Serious Depression

[Helga48]

I have suffered from depression for most of my life.  I have gone through various medications and cocktails throughout the 80s and 90s as well as psychotherapy.  I was scheduled for ECT when effexor came on the market and it made quite a difference for years.  I started taking it in May of 1996 and have continued taking the maximum dose as well as trazodone for sleep.  Now I am in a downhill spiral and do not really know what to do.  My regular doc added wellbutrin a week ago so I am still in the early stage of combining with effexor.  My life is terrific so there is no episodic reasons for depression.  It just has run in my father's side of the family.   Thank you for any information you may send.

[Hensley258]

I'm reading my exact story and exact same meds back about 12 years ago.
Here's the deal.... I was on Effexor XR at 350Mgs a day for 4 years and in that time it did a great job controling my depression. Problem: After about 4 years the Effexor slowly started losing it effect. Eventually it was like I wasn't taking it al all even though I was.

Fortunatly I had a very wise Psychiatrist that said "don't worry there are options" He added Lithium at 600Mgs a day to the Effexor. After 5 weeks BAM! The Lithium supercharged the Effexor and it started working again. "Whew!" saved my life at the time.

Well, unfortunatly that trick only bought me about 18 more months effectivness. Well, time to change meds again.

Next my Psych says, "I want to try Nortriptilyne." I figure I'm game because I have one foot in a coffin anyway. Wouldn't you know, the Nortrip worked. I added to that Lexapro and it kicked started me back to the living again.

Unfortunatly 2 years later that combo started failing (This is called becoming medication resistant) and another combo (this time more powerful had to be started)

It's been a long hawl. Right now I'm taking Protriptilyne, Lamictal, and Lithium, with the booster folic drug Deplin. It's working ok at best, but hey I'm still alive and not in the hospital.

I only have a couple more classes of drugs to fall back on. When I burn them out then and only then is it the dreaded MAOI's and ECT. That;s when you know your *** has gotten bad.

Please do not use the ECT option until absolutly every drug combo has been tried, EVEN MAOI's. ECT should be last resort ONLY. That means you in the psych ward with both feet in a coffin.

ECT is a 50/50 shot at best and it WILL without a doubt effect your memory.

Oh BTW, just because I take Lithium with my AD's do not think I am Bi-polar. Lithium can have an amazing antidepressant effect at blood levels over 0.8

It's worth a shot if you ask me.
In the mean time lets pray science can come up with some drugs that actually work.

About Parnate. IT WORKS almost everytime for everyone, Problem: if you eat the wrong food while on Parnate your dead meat. It will kill you in a second.

[Helga48]

Thank you for your comments.  Unfortunately I have been on MAOIs in the past and they proved ineffective.  I was also on lithium for a period of time and never noticed any effect.  Right now I am taking wellbutrin with the effexor so shall see.  How do you find the right psychiatrist who will work with you?

[Hensley258]

Please tell me more about your experience with MAOI.
Did you take Parnate or Nardil?

I also want to give you some more info on ECT. I have a close friend that's had 24 sessions of uni-lateral.

It is not often that I get to meet someone like you that also has very severe treatment resistant or Refractory depression. (we only make up about 5% of depressed people)

Lets keep in touch and share some ideas.
I will tell you more about my Psychiatrist later. (I have to keep my post short now because my damn internet modem keeps going out) I have a new one on the way.

[Helga48]

Hi.  I took Parnate for over a year.  I cautiously tried the forbidden foods and found that there was little or no problem for me.  I do not remember side effects other than being extremely sleepy in the late afternoon to the point of being dangerous driving.  I do realize that ECT is a **** shoot.  I was scheduled the sessions during the summer of 96.  The memory loss was a major concern for me as I taught school.  I did have a wonderful doc who was going to do the sessions.  Sad, but 2 years later, she committed suicide.  I have not found another doctor with whom I resonated.  I have suffered from depression from an early age when nothing was discussed.  In the 80s, self-help books were a big thing as was Psychology Today.  Seeing a psychiatrist was not a total negative in a community.  So, I have gone on with trying to keep as busy as possible, doing as much as possible and realizing that this is probably as good as it gets!  Funny thing though, people who have become close to me just say "you could snap out of it if you wanted" or "have you tried to find God" or other well intentioned statements.  Act as if just has become a habit until I cannot do that anymore!  Does this make sense?  Please tell me a bit about yourself.  I would be happy to send my email to you as I do not want to say personal things such as I have in a forum.  Take care for now.