The Biological Causes of Depression

[K]

I am 37 yrs old and have been at least 20-25 times depressed since 1979. I have been on Prozac since 1990 and on Xanax during crisis. Until 1994 I was told that I did not need any psychotheraphy, although my dad died of MS when I was 13. My depression does not leave me and I cannot stand it any more! I was without Prozac for 15 months, but I got severely depressed two months ago and I am on medication again. Although I have a very good psychiatrist/therapist, she is not interested in my other biological complaints. First of all, I weighed only 1700 gr at birth and rejected my mother's milk and fed on a Swiss formula named Eledon. As a child I never liked milk or any other dairy products and was given calcium tablets instead because I suffered from indigestion. Starting at the age of 20 I have put on weight and had problems with eating in general-binges,indigestion, constipation and dizziness. I have been diagnosed with hypoglycemia and hepatomegaly, but they have not been able to find the real causes. During the 72-hour hunger tolerance test I collapsed at the 23th hour with a blood sugar level of 29 (Turkish standards). I still have all these problems and I was diagnosed with lactose intolerance two years ago. My tolerance to lactose is -0-! I have also become ultra sensitive to additives and other allergy causes. I have skin and hair problems. I would like to know, if there is any  way that I can get to know that my depression may be linked to the above-mentioned problems. What should I do to be able to learn more? I just cannot stand being depressed. Thanks in advance for any advice...

[HFHS.MD-AJ]

Kubra,

I can understand your frustration with suffering from recurrent episodes of depression over the past 20 years. Depression may be caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters ("brain chemicals") such as serotonin and norepinephrine. Life difficulties, medical disorders (such as thyroid disease, vitamin deficiency, and AIDS), and medications (such as steroids and some antihypertensive medications) may also trigger or worsen depression.

Fortunately, depression can be successfully treated with a combination of medications (such as Prozac) and psychotherapy. Your physical complaints will be best addressed by your primary care physician. For more information on the possible medical causes of depression, please refer to: Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry (8th edition), published by Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

[dave]

I didn't have much succes with Prozac or Paxil (which is very similar).  There are better drugs, try something different.
I too have been depressed for a long time (11+ years) and it took me a while to find the right med.