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Still Depressed

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EvenStrongerNow

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This one isn't leaving on its own. No amount of self care and rest does the trick. I haven't experienced this type of depression before.

I see the Endocrinologist in two more days to get my hormones checked since I haven't had a period since last September.

The hardest part about it is remembering to remind myself that this isn't going to be forever. We are going to get to the bottom of this and there is a solution. The other hard part is feeling like I'm so far from how I used to be, my old self. . . before trauma, wondering if I will ever see that person again.

I'm just trying to hang in there and keep the negative thoughts at bay. It's no use thinking them because none of them are true anyway.
 
Two more days until my appointment. I know I already said that. I just am posting for support. The medication that I am on from my Psychiatrist has been helping me with obsessive thoughts and anxiety...and the horror I feel with re-experiencing but I read that it can increase prolactin levels in women and cause depression so perhaps if there is an underlying hormonal imbalance, the medication could be making something worse. The side effects also say it can completely stop a woman's menstrual cycle. Well, my cycle stopped long before I started taking this medication so it may just be making things worse.

The medication I'm on is also a dopamine antagonist. Why a doctor would put me on a medication like that is beyond me. I feel like I can't feel at all, there is just a fog in my head and I have no energy at all to do anything. Even as I type, I feel nothing and I don't like it.

I really hope my doctors can get this figured out soon so I can get back to feeling like myself. It has never been this bad before and I'm not going to just stop taking a medication just because I feel this way. I'm going to let them tell me what to do. I'm going to trust them to figure out what is going on. I'm not strong enough to try and play doctor with myself nor should I even. I just gotta hang in for a few more days. I will go see the Endo, they will take blood work and then I will go see my Psych after I get the results from those tests. Just a few more days is all. I can do this.
 
I do not know your background story, all I have read is these two posts. If I may make some comments/suggestions there might be something among the points that are useful to you.

First off, please trust your self and do not rely on any of the doctors to work it out. I don't mean to take on the responsibility for choosing the right medication for yourself, I mean trust your self enough to write down the responses your body has to each medication. If it is written in a clinical way, the doctor/doctors will be more likely to read it and respect it.

Make a chart up, use a scrapbook, an exercise book or a document on your computer and set it up with the date and the dosage of each medication and your physical sensations and symptoms then your psychological state.

Make it a habit to fill it out every day or twice a day. For example, write descriptive words such as " Mentally clouded or sensation of fogginess" rather than "feeling cloudy in my head".

Keep this log for your own benefit and check back on it, also take it with you to all doctor's appointments.

I am not a doctor, but I do understand a little about which type of anti-depressant is used for which symptom of illness. I do not understand why a dopamine antagonist was give to you.

In my experience, an SSRI is first used, then an SNRI added later if a state of coping has not been reached. Ask your doctor about SNRI's (Pristiq, Edronax, Effexor) if you feel unmotivated and unable/unwilling to move much or talk much. The N in SNRI is for noradrenaline. This is the motivating hormone.

I personally take 100g of Pristiq and 4mg of Edronax. Pristiq is a slow release anti-depressant. Effexor is the same type of drug but is not slow release and can be a bit "of a hit" compared to Pristiq.

Secondly, when I am experiencing a prolonged bout of depression, the meds will not work unless I make my body "make" some serotonin. This can only be done through movement. For me, it works best if I walk. So I get dropped to a coffee shop and walk home or catch a train somewhere and walk home. In the sun with comfortable shoes on. This works for me. Gyms freak me out and so does organised exercise.

A simple but often forgotten thing to add, make sure you are drinking water when you take your meds and keep water with you to drink for at least a few hours afterwards. They cannot work if you are pooping them out or dehydrated.

The rhythm of the walking also helps with anxiety. Try to walk long enough to get a little sweaty when you are home. Drips of sweat are a good sign.

I hope some of this helps. Do not ever "Cold Turkey" stop taking any medication. I did once and got fibromyalgia from doing so. Your post does mention many aspects of questioning the medication you are on, so its very possible your gut is telling you it is not the right fit with you. Trust your gut and ring your psychiatrist. Write down the points you made in these posts and repeat them to him. Tell him you are concerned. He needs to know, that is what you are paying him for, his support and his feedback.

I know it is hard to fight. Do it gently and calmly so it does not stir up your emotions and make you feel upset. :)
 
I forgot, make sure you are eating protein throughout the day. Preferably for breakfast too. Serotonin cannot be made in the body if there is not a steady availability of quality protein. Eggs, steak, chicken, lentils. Also, get your Endocrinlogist to check your blood sugar levels and ask yourself if you are eating a lot of carbs. If you are, then it is likely you are doing so instead of eating protein and vegetables. This can mean there is not enough amino acids to make serotonin. (amino acids are what are in protein). It can also mean that your insulin levels go wacky. This can have a terrible effect on mood and wellbeing and brain fog.

So, if you can write down how you have been eating that will help you understand the impact of eating for comfort (carbs) and will also help the Endocrinologist do his job better and earn the dollars you give him for his services.
 
@Flossy , thanks for taking the time to write to me. I will discuss this with my Psych right after I see the Endo, I have an appointment with him to talk about what's been going on. It has only been the past week and a half I think so the last time I saw him, I was doing pretty good.

About food. I eat mostly whole foods, plant based, organic, non gmo foods. I don't know how many carbs I eat in a day because I do not keep track of this sort of thing and there is enough protein the vegetables I consume.

I do not eat meat at all, but I do eat wild caught fishes, shrimps and things like that. I don't eat eggs either because I am pescetarian. I switched to this diet after learning about food and the neurotransmitters, how nutrients come in and get processed, etc. I also don't do any dairy but I take .....oh hmm, I wonder if I'm not getting enough vitamin B12.

I'm really glad I'm going to see an Endo because I can talk to her about all of this stuff. Either way, there's gotta be a reason I'm not having a period and this all the time depression is fairly new. My neuropsych has been doing this for 40 years. He will not know what's going on unless I'm specific and a lot of the time, I have a hard time articulating what is going on when I finally get in to see him. That's a good idea to write it all down and keep a log. Thank you very much.[DOUBLEPOST=1401179963,1401179864][/DOUBLEPOST]Oh and the Psych put me on Risperdal, 1mg once per day. That's the dopamine antagonist I was talking about. I don't take anti depressants.
 
I am not a doctor, but I do understand a little about which type of anti-depressant is used for which symptom of illness. I do not understand why a dopamine antagonist was give to you.
I assume it was given for anxiety, not for depression. Risperdal is one of several atypical anti-psychotics I've seen prescribed off-label for anxiety because they can have a potent calming effect. Why these drugs are often tried before Trifluoperazine, a dopamine antagonist which is actually FDA-approved for the treatment of anxiety, quite baffles me. Trifluoperazine is what I was given for PTSD-related anxiety and it works great.

It is possible the Risperdal is making your depression worse, so it's definitely something to talk to your psych about. It's always best to have them explain their reasoning behind any drug they give you. After all, how are you supposed to evaluate how well the drug is working if you don't understand exactly what it's supposed to be doing?

I know how endless the depression feels when you're deep inside it. It's a terrible feeling and I hope you feel better soon.
 
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