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Just Cannot Do It Any More

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Is there a such thing as a long term antidepressant? I have been on effexor xr 225mg for several months. After missing my dose for 2 days in a row, I started it again and started to experience a fluttering in my chest. It was quite scary I thought I was Emergency room bound but I held out and eventually went away the following day the same thing. So I stopped.

It has been 2 weeks now and I am getting very irritable. Is there such a thing a a once weekly or better monthly antidepressant, if so has anyone had luck with them. I can't imagine taking all these pills everyday for the rest of my life.
 
I've been on Effexor xr for some time now.

I have experienced feelings like you describe and it's always been due to anxiety.

The first thing my psychiatrist told me, a long time and a lot of medicines ago, is "never stop taking your medicines without letting her know" and "do not take them just when you feel bad, they must be taken as prescribed".

I think you should get in touch with your doctor and tell him what is going on.
 
Thank you I have been unable to get ahold of my P doc for over 2 weeks now. I have an appointment set up for next month. I hate taking pills every day I was trying to figure out if anyone had a better long term treatment for depression. Sorry about the dramatic first post. It seems to be pushing people away from providing first hand knowledge of how to control depression without taking a pill every day.
 
I took Effexor for a year. During that time I started reading and learning about Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy and started incorporating it into my life. I no longer take an SSRI or any medication for depression, PTSD, or ADD/ADHD. But, I cultivated a habit of replacing the pill with self care. It is still something that needs to be done every day.

I have expanded the techniques I use (by self study trial and error) to Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, and some other stuff. My psychologist was just a talk therapist and his technique was free flow stream of consciousness... largely unproductive accept that I had to slow down my thoughts and feelings enough to say them, and then I eventually began to listen to what I was saying. What messages I was telling myself. I have not been in therapy for over a year and a half. I am self regulating without meds. I too had an aversion to meds for what I considered was a life skill/adversity/trauma(s) problem.

I didn't answer initially because when I read your post, I thought you were looking for some sort of extended time release drug so that you wouldn't have to develop the discipline to take your medication as prescribed every day.

There are some great "third wave" therapeutic methods to deal with depression. Typically I read a lot, buy some workbooks and do the work. I hope this helps you.
 
Thank you albatross, I prefer and natural approach. It just seems that I still have some work to do. But the ability to live the new normal without taking drug is a goal to strive for. Having to take a pills every day is slightly depressing in itself.
 
I sympathize with you, I too am sick of taking meds and they just don't feel effective anymore. I spent 6 years in talk therapy and it wasn't enough, then last year I started meds for Bipolar, PTSD related anxiety, night terrors (aka PTSD dreams), and depression. It felt like giving up and giving in. I still have to joke about "taking my crazy pills" every day so I can actually take them.

Long term plan after I clear away some debt is to find a Naturopathic doctor. My sister controls her clinical depression with diet and I know several people who "juice". Exercise has helped too.

I eventually want to get off meds because I can feel the highs and lows taking route B in my brain instead of route A which is being blocked off by the meds. I don't know if anyone else ever experiences this but when I have a significant mood shift instead of it being a smooth transition like it was before medication, I get a painful headache and then it sort of clunks into place where as before it rolled, if that makes any sense.

I wish us both the best of luck in finding new and more self satisfying approaches to maintaining our health.
 
It's all about a combined holistic approach. Don't be too quick to write off medications, they can be helpful, just as alternative medicine can be helpful. Many people have been "saved" by antidepressants. It is a crap shoot to find the right ones.

Regardless of the approach you want to take eventually (meds or not), see your doctor. Palpitations are common with antidepressants, sometimes just lowering the dose is enough to stop them, in other instances, you need to change the medication.
 
OK I finally got to see my p doc after exploding on the on call doc at the VA. I wrote the story but my browser closed and I lost it all, bummer, moving on.

So after my yelling at the other doc my normal doc's schedule seemed to clear real fast. She started me on Prozac and though I have heard a lot of horrer stories about it she says a lot of her PTS patients do very well on it. Further more they make a Prozac weekly. We may move to that but she want to make sure I have no ill effects from the regular. I look forward to others input.
 
There's horror stories for every medication out there, anti depressants and otherwise. Millions more have been helped by them than harmed. Go with an open mind. It's like being pregnant and hearing all about the three day labours and epidurals that didn't take. Can scare the bejeebers out of you. Good luck. Use this as your jump start to wellness, and maybe start researching the natural approach you said you would like to have as a goal.
 
Taking too much of medicines will harm your body. Try and do some natural exercise or any such thing which can help you. Go out with friends, get indulged in the things which you like. Take the help of naturopathy, this is a good way to treat your depression and it will help you to a great extend.
 
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