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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by kid_A on July 3, 2001, at 10:26:00
Right now on week three of medication, took a long time to up dosage because i was out of the country and didnt want to deal w/ side effects far away from home...
I guess my question is, how is everyone feeling on their meds? Do your meds make life 'bareable' or is anyone out there truly 'happy'!??
Are we doomed to a life of beige and grey feelings? Or can we expect some great progress in our lives?
Making an appointment to see a therapist next week, so that is step two of my journey, im hoping to get my life in order... im hoping to make some real inroads to sanity and peace of mind...
What can we expect? Is there life on meds?
peace.
Posted by Noa on July 3, 2001, at 10:40:53
In reply to (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by kid_A on July 3, 2001, at 10:26:00
Yes, it can be better than just "gray". The meds can't produce "happiness"--but they can provide the correction needed so that you can pursue happiness with the rest of the crowd.
What I have learned is that there are up and down moods in life that are normal, and the slight downs don't have to signal a devastating descent into despair. Instead, they can just be mood that will pass, allowing me to have the other kinds of moods---interest, enjoyment, etc.
I was so depressed not long ago that I never believed I would feel better, but I do feel better and am able to manage and enjoy life, and face the challenges in my life more effectively.
But it took a lot of patience and perseverence and tweaking of my med combos, as well as lots of therapy.
Posted by geekUK on July 3, 2001, at 14:35:38
In reply to Re: (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by Noa on July 3, 2001, at 10:40:53
never got anything but a few days releif if that from meds. they provide a little hope that is always given and taken. Personaly I feel I will spend the rest of my life on meds, as I am to far gone for therapy to snatch me from the beast.
Whats worse I have to wrestle the docs to try new things, up doses and try to get something effective, 5 years and tryed only SSri's singaly and now depakote singaly (one week). this is my life on drugs, am I being unfairly treated?
young, sad and scared for my life.
Posted by Else on July 3, 2001, at 17:27:42
In reply to Re: (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by geekUK on July 3, 2001, at 14:35:38
One might be happy on meds if:
a)The right meds are prescribed
and
b)The remedy isn't worse than the illness.I thinks the medications availlable to us right now have too many life-spoiling side effects to make us truly happy (and I would call anorgasmia and emotional indifference life-spoiling, although compared to quadraplegia it does sound a tad excessive). I don't think we are about to get medications that allow us to be truly happy because by some twisted moralistic logic this is considered WRONG. Many people believe suffering is useful without questionning why. But is it? Some people are lucky enough to be happy without a pill. The medical establishment probably considers this a pathology. I mean, they actually list euphoria as an *adverse* side effect of dexedrine. Oh my God, I feel euphoric, better call my doctor and put an end to that!
Posted by Waterlily on July 3, 2001, at 17:34:06
In reply to (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by kid_A on July 3, 2001, at 10:26:00
I've been on antidepressants for over 6 years now and only just started therapy in February of this year. I had a lot of the 'grey' moods you're talking about. Therapy has forced me to realize that those grey moods were probably due to me supressing lots of feelings (including the good ones). It is quite eye-opening to stare the beast in the face (so to speak), but also very liberating. I do think that it's possible to be happy and be on medication.
Posted by Tickle on July 3, 2001, at 22:33:12
In reply to Re: (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by geekUK on July 3, 2001, at 14:35:38
> never got anything but a few days releif if that from meds. they provide a little hope that is always given and taken. Personaly I feel I will spend the rest of my life on meds, as I am to far gone for therapy to snatch me from the beast.
> Whats worse I have to wrestle the docs to try new things, up doses and try to get something effective, 5 years and tryed only SSri's singaly and now depakote singaly (one week). this is my life on drugs, am I being unfairly treated?
> young, sad and scared for my life.I know how you feel. It stinks having to take meds to try to keep the mental wolves at bay. But the right combination does work. I have been releived of my obsessive behavior and anxiety by zoloft and clonopin. My complaint is that they haven't done enough research to fix the side effects yet. I have definite mixed emotions. On one hand I am happy to be more mentally "normal" but hate the fact that I gain weight so easily and am dead from the waist down !! Its a real crapshoot to get it right, but I hope to keep trying till someone gets it right. Therapy does help if you get someone good, but it is work that I frankly wish I didn't have to be bothered with. I am happy to know that I am not alone in this. Hang in there.
Posted by AMenz on July 3, 2001, at 23:12:51
In reply to Re: (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by geekUK on July 3, 2001, at 14:35:38
Geek, are you cycling. Talk to your doctor about other alternatives to SSRI's. They aggravate cycling. I got much better and stopped after cuting Zoloft down to 50 mg. Had a 2 week monthly cycle before of mixed state and euthimic states.
That's my suggestion.
> never got anything but a few days releif if that from meds. they provide a little hope that is always given and taken. Personaly I feel I will spend the rest of my life on meds, as I am to far gone for therapy to snatch me from the beast.
> Whats worse I have to wrestle the docs to try new things, up doses and try to get something effective, 5 years and tryed only SSri's singaly and now depakote singaly (one week). this is my life on drugs, am I being unfairly treated?
> young, sad and scared for my life.
Posted by chiaratara on July 5, 2001, at 17:16:00
In reply to (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by kid_A on July 3, 2001, at 10:26:00
there is life on meds and after meds...and life can be good.
i think it is important to treat depression as a sickness, instead of a mood. meds help. it took me a little while to get over the stigma of it all, but once i did, i was so happy for what they did for me, i found myself talking to my friends and family about them.
i look at it as something i am doing for myself. my mother takes meds for her cholesterol and i take meds for depression. i go through cycles. i have been on meds twice before in my life, all for about a year, and then i go for about 3-4 years off of them. it is important to recognize the symptoms, and treat them before you get too down.
talk to your doctor about the way you feel on your medications. your doctor should try different ones and different combinations. if you feel like one isn't working for you, tell your doctor you want to try something else. i think there is something out there for everyone, but everyone is different. don't put up with intolerable side effects either, but realize that you are bound to encounter some.
the best thing to do is keep an open mind. meds can start to help you look at life differently and therefore live life the way you want to. it takes effort on your part, but the meds help clear away the dark clouds so you can start something.
good luck.
Posted by Noa on July 5, 2001, at 18:31:33
In reply to Re: (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by Noa on July 3, 2001, at 10:40:53
Just wanted to add that yes, I have pretty much accepted the meds as a fact of life, perhaps for my entire life. I hope there will continue to be improvements in meds so that eventually, I can take meds that have better "aim". I think the polypharm approach has helped to achieve somewhat better aim by combining to achieve as much of the desired effects as possible with as few of the undesireable effects as possible, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Someday, we will each have a custom-made pill that gets the recipe just right for our specific biologies.
If you still feel suicidal, there is still some work to be done in finding the right combo of meds for you. Don't give up. The search is worth it.
Posted by Adam on July 5, 2001, at 21:12:45
In reply to (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by kid_A on July 3, 2001, at 10:26:00
Hey, kid_A,
I have tried:
Desipramine
Imipramine
Clomipramine
Sertraline
Fluvoxamine
Citalopram
Venlafaxine
Bupropion
Nefazadone
Mirtazapene
Clozapine
Lorazepam
SelegilineAnd those are just the (legal) drugs.
The benefit that I derived from all except the last was about nil. I think a couple may have screwed me up worse.
Then I took selegiline, and it's pretty much like someone threw a switch. I got a lot better, very quickly, and remain so to this day (I started around two years ago).
It took me about ten years to get to selegiline. I've been on one pill or another for a long time, a little over a third of my life. That number is approaching 1/2 every day, and will likely exceed it. I've had all the side effects, and all the major disappointments that come from having your hopes in some new cure dashed time and time again. I guess, in the end, I lucked out. Not only did I find a good drug for me, it has worked about as well as I could have ever hoped, with few side effects that I notice on a day-to-day basis.
So, I can finally say, I'm in good shape, thanks to meds. If you asked me a couple years ago how I felt about them, you'd get a different resopnse, one, that would reflect both my depression and my disillusionment.
It is my humble belief that there is at least the possibility that something comparable to what I have found must exist for just about everyone who needs it. It will differ greatly for each person, and there's no way yet to know when or how you will find it. Others may disagree, but I think you will.
> Right now on week three of medication, took a long time to up dosage because i was out of the country and didnt want to deal w/ side effects far away from home...
>
> I guess my question is, how is everyone feeling on their meds? Do your meds make life 'bareable' or is anyone out there truly 'happy'!??
>
> Are we doomed to a life of beige and grey feelings? Or can we expect some great progress in our lives?
>
> Making an appointment to see a therapist next week, so that is step two of my journey, im hoping to get my life in order... im hoping to make some real inroads to sanity and peace of mind...
>
> What can we expect? Is there life on meds?
>
> peace.
Posted by Noa on July 6, 2001, at 9:09:31
In reply to Re: (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by Noa on July 5, 2001, at 18:31:33
Adam said it well (as always!). The trial and error process can be frustrating but that is, unfortunately, where the state of the art is right now. Keep trying.
Posted by kid_A on July 6, 2001, at 13:13:11
In reply to Re: (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by Noa on July 6, 2001, at 9:09:31
> Adam said it well (as always!). The trial and error process can be frustrating but that is, unfortunately, where the state of the art is right now. Keep trying.
Luckily I have a pdoc who is willing to try new things... He listens to my suggestions of what I might like to try to help me in this area or that... I dont feel a fundamental change yet on the current medication, but I am taking a combination of Remeron/Effexor XR that I am hoping will have some effect... But reading all of the posts here lets me know that sometimes there is some tweaking that you need to do. Its been a long road till now of needless suffering, and the biggest step in the world was the first one for me.
Thanks to everyone who responded.
peace
Posted by afatchic on July 6, 2001, at 18:51:37
In reply to (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by kid_A on July 3, 2001, at 10:26:00
I was quite happy on Prozac, it made a huge difference in my life! Unfortunately, it killed my sex life; not good for a marriage. Now I'm playing with other drugs to see if I can get the feel good effect and have a happy sex life at the same time.
> Right now on week three of medication, took a long time to up dosage because i was out of the country and didnt want to deal w/ side effects far away from home...
>
> I guess my question is, how is everyone feeling on their meds? Do your meds make life 'bareable' or is anyone out there truly 'happy'!??
>
> Are we doomed to a life of beige and grey feelings? Or can we expect some great progress in our lives?
>
> Making an appointment to see a therapist next week, so that is step two of my journey, im hoping to get my life in order... im hoping to make some real inroads to sanity and peace of mind...
>
> What can we expect? Is there life on meds?
>
> peace.
Posted by Else on July 6, 2001, at 19:23:38
In reply to Re: (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by Adam on July 5, 2001, at 21:12:45
> Hey, kid_A,
>
> I have tried:
>
> Desipramine
> Imipramine
> Clomipramine
> Sertraline
> Fluvoxamine
> Citalopram
> Venlafaxine
> Bupropion
> Nefazadone
> Mirtazapene
> Clozapine
> Lorazepam
> Selegiline
>
> And those are just the (legal) drugs.
>
> The benefit that I derived from all except the last was about nil. I think a couple may have screwed me up worse.
>
> Then I took selegiline, and it's pretty much like someone threw a switch. I got a lot better, very quickly, and remain so to this day (I started around two years ago).
>
> It took me about ten years to get to selegiline. I've been on one pill or another for a long time, a little over a third of my life. That number is approaching 1/2 every day, and will likely exceed it. I've had all the side effects, and all the major disappointments that come from having your hopes in some new cure dashed time and time again. I guess, in the end, I lucked out. Not only did I find a good drug for me, it has worked about as well as I could have ever hoped, with few side effects that I notice on a day-to-day basis.
>
> So, I can finally say, I'm in good shape, thanks to meds. If you asked me a couple years ago how I felt about them, you'd get a different resopnse, one, that would reflect both my depression and my disillusionment.
>
> It is my humble belief that there is at least the possibility that something comparable to what I have found must exist for just about everyone who needs it. It will differ greatly for each person, and there's no way yet to know when or how you will find it. Others may disagree, but I think you will.
>
>
> > Right now on week three of medication, took a long time to up dosage because i was out of the country and didnt want to deal w/ side effects far away from home...
> >
> > I guess my question is, how is everyone feeling on their meds? Do your meds make life 'bareable' or is anyone out there truly 'happy'!??
> >
> > Are we doomed to a life of beige and grey feelings? Or can we expect some great progress in our lives?
> >
> > Making an appointment to see a therapist next week, so that is step two of my journey, im hoping to get my life in order... im hoping to make some real inroads to sanity and peace of mind...
> >
> > What can we expect? Is there life on meds?
> >
> > peace.VERY INTERESTING. An MAO-b inhibitor. Why does thet get me thinking dopamine is the forgotten (or ignored) neurotransmitter?
Posted by Adam on July 7, 2001, at 11:41:41
In reply to Re: (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by Else on July 6, 2001, at 19:23:38
Not to get too off-topic, but for clarity, I'm taking 30mg/day (15mg b.i.d.) of selegiline orally, which puts me in the non-MAO-B-specific zone. My treatment thus acts in many ways like the other, more common non-specific MAO inhibitors, and I see it as analogous to them, though selegiline doubtless has its own unique properties, even at the dose I am taking.
>
> VERY INTERESTING. An MAO-b inhibitor. Why does thet get me thinking dopamine is the forgotten (or ignored) neurotransmitter?
Posted by Else on July 7, 2001, at 14:41:18
In reply to Re: (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!?? » Else, posted by Adam on July 7, 2001, at 11:41:41
> Not to get too off-topic, but for clarity, I'm taking 30mg/day (15mg b.i.d.) of selegiline orally, which puts me in the non-MAO-B-specific zone. My treatment thus acts in many ways like the other, more common non-specific MAO inhibitors, and I see it as analogous to them, though selegiline doubtless has its own unique properties, even at the dose I am taking.
> >
> > VERY INTERESTING. An MAO-b inhibitor. Why does thet get me thinking dopamine is the forgotten (or ignored) neurotransmitter?Is Selegiline as dangerous as other MAOIs at this dose ? I would assume it is.
Posted by jojo on July 7, 2001, at 21:53:23
In reply to Re: (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!?? » Else, posted by Adam on July 7, 2001, at 11:41:41
> Not to get too off-topic, but for clarity, I'm taking 30mg/day (15mg b.i.d.) of selegiline orally, which puts me in the non-MAO-B-specific zone. My treatment thus acts in many ways like the other, more common non-specific MAO inhibitors, and I see it as analogous to them, though selegiline doubtless has its own unique properties, even at the dose I am taking.
> >
> > VERY INTERESTING. An MAO-b inhibitor. Why does thet get me thinking dopamine is the forgotten (or ignored) neurotransmitter?Adam, had you previously tried tranylcypromine (Parnate)?
"though selegiline doubtless has its own unique properties" Can you expand on this?
Posted by Cecilia on July 9, 2001, at 3:47:51
In reply to (life on meds) so... how does everyone feel!??, posted by kid_A on July 3, 2001, at 10:26:00
> Right now on week three of medication, took a long time to up dosage because i was out of the country and didnt want to deal w/ side effects far away from home...
>
> I guess my question is, how is everyone feeling on their meds? Do your meds make life 'bareable' or is anyone out there truly 'happy'!??
>
> Are we doomed to a life of beige and grey feelings? Or can we expect some great progress in our lives?
>
> Making an appointment to see a therapist next week, so that is step two of my journey, im hoping to get my life in order... im hoping to make some real inroads to sanity and peace of mind...
>
> What can we expect? Is there life on meds?
>
> peace.I`ve tried around thirty different meds and combinations, plus had seven years of therapy, and I can`t really say that any of it has made my life significantly better. I suppose it depends on how old you are and how long you`ve been depressed. I had a brief trial of AD`s in 1969 by a jerk of a doctor who never bothered to explain that the pills take time to work and told me that I just wanted a happy pill that didn`t exist when I told him I had stopped them because I felt worse. It was 20 years before I tried anything again,
I just figured it was my own fault I was depressed. Ironically, despite all the med failures I`ve had, now I think there has to be a biochemical basis to it, though I`m not holding my breath that the solution will come in my lifetime, or that it could really change my life at this point if it did.
This is the end of the thread.
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