Insomnia, depression, anxiety

mariajean03
I personally would only take Seroquel, a Neuroleptic medication as a last resort. However sometimes people have to use whatever works best for their condition. Be cautious of side effects.
Take care,
Jake

I have to agree with Jake. You can become very dependent on this drug and it’s also a nightmare to taper. Be cautious.

Hello. I’m new to this group. I’ve dealt with chronic depression and anxiety my whole life and am around 70 years young. Always searching for the key to healing and it seems elusive.

I agree. It is what t is. I’m 68.

Hi KTW and welcome. You may notice that I moved your message to this existing discussion. I did this so you can connect with fellow members like @gingerw @azkidney57 @marcyp85 and many others who live with chronic depression and anxiety. You may also be interested in these discussions:

- Depression: What medication can I try after so many years? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/when-you-are-much-older/
- Depression and Anxiety at an older age https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/depression-and-anxiety-at-an-older-age/

Good for you for continue to look for healing. Over the years, what have you found to be helpful?

Ginger, Please connect me to this site and send me emails when this site comes up. I am very technically challenged and I don’t understand how to get my self on

@bcool123 "Follow" this Depression and Anxiety Group by going to the Mayo Clinic Connect home page look up the list of groups, then click on "follow" next to Depression and Anxiety. You should get email notifications of new comments on discussions within the group.

Does this make sense to you?
Ginger

Hello, I have a close friend in another country who needs some help that he’s not getting at home. His medical problems started about seven years ago with insomnia which snowballed into myriad other afflictions, many of them side-effects of the medications: depression, anxiety, muscle pain/weakness, persistent nausea/vomiting, total lack of appetite, ED and suicidal ideation. He and his doctors have tried an astonishing array of drugs (detailed below) but have made no progress in treating his insomnia and the other problems reduce his quality of life to near-zero. To complicate things further, an unfortunate family situation routinely serves to make things worse.

I’m posting here today because we’re hoping to find:
- medical professionals who don’t believe that the answer is “more drugs”
- other individuals struggling, recovering or recovered from similar circumstances
- recommended courses of action
- facilities or support organizations with relevant expertise

As his friend, I believe that his doctors at home (in a country with public healthcare) have neither the resources nor the incentives to make him better, and so their efforts to medicate him are more about stabilization than recovery. In other words, I believe that his doctors have basically given up. I will not. We eagerly welcome anything positive that this community has to offer. Thank you.

Drug List

Currently:
- Pregablin (Lyrica) — 3x daily, 150mg
- Mirtazapine (Remeron) — 7 years, daily, 30mg

Infrequently/Recently:
- Lorazepam (Lorazepam Dorom) 2.5mg
- Flurazepam (Dalmadorm) — 30mg
- Zolpidem (Ambien) — 10mg
- Levosulpiride (Levopraid) — 2x daily, 50mg
- Rivotril/Clonazepam (Klonopin) — 50 drops

In the past:

- Olanzapine (Zyprexa) — 1.5 years, varying dosages (5-20mg)
- Quetiapine (Seroquel) — 6 months, varying dosages (25-800mg)
- Melatonin (Circadin)
- Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
- Trazodone
- Clotiapine (Entumin)
- Solian (Amilsupride)
- Aripiprazole (Ablify)
- Venlafaxine (Effexor)
- Paroxetine (Paxil)
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)
- Sertraline (Zoloft)
- Escitalopram (Lexapro)
- Citalopram (Celexa)
- Xanax
- Valium
- Samyr

Hello, @amicocercante. I'm new to the Mayo clinic also, but I've found a lot of good support from knowledgeable vol. mentors and the community. Your friend is definitely in a tough spot. Knowing just what you wrote, My first reaction was to ask, is it possible for him to separate from his home life. Being in a negative environment can compound any attempts at making progress. I would also like to know the age of your friend. The kind of advice I feel I can share would definitely depend on his age. You've come to a safe/good place to seek help. I look forward to hearing back. Best, Suzanne.

Hello @amicocercante, I would like to add my welcome to Connect along with @suzbyrne and other members. It's good that you can help advocate for your friend's health. Your friend's story sounds similar to this TED talk by Jennifer Brea who became progressively ill with myalgic encephalomyelitis. What happens when you have a disease doctors can’t diagnose -- https://www.ted.com/talks/jen_brea_what_happens_when_you_have_a_disease_doctors_can_t_diagnose

There is a related discussion that you might want to read through to see if it is helpful.
-- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) treatments: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myalgic-encephalomyelitis-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-me-cfs-treatments/

Is it an option for your friend able to travel to a major teaching hospital or health facility like Mayo Clinic?, or is one available where he lives?