I have been on so many antidepressants over the past 35 years

Posted by pj1959 @pj1959, Feb 27, 2016

I have been on so many antidepressants over the past 35 years and nothing seems to help.
All I want is to feel normal again.
I can't stop the racing thoughts.
I am now on 100mg of Sertraline but it isn't doing its thing.
I just need to know other people are having these same issues and that I am not alone.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

@kelseydm

Hi @pj1959. Welcome to Connect! You are certainly not alone. It can be difficult to find the right combination of meds, though I know the process can be really frustrating! Do you have a psychiatrist you feel you can trust? Are you also seeing a therapist? I'm tagging @mlemieux, @joeallen, @barsta, @airtruck54 and @afterthetreatment who have also mentioned struggles with depression in the past and may be able to offer some support! Hoping you find the community you need here. We are here for you!

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Wow! Going to check this out, glad to hear that it's covered by Medicare. A friend was referred to Mayo in Phoenix for something else and told they don't take Medicare? New to site been on Wellbutrin for close to 30 yrs. Depression from +/- age 7.Wellbutrin is the ONLY anti-depressant that ever worked for me. It initially made so much difference, "This is what normal people feel like!" e.g. Having the energy to make a casserole when someone died. I was also diagnosed with ADD nonattentive (with visual processing co-morbitity) @59 which their now using Wellbutrin for! So it seems like all frontal lobe?

Now doing another test of Adderal (not real big difference) and Wellbutrin's effectiveness has wained over the years. I had Phy @ NIMH tell me that after awhile "It creates its own metabolism"? Need to go off for awhile and then can go back on @ lower dose?. Tried it once myself with disaster results--hypo mania! Then tapper off by MD and felt amazing for about 6 months then crashed big time!
Sorry to be so verbose, but think the world of Mayo. I the 1940's my Mother had an absolutely horrible pregnancy and told she had migranes as well. Finally went to Rochester and it was undiagnosed gallbladder and they were pioneering putting a window in sinuses. And then she was fine!

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@kelseydm

Hi @pj1959. Welcome to Connect! You are certainly not alone. It can be difficult to find the right combination of meds, though I know the process can be really frustrating! Do you have a psychiatrist you feel you can trust? Are you also seeing a therapist? I'm tagging @mlemieux, @joeallen, @barsta, @airtruck54 and @afterthetreatment who have also mentioned struggles with depression in the past and may be able to offer some support! Hoping you find the community you need here. We are here for you!

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I just called Phoenix and they said they didn't do it there. Is there a way the blood draw and swab could be done by my MD and sent to where ever it is being done?

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@kelseydm

Hi @pj1959. Welcome to Connect! You are certainly not alone. It can be difficult to find the right combination of meds, though I know the process can be really frustrating! Do you have a psychiatrist you feel you can trust? Are you also seeing a therapist? I'm tagging @mlemieux, @joeallen, @barsta, @airtruck54 and @afterthetreatment who have also mentioned struggles with depression in the past and may be able to offer some support! Hoping you find the community you need here. We are here for you!

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I would call your doctors office and see who they use they should be able to direct you as to who is the provider in your area.

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@kelseydm

Hi @pj1959. Welcome to Connect! You are certainly not alone. It can be difficult to find the right combination of meds, though I know the process can be really frustrating! Do you have a psychiatrist you feel you can trust? Are you also seeing a therapist? I'm tagging @mlemieux, @joeallen, @barsta, @airtruck54 and @afterthetreatment who have also mentioned struggles with depression in the past and may be able to offer some support! Hoping you find the community you need here. We are here for you!

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You will need to go through your physician to get an order for this test. Follow the link above posted by @dawn_giacabazi . At that point you should have some idea how to get the tests done. I would hope a cheek swab would be sufficient.

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@kelseydm

Hi @pj1959. Welcome to Connect! You are certainly not alone. It can be difficult to find the right combination of meds, though I know the process can be really frustrating! Do you have a psychiatrist you feel you can trust? Are you also seeing a therapist? I'm tagging @mlemieux, @joeallen, @barsta, @airtruck54 and @afterthetreatment who have also mentioned struggles with depression in the past and may be able to offer some support! Hoping you find the community you need here. We are here for you!

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@klaymom & @wolfer1975 you are correct. Must have a physician's order in order for insurance to cover.

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@kelseydm

Hi @pj1959. Welcome to Connect! You are certainly not alone. It can be difficult to find the right combination of meds, though I know the process can be really frustrating! Do you have a psychiatrist you feel you can trust? Are you also seeing a therapist? I'm tagging @mlemieux, @joeallen, @barsta, @airtruck54 and @afterthetreatment who have also mentioned struggles with depression in the past and may be able to offer some support! Hoping you find the community you need here. We are here for you!

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Thanks, see my guy next week! What a darling cat! is it a Turkish Angora perhaps?

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@kelseydm

Hi @pj1959. Welcome to Connect! You are certainly not alone. It can be difficult to find the right combination of meds, though I know the process can be really frustrating! Do you have a psychiatrist you feel you can trust? Are you also seeing a therapist? I'm tagging @mlemieux, @joeallen, @barsta, @airtruck54 and @afterthetreatment who have also mentioned struggles with depression in the past and may be able to offer some support! Hoping you find the community you need here. We are here for you!

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It's a fairly uncommon blue eyed white Ragdoll kitten that I will be getting this fall. He won't be born until August.

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@kelseydm

Hi @pj1959. Welcome to Connect! You are certainly not alone. It can be difficult to find the right combination of meds, though I know the process can be really frustrating! Do you have a psychiatrist you feel you can trust? Are you also seeing a therapist? I'm tagging @mlemieux, @joeallen, @barsta, @airtruck54 and @afterthetreatment who have also mentioned struggles with depression in the past and may be able to offer some support! Hoping you find the community you need here. We are here for you!

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Cats are such a balm for depression!

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@kelseydm

Hi @pj1959. Welcome to Connect! You are certainly not alone. It can be difficult to find the right combination of meds, though I know the process can be really frustrating! Do you have a psychiatrist you feel you can trust? Are you also seeing a therapist? I'm tagging @mlemieux, @joeallen, @barsta, @airtruck54 and @afterthetreatment who have also mentioned struggles with depression in the past and may be able to offer some support! Hoping you find the community you need here. We are here for you!

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Hi @klaymom. Welcome to Connect! I'm so glad to see you've jumped right into this conversation. It's nice to have you here!

You never have to apologize for verbosity here 🙂 We are all about sharing (maybe even over sharing)!

Given your experience with Wellbutrin, you may also find this thread interesting: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/side-effects-of-welbutrin-discontinuation-does-anyone-know-of-any-side-effects-of-discontinuing/

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Hello all! I am new to the room, so forgive me if I am reposting any information. I just wonder how widespread it is that people with major depression are trying Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. This is usually done after medications have been exhausted. This is a series of 36 treatments that a heated coil pulses to the nerve cells in the brain. I am 1/3 of the way done and have noticed small pulses of positive energy coming for my brain :), and it does quiet that inner voice that was ruling my life for so long. Any other experiencers out there?

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