Posted by linkadge on October 28, 2017, at 14:08:26
In reply to thinking of making a change, posted by Melusine on October 28, 2017, at 10:13:40
Hey,
The notion that depression has to get worse with time is not set in stone. My episodes of depression have actually become less frequent over the past 5 years. When the do occur, they tend to be milder.
The big change for me, was the addition of a small dose of lithium (300mg). It is much easier for my brain to shut down. My sleeping patterns are much more normal (before, my sleep would constantly push later and later). Folic acid, magnesium and omega 3 have also been useful although, I play many of these 'by ear'. For me, taking the exact same thing every day doesn't lead to remission.
Also, the 'monoamines' only help to the extent that the individual brain cells are in good shape. This is why some bipolar meds can help unipolar too. They can help control brain cell firing from a completely different level.
At one point, I was taking clonazepam on a regular basis. This led to more depression. SSRIs made my anxiety worse (which I was trying to nullify with benzos), whereas nortriptyline doesn't.I always hated when people told me that benzos were not a long term solution for insomnia, but it was true. Lithium was able to turn down the volume on my brain activity (and hence improve sleep) without increasing depression.
You might explore alternatives to the benos / z-drugs, if possible. I was surprised how well nortriptyline helped my anxiety. Serotonin was supposed to be the magic cure for anxiety - not for me.
Not sure what to specifically recommend though.
For bad insomnia, I use melatonin, but I have to stop any reuptake inhibitors as it doesn't mix well with them.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:1095641
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20161215/msgs/1095647.html