Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 3769

Shown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Depression / Celexa and Remeron

Posted by Cindy on March 17, 1999, at 20:54:02

I am a 33 year old female who has suffered from depression half of my life.Most of my life I have struggled to try and pretend I was fine, but inside I was slowly dying on the inside. What was wrong with me I would ask myself over and over again why can't I function like a normal person. Then I would ask myself what is normal. For years I could hide my depression and it was my secret, but for the past 3 years it has gotten to the point I can no longer hide. It has destroyed me from the inside out. All I want to do is hide from the world and everybody in it. My bedroom is my hiding place there I feel secure. I sleep 14 to 15 hrs. a day. I am so tired I am unable to complete the most minute task. My mental status is shot. I can hardly remember what I just said and I cannot concentrate on anything. I'm presently taking Celexa 20mg. and remeron 15mg. Every time I go back to the doctor he tries another drug. I've been on prozac, zoloft, paxil, etc. They seem to help with the moodswings but I am so tired all the time. If anybody has any suggestion I would deeply appreciate it. Before I found this website I felt as though I was alone, but thanks to all the messages I have read I know there is hope.

Thanks,

Cindy

 

Re: Depression / Celexa and Remeron

Posted by Mark on March 25, 1999, at 6:14:36

In reply to Depression / Celexa and Remeron, posted by Cindy on March 17, 1999, at 20:54:02

You might want to ask about more activating
antidepressants or antidepressant adjuvants-----
Wellbutrin, Dexedrine, Ritalin

> I am a 33 year old female who has suffered from depression half of my life.Most of my life I have struggled to try and pretend I was fine, but inside I was slowly dying on the inside. What was wrong with me I would ask myself over and over again why can't I function like a normal person. Then I would ask myself what is normal. For years I could hide my depression and it was my secret, but for the past 3 years it has gotten to the point I can no longer hide. It has destroyed me from the inside out. All I want to do is hide from the world and everybody in it. My bedroom is my hiding place there I feel secure. I sleep 14 to 15 hrs. a day. I am so tired I am unable to complete the most minute task. My mental status is shot. I can hardly remember what I just said and I cannot concentrate on anything. I'm presently taking Celexa 20mg. and remeron 15mg. Every time I go back to the doctor he tries another drug. I've been on prozac, zoloft, paxil, etc. They seem to help with the moodswings but I am so tired all the time. If anybody has any suggestion I would deeply appreciate it. Before I found this website I felt as though I was alone, but thanks to all the messages I have read I know there is hope.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Cindy

 

To: Mark, Thanks

Posted by Cindy on March 25, 1999, at 15:09:41

In reply to Re: Depression / Celexa and Remeron, posted by Mark on March 25, 1999, at 6:14:36

> You might want to ask about more activating
> antidepressants or antidepressant adjuvants-----
> Wellbutrin, Dexedrine, Ritalin
>
> > I am a 33 year old female who has suffered from depression half of my life.Most of my life I have struggled to try and pretend I was fine, but inside I was slowly dying on the inside. What was wrong with me I would ask myself over and over again why can't I function like a normal person. Then I would ask myself what is normal. For years I could hide my depression and it was my secret, but for the past 3 years it has gotten to the point I can no longer hide. It has destroyed me from the inside out. All I want to do is hide from the world and everybody in it. My bedroom is my hiding place there I feel secure. I sleep 14 to 15 hrs. a day. I am so tired I am unable to complete the most minute task. My mental status is shot. I can hardly remember what I just said and I cannot concentrate on anything. I'm presently taking Celexa 20mg. and remeron 15mg. Every time I go back to the doctor he tries another drug. I've been on prozac, zoloft, paxil, etc. They seem to help with the moodswings but I am so tired all the time. If anybody has any suggestion I would deeply appreciate it. Before I found this website I felt as though I was alone, but thanks to all the messages I have read I know there is hope.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Cindy

Mark, Thank you for your advice I will speak to my doctor about those drugs you listed.

Cindy

 

Re: To: Mark, Thanks

Posted by Matt on March 28, 1999, at 6:03:35

In reply to To: Mark, Thanks, posted by Cindy on March 25, 1999, at 15:09:41

Cindy,

I'd be quite wary of Ritalin and Dededrine, but Wellbutrin may be a good bet. Prozac also is fairly activating.

I was totally zonked when I was on Celexa and Remeron. In fact, I also was sleeping 14 hours a day, and this wasn't due to my depression. After a few weeks on the Celexa I felt less sedated on it. I've found Celexa to be quite "Paxil-like" in its effects on me, and Remeron is a very sedating antidepressant.

If you have comorbid anxiety, you may want to stay away from Wellbutrin and give Prozac a shot.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the fact that you lack energy in itself doesn't imply that you should seek out a more activating antidepressant. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't modify what you're on now if it's causing you to sleep for most of the day, of course. But depression quite often causes exhaustion (I know!), and many people find that once the depression lifts, their energy returns, even if they're on an antidepressant that is a more "sedating" antidepressant.

Good luck with things. :)

Matt

 

Re: To: MATT w/?

Posted by Cindy on March 28, 1999, at 18:17:04

In reply to Re: To: Mark, Thanks, posted by Matt on March 28, 1999, at 6:03:35

> Cindy,
>
> I'd be quite wary of Ritalin and Dededrine, but Wellbutrin may be a good bet. Prozac also is fairly activating.
>
> I was totally zonked when I was on Celexa and Remeron. In fact, I also was sleeping 14 hours a day, and this wasn't due to my depression. After a few weeks on the Celexa I felt less sedated on it. I've found Celexa to be quite "Paxil-like" in its effects on me, and Remeron is a very sedating antidepressant.
>
> If you have comorbid anxiety, you may want to stay away from Wellbutrin and give Prozac a shot.
>
> Another thing to keep in mind is that the fact that you lack energy in itself doesn't imply that you should seek out a more activating antidepressant. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't modify what you're on now if it's causing you to sleep for most of the day, of course. But depression quite often causes exhaustion (I know!), and many people find that once the depression lifts, their energy returns, even if they're on an antidepressant that is a more "sedating" antidepressant.
>
> Good luck with things. :)
>
> Matt

Matt,
Thank you for your advice. I would like your opinion on these issues. I was placed on prozac 20 mg. and remeron 15 mg. when I first went to the doctor about 3 months ago. After two week when I went back to the doctor he ask how I was feeling and I told him no different. He simply replied that the prozac should have caused me to feel better by now. Then he placed me on Serzone I started out at 50 mg. and worked my way up to 300 mg. within a 2 week period. I also continued remeron and now was on 30 mg. I went back for a office visit and he wanted to know how I was feeling I said no difference except I was having some panic attacks. My B/P was high and he said it was the serzone. So he took me off the serzone and placed me on celexa 20 mg. and remeron 30 mg. I am going on my third week with these medications. I am starting to feel somewhat better and I can tell my concentration is better. The only bad thing is I am still sleeping all the time. Do you think maybe I should have been on the prozac longer then 2 weeks or is that enough time to see if the medication will work. Should I stay on these medication and ask him to add a stimulant. I really just don't know what to do any advice I would appreciate it. I have only been Dx. with clinical depression.

Thanks,

Cindy

 

Re: To: MATT w/?

Posted by Matt on March 28, 1999, at 23:33:06

In reply to Re: To: MATT w/?, posted by Cindy on March 28, 1999, at 18:17:04

Well, two weeks really is too short of a time period to judge the effectiveness of a medication. I also wonder why it was the Prozac that was judged to be ineffective, rather than the Remeron (This isn't to say that the Remeron should have been judged ineffective after 2 weeks, either.) Remeron has been shown in at least one study to work more quickly than Prozac. Why does he insist on staying with the Remeron? (Or why did he start you off on two antidepressants to begin with?) Do you have comorbid anxiety? (This isn't to say that you shouldn't stick with the Remeron; I'm just curious as to what he's thinking wrt the Remeron.)

Call me old-fashioned, but I'd much rather try either a more activating SSRI (like a real trial of Prozac), or dropping one of the two antidepressants you're on than add a stimulant. I mean, you're on what is considered to be a "therapeutic" dose of both the Remeron and the Celexa. Certainly some people will take an SSRI and Remeron, but this usually isn't a first-line sort of solution.

You'll probably feel less zonked on the Celexa alone, though Remeron may be a more effective antidepressant (not to say that Celexa isn't an effective antidepressant). If it were me, I'd try dropping one of the two drugs and seeing if that improved things before I added a stimulant.

Matt

 

Re: To: MATT / Thank You!!

Posted by Cindy on March 30, 1999, at 22:16:24

In reply to Re: To: MATT w/?, posted by Matt on March 28, 1999, at 23:33:06

> Well, two weeks really is too short of a time period to judge the effectiveness of a medication. I also wonder why it was the Prozac that was judged to be ineffective, rather than the Remeron (This isn't to say that the Remeron should have been judged ineffective after 2 weeks, either.) Remeron has been shown in at least one study to work more quickly than Prozac. Why does he insist on staying with the Remeron? (Or why did he start you off on two antidepressants to begin with?) Do you have comorbid anxiety? (This isn't to say that you shouldn't stick with the Remeron; I'm just curious as to what he's thinking wrt the Remeron.)
>
> Call me old-fashioned, but I'd much rather try either a more activating SSRI (like a real trial of Prozac), or dropping one of the two antidepressants you're on than add a stimulant. I mean, you're on what is considered to be a "therapeutic" dose of both the Remeron and the Celexa. Certainly some people will take an SSRI and Remeron, but this usually isn't a first-line sort of solution.
>
> You'll probably feel less zonked on the Celexa alone, though Remeron may be a more effective antidepressant (not to say that Celexa isn't an effective antidepressant). If it were me, I'd try dropping one of the two drugs and seeing if that improved things before I added a stimulant.
>
> Matt

Matt,
Thank you for your input I appreciate it. My doctor is a M.D. and said he practice in Mental Health for years before having his private practice. I am really trying to have faith in what he says. I really could not understand why he took me off the prozac when he did, but he insisted I should have seen a remarkable
difference in the way I was feeling. It does seem that he insist I stay on the remeron. It might have to do with the fact one of my first complaints besides being depressed was I did not have any desire for sex. I am married and I love my husband dearly but the desire for sex is just not there. I called my doctor today to see if he would add a new medication or change something and today he told me to keep with celexa 20 mg. and remeron 7.5 mg. I am just going to stop the remeron for a few days and see if the tirdness goes away. My doctor has done blood work and ct scan and it was all normal. When I return back to the doctor I will ask him why he insist on remeron and why the two AD'S. Thanks again!!

Cindy

 

Re: To: MATT / Thank You!!

Posted by Matt on March 31, 1999, at 1:20:07

In reply to Re: To: MATT / Thank You!! , posted by Cindy on March 30, 1999, at 22:16:24

Sometimes depression can decrease libido. Usually when the depression lifts, the desire for sex will return. SSRIs sometimes cause decreased libido, and they often make achieving orgasm difficult. Remeron sometimes is added to help with the sexual side effects of SSRIs, though it doesn't help in all (or perhaps even the majority) of cases. So that's probably what your doc was thinking in adding the Remeron. Another way to do things would be go to without an SSRI. But SSRIs are a standard first-line treatment, even with sexual complaints: Usually the doc will reason that it's the depression causing the sexual difficulty, and once the depression lifts, libido will return. I guess all this is to say that I'd not worry too much about things with this doc--if you continue to feel better on the Celexa I'd stick with it. (Though you may feel that the side effects, some of which can be sexual, outweigh the antidepressant benefits. In my own case, I was so grateful to have the depression lifted that I tolerated some of the sexual side effects.)

Best of luck with things.

Matt

 

Re: Depression / Celexa and Remeron

Posted by Kristy on March 2, 2000, at 9:49:55

In reply to Re: Depression / Celexa and Remeron, posted by Mark on March 25, 1999, at 6:14:36

I am a 20 year old female who has been prescribed Celexa for my depression. My doctor told me my condition was chemical and hereditary condition. I am so glad I was prescribed this medication, because it has changed my life in so many ways. I used to sit around and mope around the house, thinking no onw loved me, and no one was my friend. Everything was "me, me, me", and I was continually thinking about suicide. I thought no one understood me, and I had absolutely no help or hope in the world, and I might as well kill meself and make everyone happy. But now that I have discovered this medication, I am happy to announce that I am almost completely over my condition. It has taken me about five months of counselling and doctor's visits, but I am sure that I am almost completely cured. I cannot thank that medical communtiy enough for making this wonder durg that has changed my life and those around me forever. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.
If anyone would like to e-mail me, my e-mail address is pharmgirl23@hotmail.com.
> You might want to ask about more activating
> antidepressants or antidepressant adjuvants-----
> Wellbutrin, Dexedrine, Ritalin
>
> > I am a 33 year old female who has suffered from depression half of my life.Most of my life I have struggled to try and pretend I was fine, but inside I was slowly dying on the inside. What was wrong with me I would ask myself over and over again why can't I function like a normal person. Then I would ask myself what is normal. For years I could hide my depression and it was my secret, but for the past 3 years it has gotten to the point I can no longer hide. It has destroyed me from the inside out. All I want to do is hide from the world and everybody in it. My bedroom is my hiding place there I feel secure. I sleep 14 to 15 hrs. a day. I am so tired I am unable to complete the most minute task. My mental status is shot. I can hardly remember what I just said and I cannot concentrate on anything. I'm presently taking Celexa 20mg. and remeron 15mg. Every time I go back to the doctor he tries another drug. I've been on prozac, zoloft, paxil, etc. They seem to help with the moodswings but I am so tired all the time. If anybody has any suggestion I would deeply appreciate it. Before I found this website I felt as though I was alone, but thanks to all the messages I have read I know there is hope.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Cindy


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