Medication.

[Palmolive]

So I am currently on Sertraline. I've previously been on anti-depresents, Prozac, trazadone and citalopram and now obviously, Sertraline. I've had lower doses and they'll all been upped. I've also been on anti psychotics, Respirdone and Arripiprazole. Thing is, I haven't found any of them very beneficial. I've been on Sertraline for over six weeks now and things aren't getting better. It was just today I was in a&e from on overdose and I need something to change. For me medication is a big deal. I get scared it will change me as a person and that it's just numbing my feelings and sooner or later I will have to come off it and they'll come back again. But after seeing a few psychiatrists and doctors, they're all telling me I need to keep trying medication until we find the right one because 'I need it.'

But what's the point when none of them are working? I don't know whether I should completely stop medication for a while or what. Does anyone have any advice. I feel really lost about all of this right now. Any personal experiences are welcome.

Thankyou.

Hey Jessie,

First of all, any medication changes do need to be checked with your doctor, and it isn't something to rush into, so if you decide anything, talk it through first.
Right. I'm on Sertraline now, but I'm only 3 days into it. I've previously taken Prozac, Cymbalta, Citalopram and a mini-trial of Diazepam but none of those worked for me at all. Problem with medication like this is that they don't all work the same. If you had a broken leg, they'd give you X painkiller to take, that's that. If you have a mental health problem, or any long term illness that requires medicating, it can take a LONG time to get it right. My dad has trialed 13 different heart meds so far

Thing is, the only true way to find out how you'll be without meds, is to come off them, but before you do you MUST be in a stable position to do so. I went two weeks without and was a total wreck, so I've restarted them, but everyone is different. It's frustrating waiting to feel a change, but it'll be worth it when it does come, and it wont change you as a person. All they're intended to do is to lift you out of a bad day and help you challenge the low moods. Like quitting smoking - you can take pills to help, but it needs you as well.

Unfortunately nothing will magically make it all stop, but I know you, and I know you can fight through this! <3

[Leah-Marie]

There's this idea that anti-depressants will make you happy. I assure you, they won't. They will help you to control your emotions, but you have to put forth an effort. If there are problems outside of just a chemical imbalance, you can still be depressed. For example, if you're having problems at home, you may still be depressed because of it. Medications can be helpful in controlling your moods - they provide a measure of control because they try to balance the chemicals. Still, there are two main chemicals that effect your mood so there are two different classes of anti-depressants. They all work differently. Just keep trying in conjunction with therapy such as CBT if you can afford it.

Personally, I'm on Citalopram on the highest dose, and I still get depressed when things get hard, but it isn't quite as bad and it gives me enough control that I can avoid my self injury and suicide attempts. I find it quite helpful with my talk therapy and CBT.

[grae96]

A lot of them haven't worked for me, but we finally found a good mix, I'm on Wellbutrin 300mgs a day and trazadone at 100mgs a night, maybe you should talk to your doctor about maybe putting you on a combination to see if it helps you.

I hope this helped.

[Batman.]

Well, have you considered trying CBT or DBT therapies? I'd think your case would be perfect for that kind of treatment. Maybe that will make medications more effective too..? Mention these things next time you see your psych, perhaps.

[Palmolive]

Originally Posted by Thirteen

Well, have you considered trying CBT or DBT therapies? I'd think your case would be perfect for that kind of treatment. Maybe that will make medications more effective too..? Mention these things next time you see your psych, perhaps.

I'm currently having CBT as well as being on medication. I've had DBT. I've seen a psychologist and started EMDR but we stopped it. I've been in-patient. I feel like I am trying everything but what ever I try it doesn't chance anything and I don't know what to do.

[Batman.]

Originally Posted by Lygophobia

I'm currently having CBT as well as being on medication. I've had DBT. I've seen a psychologist and started EMDR but we stopped it. I've been in-patient. I feel like I am trying everything but what ever I try it doesn't chance anything and I don't know what to do.

I'm sorry if I offended you then, didn't know what you had or hadn't done I guess.

Has your current psychiatrist re-evaluated you? Maybe they're not treating the right things with the right medications? I don't know how to put it, but sometimes, ignoring the previous diagnosis and viewing the case with "fresh eyes" might help figure out something new, that maybe another psych had missed.

[Palmolive]

Originally Posted by Thirteen

I'm sorry if I offended you then, didn't know what you had or hadn't done I guess.

Has your current psychiatrist re-evaluated you? Maybe they're not treating the right things with the right medications? I don't know how to put it, but sometimes, ignoring the previous diagnosis and viewing the case with "fresh eyes" might help figure out something new, that maybe another psych had missed.

You didn't offend me at all, sorry.

I mean, I've seen her so many times. She just tells me to keep trying the medication but it's clearly not having any affect on me. My doctor was the one who changed it to this, I mean I might talk to him tomorrow about it because I am seeing him tomorrow. I think he suggested to CAMHS to get an out of county psychiatrist in but nothing has been done. I just feel at a dead end and don't know what to do.

[TheBabyEater]

First of all, never ever ever stop or change medication without talking to your doctor. I accidentally left my antidepressants at home when I went away for a week, didn't think it'd be a big deal and didn't get a refill, 3 days later and I'm headed to the hospital ._.

That's the problem with antidepressants, a lot of times we don't think they're working, when they are. I swore up and down that Prozac had no effect on me, and perhaps it didn't help that much, but looking back on it now, when I wasn't taking it I was 50% more likely to hurt myself or make a stupid decision. Another thing is that it often takes at least a few weeks of taking it every day for the medication to really kick it, so give it a shot and try to be optimistic. I know what I just said is hard to hear sometimes, when a friend's dad told me the same thing I got pissed off and purposefully didn't take my meds just to prove him wrong...

If, in a month or two, you're still feeling down a lot then by all means talk to your doctor about trying something new, whether it be medications or something completely different. Just don't ever give up, happiness is possible for all of us. Even, and especially when it never seems so.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

I don't have any personal experiences to offer in terms of taking the medications, however, I have experience on the pharmacological side. There are various classes of medications and often medications within the same class use similar mechanisms to achieve the desired results. All the anti-depressants you mentioned (with the exception of Aripiprazole/Abilify) are SSRIs or SARIs. You may require a change in dosage, different medications in the same classes or a different class of medications. It's very much a hit-or-miss, some people respond almost perfectly to the first anti-depressant they're given, whereas others don't.

Your psychiatrists may not mention this to you as it's a controversy among the scientific community, but psychotherapy has often been implicated as just as if not more effective than anti-depressants. However, like medications, psychotherapy has a huge unknown because effectiveness depends not only on the method used but more on the relationship between you and the psychotherapist. If you think he/she is a giant cock and don't have a positive attitude going into the session, chances are you're not going to come out with a positive attitude.

[Ghost On The Highway]

I agree with "The Man" (not like *The Man* but like the guy who posted above...lol ) Citalopram, Prozac, and Sertraline are all SSRI's, Trazodone is a serotonin agonist IIRC and antipsychotics aren't really useful in treating most cases of depression. Wellbutrin may be a good medication to try, as it acts primarily on dopamine and noradrenaline, which regulate the brain's reward system (motivation, pleasure, etc.) and cognition. I'm on Venlafaxine, which is the first A/D that has helped me, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it because of the nasty side effects and withdrawal symptoms. I also take Lamotrigine, which is a mood stabilizer of questionable efficacy IMO.

I also finally found a therapist who isn't a complete charlatan and who I enjoy talking to (after 6 previous idiots). At first I wanted a therapist who was the opposite of me -- outgoing, female, confident, etc. In the end I ended up with an introverted male psychologist, which forced me to do more of the talking and in the end really helped.

Obviously, if there are underlying factors that contribute to your depression, those need to be addressed (e.g. abuse, relationship problems, school, work, etc.) My problems are mostly related to relationships (or lack thereof), substance abuse and other "addictions," and medication has helped me have the courage and strength to solve them. That's the key -- meds can help you get back to a point where you can actually do something about your problems, but at some point you will have to take the initiative or nothing will get better.