Last resort medication treatments for depression

[fatality]

List them if you know of any.

I'll go first. Effexor. I'm currently on 150mgs - 2 weeks into. Haven't been pulled out of this dark hole. I don't know if I will be able to.

I'm desperate. I am considering a anti-psychotic... I have nothing else left to lose. The side effects on anti-psychotics scared the living hell out of me, but, if it will give me happiness and ambitions back - I will gladly swallow whatever pharmacutical poison is out there - that works.

[Aspie101]

Any of the amphetamines but things like Adderall and Desoxyn come to mind. They create an instant effect and IMO I think they should be used for treating acute depression short term or refractory depression long term. Adderall XR 20mg po bid would probably get most out of any dark hole while waiting for another medication to work. Tramadol has some epic potential though, I really don't really feel like getting into the pharmacology of Tramadol but its being used off label for OCD, Anxiety and depression in increasing amounts. I would honestly talk with your doctor about the Tramadol and if he/she doesn't go for it go for the adderall. If you haven't been on wellbutrin yet thats worth a shot too.

[Bluerose]

fatality,

Not a med recommendation as such since I'm not on any anymore but I was wondering if you had sought help for your depression as in talking to a therapist. Antidepressants are all well and good for short periods of time but getting to the bottom of the problem might be more beneficial in the long run.

[anonymouslyadd]

Wellbutrin has been wonderful for me. I may as well be on it for the rest of my life. Like bluerose said above me, counseling may help get to the root of the problem.

[fatality]

I'm already seeing a therapist and it's not helping. All he wants to talk about is the past, I don't like thinking about the past as it brings me pain.

I tried wellbutrin at 150mgs, doc took me off - guess it was making me manic or something. I really want to try it again as i hear it's a ndi and that might help with the adhd.

[fatality]

I seem to have adjusted to my 150mg effexor titration. Not experiencing serious suicidal lows anymore, although - I see little improvements; nothing major yet.

Saw a new "doctor" yesterday, worst one I have EVER seen. Diagnosed me with bi-polar (* no category: BPI, BPII *) and was going to perscribe me a heavy dose of a anti-psychotic to treat the OCD and a strong dose of lithium.

I asked her what her title was and she said a registered nurse who specialized in medicine management. I walked out of the office furious that I wasted my time and money.

I will continue to take the Effexor along with Adderall untill a M.D who specializes in psychiatry advises me not to.

[Lunacie]

Have you been checked to see if you're Vitamin D3 levels are too low? I've suffered from depression as long as I can remember and went online to see what supplements might be helpful (I don't have health insurance to pay for meds or checkups or tests).

I read that low levels of Vitamin D3 can lead to depression, especially Seasonal Affective Depression which is what I have. And that it can also cause bones to break more easily which would maybe explain why I've had several broken bones in the last 10 years.

I've been taking a supplement for the last 6 months and I think it was helping even before the signs of spring began to appear. I just wonder if any medication would help very much when you have a deficiency like this?

[fatality]

Originally Posted by Lunacie

Have you been checked to see if you're Vitamin D3 levels are too low? I've suffered from depression as long as I can remember and went online to see what supplements might be helpful (I don't have health insurance to pay for meds or checkups or tests).

I read that low levels of Vitamin D3 can lead to depression, especially Seasonal Affective Depression which is what I have. And that it can also cause bones to break more easily which would maybe explain why I've had several broken bones in the last 10 years.

I've been taking a supplement for the last 6 months and I think it was helping even before the signs of spring began to appear. I just wonder if any medication would help very much when you have a deficiency like this?

Yes last time I was in the hospital they did a blood analysis on me, everything came out fine. My diet is pretty healthy too, and I'm out in the sun everyday so Vitamin D isn't a issue. Believe me, I've gone the herbal / vitamin route before I decided to choose psychiatric medicine as a last route. If the effexor doesn't work and anti-psychotics fail, I will be getting a brain analysis done at my states traumatic brain clinic - I was assaulted 2 years back and as a result suffered many blows to the head for a long period of time. Once again though, this is a last resort. I at least want to get my Adderall raised and Effexor for at least another 2 months - if it fails, I will consider other options.

[Lunacie]

Originally Posted by fatality

Yes last time I was in the hospital they did a blood analysis on me, everything came out fine. My diet is pretty healthy too, and I'm out in the sun everyday so Vitamin D isn't a issue. Believe me, I've gone the herbal / vitamin route before I decided to choose psychiatric medicine as a last route. If the effexor doesn't work and anti-psychotics fail, I will be getting a brain analysis done at my states traumatic brain clinic - I was assaulted 2 years back and as a result suffered many blows to the head for a long period of time. Once again though, this is a last resort. I at least want to get my Adderall raised and Effexor for at least another 2 months - if it fails, I will consider other options.

So the depression is recent in nature - since the assault and blows to the head? I don't know whether anti-depressants help with that kind of physical change, but I hope so for your sake.

Is part of the problem PSTD? I've heard good things about using Propronalol to treat trauma memories.

[buddy]

I have suffered with depression my whole life.I've been on just about every anti-depressant you could name.Some worked for awhile, then some of them didn't work at all.About 4yrs. ago my psychiatrist put me on Abilify & that helped me more than anything else.I take Paxil also & that combination has worked wonders for me.The side effects are really scary when you read about Abilify but I haven't had any side effects.I still have times when I get depressed but the wild mood swings have stopped.I am grateful that my doctor prescribed it for me.

[zannie]

I have been taking antidepressants - off and on; which BTW was a bad idea - for 20 years. Right now I am taking 300 mg of effexor and 150 mg of wellbutrin. This combination works well for me.

However, it is not the same for everyone. Unfortunately, sometimes it is it takes a while to hit on the right medication or combination of medications for you.

[fatality]

Originally Posted by Lunacie

So the depression is recent in nature - since the assault and blows to the head? I don't know whether anti-depressants help with that kind of physical change, but I hope so for your sake.

Is part of the problem PSTD? I've heard good things about using Propronalol to treat trauma memories.

Not exactly, I was dealing with depression since 2007. It's just my memory / mental aptitude has significantly *at least due to my perception of the matter* gone down. I am hoping that it is just the depression clouding my thinking capabilities and - not a form of TBI.

Thanks for the recommendation of medication treatment for PTSD. It's not so much the memories that bother me - I've learned to forgive and let to, however - when I encounter similar situations; individuals dressed thuggish scare me - where as before it wasn't a issue.

I'm not sure 150mgs of effexor is right for me, I'm finding that I get quite irritated at the smallest of things - and can explode. Before, I'd simply be a pushover. However, I am worried that things could escalate - therefore I am awaiting a call from my doc on advice.

I've looked into Abilify - but the side effects have really frightened me. Giving the Effexor 2 more weeks - w/ hopefully a adjustment in Adderall dosage. If I'm not "healed" by then - It's off to Abilify, and I can at least say I tried. I will not accept the diagnosis of Bipolar, as I cannot function mentally without stimulants - even though that doctor said "i've heard similar - *sarcastic*". I can't lose this job I think I'm going to get due to the forgetful / inattentive / hyperactivity crap that usually preceeds my life w/o the meds.

Anyways, thanks for your posts everyone. Appreciate the support.

[mimi'sdreaming]

Originally Posted by fatality

Not exactly, I was dealing with depression since 2007. It's just my memory / mental aptitude has significantly *at least due to my perception of the matter* gone down. I am hoping that it is just the depression clouding my thinking capabilities and - not a form of TBI.

Thanks for the recommendation of medication treatment for PTSD. It's not so much the memories that bother me - I've learned to forgive and let to, however - when I encounter similar situations; individuals dressed thuggish scare me - where as before it wasn't a issue.

I'm not sure 150mgs of effexor is right for me, I'm finding that I get quite irritated at the smallest of things - and can explode. Before, I'd simply be a pushover. However, I am worried that things could escalate - therefore I am awaiting a call from my doc on advice.

I've looked into Abilify - but the side effects have really frightened me. Giving the Effexor 2 more weeks - w/ hopefully a adjustment in Adderall dosage. If I'm not "healed" by then - It's off to Abilify, and I can at least say I tried. I will not accept the diagnosis of Bipolar, as I cannot function mentally without stimulants - even though that doctor said "i've heard similar - *sarcastic*". I can't lose this job I think I'm going to get due to the forgetful / inattentive / hyperactivity crap that usually preceeds my life w/o the meds.

Anyways, thanks for your posts everyone. Appreciate the support.

Hang in there! It sounds like you are on the right track with the brain analysis. I've suffered on and off from depression for quite sometime, as well. I chalk it up to being a highly sensitive person with anxiety.

My therapist highly recommends "Breaking The Patterns of Depression" by Michael Yapko. I haven't started it yet, but she swears by it (if you really give it your all).

[fatality]

Originally Posted by mimi'sdreaming

Hang in there! It sounds like you are on the right track with the brain analysis. I've suffered on and off from depression for quite sometime, as well. I chalk it up to being a highly sensitive person with anxiety.

My therapist highly recommends "Breaking The Patterns of Depression" by Michael Yapko. I haven't started it yet, but she swears by it (if you really give it your all).

Thanks for the recommendation and the support. Just a little update, things are going better. I just started working again, which is nice having been unemployed for 4 months. Even though I'm making minimum wage as a bagger at a gorcery store - the feeling of earning a paycheck w/ full time hours is relieving. I've been stressing over money for a while now, maybe this will give me some ease.

Other than that, dealing with battles with the Adderall. It works some days and doesn't on others. I had to take an extra 5mg at 2pm to get back in the zone. It's really fusturating, when the XR wears off I start making stupid mistakes and people take notice and think I'm incompetent. When that IR kicked in, I had a really nice couple tell me that I was doing a awesome job - that I was organizing their gorceries by food category (* dairy, meats, breads / starch, etc. *) while moving at a very fast paced.

I'm a introvert on this stuff. People ask me whats wrong, if I'm mad, etc. I just have nothing to say and want to focus on my work..

Anyways. Planning on either getting a bump on the adderall xr to 20mg and IR to 10mg 60 tabs - or getting rid of adderall xr and just getting adderall ir 10mg 90 tabs.

[little_worlds]

I'm on cymbalta and it's been pretty good to me. Getting on it is a 2-3 week trip to hell, but once adjusted, I'm really glad I hung in there.

It's an SNRI like effexor, so maybe not right for you...have you tried any MAOIs? old school, and you have to be really careful about drug interactions. They tend to be used as a last resort, and the few people I know that had to use them had amazing results.