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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by the blue professor on September 30, 2002, at 22:12:24
Hello everyone,
I have been lurking for a few days. Found this board while searching for depression info.
A little background: I am a college teacher (25 years now). Mid 50's. Married - 3 children, 3 grandchildren.
Medical Condition: I have osteomylitis and osteoporosis. Have had 31 major surgeries. Am in chronic intractable pain. I have been depressed most of my life. I would consider it major depression.
The medications I currently take include:
cardizem
toprol
paxil 20mg/day
wellbutrin 200mg/day
lortab 10/500 4 tabs/day
aspirin 1 tab/day
multivitamin 1 tab/dayI have tried many antidepressents in every class and none help more than marginally.
My depression is getting worse. I am extremely tired all the time and feel like doing nothing but sleeping. I am an automaton completing my work and duties during the day and deriving no pleasure from anything. I am getting more and more disorganized. Things that I used to get at least a little enjoyment from I no longer enjoy at all. I believe that I am alive now only because my family needs me to be. If not for them, I just don't know.
I visited my family physician a couple of days ago. He is new to me because my previous one moved out of the area. I tried to convey to him what was happening and how I felt. I mentioned the hypersomnia among all the symptoms and he prescribes Desyrel!!! I do not believe that this is an appropriate med to add to my mix. I tried it years ago for a few months and it did not help.
In my reading, I have concluded that I have many of the symptoms of ADD also. The lack of concentration, procrastination, inability to complete tasks, disorganization. Also, I am not comfortable in crowds, hate meetings and social situations.
My family doc set an appointment for me to visit a psychologist, but I do not think that I need this.
Can anyone offer any suggestions on what to do next?
Posted by Guy on September 30, 2002, at 22:26:46
In reply to Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by the blue professor on September 30, 2002, at 22:12:24
I'd find a competent psychiatrist a.s.a.p. Go to a mood disorders meeting and you are sure to learn the names of the best shrinks in your area. Otherwise, here is a link that may be helpful:
Posted by viridis on September 30, 2002, at 22:49:00
In reply to Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by the blue professor on September 30, 2002, at 22:12:24
Have you ever tried stimulants? Adderall at a low dose (5-10 mg/day) has been very useful for my ADD and helped relieve my recurring depression too. I take other meds for anxiety/mood stability (Klonopin, Neurontin, Xanax occasionally) and they help greatly on the anxiety side, but Adderall really cleared up my depression and (dis)organization issues.
If you suspect you have ADD, you should try to find a psychiatrist who specializes in (or at least is knowledgeable about) this condition if possible. It really sounds like you need a good psychiatrist, not just a GP or psychologist.
Also -- Wellbutrin is quite stimulating, so if you can get a prescription for a stimulant like Adderall, you might want to be cautious in combining the two at first.
By the way, I responded very poorly to the standard antidepressants, but Adderall is great so far.
Posted by McPac on September 30, 2002, at 22:55:38
In reply to Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by the blue professor on September 30, 2002, at 22:12:24
blue professor,
"My family doc set an appointment for me to visit a psychologist, but I do not think that I need this."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>I wouldn't waste the time going to a psychologist...you need effective medication and a psychologist will likely try to get you to 'talk' your way out of the depression...find a good psychiatrist and get on a good medication!
Posted by viridis on October 1, 2002, at 0:24:00
In reply to Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by the blue professor on September 30, 2002, at 22:12:24
There's a recurring theme here: see a good psychiatrist!
Family doctors and psychologists are rarely equipped to deal with serious treatment-resistant depression. I urge you to look for a skilled psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist immediately. You can get better -- you just need expert help to establish the appropriate treatment for you. It may take repeated tries with different pdocs, but there's almost certainly a medication (or combination) that will work and allow you to enjoy life.
Good luck!
Posted by Phil on October 1, 2002, at 6:08:21
In reply to Re: Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by viridis on October 1, 2002, at 0:24:00
Just a 'me too' like the rest. See a good psychiatrist who can get that mood stabilized, you have suffered enough.
When you feel better, you can decide if you think talk therapy is indicated.
Talk therapy takes forever and you need good medical intervention today.Good luck...
Phil
Posted by Phil on October 1, 2002, at 6:15:27
In reply to Re: Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by Phil on October 1, 2002, at 6:08:21
Stims, Ritalin and now Adderall time released have saved me. I can sleep for days but the stims help me concentrate and give me a noticeable lift in mood which makes social situations a little less daunting.
Posted by Jaynee on October 1, 2002, at 11:03:37
In reply to Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by the blue professor on September 30, 2002, at 22:12:24
You should be tested for Hemochromatosis, you sound like the perfect candidate for this disorder. It is easy to prevent. I have it. It is the most common hereditary disorder in North America. Please look into it and get the genetic test. It is fast and simple and you can have the results sent to only you. You can find that info on the American Hemochromatosis site. Please promise me you wil do that. Thanks
Posted by Jaynee on October 1, 2002, at 11:07:22
In reply to Re: Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by Jaynee on October 1, 2002, at 11:03:37
Symptoms vary, but many Hemochromatotics experience chronic fatigue, joint and abdominal pains, diminished memory and disorientation for many years before diagnosis. In later years there could be some degree of hearing loss. Frequently, HHC is not identified as the underlying cause of disorders such as hepatitis, diabetes, gall bladder, menstrual and thyroid problems, polycythemia and iron deficiency.
As some sufferers exhibit pronounced mood swings and other personality changes such as severe depression or anger, they can be incorrectly treated for mental illness. In some cases Alzheimer's has been suspected. ONLY THE CORRECT TESTS will provide the key!
Frequently one of the earliest symptoms is arthritis of the knuckles of the first and second fingers.
The liver, heart, endocrine glands (glands of internal secretion, such as the pancreas), skin and joints are principally affected, and liver cirrhosis, cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle), diabetes mellitus, hypogonadism (deficient activity of testis or ovary) and arthritis are the usual manifestations.(iii) Common causes of death are cardiac failure, arrhythmia (irregularity in the beating of the heart), hepatic (liver) failure, hepatoma (tumour of the liver) or other malignancy, or the complications of diabetes.(iii) Before the advent of insulin, diabetes topped the list; today victims who are not discovered in the pre-cirrhotic stage, invariably die of hepatoma. Perhaps one of the most tragic affects is that of testicular atrophy in men and premature menopause in woman. Loss of libido may often antedate the other clinical manifestations of the disease.(iv)
Jul-01
Posted by polarbear206 on October 1, 2002, at 12:35:35
In reply to Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by the blue professor on September 30, 2002, at 22:12:24
> Hello everyone,
>
> I have been lurking for a few days. Found this board while searching for depression info.
>
> A little background: I am a college teacher (25 years now). Mid 50's. Married - 3 children, 3 grandchildren.
>
> Medical Condition: I have osteomylitis and osteoporosis. Have had 31 major surgeries. Am in chronic intractable pain. I have been depressed most of my life. I would consider it major depression.
>
> The medications I currently take include:
> cardizem
> toprol
> paxil 20mg/day
> wellbutrin 200mg/day
> lortab 10/500 4 tabs/day
> aspirin 1 tab/day
> multivitamin 1 tab/day
>
> I have tried many antidepressents in every class and none help more than marginally.
>
> My depression is getting worse. I am extremely tired all the time and feel like doing nothing but sleeping. I am an automaton completing my work and duties during the day and deriving no pleasure from anything. I am getting more and more disorganized. Things that I used to get at least a little enjoyment from I no longer enjoy at all. I believe that I am alive now only because my family needs me to be. If not for them, I just don't know.
>
> I visited my family physician a couple of days ago. He is new to me because my previous one moved out of the area. I tried to convey to him what was happening and how I felt. I mentioned the hypersomnia among all the symptoms and he prescribes Desyrel!!! I do not believe that this is an appropriate med to add to my mix. I tried it years ago for a few months and it did not help.
>
> In my reading, I have concluded that I have many of the symptoms of ADD also. The lack of concentration, procrastination, inability to complete tasks, disorganization. Also, I am not comfortable in crowds, hate meetings and social situations.
>
> My family doc set an appointment for me to visit a psychologist, but I do not think that I need this.
>
> Can anyone offer any suggestions on what to do next?Mr. Blue P.
Your symptoms of atypical depression are very simular to mine. Many bipolars have atypical symptoms. Antidepressants used ALONE and at higher doses will just exacerbate your depression and increase mood cycling. You need to find a good PSYCHIATRIST asap. They are the experts with this illness. There is a very broad spectrum to bipolar disorders. Many people who post here on this board are very well educated and offer good advice. You don't have to be "manic" or "hypomanic" to have this illness. That's why so many people misunderstand. My ups and just increases in energy and accomplishing many tasks at once. I have more lows then highs. My lows are hypersomnia, hyperphagia, leaden feeling in extremities, confusion and concentration problems. Many bipolars also have ADHD. I have been on Lamictal since early spring. This mood stablizer works as a antidepressant also. Many of us on this board are having very good results with this drug. Good Luck and find good doc who can really help you. You don't have to suffer like this! I am a psychiatric nurse and will be glad to help you out if you have any further questions. A very good book for you to read is titled "Why Your Depression Isn't Getting Better", by Michael R. Bartos M.D.
Posted by the blue professor on October 1, 2002, at 19:15:04
In reply to Re: Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by Jaynee on October 1, 2002, at 11:03:37
Thanks for the info on the hemochromatosis.
I have read these sites and I do not believe that my symtoms match those too closely. About the only one that matches is the extreme fatigue.
I do really thank you for your concern, however, and I WILL mention this to my family physician when I see him next. I am sort of open to anything that might help at this point.
Posted by McPac on October 1, 2002, at 23:26:51
In reply to Re: Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by polarbear206 on October 1, 2002, at 12:35:35
Please tell me what you think of this:
I have major depression, ocd and anxiety (& this anger/temper problem).
Zoloft has worked very well for my depression and ocd....Lithium has worked very well for my 'nerves' and temper (everybody knows that lithium is a MOOD stabilizer but I have always known (as Dr. Amen writes in one of his books also) that Lithium can also be a very effective NERVE stabilizer...it has done wonders for me when my nerves feel like they are totally falling apart. As far as bipolar, I'm sure that I could fit that category because the bipolar diagnosis and criteria for meeting bipolar has been 'stretched' out to include so much...and it's being stretched even further and further still...soon you'll have people saying, "I'm Bipolar 7 or Bipolar 19...instead of just Bipolar 1 & 2 (I believe there already is a bipolar 3 & 4;thought I'd read that).....at first bipolar meant the extreme swings from high-low...then, swings from 'kind of high' (hypomanic) to low....now, depression + anger, and more 'combos' are coming....pretty soon it will be something like this---"I have depression and I also like to sleep in on the weekends"---that will be Bipolar 12 or something...I've read a Dr's commentary on just that---that bipolar is being stretched too much...what's next, "I have depression and I go jogging a lot"---that will be Bipolar 43......I was thinking about trying klonopin but I didn't know if it could handle the anger/temper component...I knew it worked well for anxiety...could you please tell me your opinion of the pros and cons of taking klonopin...AND could it work well for bad intermittent anger/temper? Lastly, I read that long-term benzo use could CAUSE depression---what do you think of that? Thank You so much...I will be looking for your reply! P.S. There is a VERY good chance that the Zoloft is actually CAUSING my anger/temper problems...I did NOT have the problem on non-SSRI's anti-dep.'s (I also had TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE temper/agitation on Prozac!!! I may, in fact, be taking the Lithium BECAUSE of the temper caused by the Zoloft!!
Posted by polarbear206 on October 5, 2002, at 22:07:53
In reply to polarbear Re: Help!!! What do I do now?, posted by McPac on October 1, 2002, at 23:26:51
> Please tell me what you think of this:
>
> I have major depression, ocd and anxiety (& this anger/temper problem).
> Zoloft has worked very well for my depression and ocd....Lithium has worked very well for my 'nerves' and temper (everybody knows that lithium is a MOOD stabilizer but I have always known (as Dr. Amen writes in one of his books also) that Lithium can also be a very effective NERVE stabilizer...it has done wonders for me when my nerves feel like they are totally falling apart. As far as bipolar, I'm sure that I could fit that category because the bipolar diagnosis and criteria for meeting bipolar has been 'stretched' out to include so much...and it's being stretched even further and further still...soon you'll have people saying, "I'm Bipolar 7 or Bipolar 19...instead of just Bipolar 1 & 2 (I believe there already is a bipolar 3 & 4;thought I'd read that).....at first bipolar meant the extreme swings from high-low...then, swings from 'kind of high' (hypomanic) to low....now, depression + anger, and more 'combos' are coming....pretty soon it will be something like this---"I have depression and I also like to sleep in on the weekends"---that will be Bipolar 12 or something...I've read a Dr's commentary on just that---that bipolar is being stretched too much...what's next, "I have depression and I go jogging a lot"---that will be Bipolar 43......I was thinking about trying klonopin but I didn't know if it could handle the anger/temper component...I knew it worked well for anxiety...could you please tell me your opinion of the pros and cons of taking klonopin...AND could it work well for bad intermittent anger/temper? Lastly, I read that long-term benzo use could CAUSE depression---what do you think of that? Thank You so much...I will be looking for your reply! P.S. There is a VERY good chance that the Zoloft is actually CAUSING my anger/temper problems...I did NOT have the problem on non-SSRI's anti-dep.'s (I also had TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE temper/agitation on Prozac!!! I may, in fact, be taking the Lithium BECAUSE of the temper caused by the Zoloft!!
>
>
McPac,I'm so sorry that I missed your post the other day! I hope you see this post today. How much Zoloft and Lithium are you on now? I will tell you that from my past experience with SSRI's (paxil and prozac) in higher doses, I had episodes of explosive behavior. The littlest things would set me off. I would get aggressive too. I would cycle between this and overwhelming fatige and hypersomnia. The littlest tasks would be so hard to carry out. Unable to concentrate or focus. Antidepressants and bipolar can be very tricky. Mood stablizers should be the MAIN med. If an antidepressant is needed, it should be at the lowest effective dose. I want you to check out this web page and let me know what you think. psycheducation.com/depression/frameset.html
Also go to the home page and read the page on "antidepressants and bipolar-the controversy"
This goes over the whole spectrum thing. I hope this info will help! I was on klonopin years ago. It works well for anxiety. I just didn't want to be on a longterm benzo.Laura
This is the end of the thread.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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