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Avatar universal

Desperate!!!

My fiance has ADD, and his psych put him on Strattera for it, then added Adderall. He has a history of mild depression, but he's always been able to deal with it before. After starting the Strattera, he started to get more depressed, and his personality began to change. He became moody, irritable, irresponsible, short-tempered.. When he told the pysch he was feeling depressed, she raised  the dose of Strattera. This didn't help, so she raised the dose again, and the depression continued getting worse. So she raised the dose AGAIN.. Two weeks after starting this new dose, my fiance had a complete mental and nervous breakdown. Couldn't function, couldn't eat, couldn't do anything but sit and contemplate suicide. He called his psych and she put him on Wellbutrin, which was even worse for him! The suicidal thoughts drastically increased, he started rapidly dropping weight, he was exhausted and nauseous all the time, and he started having muscle spasms and tics, as well as bouts of intense anxiety and aggression. He also had periods of social phobia, where he was afraid to be around me or his parents or any other people, and was incapable of making eye contact.
So his psych switched him to Celexa then Lexapro. After 6 weeks on 20mg, he started to seem significantly better, although still nowhere near his normal self. The benefits did not outweigh the side effects. 3 weeks ago his psych decided to wean him off the Lexapro altogether. In the past 3 weeks, all his previous symptoms have returned, along with some new ones. And his psysch. won’t return his calls. He called her over a week ago to tell her about the major symptoms he's having now that he's tapering off, and 8 days later she STILL has not contacted him. I'm desperate! Nothing seems to help! He's in therapy as well, and that doesn't appear to be helping at all either!!! Any advice would be welcome.
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Avatar universal
Here's some answers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b30iwhEw9ho

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azkLQpyiGHA&mode=related&search=
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
He was diagnosed when he was 15 or 16, and tried Ritalin then, but found it didn't work for him. He didn't have any treatment for it after that until he was 27, when he tried the Strattera, then Adderall.
Helpful - 0
242532 tn?1269550379
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It sounds like the only thing left for you to do is trust your own judgement, and keep what's left of the relationship by backing off.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
How long has your fiancee been diagnosed with ADD?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
By the way, he's 28 years old. Don't think I mentioned that.
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Avatar universal
I've tried many times unsuccessfully to get him to switch, or at the very least get a second opinion, but he refuses. He says he likes his psychiatrist, that she's nice and listens to him. I guess compared to the first psych he saw, who basically just asked him what meds he though he should be on and then prescribed them, she must seem a lot better. Personally, I think she's being incredibly irresponsible with his health. But he doesn't want to switch, and some of that is that I think he feels that he really needs to start making his own decisions in life, and doesn't want me or anyone else telling him what to do. I don't know; I've barely spoken to him since he went off the Lexapro. He moved out 4 months ago when this all began (so I "didn't have to deal with it" and so he could be alone to figure himself out), and he doesn't answer his phone, and doesn't really return texts.
He did see her yesterday, though, and told me that she's taking him off the Adderall, and wants to try him on Abilify. I'm a little scared about that last one. To my understanding, it's an antipsychotic that can have some serious side effects. I'm scared of him trying it with bad results and her not getting back to him. I have no idea what to do. I voiced my concerns via texts last night, and I haven't heard back. I can only assume he's angry. He's very protective of this psychiatrist.
Any thoughts on what I can do? I'd talk to his parents about it, but I think that would anger him even more and possibly destroy what's left of our relationship.
Helpful - 0
242532 tn?1269550379
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your fiance should be either demanding an appointment with his psychiatrist or finding a new one, preferably one recommended by his therapist.  This is a very serious situation, in which nothing seems to work well.  In situations like this, a consultation with a new treating physician is always recommended.
Helpful - 0

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