Unfortunately bit late I’m on lexapro 15mg and seroquel 100mg 50 mg in morning and 50mg before bed both have helped with depression but anxiety panic attacks have been crippling
I am new to Mayo Clinic connect. I just wanted to emphasize that what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Sorry if I sound preachy don’t mean to be.
I am new to Mayo Clinic connect. I just wanted to emphasize that what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Sorry if I sound preachy don’t mean to be.
@james46 I began taking medication for depression and a few other mental health issues 21 years ago. It was frustrating finding an antidepressant that worked. I went through the 6 week trial of a bunch of them before I found that Wellbutrin did the job - sort of. Even so, it was more than 5 years until I could say I wasn't seriously suicidal.
I'm just beginning to take Lithium, only up to 300mg. So far I don't feel any effect.
Depression and anxiety and PTSD are hard problems to live with. I told my therapist yesterday that I'm tired of being depressed. It just never seems to take a break. Maybe Lithium will bring some relief. I'm also considering ECT and EMDR.
Before being diagnosed with bipolar two, my doctors would always give me antidepressants to treat my depression. That’s like putting fuel on a fire. It causes your highs to be higher and your lows to be lower. My depression would last for up to nine months at a time. I finally got help when I went into a treatment center after I had taken a overdose of trazodone with a couple of bottles of wine. I was diagnosed as being bipolar 2. With bipolar.2 patients depression is the hardest thing to treat. I have been going to a state run facility here in Florida Florida called.SMA. They see patients with mental illness five days a week eight hours a day unlike the doctors that gave me antidepressants for 30 years, these doctors put me on an antipsychotic and a mood stabilizer and buspirone which is effective for long-term treatment of severe anxiety, panic attacks, and PTST. It’s not addictive like Xanax or Klonopin. So maybe find a new doctor one who has more experience in treating different mental illnesses. I often feel like my doctor should’ve told me that I needed to go to someone who specializes in particular mental illnesses if they want to put you on Seroquel to treat your depression tell them no. Ask for Latuda instead.
I had a similar experience. I spent years on Effexor and the depression slowly worsened and then went into overdrive with very long bouts of it. It got pretty scary and finally I was in the hospital where I was diagnosed as bipolar 2 as well. They kept me on it and added mood stabilizers, which flattened me out, but didn't really fix things. It took several more months still and another deep sink, but eventually the antidepressant was determined to be the driving cause of my steep descent. I got off of it, and within days was feeling much better, and within a few weeks had experienced a major turnaround.
There are studies showing links between bipolar 2 and deepening depression from antidepressants. It isn't common, but it is known. I switched to lamotrigine, and that seems to have aided in a full recovery. It's an anticonvulsant approved for bipolar 2 patients. Different things work for different people, and antidepressants can work miracles for many. But they can and do flip some people the opposite direction. That's what happened to me, and it sounds like you had a similar response.
Have you seen a psychiatrist? MDs aren't really trained to deal with mental illness, which could be an underlying condition (and isn't something to be ashamed of). They don't really monitor you for your response to medications to treat those conditions in the way a psychiatrist does. The psychiatrist will be paying attention to that and that alone, and will have a better sense of what to do if things are not working out, or worse, if you're going the opposite direction.
I had family doctors prescribe antidepressants, and things went into a scary place before I got to a psychiatrist. It still took a few months, but a medication change out of antidepressants turned things around. If you're medication is being prescribed by a general practitioner, perhaps ask to be referred to a specialist.
Think of it this way. If you develop a heart condition, you go to see a cardiologist. Because MDs can't keep up on how to fully treat hearts. They have too many balls to juggle as it is. The harder problems (pulmonary, neurological, cancer, etc.) need to go to people who work in that area alone.
A heart is a pretty simple organ. It's a pump. A brain is an insanely complex organ. It's a supercomputer. Yet while we're likely to get bumped up to a cardiologist if there appears to be a heart condition, it seems like being referred to a psychiatrist for what appear to be problems lodged in the the brain is far less common. Personally I see this a shortcoming in general medical care. Seeing a specialist for mental disorders can be hugely beneficial. If you haven't done this yet, its worth trying.
Have you seen a psychiatrist? MDs aren't really trained to deal with mental illness, which could be an underlying condition (and isn't something to be ashamed of). They don't really monitor you for your response to medications to treat those conditions in the way a psychiatrist does. The psychiatrist will be paying attention to that and that alone, and will have a better sense of what to do if things are not working out, or worse, if you're going the opposite direction.
I had family doctors prescribe antidepressants, and things went into a scary place before I got to a psychiatrist. It still took a few months, but a medication change out of antidepressants turned things around. If you're medication is being prescribed by a general practitioner, perhaps ask to be referred to a specialist.
Think of it this way. If you develop a heart condition, you go to see a cardiologist. Because MDs can't keep up on how to fully treat hearts. They have too many balls to juggle as it is. The harder problems (pulmonary, neurological, cancer, etc.) need to go to people who work in that area alone.
A heart is a pretty simple organ. It's a pump. A brain is an insanely complex organ. It's a supercomputer. Yet while we're likely to get bumped up to a cardiologist if there appears to be a heart condition, it seems like being referred to a psychiatrist for what appear to be problems lodged in the the brain is far less common. Personally I see this a shortcoming in general medical care. Seeing a specialist for mental disorders can be hugely beneficial. If you haven't done this yet, its worth trying.
Yes I have and what they have put me on has given me severe panic attacks it has helped depression but now the panic attacks have me isolated as bad as when I was depressed and I’m just been told to stick with the medication but I’m being going through it months
Yes I have and what they have put me on has given me severe panic attacks it has helped depression but now the panic attacks have me isolated as bad as when I was depressed and I’m just been told to stick with the medication but I’m being going through it months
It would be helpful when mentioning medications, to also mention its name and dosage. Just to be able to familiarize ourselves with what’s out there, and how it may affect some people.
Yes I have and what they have put me on has given me severe panic attacks it has helped depression but now the panic attacks have me isolated as bad as when I was depressed and I’m just been told to stick with the medication but I’m being going through it months
It might be time for a second opinion. Is there another psychiatrist within reach of where you live? They are fewer and further between than other specialists.
It would be helpful when mentioning medications, to also mention its name and dosage. Just to be able to familiarize ourselves with what’s out there, and how it may affect some people.
It might be time for a second opinion. Is there another psychiatrist within reach of where you live? They are fewer and further between than other specialists.
Unfortunatly
Just one local and they just say it takes time I’ve barely able to leave the house for over 2 months ordering shopping for home delivery because fear of having panic attack in store
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I am new to Mayo Clinic connect. I just wanted to emphasize that what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Sorry if I sound preachy don’t mean to be.
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@james46 I began taking medication for depression and a few other mental health issues 21 years ago. It was frustrating finding an antidepressant that worked. I went through the 6 week trial of a bunch of them before I found that Wellbutrin did the job - sort of. Even so, it was more than 5 years until I could say I wasn't seriously suicidal.
I'm just beginning to take Lithium, only up to 300mg. So far I don't feel any effect.
Depression and anxiety and PTSD are hard problems to live with. I told my therapist yesterday that I'm tired of being depressed. It just never seems to take a break. Maybe Lithium will bring some relief. I'm also considering ECT and EMDR.
Jim
I had a similar experience. I spent years on Effexor and the depression slowly worsened and then went into overdrive with very long bouts of it. It got pretty scary and finally I was in the hospital where I was diagnosed as bipolar 2 as well. They kept me on it and added mood stabilizers, which flattened me out, but didn't really fix things. It took several more months still and another deep sink, but eventually the antidepressant was determined to be the driving cause of my steep descent. I got off of it, and within days was feeling much better, and within a few weeks had experienced a major turnaround.
There are studies showing links between bipolar 2 and deepening depression from antidepressants. It isn't common, but it is known. I switched to lamotrigine, and that seems to have aided in a full recovery. It's an anticonvulsant approved for bipolar 2 patients. Different things work for different people, and antidepressants can work miracles for many. But they can and do flip some people the opposite direction. That's what happened to me, and it sounds like you had a similar response.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionHave you seen a psychiatrist? MDs aren't really trained to deal with mental illness, which could be an underlying condition (and isn't something to be ashamed of). They don't really monitor you for your response to medications to treat those conditions in the way a psychiatrist does. The psychiatrist will be paying attention to that and that alone, and will have a better sense of what to do if things are not working out, or worse, if you're going the opposite direction.
I had family doctors prescribe antidepressants, and things went into a scary place before I got to a psychiatrist. It still took a few months, but a medication change out of antidepressants turned things around. If you're medication is being prescribed by a general practitioner, perhaps ask to be referred to a specialist.
Think of it this way. If you develop a heart condition, you go to see a cardiologist. Because MDs can't keep up on how to fully treat hearts. They have too many balls to juggle as it is. The harder problems (pulmonary, neurological, cancer, etc.) need to go to people who work in that area alone.
A heart is a pretty simple organ. It's a pump. A brain is an insanely complex organ. It's a supercomputer. Yet while we're likely to get bumped up to a cardiologist if there appears to be a heart condition, it seems like being referred to a psychiatrist for what appear to be problems lodged in the the brain is far less common. Personally I see this a shortcoming in general medical care. Seeing a specialist for mental disorders can be hugely beneficial. If you haven't done this yet, its worth trying.
Yes I have and what they have put me on has given me severe panic attacks it has helped depression but now the panic attacks have me isolated as bad as when I was depressed and I’m just been told to stick with the medication but I’m being going through it months
It would be helpful when mentioning medications, to also mention its name and dosage. Just to be able to familiarize ourselves with what’s out there, and how it may affect some people.
It might be time for a second opinion. Is there another psychiatrist within reach of where you live? They are fewer and further between than other specialists.
Yes sorry
I’m on 15mg lexapro
150mg queitipane
And up to 10mg Valium as taken when needed daily
And nothing stops the panic attacks
Unfortunatly
Just one local and they just say it takes time I’ve barely able to leave the house for over 2 months ordering shopping for home delivery because fear of having panic attack in store