Posted by Censerd on March 26, 2001, at 12:35:47
In reply to Re: treatment resistant depre, [LONG] » dove, posted by sweetmarie on March 25, 2001, at 6:33:41
> Hi all, I've never posted here before but always stop by to read and this is a topic I can totally relate to! I am 31 and have been being treated for depression off and on since I was 13. Meds were started at 17 and didn't go well, tried them again at 22 with no success - just lots of bad side effects! After my daughter was born in 1993, I gained a lot of weight (I'd always been heavy but gained even more) I had weight loss surgery and lost over 100 lbs. I thought this would give me the energy and motivation I needed to get off the couch and be able to play with my daughter - it didn't help any, I was/am skinny but still had no energy and a bad temper to boot! So I tried to get help again from my regular doc - she said she thought I had a-typical depression. Medication merry go round started again and I ended up on Celexa for about 1 year as it had the least side effects of any but they were too much to stay on any longer (mostly intenstinal stuff). She said to try Lithobid (lithium) as maybe I had bi-polar II since I wasn't responding to any AD's like I should. So now I had to go to a psychiatrist for med management. He didn't do much for me except write out prescriptions. My insurance changed so I had to change doc's again. First visit she said she wondered if I had ADD. I said no way, not me! Next visit she said what about ADD? and told me to research and read a book or 2 and let her know what I thought. Well, I borrowed a book from a friend and after reading just the introduction in "Driven to Distraction" my jaw hit the floor!!! This was me to a T! Well, to try and make a long post a little shorter, after tests and appointment I was diagnosed with ADD 3 weeks ago. I now take a combo of Ritalin and Concerta and I feel like crying because for the first time in my life that I can remember - I am sleeping well at night and - here's the big one - I actually feel awake during the day! I am capable of getting things done! I'm not a dynamo yet because I have to figure out how to do the stuff I haven't been doing for years but now I know I can get there!
The point of this gawd awful long post is to offer everyone on the med merry go round some hope and encouragement. I thought I had no more hope of every feeling "normal" or having energy, it just took perserverence and a lot more tries but so far - it's definately been worth it.
So to everyone who made it through this post - thanks for reading and keep perservering - there is a med, support group, or something for all of us.
Chris
poster:Censerd
thread:55847
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010319/msgs/57587.html