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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by woolav on January 5, 2005, at 9:26:30
I have been dx's (labeled) by pdocs for several problems. But I am wondering about uni-polar depression or whatever it is..I know I am not Bipolar (I was married to one for years and know exactly the symtoms) but I have these strange cycles, like I can be mean as hell for a few days and then be nice a few, then once a month or so want to kill myself and just breakdown. I dont understand what I have or if the meds I am on that is causing this. I initially went to a pdoc several years ago, bc i was having thoughts of suicide. I was very very depressed and I have social phobia. So i was treated w/ paxil and we all know paxil sucks and has many side effects. So, my next pdoc said I have panic disorder. So, i was still on an AD and then she added xanax. I still wasnt doing well and tried all kinds of ssri's and snri's until finally i am on prozac, which seems to work for the most part, except for my issues stated above. I am really confused....
S
Posted by banga on January 5, 2005, at 11:11:51
In reply to Help me understand unipolar disorder..., posted by woolav on January 5, 2005, at 9:26:30
If you haven't responded to an antidepressant fully, it doesn't mean you don't have depression. Drugs are effective for only part of the sufferers. If you look at studies, you will see that approx. 1/2 people aren't helped by the med studied. And sometimes another class of drugs helps more, but it doesn't mean you have THAT disorder instead, you just have a certain flavor of depression that is better treated with a different recipe.
I am similar to you. I have had some success on antidepressants, but I found I did so much betteron the tricyclic meds as opposed to the SSRIs and SNRIs. Neuroleptics have helped me in the past for agitated anxiety. And now I am solely on a mood stabilizer--Lamictal--and I feel it is at least as effective as an antidepressant for me.
It of course doesnt rule out that I have some form of bipolar. Sometimes I wonder if I am bipolar and simply never experienced the "ups". For instance--I have multiple environmental allergies. Their effect on me is lethargy, tiredness. Who knows if that keeps me from becoming manic?
And depression can have different "flavors", according to twin studies, it seems like one type of unipolar depression is related to bipolar (runs in the family tree along with bipolar) while another is not at all (is only passed on to further generations as unipolar and never as bipolar). So you could have unipolar depression, but it has biological kinship to bipolar and responds better to mood stabilizers.From the bit you describe, you could perhaps have unipolar depression (yes it can also lead to irritability)
, but it may respond better to another class of medications than SSRIs or SNRis. Have you tried mood stabilizers? TCAs?
Posted by woolav on January 5, 2005, at 18:30:05
In reply to Re: Help me understand unipolar disorder..., posted by banga on January 5, 2005, at 11:11:51
Thanks for the info....It it so confusing isnt it? I do take a mood stabelizer (lamictal) also and klonopin. I have never tried any TCA's, that is no pdoc has ever mentioned or offered them. I think i have taken all the well known AD's except wellbutrin because my pdoc said it was not strong enough for me ??? I am going to do some research on TCA's now.... Thanks!!!
Sandy
Posted by Dan Perkins on January 6, 2005, at 11:03:16
In reply to Re: Help me understand unipolar disorder..., posted by woolav on January 5, 2005, at 18:30:05
I don't know if this is a problem for you, but a number of people on this message board have mentioned that Klonopin makes them very depressed.
This is certainly the case for me, even in small doses. And the depression I get from Klonopin is the worst feeling in the world; somehow worse than even my deepest depressions. It is just the most miserable experience. The depression comes on after the anti-anxiety effects of the klonopin wear off and the depression lasts for days. So, it's not the best bargain for me to get half a day without anxiety in exchange for 2-3 days of deep depression.
Perhaps, the klonopin is contributing to these occasional bouts of deep depression that you seem to be having. It may be worth your while just to recognize that klonopin can cause a miserable depression and pay attention to how your depression cycles relate to your intake of klonopin.
Posted by ed_uk on January 6, 2005, at 11:18:05
In reply to Re: Help me understand unipolar disorder..., posted by Dan Perkins on January 6, 2005, at 11:03:16
Hi Dan!
>The depression comes on after the anti-anxiety effects of the klonopin wear off and the depression lasts for days.
If I take a single dose of Valium I get midly depressed when the anti-anxiety effect wears off... while the anti-anxiety effect is present it doesn't make me depressed at all. The depression lasts about a day and is characterised by thoughts of suicide which seem very out of place considering the mild nature of the depression. I didn't experince any depression the few times that I took Ativan though.
Ed.
Posted by Dan Perkins on January 6, 2005, at 13:01:13
In reply to Re: Help me understand unipolar disorder... » Dan Perkins, posted by ed_uk on January 6, 2005, at 11:18:05
Hi Ed,
I think I can relate to what you're saying, but can you describe any more about why you consider it to be a mild depression when you are thinking about suicide?
I say that I can relate b/c the times I think about suicide aren't always the times when I'm most depressed. But it's funny that we both think about suicide when we take Klonopin; I wonder why that is.
As far as the Ativan, I have only taken it a few times, in low to medium dosages, and I never felt depressed, but at the same time, I didn't find that it was doing much for my anxiety either.
> If I take a single dose of Valium I get midly depressed when the anti-anxiety effect wears off... while the anti-anxiety effect is present it doesn't make me depressed at all. The depression lasts about a day and is characterised by thoughts of suicide which seem very out of place considering the mild nature of the depression. I didn't experince any depression the few times that I took Ativan though.
>
> Ed.
Posted by ed_uk on January 6, 2005, at 13:14:35
In reply to Re: Help me understand unipolar disorder..., posted by Dan Perkins on January 6, 2005, at 13:01:13
Hi Dan!
>I think I can relate to what you're saying, but can you describe any more about why you consider it to be a mild depression when you are thinking about suicide?
I would call it mild because it is only mildly unpleasant. As a result, the suicidal thoughts seem totally unnecessary and out of place.
Regards,
Ed.
Posted by Dan Perkins on January 6, 2005, at 13:33:35
In reply to Re: Help me understand unipolar disorder... » Dan Perkins, posted by ed_uk on January 6, 2005, at 13:14:35
I just started a new thread asking if anyone else thinks about suicide after taking Klonopin. It does seem kind of strange to me that we both think about suicide even though you mentioned that you're not in an overly depressed state when you do so.
Posted by ed_uk on January 6, 2005, at 13:53:21
In reply to Re: Help me understand unipolar disorder... » Dan Perkins, posted by ed_uk on January 6, 2005, at 11:18:05
Hi Dan!
I posted about Valium not Klonopin!
Ed :-)
Posted by Dan Perkins on January 6, 2005, at 14:15:46
In reply to Re: Help me understand unipolar disorder... » ed_uk, posted by ed_uk on January 6, 2005, at 13:53:21
Oops! Sorry!
> Hi Dan!
>
> I posted about Valium not Klonopin!
>
> Ed :-)
This is the end of the thread.
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