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Mental Health Depression MEGA Thread - DepressionTalk + Over 100 Links of Info

rx_prn said:
Does anyone have experience in depression which hasn't responded to ssris, snris, and even tricyclics? I've given several drugs in each class more than ample time to work (2 months+) but still experience symptoms.
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Bupropion works well for me. It's the only anti-depressant i have taken that works within a week or so (though it can still take 2 weeks to reach peak effects), helps my seasonal affective disorder and actually lifts my mood and gives me energy. It's really good for the type of depression where you have no energy and get anhedonia.

I also take lamotrigine as my mood stabilizer but the anti-depressant effects are usually felt before the mood stabilizing and anti-manic effects. I noticed a difference in my depression once i hit about the 100mg mark but i didn't get the anti-manic effects until i got to 200mg's a day. I have never tried it but Lithium also works for depression and might be worth a shot if your willing to put up with the blood tests.

Remeron (mirtazapine) had a very nasty effect on me (or atleast i think it was the remeron that did it) but it does help alot of people.

The atypical anti-psychotics quetiapine and olanzapine also help with depression in many people including myself. Quetiapine helps with my bipolar depression alot actually.

Other then bupropion the only other actual anti-depressant that has worked for me is the tricyclic amitriptyline. It was also hands down the best sleeping pill i have ever had. It's basically a SNRI with strong anti-cholinergic effects. For some reason amitriptyline didn't seem to fuck with my moods much while venlafaxine a SNRI caused mania in me bordering on psychosis at times.

As for more experimental drugs i found ketamine to work very well for depression but of course that's not for everyone. The strong anti-cholinergic scopolamine also helped my depression and there have been a few studies showing that it helps unipolar and bipolar depression.
 
paranoid android said:
Bupropion works well for me. It's the only anti-depressant i have taken that works within a week or so (though it can still take 2 weeks to reach peak effects), helps my seasonal affective disorder and actually lifts my mood and gives me energy. It's really good for the type of depression where you have no energy and get anhedonia.

I also take lamotrigine as my mood stabilizer but the anti-depressant effects are usually felt before the mood stabilizing and anti-manic effects. I noticed a difference in my depression once i hit about the 100mg mark but i didn't get the anti-manic effects until i got to 200mg's a day. I have never tried it but Lithium also works for depression and might be worth a shot if your willing to put up with the blood tests.

Remeron (mirtazapine) had a very nasty effect on me (or atleast i think it was the remeron that did it) but it does help alot of people.

The atypical anti-psychotics quetiapine and olanzapine also help with depression in many people including myself. Quetiapine helps with my bipolar depression alot actually.

Other then bupropion the only other actual anti-depressant that has worked for me is the tricyclic amitriptyline. It was also hands down the best sleeping pill i have ever had. It's basically a SNRI with strong anti-cholinergic effects. For some reason amitriptyline didn't seem to fuck with my moods much while venlafaxine a SNRI caused mania in me bordering on psychosis at times.
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Does the bupropion induce panic attacks? I have anxiety so this is a question I always have to ask.

I've tried Amitriptyline and it was horrible for me. Gave me the worst suicidal ideation ever, then I attempted suicide by taking 37 of those bad boys at once. That's one thing I will never touch again.

It's ironic you mention that about Venlafaxine because I have experienced the same things from that drug. It made me anxious, unusually giggly, i spent $450 in one day while on it (VERY out of character for me) I was just really not myself on it.

Do you pair the lithium with anything else for depression? I've been afraid to try quetapine because I scared myself silly looking up reviews online about it, but I think that's just part of my generalized anxiety in regards to taking a new medication.

Is it possible the ssris, snris, and tricyclics never worked for me because of the type of depression those drugs target?
 
Bupropion can precipitate panic attacks since its an ndri and is a cathinone, but not so likely as more typical stimulants. I found it to calm me, because a large part of my anxiety is predicated on decreased dopaminergic transmission.

Think of lithium as a gaba re-uptake inhibitor. Its the standard bipolar treatment, known to help both aspects fairly equally. Usually its paired with something else, depending.

People who get mania from SSRIs and such tend to have bipolar.

I would try an ap if you haven't. They're useful for hyperdopaminergic depression. Ability is awesome for depression/psychotic symptoms/anxiety. I just can't stand the side effects., so I'm going off. And bnzos help a lot more with basically no side effects.
 
rx_prn said:
Does anyone have experience in depression which hasn't responded to ssris, snris, and even tricyclics? I've given several drugs in each class more than ample time to work (2 months+) but still experience symptoms.
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I have been down pretty much every path there is mostly with anti-depressants and the only thing I ever found that had worked for me at all (and that I will recommend out of 20+ different drug combos) is Lamictal (Lamotrigine). I can say I actually noticed something on it rather than felt the anxiousness associated with the 'waiting game' of looking for help within a drug.

Other than that I find stimulants as well to help me greatly. In all honesty I find things like MDPV to help, although once again I'll have to state like Ho-Chi-Minh did, all the drugs that help me tend to be potentially more addictive than the rest that are accepted. I'm really just doing what I have to do to get by though, and maybe I'll admit some more on top of that. But it comes with the territory so please be safe.

-dp
 
10 years of substance abuse + 15 years of abject depression are really wearing me out. Always thought i'd outlive both, but their cumulative effects are killing me.

My nearly worthless mega-HMO insurance is going to expire at the end of the year. A long way off, but every time I've tried to taper off the 2 meds I'm on (well now supposedly 3) I get incredibly suicidal and can't work.

I am not capable of managing my health by myself, but am equally incapable of seeking help or being honest about my problems.

I have the book 'Catch 22 ' sitting on my shelf, don't remember reading it, guess I should review it again :\
 
plmar said:
Also as I've mentioned above, I have underlying anxiety problems which I can't talk to anyone about because I feel ashamed about it. If I have a hospital or dental appointment to go to, once I get there my heart rate will easily be over 160 and pumping out of my fucking chest and all my upper body muscles feel stiffened up.
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Depression is a chemical imbalance in your brain. It's like a physical, scientific, whatever you wanna call it, REAL thing. If you can think of depression as an illness (which it is) and not a character flaw (lazy, undeserving, etc.) it might help a little in getting the treatment you deserve/cutting yourself Some slack.

Call college health services and ask it they have therapists/psychs. Forget your other appointments and go to a session. They've seen hundreds of depressed people, and probably helped some if not many in the long run. You deserve to at least try to get yourself help. I say this because I've been in and out of depression all my life (bipolar) and though I haven't completely shaken it, at least I know how to get help before I really off myself. I mean if any of your loved ones felt like you every day, wouldn't you hope they'd try to get some help? That's the very least you could do.

I have your crippling anxiety at times and was presribed Xanax (just fifteen .25mg, yes very low, I take as needed and not recreationally) which will definitely help you at least get to your other appointments/get that racing heart feeling down. Sometimes i would start crying in class or in the dining hall but people are generally very sympathetic to say the least haha. so yeah i have terrible anxiety or something slash cant function all that well all the time but... Many people have hard days/rough periods in their lives and are completely understanding if you're very very nervous, or even breaking down. So just try to remember that next time you feel nervousness creep up on you - that even if you ARE sweaty and shaking it's okay (and most likely people don't even care/notice you're feeling weird!!)

Yep anyway this is pretty much the only next step i expect of you - call to make an appointment with a therapist/psych whether they're a your college or not. If for whatever reason you don't have access to these resources you can try calling a hotline who might be able to offer advice as well.

Well I know you're in that mind frame where it feels like nothing anyone says can help. So I'm sorry if I'm just rambling on about nothing, just know that I want to give you a long big hug...
 
SilverFeniks said:
My nearly worthless mega-HMO insurance is going to expire at the end of the year. A long way off, but every time I've tried to taper off the 2 meds I'm on (well now supposedly 3) I get incredibly suicidal and can't work.

I am not capable of managing my health by myself, but am equally incapable of seeking help or being honest about my problems.

I have the book 'Catch 22 ' sitting on my shelf, don't remember reading it, guess I should review it again :\
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At least you have your sense of humour :)
But all kidding aside I'm not sure what kind of insurance coverage you have but are there any therapists/psychs that you might have access to? Because I find they are not good at solving my problems all the time (I mean most my problems don't really have solutions amirite) and sometimes I feel like I'm just talking BUT my therapist has become really good at being like, my coach when I need to do do certain things he'll remind me to do them/follow-up.

So basically what im proposing is, you might make a long term plan like, "I want to taper off these meds by the end of the year." Let them know that when you try to taper off you get suicidal - they'll probably have better ideas on how to ease that, whether it's slower tapering, one med at a time, I don't know, but I think they can help you more than you can alone!

Of course that does mean you'll have to admit the problem to someone... If you can't tell this med problem to anyone at all for some reason (honestly don't know enough about your situation) the very least you can do is put a suicide hotline number in your phone next time you get suicidal even just knowing you have someone to call may help through those times.

I'm proud of you though already for thinking ahead about when your insurance cuts out and stuff. Smart... Tells me you're really trying too... I know nothing I said is groundbreaking by any means but maybe it will spark some ideas or at least be some sort of encouragement. Good luck *hug*
 
woopsadaisy said:
I did, for 9 years! Only it came back 2 years ago! I lost evrything 2 years ago, if I hadn't then maybe I would still not be depressed. 9 years ago I had chronic depression for 3 years and I pulled through, I was young though.....I still believe I can pull through this time, but looks pretty impossible.
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Hey thanks for posting this, I often wonder the same thing. But if it was possible for you once, it's definitely possible for you and me both, some day, again :) it took 3yrs last time for you, maybe you'll beat your own record! I feel a little more hopeful after your post though I'm sorry these two years have been rough for you. Time heals...
 
Does anyone else agree that opiates and benzos are the only real effective medications for depression? (along with ones who are similar enough like Lyrica/Neurontin). At least for those of us who are helped by downers (I realise some will have the same to say about amphetamines and other uppers).

Just that I take them (benzos/opiates) on and off. Sometimes just for fun. Sometimes for depression/anxiety. And sometimes to hold off withdrawal.

Anyway, one thing that has become very obvious and noticable is their ability (especially when combined) to get me out of any depressed or anxious state and become COMPLETELY functional. i.e. there is nothing I feel unable to do or have resistance towards doing (that is things you should be able to do, like work, socializing, and engaging with the opposite sex).

One reason I think is that I'm hyper-vulnerable, though not especially anxious, so in a normal state things like sustaining a relationship can just become too much for me. I'm also some form of manic-depressive, or was extremely manic as a child until I reached teen-years and had to start dealing with the adult world, though more manic than depressive. So the manic state is what feels normal to me, while being at baseline or neutral is extremely boring, depression is almost better than that as at least I FEEL something.

Either way, the latter is kind of beside the point, but it makes me wonder there are no similar drugs developed to treat anxiety and depression as it could restore many to complete functionality if they were used in a moderate way.
 
Hey, Ninae,

There are several medications indicated for depression which I believe are useful. It can be hard to think that there's anything effective out there when opiates or benzodiazepines make you feel alright so fast. I personally find just about every symptom of my illness to be fixed by potent stimulants, so people react differently. Anyways, to start, I love science, so...

venlafaxine and mirtazapine have downstream action on the opiate receptors which reliably contributes to their antidepressant effect; those two are about the closest to an opioid that you'll be prescribed for depression. Furthermore, as you can see, trazodone, tricyclic compounds, some SSRIs, abilify, and other agents used as antidepressants can have nociceptive effects/increase levels of endogenous opiates too.

http://www.biochemia-medica.com/con...dorphin-concentrations-trazodone-treated-rats
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3178949/
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584608002376
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cpd/2009/00000015/00000014/art00005
http://www.akademiai.com/content/74521366806r7x7n/

Some reading on depression which might help you understand the process of recovery a bit more:
https://publications.ki.se/xmlui/handle/10616/38952

Depression is about physically healing the brain through habits, which habits medications allow you to develop. A common misconception is that one should be able to take a pill and feel not depressed.

A lot of people think depression is just a deficiency in neurotransmitters too. Its not so simple, and to be honest no one totally understands how antidepressants; scientific knowledge of the brain is far behind that of any other some. For some people I don't doubt depression is caused by a general deficiency in serotonin, but it can also be caused by too much of something in the brain. That's why anti-psychotics are sometimes used to augment anti-depressants. Maybe your depression is a combination of too much of something and too little of something, or a deficiency in several things; there are many ways to confront the issue, drugs increasing levels of neurotransmitters at specific sub-types/sub-units, drugs increasing levels of some neurotransmitters while decreasing levels of others, drugs working by transminase-inhibition/agonism/monoamine oxidase inhibition/antagonism/reverse-transport. The list goes on.

Though we don't know much about the brain, it can be ascertained that different drugs affect people differently. For instance, some people think buprenorphine is a god-send for their depression, while others find it impairs their ability to experience pleasure. Schizophrenics usually find stimulants dysphoric; depressed/bi-polar people find them overall more euphoric than the general population.

If you have bi-polar disorder I would recommend looking into lamictal; its supposed to be really good for the depression side of the disease. Lithium is also a good option.

sup adam,

The tolerance to the therapeutic indication of various benzodiazepines, as with all psychotropic drugs, only builds to a limited extent if used as directed. Your implication seems spot-on: benzos aren't indicated for depression; they're more likely to cause it than help it, save clonazepam and alprazolam, which have demonstrated antidepressant efficacy in clinical trials.

They are an easy way out, like opiates for depression. That doesn't mean they don't work long-term or that they shouldn't be used based on an ethical standpoint, but other classes of drugs probably should be tested first because abuse of prescribed drugs is a big risk in people with mental illnesses, which can be just as bad or worse than abuse of illegally-manufactured drugs.

Also, I don't usually express strong personal opinions on this site, revert to ad hominem arguments, or otherwise bring emotions into the mix without being sufficiently prompted, but this may be an exception, and I don't think my stance is necessarily radical, or at least its generally agreed upon by doctors. So here's me letting loose:

*To all who it applies*: If you are prescribed a controlled substance for a psychiatric disorder, and you abuse it, you're <not being too smart> and don't deserve the drug. Plain and simple. And you know it too. Its like an evangelical pissing on a statue of jesus.
 
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I just wanted to share a small success...

15 year history of depression and anxiety, could NLT cope with the last resort drug Nardil

I have been panic free and depression free and MEDICATION free for about a month.

I credit it to daily running in the morning but also TOTAL abstinence from alcohol.

I was never much of a drinker but usually had a few once a week..on a visit to my parents I had a glass of red each night and was shocked at how much worse I felt...I really am starting to think that I am hugely sensitive to it.

Anyway, just my 2 cents
 
I have known several people that have completely recovered from "lifelong depression" through daily running. I know not everyone can do it because of age or health problems or disabilities but swimming is just as good if you do it very vigorously and for at least 1/2 hour.
 
Ugh I reduced my lamictal & risperidone doses by 20% and have been completely hating my life & making plans to destroy it. A stark reminder of the extreme anxiety / suicidal depression / psychosis that follow every attempt to taper off my meds. Had a new Rx for a tricyclic but only took it a week, afraid of further tampering with my brainchem after abusing MDMA a month ago.
+ Just started abusing opiates again, first time in years. Instanty re-addicted, just as I defeat a decade of cannabis addiction & continue to try & scale back alcohol use, and ran out of non-renewable benzos.
Its a great time to be alive.
 
^Fuck, dude

I got off two of my meds (arguably the two i actually really needed) and cigs and weed and alcohol all in the space of like ten days and started writing my fucking will/note/have a plan. Its a little better but idk. See a doc please.
 
ive been so fucking depressed lately. i wish i had enough balls to kill myself.

i wanna die. i hope i have a severe car accident and just fucking die. i hate every fuckin thing that drugs has done to me and who ive become in the last 9 years.

im such a piece of shit. fuck fuck fuck.
 
Smoke, guaranteed you're not a piece of shit. Hang in there.

Diagnosed with depression 3 years ago, since then have found it difficult to believe that's my only problem.
On Sertraline after trying a few other SSRIs. I can't control my temper at all, and sometimes I find it hard to make myself understood which just leaves me frustrated and raging at everyone. Kicking off at people who haven't really done anything.
If I don't take my medication, I will be crying a lot. If I do, I'm so angry I can't tolerate myself, or anyone else.
I can't shake the feeling that I want to self harm, or kill myself. The only thing that stops me is when I fall off the wagon and take drugs, which obviously just makes me feel worse. Even if I haven't taken anything, I spend all day every day thinking about legal and illegal drugs.
I'm tired of this life. I want to end it all, but I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to end it in a way that is not violent or destructive - I don't feel stable enough to quit using drugs, or come off my medication, but I don't feel brave enough to die.
I'm a mess. I need help but, even if I had it, how do I know I would accept it? Therapy didn't really work for me. Besides prescribed drugs, and illegally obtained drugs, and therapy, what other options do I even have?
 
SilverFeniks said:
Ugh I reduced my lamictal & risperidone doses by 20% and have been completely hating my life & making plans to destroy it. A stark reminder of the extreme anxiety / suicidal depression / psychosis that follow every attempt to taper off my meds. Had a new Rx for a tricyclic but only took it a week, afraid of further tampering with my brainchem after abusing MDMA a month ago.
+ Just started abusing opiates again, first time in years. Instanty re-addicted, just as I defeat a decade of cannabis addiction & continue to try & scale back alcohol use, and ran out of non-renewable benzos.
Its a great time to be alive.
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Felix me b'y ye need to treat yourself better. I know you know just as well as i do the pitfalls of opiate addiction and the fact that it will only make things worse. We both also know just how hard MDMA can be to your bipolar brain. Oh the horror 8( . These drugs make your bipolar suck much more. Also if the lamictal and risperdal where hel.ping you why lower the dose. I have been on this combo and it did hel me. It helps heaps with any psychotic symptoms due to mood swings, mixed states and manic episodes. The lamotrigine also helps the depression side of things.

I don't know if i have told you this before but wellbutrin is the most bipolar friendly anti-depressant and since it is a dopamine norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor it tends to be stimulating instead of sedating and does not generally cause your moods to flatten out. It also increases your sex drive instead of decreasing it like most anti-depressants especially SSRI's and SNRI's do. If you havent tried it it would be worth a go in my opinion if the depression is becoming a problem.

What tricyclic anti-depressant where you prescribed? Tricyclics can be iffy in treating bipolar depression but your risk of developing mania is much less if you are on a mood stabilizer especially in combination with a anti-psychotic. The only tricyclic that i have taken is amitriptyline and i got pretty good results out of it until it crapped out after years of use.

Anyway man i wish you good luck and you know where to find me if you need to chat.
 
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