Aa
Wonder if PDoc will let me go w/o antidepressants?
It has been almost eight months without an antidepressant in my system. The storm is coming, it is partially here. The bed and sleep are my escape friends. BUT I just don't want to go back on them. My girls say I am not the same on them. If I go back on them it is doubtful I will ever get off of them again. It was a miracle that I went off...I woke up one day, different, happy ready to take on the day. I have been struggling with some level of depression since I was eleven and now 54. So this was a biggy. It was situational along with chemical but the situational was overwhelming.
So wish me luck and the right answer given, either meds or no meds and I doubt I will get to go twelve weeks between the next counseling, sigh.
As all of us, sometimes we don't want to accept what we cannot change, we want to jump up and down and say I don't want to monitor, watch, check or be this way ANYMORE.
zzzmykids
So wish me luck and the right answer given, either meds or no meds and I doubt I will get to go twelve weeks between the next counseling, sigh.
As all of us, sometimes we don't want to accept what we cannot change, we want to jump up and down and say I don't want to monitor, watch, check or be this way ANYMORE.
zzzmykids
I honestly don't know if Risperdal affects me this way. It calms down the manic part of this illness. It is not a sleeping pill, but at least I am not bouncing off the walls during the night. I need the help of a sleeping pill to get to sleep. If I don't take it I will not go to sleep for very long periods. That is not good, because less sleep increases mania and frankly I don't want that again. K
Has the recperidone helped/hindered your sleep? I had to stop taking it since I couldn't sleep at all on it. My PDOC did tell me it can have the opposite effect on some people so if I choose to stop taking it with Lamictal that's fine.
Congratulations on being able to get off the AD's and to a healthy non-dependent start in life. I hope that your daughters help you stay happy and focused. Just remember if it gets too bad, do go see your PDOC again and get on them for the sake of your girls.
Unfortunately, with these meds it is pretty tricky as you mentioned. With my dad, he always saw AD's as a big dependency and didn't like the way they made him feel sleepy and unable to concentrate at times, him being a workaholic professor! So he would cut his dose in half and stop taking altogether which made matters worse for the rest of his family. I don't think I plan on ever getting off them because if they help me rather than hinder, so be it!
Unfortunately, with these meds it is pretty tricky as you mentioned. With my dad, he always saw AD's as a big dependency and didn't like the way they made him feel sleepy and unable to concentrate at times, him being a workaholic professor! So he would cut his dose in half and stop taking altogether which made matters worse for the rest of his family. I don't think I plan on ever getting off them because if they help me rather than hinder, so be it!
I take Lamictal and was eventually put on a AD. As it turns out Lamictal is used to thwart depressions but sometimes we need a little additional AD meds to help with the Lamictal. I also take Risperidone which helps to prevent manic behavior. So now I am getting along fine. Getting the right medications at the right dosages can be tricky but it is worth the effort to find the right meds and the right doses.
Dear Friend,
I would not ever recommend going off ad's or ms'. I just know them as antidepressants...and yes I have taken lamictal, and most of the newest pills that have come out in the past two years.
What happened to me is not normal. Also I fall in the two percent group that if there is going to be bad reaction, I get it. So between waking up w/o depression and the severe reactions, it was a no brainer to go off. I have the depression again, but it is not too severe.
They are natural products, BUT monitored by my PDoc. If he said NO to going off, I would be on the meds!
You have to look at the whole body. The mind is part of that body and if it is sick or not working correctly you cannot ignore it or choose to not take meds that will help keep it working at a better rate than if you did not take them.
I agree, do not take meds if you don't have to, I will eventually have to take them again, but as long as the PDoc says I am in no danger not taking them, I will remain off of them.
Take your meds, please. Oh by the way, I am considered midly bipolar2..
zzzmykids
I would not ever recommend going off ad's or ms'. I just know them as antidepressants...and yes I have taken lamictal, and most of the newest pills that have come out in the past two years.
What happened to me is not normal. Also I fall in the two percent group that if there is going to be bad reaction, I get it. So between waking up w/o depression and the severe reactions, it was a no brainer to go off. I have the depression again, but it is not too severe.
They are natural products, BUT monitored by my PDoc. If he said NO to going off, I would be on the meds!
You have to look at the whole body. The mind is part of that body and if it is sick or not working correctly you cannot ignore it or choose to not take meds that will help keep it working at a better rate than if you did not take them.
I agree, do not take meds if you don't have to, I will eventually have to take them again, but as long as the PDoc says I am in no danger not taking them, I will remain off of them.
Take your meds, please. Oh by the way, I am considered midly bipolar2..
zzzmykids
hi zzz and jade!!!
I have mild BP and have struggled for years as both you know...all situational depression can and does go clinical eventually...you cannot separate to two.
I've taken AD's or Mood stabilizers (MD's) for years, do I feel any different? thats a hard one isn't it, I feel okay most days so is that me or the MS??......I think too abt stopping the MS (lamictal) for awhile and just finding out 'who am I and what do I really feel?'
My psych is soooo against this, but I'm from the philosophy of taking the least amount of medications possible for the good of the body mainly...on the other hand I'm a little afraid to stop d/t a pain med I am on that can cause depression therefore I sit on the fence for a bit longer.
you girls both have a good day!!
I have mild BP and have struggled for years as both you know...all situational depression can and does go clinical eventually...you cannot separate to two.
I've taken AD's or Mood stabilizers (MD's) for years, do I feel any different? thats a hard one isn't it, I feel okay most days so is that me or the MS??......I think too abt stopping the MS (lamictal) for awhile and just finding out 'who am I and what do I really feel?'
My psych is soooo against this, but I'm from the philosophy of taking the least amount of medications possible for the good of the body mainly...on the other hand I'm a little afraid to stop d/t a pain med I am on that can cause depression therefore I sit on the fence for a bit longer.
you girls both have a good day!!
Jade,
I have been on them for ten years and off about eight months. If I could not pass through the depression and stayed in a state of deep dark depression, I would succumb to the ad's and work once again to get off. It was a quirky thing how I got off of them. I woke up one morning and for the first time since I was eleven I felt no depression. So my doctor after about two months let me off of them. Plus all the new ones were making me feel awful, a synthetic depression tht was severe.
Hope you get better.
zzz
I have been on them for ten years and off about eight months. If I could not pass through the depression and stayed in a state of deep dark depression, I would succumb to the ad's and work once again to get off. It was a quirky thing how I got off of them. I woke up one morning and for the first time since I was eleven I felt no depression. So my doctor after about two months let me off of them. Plus all the new ones were making me feel awful, a synthetic depression tht was severe.
Hope you get better.
zzz
I went off AD's in 04 after being on them for 24yrs. I must say, I do feel better off of them or better said, I *feel* when I'm off of them. Alot more anxiety however and still have depression, but overall, I feel much better without AD's!
I have been wondering lately if I should try SOMETHING like a mood stabilizer as I have a big situational depression going on right now, but keep thinking the situation won't last forever...
I have been wondering lately if I should try SOMETHING like a mood stabilizer as I have a big situational depression going on right now, but keep thinking the situation won't last forever...
and rogelio63, thank you for the notes. MY PDOC let me stay on the natural ones my other doc has me on. Wow way to shut down the ego train on a psych, wtg Dr.!
He listened for almost an hour. Told me I am the sanest person that has endured so much and that he has confidence if I need to have the antidepressants, I will ask. I told him where I was on a 1-10 and was extremely honest and he still let me remain free!
My friend corlenbelspar, you cannot sweep the sorrow away, but you make me laugh and joy is not dependent on circumstances or mood.
Yippee, my doc thinks I'm sane considering, I don't have to take antidepresssants yet and I have this wonderful place to share scares, worries, feelings and just let go.
Thank you all,
zzzmykids
He listened for almost an hour. Told me I am the sanest person that has endured so much and that he has confidence if I need to have the antidepressants, I will ask. I told him where I was on a 1-10 and was extremely honest and he still let me remain free!
My friend corlenbelspar, you cannot sweep the sorrow away, but you make me laugh and joy is not dependent on circumstances or mood.
Yippee, my doc thinks I'm sane considering, I don't have to take antidepresssants yet and I have this wonderful place to share scares, worries, feelings and just let go.
Thank you all,
zzzmykids
That's interesting, because I think an AD triggered me into BPD, and now that I'm fairly stable on Lamictal,,I know she's considering putting me on an AD. I'm new to this,,I'll probably try whatever,,,
Well maybe there's an antidepressant out there you haven't tried yet that will work better for you? Unfortunately people usually relapse with these illnesses after stopping medication. I wish I knew how to tell you how to shut the door on sorrow.
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