help me. When I was with my now ex Derek I was on Selexa, Wellbutrin, and Buspar. (I know, a real ****in lunatic right?:laugh:) Anyway, after we broke up I didnt take any for awhile and of course that most definitely affected me, and not in a good way at all. When I'm not on meds I'm very prone to mood swings where i'll go off on friends without provocation. I decided last summer that I had to go on them again or I would become a complete trainwreck. I went to see the Psychaiatrist and she put me back on Selexa because she told me that helps with both anxeity and depression. I was also really freaked out because about a month before I went into see her I suffered a terrible enxeity attack where I honestly thought I was having a heart attack it was that bad. I have anxeity attacks about 2-3 times a year and they usually last about 15 minutes but this one lasted for almost 90 minuntes. Anyway, Since Ive been on this Selexa, I've noticed a huge difference in my demeanor. I dont go off at all like I used to and the anxeity attacks have stopped completely. I started on 20mg a day, then 40, now I'm up to 60. Whats weird is that when I was on the trifecta of meds back a few years ago I dont remember it helping me as much as just being on the one has. I know alot of you dont want to discuss a topic like this as it relates to your personal life, but if anyone cares to, I'd love to know what you take and what works for you. Thank you.:)

Prozac. And La Mer of course. :laugh:

Hey David! Long time no see. What is most important is how YOU respond to what you are taking. There's no cookie-cutter medicine that works for everyone, unfortunately. Some meds work together to give a more powerful response and (as you saw) some drugs work against each other... but just because this happens in some people doesnt mean that it will happen for everyone. I know a lot of people respond well with Lexapro as well for anxiety/depression symptoms - to the best of my knowledge, its the drug of choice for your combo of symptoms but it all boils down to what the doctor like the best, what is covered by your insurance, and ultimately what you will respond to the best. If Celexa is what does the trick for you, just stick to it and take it faithfully as instructed. I'm glad you were proactive and got the help you needed.

Wow Mike, what nice things to say!:nod: You're really a good guy thank you.

Don't misunderstand but have you tried therapy? I'm all about the pharmaceuticals when it comes to mental issues such as depression; but just the same, if I have my facts straight, studies have shown that therapy "in conjunction with" the meds is more effective than the meds alone. Just a thought that occurred to me, that's all.

P.S. - but on the flip side - - - Well, I'm no psychiatrist, but I heard a few years back that a long-term study had shown that people going through "Analysis" had WORSENED after a few years, compared to a "control" group that had no Psychoanalysis. It gave them a short-term "bump" upwards, but made them WORSE over the long run. At least, according to that one study. So 'ya gotta be careful.

P.S. II - I almost forgot to mention -

Take one dose of Gypsy, one does of Angel, and one dose of Unconditional Love and download some Mac in the morning... :nod:

Do you remember where you found this study?

FYI, celexa and lexapro are essentially the same thing. Technically, lexapro is just the "purified" enantiomer of celexa, i.e., just the pharmacologically active form of the molecule. There is no evidence that one works any better or worse than the other; however, there may be fewer side effects with lexapro.

I try to be careful about who I discuss this with...there are a lot of people who judge people on psychiatric medication, or even who are just in therapy, as weak-minded, unreliable, or simply "crazy."

That being said...

Several months ago, I started having panic attacks. Bad ones. I spent the better part of a month convinced that I had every dread disease under the sun: heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, brain tumor, MS, kidney failure, liver failure, etc. I had two doctors tell me they didn't see anything physically wrong, and finally my therapist referred me to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with panic disorder (and ADD). I'm on Zoloft (and the very occasional Xanax) for panic/anxiety, and Adderall (very low dosage - 10-20 mg - but it works wonders...should've been on it 15 years ago) for the ADD. Zoloft, I take 50 mg a day, and the panic attacks have practically disappeared. Side effects have been minimal with both meds.

I guess I don't really understand why people go off their meds. Is it because of the side effects?

I am actually in therapy and have been for 6 months. That has helped me too. One thing I always tell my therapist is dont tell me things I wanna hear tell me things I NEED to hear. She's really good in that way.

You know what thats really sad that anyone would judge you or anyone else for bringing something like this up in any setting. I have never been afraid to discuss things like this as they relate to my personal life because I believe if I can help someone else understand their problem my talking about mine then maybe they wont be as afraid to bring up something that bothers them to someone they think they can trust, whomever that might be.

no, ya gotta be careful about making reckless claims that you likely can't back up with actual research.

The therapeutic effect of the Swiss exercise ball cannot be overstated in any discussion of depression & anxiety.

http://swissball.com.au/wp-content/u...rcise-ball.jpg

I have one of these too. :lol:

^^
One day a few years ago an exercise ball just as you see above appeared in our backyard, (except our's is red). Anyway it didn't just roll into the yard because the fence that surrounds the yard is 6 feet high. We also live on the corner house, so it's not like it bounced in either. My kids and I asked some of our surrounding neighbors if it was theirs, and we even left it out on the front lawn for like a week for whomever lost it to come and get it. Well nobody claimed it so my children named, yes named it Steve for some reason, and we have had it ever since. Don't know why Steve came into our yard or our lives for that matter, but we have all enjoyed that ball at one time or another, for whatever reason. Sometimes we question things to much. Not everything is meant to have an explanation. We just need to roll with life, and find what works for us, whatever that may be. Not everyone will understand nor should they. Internal happiness is where it's at. What ever it takes.:thumbsup:

I had one of those... but I found it popped on Saras' bedroom floor a couple years ago. :laugh:

I'm actually glad this thread came up, because for the first time in my life, I'm taking psychiatric medication and I'm not very happy about it. I kinda got coerced into this entire thing. I had to go see a psychiatrist to up my Ambien dose (yay insomnia) and she was like, "your mom called and said you have huge anxiety issues. She wants me to prescribe you something."

To make a really really long story as short as possible, I'm taking Lexapro for my apparent anxiety issues, NOT depression. Right now I'm only taking 5 mg tablets but I'm eventually supposed to go up to 10. I'm generally opposed to taking medications for a variety of reasons.
a) Although my worrying/anxiety/overanalyzing definitely makes my life a little more difficult, I LIKE overthinking everything in a weird way. I just want to feel like I understand how my own life works-- I want to constantly care. I have no idea if this is healthy or not, but whatever. It undoubtedly plays a huge part in my writing and how I process things; I don't think I'd be nearly as artistically inclined if I wasn't like this. I only started Lexapro two weeks ago so we'll see what happens. I'm already feeling weirdly content with life and letting things go.... its almost disconcerting. Hah.
b) I've spent my entire life watching my mom suffer with depression, bi-polar disorder and at one point, potentially schitzophrenia or something similar?? (she used to literally talk to dead people aloud, even in public-- she's talked to a therapist about it but never a psychiatrist, so we don't really know). Because of this, she's taken a wide variety of medications and I've seen both the best and worst sides of it. I just never wanted to get involved in that. I don't like associating myself with her own mental issues, and by taking medication for myself, I instantly connect my own issues with hers. I've spoken with many pschiatrists and have even had my brain scanned a few times, but I've never been diagnosed with anything but insomnia. It still petrifies me to think that I could ever be like her in this regard.

I don't even know. I'm taking the pills because everyone wants to see me "happy" and stress-free. It sure is easier already and I'm sleeping better at night because of it. I'm just not feeling particularly motivated to do anything with myself on a creative level because I'm not mildly tortured about anything.... this sounds crazy, I know, but I seriously thrive off of that. I'm too happy, damnit! :)

No sorry, I just remember seeing it "somewhere down the line."

I don't have any advice relating to people's specific meds. I think that's a bit too personal to be discussing out in the open on a message board. I will say this - if meds help you, great. From what David's mentioned here several times in past years, it's obvious he needs them to function.

But not everyone does. It's OK to feel something. It's OK to be down & sad sometimes. It's OK to get pissed off & angry. It's OK to be elated/happy beyond words. FEELINGS & A RANGE OF EMOTIONS ARE NORMAL. If it's negatively affecting your life (ie - can't get out of bed, you are violent toward yourself or others, you have suicidal thoughts, you can't leave the house, etc.) then meds can be a tool you should use in conjunction with therapy/counseling to deal with that. PART of the solution - there is no magic pill to fix everything.

But in my experience as a psych nurse, I've had so many patients come up to see & say "I'm upset. She pissed me off. Give me my *insert name of med here.*" It worries me. We are society that wants an easy fix & that isn't always possible. :shrug:

i more than agree w/ you~ i grew up w/ a mom who abused meds in the way you describe & she didn't know how to function w/out them~ she always tried solve everything, or so she thought by meds~ she still does~

I have two siblings that take medicine for depression. My brother says that he takes Lexapro for "anxiety". And my dad talked him into going to the doctor & getting something after an alarming chat with him. My brother lives in the Mid-West. One of my sisters was taking Lexapro, but for some reason, she was switched to something else so says my mother. I don't talk to this sister much; I pretty much can't. She's told me off numerous times & for my own personal sanity, I keep my distance from her. My mom fills me in on how she's doing. I'm in contact with my brother though by phone & e-mail. Just the medicine seems to be helping them, but as others suggested, David, maybe therapy would help.

Lee

Be careful when making statements like that.

Yeah, I understand what you're saying.
For whatever it's worth, it was a major news network such as cnn quoting a study that appeared in a major, peer-reviewed medical journal.

I couldn't agree more, Paula. People seem to want a pill for everything. Several years ago, I had dinner, with my closest friends from high school......I'm not trying to pigeonhole any segment of society, but these people were the cream of my class, intellect-wise(not that I necessarily consider myself to be above average intelligence, but this was the group I ran with - the smart party crowd). Anyway, after dinner, we were all drinking, and the talk turned to depression meds..... and ALL of them, save for me and my best friend, were on depression meds. Ten, out of twelve people! My friend and I just looked at each other, in disbelief. While I'm sure that some people REALLY need them, I can't believe that the percentage could be THAT high.

Like Paula said, life's full of hills and valleys, highs and lows. Suck it up, Nancy....it'll get better tomorrow!:lol:

I'm not trying to be mocking, but I just don't think most people really need them, to COPE. Coping, is called life. Live it, not drug yourself through it.

Add me to the list. It never ceases to amaze me just how overly medicated (generally speaking) our society is. There should not be ads for prescription drugs on television; its validated the irresponsible concept of people going to doctors and telling them what drug(s) they need, empowering those who feel a doctor's medical diagnosis is annoyingly perfunctory at best.

"And she goes running for the shelter
of her mother's little helper..."

Yeah, I agree with this, at least to a point. Perfect example, Michael Jackson. (Not for depression meds, of course, but I feel it ties in as far as drugs allegedly being prescribed when they're not needed.)
Having said that, I'm certain there are many people who genuinely need them - - - apparently the neurotransmitter serotonin is considered to be the "culprit" these days.

At the other extreme, it annoys me a bit - - just being honest - when Scientologists such as Tom Cruise discount ALL possible benefits of meds for psychiatric issues. It seems to me that he's stubbornly ignoring legitimate results from medical science and choosing to believe what he believes simply because he WANTS it to be that way. Maybe that's fine for him but i.m.o. he's taking it too far when he speaks out publicly and causes thousands of people to go off their meds, simply "because he said it so it MUST be true." I honestly feel he's abusing his power as a celebrity when he does that; and he's doing it in an ill-informed, misguided way.

The reason you see so much direct-to-consumer advertising of drugs on TV is that the federal government has essentially banned via legislation any form of "promotion" directly to healthcare professionals- you know- the people who should actually learn a thing or two about the medications they are prescribing for their patients. DTC advertising is accordingly a backdoor way of promoting drugs since physicians will be forced to learn about these meds via their patients. I agree, this is not ideal, but you can't expect an industry to be sustainable if you have snuffed out any chance they have of promoting their products. Sure, everybody likes to take pot-shots at big pharma. But guess what? They are actually saving people's lives and preventing/delaying major medical complications. What's the alternative?

I would rather see a ban on ads for Pepsi, Coke, Hershey, along with everything else that contributes to the worsening of public health.

^This is not the case... detailing drugs to physicians is completely legal and is always done. The "promotion" you are speaking of is that in the form of pens, clocks, mugs, etc that display the name of the drug, and promotional spend for lunches for nurses and office staff... and even in this case, there is no "legislation" that bars this practice; there are "guidelines" that have been put in place that outline the desired practices for drug companies as far as how they can promote their products in this manner, but these guideline are not really laws. Drug companies follow them, however, because they all kind of keep each other in check and nobody wants to be the one to "break code" because it will look bad for the company...

And as far as direct to consumer ads, I would sort of agree for the most part... but the main reason they do it is because of the type of system we have in place and simply because this is the only country in which they CAN air them (besides New Zealand...but thats another story). You can hear one group of doctors that DO like DTC, one that doesnt, one that says that they aren't influenced by what their patients come in asking about, and some that say they are.... but I think the bottom line is if these ads WEREN'T boosting sales, then they wouldn't be airing them (or printing them in magazines, etc...).

Also, please remember that medications aren't the full answer. It's crucial to EAT PROPERLY. Increase folic acid and B-vitamin intake (vegetables), reduce sugar and fat.
It's widely known by now that depression can also stem from toxic overload in the body - caused by processed food, chemical and hormone-filled meat.
it seems nowadays we are advised all those "quick fixes"... while getting out of an illness of whichever nature, requires much more effort than taking a pill.

Good posts, everyone.

Absolutely, Remy! Eating right & exercising is a HUGE part in keeeping healthy mentally AND physically. I'm not saying you have to do an hour of cardio every day or lift heavy weights or eat only vegetables. But a daily walk around the block does wonders. :shrug: So does cutting some of the garbage out of your diet. Take some vitamins - it certainly can't hurt.

Unfortunately, most people want the easy way out. I compare it to trying to fill a bucket of water that has a hole in it but not bothering to repair the leak. Sure, it will fill up but you'll need more & more water faster & faster to keep it up. Eventually you have to repair the cause of the problem, not just tape it up & hope for the best.


As for the drug companies, I go back & forth. There are no more free vacations & cruises for docs given by the companies, and lunches/dinners must be accompanied by actual education about the drug & the condition it treats. I do miss my pens & pads of paper though. :( And seeing a drug's name on something certainly didn't make me recommend that drug any more than another to patients, so making that illegal is kind of silly, IMO. And yes, the drug companies make a lot of money, but they also spend tons on research & assisting low income folks to pay for their meds.

I do think the TV & magazine advertising is awful. Like Luke said, it's great that patients are informed but they are only getting part of the story. They come in to the office & demand a certain drug, then get pissed when the doc won't prescribe it because they feel it's not the best choice for that patient. I can't tell you how many complaints I've received that "I came in for a prescription but the doc wouldn't give it to me." :shocked: Um. Too f*cking bad. This isn't a takeout restaurant. You don't walk in & place your order & get whatever you want or think you need.

Ed - forced to learn through their patients? Really? I don't know about that. It's not like the drug rep can't leave you literature or that you can't do some online research. Missing those free dinners, huh? :laugh:

BTW - we're getting free lunch today. I will come back & tell you all about what I learned. ;)

Well, yes, I should clarify that it is more of a witch hunt than "legislation." Even if a drug company is working completely within its legal bounds, even the threat of a consent decree or an investigation means years and millions of $$ trying to defend yourself. And doctor detailing is strictly educational in nature; however, the reality is that doctors have tended to deny facetime with reps if there is no incentive, e.g., free lunch, knick knacks, etc. Accordingly, the marketing departments of big pharma have shrunken considerably since all of this has come to pass...

A side effect of more DTC pharm ads is that there is a heightened sense of awareness about personal health. It can only be a good thing IMO. Sure, there are hypochondriacs. But they were around long before DTC ads came into existence.

See, I don' t think it's only a good thing. I'm sure something like this has happened to you? The following happened at a recent appt. with a young adult patient:

"I need Chantix. I want to quit smoking"
"OK, well there are other drugs that I recommend you try."
"I saw the commercial for Chantix, so I want that."
"There can be severe side effects for some people taking Chatix, so you should really try another med first."
"My uncle took Chantix & he quit. I want it."
"I'm not comfortable prescribing Chantix for you right now. It's honestly not the best drug for your situation - your age, the length of time you have smoked..."
"I don't understand why you won't help me. I want to quit smoking, and I've heard that Chantix is the best med around."

And on & on & on. Not a hypochondriac by any means, but heavily influenced by the ads on TV. Patient ended up agreeing to try another med first, btw. But only after more than 20 minutes of patient education. Docs don't usually have the time for that, nor do their nurses. :shrug: I fear the only education patients are getting is from TV - it's not exactly unbiased information.

Thanks for the anecdote. But the positive takeaway here is that the patient came in to start on the path to smoking cessation after being inspired by the TV commercial. Admittedly he/she sounds like a stubborn, irrational a-hole, but that's beside the point. It's better to deal with the patient now than to spend the oodles of time and money later on when the patient develops end-stage lung cancer.

True, TV ads are not perfectly unbiased, but they are highly, highly regulated. There is a warm and fuzziness to these ads that you don't get from the prescribing information alone. I wouldn't exactly call that misleading.

*snort* HA!

Agreed. Some cynics, however, would call this "creating the disease" - ie "restless leg syndrome" or "erectile dysfunction"... I do not consider myself one of these people though.

It certainly does do wonders. Depression has such a strong component of inwardness, of obsessing on the self, that any activity which focuses the mind's attention (however weak that attention is) on something else can do wonders. I go back to my Swiss ball! Not a joke. You must inflate your Swiss ball to its fullest, & then lie down on your back across the ball -- do this very carefully the first few times, until you stretch & get the hang of it. Feel your spine bend convexly (or concavely?) across the curvature of the ball, & let your head hang backward, upside-down.

Stay in this position for 10 minutes, moving slightly -- roll the ball forward & backward, bounce up & down a bit. Let your whole body stretch & move. Let the blood flow into regions it usually reaches only weakly. Let gravity elongate you.

Great treatment for an anxiety attack, too!

Yes. It totally works, I've done this with " Steve " ( red evercise ball ) a time or two, and definitely feel 3 inches taller when I get back up. Magic I tell you.

Actually, he came in to start on that path after seeing one of our posters telling him that 40% of the LGBTQ population smoke & that we can help people quit. :laugh: But I get your point.

That number sounds high to me, but at the same it would not surprise me. Walking outside around the gayborhood yesterday I could not escape the persistent stench of secondhand cigarette smoke wafting through the air. Despite the known health hazards, tons of warning ads and $10/pack for cigs, you'd think people would finally give it up. I know I must be getting old when it distresses me to see these pretty young kids carrying lit cigs around. I just feel like grabbing them by the shoulders and scolding them- "Not only is this **** gonna kill you; you're gonna look busted up and wore out by the time you're 30!"

OK, I had to go & look at the poster & make sure. :laugh: The LGBTQ community is 40-200% more likely to smoke than straight people. Not sure how they came up with that wide range of numbers. But according to 1 website, about 40% of young (18-24) LGBTQ people are smokers. So there ya go.

Hopefully it won't seem like I'm being "superficial," I mean, I've already posted my thoughts about meds, therapy, etc. - - -

But have you guys tried watching funny movies and tv shows?
Finding jokes on the Internet to share? Taking nice walks and
enjoying nature? Being around a lot of light? (Including the types
of lights that people affected by S.A.D. use during the winter.)
Just seems like those are things that "can't exactly hurt."

A lot of the times when I'm missing my Mom I put on the the "Boomerang" channel, which has cartoons 24/7. Surprisingly, the one that cheers me up the most seems to be "The Banana Splits" show - - - that has a very upbeat tone and the theme song is very cheery. ALL the cartoons seem to help, though - - very "innocent" and nostalgic and cheerful.

Anyway, don't these seem like things that "couldn't hurt?"

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D