Posted by niss on May 21, 2001, at 14:22:30
In reply to Re: Help, what does this sound like?, posted by loosmrbls on May 21, 2001, at 11:41:13
Severe anxiety just compounds itself..I know that the terrible bad thoughts,guilt, etc...can be severe anxiety. And it can be made worse by the medication. I took zoloft once and it made me..I guess they call it "hypermania"..awful. It actually made me feel even more crazy. Then took xanax and over some time, felt much better. Along with Paxil to work on the depression and compusive thoughts...I also listened to a meditation tape with headphones every time I started to feel like that (at night in bed). There is a program that is really great. I think it is called "overcoming anxiety and depression". It is a tape series from a place in Chicago...I think the person's name is Leticia something...maybe that is enough info for you to find it on the internet. It is really good and made me feel normal. To give you an example..my anxiety was so bad that I was afraid to go to bed because I was afraid I was going to hurt my husband in my sleep...and the terrible thoughts were actually much worse..which produce guilt and compound the anxiety...some doctors are stupid. It may not be as bad as you think..The xanax is terribly addicting, but it works...it is a trade off.
Good luck,
anissa> >
Just my two cents worth:
> > 1) Celexa can be very destabilizing (setting off cycling) and anxiety-provoking for some people-myself included. You said Prozac didn't help any.
> > If you take another antidepressant, SSRI's probably shouldn't be considered.
>
> I agree, and the only one I would consider would be Remeron if AD's are needed in future.
>
> > 2) Depakote can aggravate depression in *some* people. Some people it helps. I didn't have a nice experience with Depakote either. It can make you very tired and hungry. I got bad tremor from it and had to stop it.
>
> No tremor, but otherwise exact same response -- with depression.
>
> > 3) Just because you stopped taking everything doesn't mean everything is going to be ok. When you first come off of some meds you will feel temporarily quite better.
>
> Yes, I've thought about this and am scared. Don't know what to do. Hard to convince yourself to be on a drug when you feel better without them. But when you get sick enough to want to kill yourself, it's too late.
>
> > Your doc said you had double-depression. So obviously you are mildly bummed out chronically, and then have periodic major depressions, then if you are given AD's you get hypomanic, right?
>
> Exactly. I couldn't describe it better myself.
>
> > Are these major depressive episodes frequent or fairly predictable?
>
> Have been getting worse and more frequent. Never was suicidal until two close episodes this year. Never noticed a predictability to them. But I am so "in tune" with them now I can feel even the most subtle changes, and I know a slide is coming.
>
> > My suggestion would be to find a different mood stabilizer (no AD's) that seems to work for you-maybe some Neurontin or Lamictal?, then see how your major depressive episodes are affected. I have rapid-cycling bipolar II (but only get hypomanic when I am taking an AD), then recurrent major depressions (two a year). I don't know-I am considering maybe getting *shocked* (ECT) twice a year right before they usually strike and forgo the antidpressants.
>
> My last diagnosis was "bipolar II, rapid cycling, current episode mixed." A different stabilizer sounds appropriate. I often think about ECT, especially when I am severely depressed and sick of meds. I think it is torture to make someone wait AT LEAST two weeks for a drug to work when they are depressed. If someone had an open fracture of the arm, would you wait two weeks to give pain relief?
>
> Thank you for the info. I would love to talk more, as your case sounds similar to mine. Do you get hostile or violent thoughts as well during "mixed" episodes? These are very bothersome to me.
poster:niss
thread:63802
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010515/msgs/63834.html