Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 9017

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Light Switch Depression

Posted by Jim Evans on July 21, 1999, at 11:44:24

Anybody have what I call "Light Switch" Depression.
What I mean by this is that it come on and off like
a light switch. One minute

What I mean by "Light Switch" is that one minute things
are normal and the next depression sets in with sadness
and hopelessness. When I first got depression in February,
It was bad from when I got up to around 2PM each day.
At 2PM it would vanish like someone turned it off and
I would be fine the remainder of the day.

I've been trying to wain off of Celexa going from several
month's use of 40mg to 30mg daily. 30mg worked for three
weeks, but not I'm getting on and off, "Light Switch"
depression so going back to 40mg again.

No Docs can seem to explain the "Light Switch" symptoms.


 

Re: Light Switch Depression

Posted by Sean on July 21, 1999, at 12:12:40

In reply to Light Switch Depression, posted by Jim Evans on July 21, 1999, at 11:44:43

> Anybody have what I call "Light Switch" Depression.
> What I mean by this is that it come on and off like
> a light switch. One minute
>
> What I mean by "Light Switch" is that one minute things
> are normal and the next depression sets in with sadness
> and hopelessness. When I first got depression in February,
> It was bad from when I got up to around 2PM each day.
> At 2PM it would vanish like someone turned it off and
> I would be fine the remainder of the day.
>
> I've been trying to wain off of Celexa going from several
> month's use of 40mg to 30mg daily. 30mg worked for three
> weeks, but not I'm getting on and off, "Light Switch"
> depression so going back to 40mg again.
>
> No Docs can seem to explain the "Light Switch" symptoms.

I have experienced something very similar. For me,
I would be fine for about 10 min in the morning,
and the booom, down came the crushing darkness.
It would last all day and until about 10:00 PM
at night, and then gently release. I would actually
watch some TV and not think about killing myself.
Then I would attempt to sleep, but always wake
up early and the cycle would repeat. This went
on for about 4 months until I simply could not
take it anymore, and, well, I ultimately got
help after my suicide plans were discovered.

From what I have read, this general pattern of
depression is not uncommon. One of the final
common pathways of depression symptomology is
circadian disturbance, so it isn't surprising
that people have cyclic symptoms which repeat
on a daily basis. It does sound like your
feelings are unique in the rapidity of how your
moods shift. I was only able to recover with
lithium and a TCA antidepressant. To me, this
combo was a welcome relief to one of the darkest
chapters in my life.

Hang in there!

Sean.

 

Re: Light Switch Depression

Posted by Wayne R. on July 21, 1999, at 12:45:14

In reply to Light Switch Depression, posted by Jim Evans on July 21, 1999, at 11:44:24

Jim, I often experienced something similar on ADs but usually overnight. I would awake and find the depression had lifted or set in, whichever way things were going. I remember one time I had increased a med because it stopped working. Two and a half days later we were on a trip and I took a short nap in the car. When I awoke, I could tell it had kicked in! My Drs never had any explanation. Wayne

 

Re: Light Switch Depression and mood swings

Posted by Cass on July 21, 1999, at 14:04:01

In reply to Light Switch Depression, posted by Jim Evans on July 21, 1999, at 11:44:24

Jim,

Did you also have the "light switch" experiences before you went on Celexa, or are you thinking they are due to the antidepressant? What is difference between these "light switch" depressions and mood-swings? Do you also feel manic?
I have been on Remerol for a couple of weeks now, and I now feel that it is exacerbating my mood swings. I was also having them before I began Remerol. I'm even beginning to wonder if I have an undiagnosed bipolar disorder. I've had mood swings off and on throughout my life (well...since puberty).
I'd be interested in knowing what the difference is between your "light switch" experiences and mood swings.

Cass

 

Re: Light Switch Depression and mood swings

Posted by Jim on July 21, 1999, at 15:43:42

In reply to Re: Light Switch Depression and mood swings, posted by Cass on July 21, 1999, at 14:04:01

Cass:

This was going on before I was on Celexa.
When I first got depression, like many, I
tried St. John's Wort for several months.

These were not mood swings. Until around 2:15
PM each day I was in the darkness of depression.
For a time I could hardly function, I dreaded
doing anything and was afraid to face the day.
At around 2:15 it was like a pressure was eliminated
and I felt normal again for the remainder of the day.

I really thought this seemed very unique,in fact
once I was in the therapist's office when it lifted.
He did not understand what I was talking about.
My physk was not familar with it either.

You would think these people in their extensive
training would of come across this situation!


 

Re: Light Switch Depression and mood swings

Posted by RG on July 21, 1999, at 17:54:42

In reply to Re: Light Switch Depression and mood swings, posted by Jim on July 21, 1999, at 15:43:42

> Cass:
>
> This was going on before I was on Celexa.
> When I first got depression, like many, I
> tried St. John's Wort for several months.
>
> These were not mood swings. Until around 2:15
> PM each day I was in the darkness of depression.
> For a time I could hardly function, I dreaded
> doing anything and was afraid to face the day.
> At around 2:15 it was like a pressure was eliminated
> and I felt normal again for the remainder of the day.
>
> I really thought this seemed very unique,in fact
> once I was in the therapist's office when it lifted.
> He did not understand what I was talking about.
> My physk was not familar with it either.
>
> You would think these people in their extensive
> training would of come across this situation!

My God, I can totally relate. It doesn's seem manic -it's as if the hopelessness and low-grade feeling is gone and you don't hate being in your skin. I had that today and I am on 50 mgs of zoloft but only for 4 days now, I was on celexa but it did not lift my dysthymia after 7 weeks. I like the zoloft -I think.

 

Re: Light Switch Depression

Posted by JohnL on July 21, 1999, at 18:01:15

In reply to Light Switch Depression, posted by Jim Evans on July 21, 1999, at 11:44:24

I know exactly how that feels, though my light switch reactions had no pattern. I could actually feel the depression lift in minutes. One hour, terribly depressed. An hour later, perfectly fine. I tried describing it to family members as feeling like the tide was coming in and going out in my brain. They can't relate. Wish I knew how to flick the switch because the tide's been out a long time. Maybe a day or two every couple months I get a few hours of feeling good. Where IS that darn light switch?!? JohnL.

 

Re: Light Switch Depression

Posted by Louise on July 21, 1999, at 19:09:15

In reply to Re: Light Switch Depression, posted by JohnL on July 21, 1999, at 18:01:15

I'm not sure whether this idea will help, but some drugs can be taken in split dose, e.g. smaller doses twice or 3 times a day instead of one larger dose. Depending on the drug, this may even out your mood - perhaps you could discuss with your doctor how you take your meds as well as which meds.

Louise

 

Re: Light Switch Depression

Posted by Susan on July 21, 1999, at 21:57:15

In reply to Re: Light Switch Depression, posted by Sean on July 21, 1999, at 12:12:40

I can relate. My depression lifts about the time I should go to bed. So I miss out on the best part of the day because I must sleep sometime or I won't remember what day it is.

 

Re: Light Switch Depression

Posted by Cynthia on July 21, 1999, at 22:40:27

In reply to Re: Light Switch Depression, posted by Louise on July 21, 1999, at 19:09:15

Sounds like rapid cycling, or cyclothymia to me Jim. I have one up (drastically controlled by lithium) and one low (unfortunately drug resistant) a week. Before lithium I had the lightswitch change - usually happened between 1pm - 2pm on Mondays, and then again on Thursdays.

I also have a 24 hour cycle, or circadian rhythm which is similar to your daily cycle (which is now somewhat modified by my medications). I would wake up depressed, and at about 4pm, poof, I start feeling real good, and better and better until I can barely go to bed, I am feelin so good and gettin so much done.

I'm on the pill for my monthly cycle - that's a wild cycle for me.

I also have Seasonal Affective disorder, a yearly cycle. I get a major depression that lies over all my other cycles in January and February.

My psychiatrist told me humans, like animals, have many cycles tied closely in with nature. Being mostly city folks we just aren't aware of them. I have problems with mine. Maybe you do to. I can't believe your doctor's don't know about this.

Good luck, let us know how you're doing.

Cynthia

 

Re: Light Switch Depression

Posted by Racer on July 22, 1999, at 0:35:32

In reply to Light Switch Depression, posted by Jim Evans on July 21, 1999, at 11:44:24

For me, it's not that the depression lifts and descends, so much as that I can sometimes be distracted. If I do enough, and protect myself from being calm and relaxed, I can protect myself from the depression, but as soon as I sit down and take a deep breath, I fall apart.

On the other hand, there is also the feeling I get on a sunny day when I open the window shades. The light helps nine times out of ten. Could your patterns have anything to do with light? Maybe getting a grow light might help? That only sounds crazy, full spectrum light is supposed to help some depressives, isn't it?

Good luck and great topic.

 

Re: Light Switch Depression

Posted by MelindaJ on July 22, 1999, at 8:40:33

In reply to Re: Light Switch Depression, posted by Racer on July 22, 1999, at 0:35:32

Sounds familiar, Racer. All the women in my family struggle with anxiety and depression. We have different ways of dealing with it. My sister goes like the energizer bunny until she makes herself physically ill. As long as she's in motion, she's cheerful and gregarious. When she's forced to stop, the sun goes behind a cloud and Ms. Hyde emerges. This is a personality pattern which goes beyond PMS. As she's gotten older and wiser, she's learned to pace herself and turn to less stressfull measures to keep her brain and body busy. We now see a truer picture of the funny, intelligent human she is.


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