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contribute Pls: anything lifting depression WITHOUT AD's
OK chocolate, omega3, etc...but I am looking for effective treatment to depression. If i can beat depression then I promise you i will beat my BP. I know this is by no means simple. We all know the drawbacks of antidepressants -> rapid cycling, mixed states, kindling ..... and above all mania, i couldn't find one that doesn't bring mania, and i failed 100%.
bpchrib suggest symbiax, i know it and i doubt, because every bipolar is a special case on its own, so the combo of AP and AD has to be monitored all the time. My dose of AP's and AD's is altered on a regular basis by watching myself.
Right now i am trying to descend from mania and i can't withstand any more manias, it's getting worse indeed by time, i tried lithium and i kept erring in the house at midnight hrs and hrs (akathisia) like IL said perhaps it increase the blood level of the AP's, also i have extreme anxiety now because i stopped my AD. One pdoc said depakote, why not, another name which occurs to his mind, and to hell with my liver, it seems i have to sacrifice either the kidney or the liver or both...
OK, I really don't know what i want you to tell me, except i am in the middle of a dilemma. Soon HOPEFULLY i shall be out of my mania, am i expecting to crash or to land smoothly, my manai this time is hard, and the more harder it is the bad is the depression.
I am expecting to use seroquel eventually, i know that many of you use it as monotherapy. but lethargy, my job, etc.. my depression is not usually very severe, i just want a little of boost and i shall do the rest. Forget about lamictal, i envy those who take it can't tolerate it, it seems i prefer AP's because my 1st pdoc brought me up on AP's, i.e. this is the food he gives me, so i am not confortable with AC's or lithium. One last resort is abilify - helps depression - but i am postponing it for some other time. I wonder if seroquel fails as a monotherapy, what shall i do, kill myself or what. I am fed up really. I am at loss. anxiety is horrible.
thank you for reading
bpchrib suggest symbiax, i know it and i doubt, because every bipolar is a special case on its own, so the combo of AP and AD has to be monitored all the time. My dose of AP's and AD's is altered on a regular basis by watching myself.
Right now i am trying to descend from mania and i can't withstand any more manias, it's getting worse indeed by time, i tried lithium and i kept erring in the house at midnight hrs and hrs (akathisia) like IL said perhaps it increase the blood level of the AP's, also i have extreme anxiety now because i stopped my AD. One pdoc said depakote, why not, another name which occurs to his mind, and to hell with my liver, it seems i have to sacrifice either the kidney or the liver or both...
OK, I really don't know what i want you to tell me, except i am in the middle of a dilemma. Soon HOPEFULLY i shall be out of my mania, am i expecting to crash or to land smoothly, my manai this time is hard, and the more harder it is the bad is the depression.
I am expecting to use seroquel eventually, i know that many of you use it as monotherapy. but lethargy, my job, etc.. my depression is not usually very severe, i just want a little of boost and i shall do the rest. Forget about lamictal, i envy those who take it can't tolerate it, it seems i prefer AP's because my 1st pdoc brought me up on AP's, i.e. this is the food he gives me, so i am not confortable with AC's or lithium. One last resort is abilify - helps depression - but i am postponing it for some other time. I wonder if seroquel fails as a monotherapy, what shall i do, kill myself or what. I am fed up really. I am at loss. anxiety is horrible.
thank you for reading
Have you tried biblotherapy to help with your depression? Biblotherapy is book therapy. A good book to start with is " Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" By Dr. Burns. I recommend this book for anyone that is suffering from depresssion.
I have 5 songs that lift my mood and 5 songs to bring me down. I chose these when I was feeling neither up nor down. The one's that set my foot tapping to bring me up and the some classical tunes that made me feel like shedding some tears to bring me down. Good luck.
Do you have a regular doctor? If you do you can ask to be tested for B-12 deficiency. It will show up on a blood test if you have enough B-12 in your blood stream.
Feel better
Athena
Feel better
Athena
B-12 shots worked really well for me and helped keep my energy at a confortable level. I take seroquel and colopin and have been on this cocktail for about 2 years. I have never been so stable in my life.
I also take omega 3s instead of E
Not to sound condesending, but if I focused on side effects of all the meds out there to being used and in what combination and to what side effects, I would never take another one. Melotoin in small doses will help with falling asleep good for about 4 hours ,then I wake up and like a little baby I have learned how to put myself back to sleep, But I don't allow myself to get out of bed. I take the least amount of meds possible, I also have a recovery program I work for my BP like I do my addiction.
Journaling is a beautiful way to escape,even for the moment, I feel some release of bult up anxiety. Warm baths, cold showers, bear feet on the grass outside, up lifting music ( without words ) erbal tea, prayers of gratitude, on and on and on.
Much love and support in your search for YOUR answers~
I also take omega 3s instead of E
Not to sound condesending, but if I focused on side effects of all the meds out there to being used and in what combination and to what side effects, I would never take another one. Melotoin in small doses will help with falling asleep good for about 4 hours ,then I wake up and like a little baby I have learned how to put myself back to sleep, But I don't allow myself to get out of bed. I take the least amount of meds possible, I also have a recovery program I work for my BP like I do my addiction.
Journaling is a beautiful way to escape,even for the moment, I feel some release of bult up anxiety. Warm baths, cold showers, bear feet on the grass outside, up lifting music ( without words ) erbal tea, prayers of gratitude, on and on and on.
Much love and support in your search for YOUR answers~
Athena is mentioning the above book on depression. I read the su,mmary it says best remedy lithium + prozac. can you tell whether prozac can drive a person manic. because i remember to have read that it does. to my knowledge no such AD exist which does not.
no I am not vegeterian. in fact i eat plenty of meat . But is there a way to check my absorption of B-12 in the blood say. i mean how could she make that you have a deficiency in it.
about lithium i tried one pill it was horrible, perhaps i was taking along antipsychotics so like ILadvocate said it raised their blood level so i had akathisia for hours and hours.
about lithium i tried one pill it was horrible, perhaps i was taking along antipsychotics so like ILadvocate said it raised their blood level so i had akathisia for hours and hours.
Here is a link about the book available on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553279831/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553279831/
Yes my doc did recheck to make sure my B-12 is normal. She said some people's bodies don't absorb it well and she asked if i was a vegetarian, which I am not. Are you a vegetarian?
Did you try lithium yet?
There is a book called Moodswing that has helpful information about bipolar one of my doctors recommended it.
Did you try lithium yet?
There is a book called Moodswing that has helpful information about bipolar one of my doctors recommended it.
thank you for the kind info. my depression is not a resistant one. on the contrary any slight AD improves my mood right away. it's only that i swing to the other side and eventually i get manic. I know i need an MS, yet i am better with AP's. the less AD one takes the better are the symptoms, so i am seeking to stay away from them but i couldn't so far. now i am heading down from my mania and soon i shall go into the viscious circle of AD's again. so if i can really resolve this issue of not taking an AD then i would recover.
thx
i read about TMS hope for you the best next week. keep us informed
thx
i read about TMS hope for you the best next week. keep us informed
by the way your doctor said you are deficient in B-12, have you done some blood test to check it?
I'm really sorry to hear that you're struggling so much with managing your symptoms. It's really hard, and I'm in kind of the same boat. I was recently referred to a doctor in the US who has been doing TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) to treat treatment-resistant depression, bipolar and unipolar. It's only been FDA approved since 2008, so it's quite new as a depression treatment, but apparently its effects are a bit like ECT, except without side effects and with a long-lasting lift in mood. The only problem is that since it's still so new, I don't know if it's offered yet in Egypt... but hopefully soon, as it becomes a more standard treatment over time? It might be worth looking into. I'm going to be trying it for a month starting next week, so I'll let you know if it actually does work.
Good luck, don't give up! There's something out there for you, it just is unfortunately taking some time to find!
Good luck, don't give up! There's something out there for you, it just is unfortunately taking some time to find!
I hate to say you must be joking, I read it many times your advise, yet i can't see something in it which looks sound except B-12. about sunshine bpchrisb wrote and others don't stay in the sun for example. sleeping yes in order not to get manic but not in lifting depression. I think one of the best thing really to lift depression is sex, yet i don't do it for religious reasons, it also removes anxiety potently, therapists in egypt they don't exist. I met one he was dumb keep talking nonsense. 1st rule in therapy the guy doing it must be more intelligent than his pt
what about vitamin E, a lady here says her son tried all meds and ended up with clozaril and take vitamin E 1400.
I am really inclined to check upon gabapentin as an ms yet my 2 shoemakers say don't because it's futile yet 2 experts bpchrisb and a russian person with whom i correspond live on it. the last one read thousands of research article.
Iincidentally i happen to have gone to the psychiatric department in cairo (the main one) there they sell books for doctors to read, bipolarity stands as one chapter only in any book for a few pages. all the big shots in pschy we have in egypt - sorry shoemakers - have read oinly a few pages and learn with time from their mistakes with their pts or free conferences they attend sponsored by the pharm comp. as to the main library of the faculty of medicine where all the books in psych, i couldn't find one book entitled bipolarity
what about vitamin E, a lady here says her son tried all meds and ended up with clozaril and take vitamin E 1400.
I am really inclined to check upon gabapentin as an ms yet my 2 shoemakers say don't because it's futile yet 2 experts bpchrisb and a russian person with whom i correspond live on it. the last one read thousands of research article.
Iincidentally i happen to have gone to the psychiatric department in cairo (the main one) there they sell books for doctors to read, bipolarity stands as one chapter only in any book for a few pages. all the big shots in pschy we have in egypt - sorry shoemakers - have read oinly a few pages and learn with time from their mistakes with their pts or free conferences they attend sponsored by the pharm comp. as to the main library of the faculty of medicine where all the books in psych, i couldn't find one book entitled bipolarity
Hi Adel,
I had to do these things to get out of depression because I could not take an antidepressant when I was pregnant. They work.
Eat bread helps with serotonin
Sunshine - half an hour before noon
Dancing gives a high - watching others dance gives the same high - I like You Tube for this
Exercise
Sleeping at night- staying up late leads to depression because our brains won't make the serotonin
Every day write down 3 good things that happened that day
Try going to a support group or seeing a therapist regularly
B-12 vitamin
Hope this helps
Athena
I had to do these things to get out of depression because I could not take an antidepressant when I was pregnant. They work.
Eat bread helps with serotonin
Sunshine - half an hour before noon
Dancing gives a high - watching others dance gives the same high - I like You Tube for this
Exercise
Sleeping at night- staying up late leads to depression because our brains won't make the serotonin
Every day write down 3 good things that happened that day
Try going to a support group or seeing a therapist regularly
B-12 vitamin
Hope this helps
Athena
First off Understand you can't beat bipolar just live with it. Now that said, My son has life altering side effects from ambilify. They will be with him the rest of his life. We have been on ever single cocktail of meds. that you can conceive. What he is on now and has been stable for 3 years (a miracle since he was an extreme rapid cycler every 15 mins. daily, voices, paranoia, visions etc.) He takes clozaril daily. Klonapin when needed for mania and 1400 IU's of vitamin E. Our psychiatrist wanted him to try the vitamin E since new studies have shown the high doses really help with bipolar and depression. I was hesitant but my son wanted something natural......ok 6 months later it works!!!!!!!!!!!!! big difference, he looks better, feels better. Try the vitamin E 1400 IU's daily it won't hurt to add. Since the vitamin E he is only taking his Klonapin maybe once every 2 weeks and his clozaril daily. Huge difference at one point he was on 12 different meds twice a day. NEVER GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think exercise is a big one because that actually gets your body moving and changes your internal chemistry. People all the time talk about a "runners high" from the endorphins or something when they run or do other fast paced exercise. Running, dancing, jumping jacks, anything that gets your heart rate up.
I would give you all those random ones like "make a list of your positives and focus on them." But we all know how well that works. >.<
I would say since you are anticipating it right now and manic, try to anticipate "not" being depressed instead. Use your mania to try to skip it. I think you're already doing that with your idea of a smooth landing, as you put it.
Good luck!
I would give you all those random ones like "make a list of your positives and focus on them." But we all know how well that works. >.<
I would say since you are anticipating it right now and manic, try to anticipate "not" being depressed instead. Use your mania to try to skip it. I think you're already doing that with your idea of a smooth landing, as you put it.
Good luck!
DOCTOROFMIND also said for some reason if a person is treated with an adjunct antipsychotic that the prognosis turns out better, hence people with psychotic major depressive episodes have a better chance of recovering.
Although Abilify is also considered an antidepressant I don't know why this is because it works like any other antipsychotic, that works for depression, as an adjunct to an antidepressant and mainly is an antipsychotic. I tried looking up before monotherapy of depression (and also mania if it's bipolar disorder) with abilify and never really turned up anything for the depression bit but maybe I just used the wrong search terms? Maybe someone on here has successfully had their depression treated with abilify?
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I've done a lot of research on depression cures for myself and pay attention to the latest studies here in the States.
I found the sunshine cure and the bread suggestion in an article in Prevention magazine. It works for me, but when I get depressed I would rather just stay home.
As far as the sleep issue, there was a study done that made news headlines that teenagers who struggle with depression stayed up late versus teenagers without depression who had parents that enforced a bedtime.
When I was in the hospital there was a room full of 30 patients who said they had sex to relieve their depression. There is some research that says people who have depression have more sex than people who don't have depression.
I personally can't take Vitamin E. There is something in it that makes me hallucinate. Every time I have been hospitalized for mania I was taking Vitamin E. Now I have to check every thing I eat or take as a supplement to make sure it doesn't have Vitamin E.
There is a show out here called HOUSE about a doctor who tries to find out what is wrong with patients. There was a girl who was suicidal and the doctor said she was deficient in Vitamin B-12. He said lack of B-12 causes feelings of guilt. Anyways I googled the B-12 feelings of guilt and found out that there are a lot of studies that show lack of B-12 causes depression. When I went to the doctor she said I was deficient in B-12. She said I was not eating enough meat. I eat cereal to get my B-12 vitamin. If I take too strong B-12 I get very manic.
My thoughts are for you to feel better.