Antidepressants and bad reactions!

[shinty]

I have tried just about all types of antidepressants. I can't handle the side effects of any of them. I am on rather high doses of narcotics for chronic pain, with little to no side effects. Doctors call it treatment resistant depression (or something like that). I'm wondering if anyone else out there has this same problem. Depression is very debilitating. Waiting 3-4 weeks for a certain antidepressant to start working is tough. Finding out that it makes things worse is even tougher. I have gone thru this cycle many, many times, with many different medicines.

[shinty]

Thanks for the information! Sorry it took so long to reply - I have been offline for a long time. I'm still in the same boat with the depression and pain. I'm going to try aqautic physical therapy to get my body moving, and then move onto solid land if all goes well. I know if I can be more active, the depression will lessen sunstantially (I hope). I also hope everyone is doing well. I'm going to try and be here more often (pain management forum also).

[alliejosh09]

hey, i know how you feel about going through a lot of anti depressants. for years i've been switching meds. and one time i was on prozac and i had a really bad side effect... it made me suicidal and i tried to kill myself by taking a lot of pills. i ended up in vanderbilt's children's psychiatric hospital in nashville, tn. whatever you do, DO NOT try to kill yourself. i put myself & boyfriend & family/friends through hell. it was the worst decision i've ever made to this day. that was july 4, 2008. so talk to your doctor(s) about ANY possible side effects. also try a combination of medications. suicide is not the answer to everything. just thought i should tell you, even though that had nothing to do with anything you said. :) <3 allie :) <3

[kmb22]

i had the worst experience of my life on a combo of lamictal and pristiq after being diagnosed border line personality disease, it made everything that was wrong with me 50 times worse...the only thing it made me see is i would rather live life as i was than ever go on meds.

[EavlynnK]

I can't say this enough. Depression is the bodies way of telling you there is something wrong inside, I'm not talking emotional, I'm talking really INSIDE. Mineral, vitamin, toxins type of inside. You're body could be lacking something, or maybe it has too much of something. Even a food allergy or intolerance could cause serious depression. The body can't lack a medication, and all they do is cover the problem instead of solving it. Not to mention the nasty side-effects. I would suggest getting a hair analysis done. It can tell you the levels of things inside your body: what you have too much of, or not enough of. Then you can go about fixing it. If you would be so inclined, go to an allergy specialist and find out what foods you are intolerant to. You would be amazed how these little things can turn you around. I hope this helps. Good luck

[shinty]

Yes MMahon, I have tried the older medicines. The high doses of narcotics are not the cause of my depression. Chronic pain is the cause of my depression (low back/leg pain-9 lower back surgeries). I have been prescribed the psychotropic medicines in conjunction with the atidepressants. My doctor sent me to a specialist who specializes in people with hard to treat depression. That specialist (a psychiatrist) is sending me to yet another specialist who specializes in treating chronic pain patients with depression. I'm hoping this doctor can help.

[therese83]

A lot of modern psychiatrists use a combination of meds.  therefore reducing the side effects.

So say you are on the average dose of an anti depressant, and the doctor adds a low dose of anti psychotic, or mood stabilizer.  This boosts the anti depressant and you don't have over the top side effects.

Also I have noticed, some side effects lessen with time, or are not as noticable.

The one i hats most is not having any spit !  I am not one to suck mints, but this works for some, when someone offers you a mint, you can wonder what they are on LOL

There are ways of coping with them as well, like the constipation can be dealt with.

[MMahon]

Have you tried the older medicines? Tricyclics or Maoi's?
Are the high doses of 'narcotics' the cause of your depression?
Sometimes a combination of 2 different anti-d's does the trick.
What causes the 'chronic pain'?
I took Nardil (MAOI) and trazadone (serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor) at the same time.  Nardil when I got up and trazadone before bed. Has done the trick for quite some time.
What do your doctors suggest?
Hope this helps...