Need antidepressant advice...

[MitchellVII]

Hi,

Depression runs in my father's side of the family. Both my father and older sister had it pretty bad - me, not as bad but still quite annoying. My main issue is not sadness but the following:

1) Nothing seems enjoyable.
2) Thinking about sex seems pleasurable, but actually doing it feels boring.
3) Fuzzy thinking - this is the worst part. I just have a hell of a time sitting down and concentrating at all. Even sitting long enough to type this is an act of discipline.
4) I feel like I constantly want to go out and buy something. I find myself buying things, returning them and then 2 days later buying the same exact thing again just so I can feel the excitement of taking it home and unwrapping it.
5) I feel very easily annoyed.
6) I have no sense of the future at all. I feel like no matter what i try, it will fail. There is just a certain hopelessness to everything.

This has GOT to be depression because, on paper, I have everything to be happy about and yet i can't shake this feeling of the blues. It sounds like I am being ungrateful, but i can't help how I feel. It just feels like they replaced my brain with wet sawdust.

So, what anti-depresant is there that can make me feel better? The main one I have tried has been Wellbutrin. That works great for about two weeks, then starts to make me feel like I have bumble bees living in my head. Is there anything new and exciting that is supposed to be amazing without the negatives?

If i had my druthers, I guess the #1 thing I would want from it is just being able to concentrate and focus - that more than anything is making rebuilding of my life difficult. I am perfectly positioned to make a great new start, yet I just don't feel like I can get going.

[MitchellVII]

Ok, here are a list of my symptoms. Somehow I think they must all have a common thread:

1 ) Depression as described above.
2 ) Mirgraine headaches starting with visual disturbence, followed by the headache. No nausea.
3 ) Daily dizziness and feeling light-headed.
4 ) Sleepiness. Feel the need to nap 5 or 6 times a day, but when i lie down, I nap for only 10 minutes then I'm up again and temporarily refreshed.
5 ) Low testosterone. This is not due to a problem with my testes, but a lack of the stuff my pituitary gland sends to my testes to make more.
6 ) No noticeable tumors in pituitary gland seen on MRI.
7 ) Factor V Leiden Deficiency which makes me candidate for easy blood clots and DVT's.
8 ) I am a loner. I never feel connected to people and honestly have no real friends, just acquaintances. I don't belong to any groups nor do I desire to. I have no hobbies or singular interests. I can go months at a time witthout leaving the house othher than to run errands.

So, what the heck do all these have in common? What could be the common thread that ties them all together?

[sun-sparkled waves]

You sound like me, except, I don't go out and buy stuff. Have you tried any other antidepressant? Are you seeing a psychiatrist?
I was pretty skeptical about taking antidepressants, but it got to the point where I was willing to try anything. Anxiety about cancer, and probably work related anxiety were taking their toll on me. I've been taking Paxil for about a year. It's not a cure, but it does take care of my anxiety. I have not had nightmares about my life being threatened, and waking with heart racing, since I've been on it. I still live with the knowledge that I have Lynch Syndrome. I still have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and that depresses me, because I'm too tired to do some of the things I enjoy.
I hope you can find some activity to be passionate about. Do you like music? Animals, nature, sports?
I don't think my concentration has improved since being on Paxil. And my memory isn't great either.
I do laugh alot though. On the TV show The Simpsons, Lisa was put on an antidepressant called "Ignoritall"; and one of my friends told me about one called "F~~kitall".

[KellyBelle]

1) Nothing seems enjoyable.
2) Thinking about sex seems pleasurable, but actually doing it feels boring.
3) Fuzzy thinking - this is the worst part. I just have a hell of a time sitting down and concentrating at all. Even sitting long enough to type this is an act of discipline.
4) I feel like I constantly want to go out and buy something. I find myself buying things, returning them and then 2 days later buying the same exact thing again just so I can feel the excitement of taking it home and unwrapping it.
5) I feel very easily annoyed.
6) I have no sense of the future at all. I feel like no matter what i try, it will fail. There is just a certain hopelessness to everything.

I think we must be twins who were separated at birth.

My body can't handle SSRI's, so I take Wellbutrin... been on it for over five years, and it seems to work (without the sexual side effects and weight gain). My psychiatrist recently added Deplin to boost the effectiveness of the Wellbutrin. Deplin is relatively new and a derivitive of folic acid, so it doesn't have any side effects. I haven't noticed a difference, but with psychotropic drugs, it's hard to tell.

[paula]

Depression runs in my family too; I know you've heard this but sometimes it just takes sampling a lot of cocktails before the right one for your chemistry comes along. I also take Paxil, recommended by my oncologist, and I do think it has helped me through the past year - how much I don't really know. If antidepressants don't work, I'd try plain ole aerobic exercise, even though it may be the last thing you feel like doing. It really does lift your mood and your sense of well being, in addition to giving you all the physical health benefits.

[MitchellVII]

Well, one of my problems is that I work from home and I am alone 95% of the time. No one to talk to but on the phone or with myself in my head . I think these tends to cause depression as well as there is no one to motivate me. Constant self-motivation is stressful. Sometimes I think i have more ADHD than depression.

[MitchellVII]

Kell,

Wellbutrin doesn't make your head feel funny? It gives me headaches and makes my head feel like it full of bees.

[kateinorlando]

I have family tendencies too...father had major depression and sister is bi-polar. Niece and nephew are ADHD. I have major depression as well. Doctors have tried Abilify, Lexapro, Celexa, Seroquel...but Cymbalta seems to be working pretty well for me now (the other drugs may have been part of my recovery, too). Along with prescription help, counseling with cognitive behavioral therapy seemed like a good thing. I do know the doctors had to be relatively careful about which antidepressants to use that would not conflict with chemotherapy treatment.

[wamo]

I have been on Cymbalta for almost a year... I think it helps.... but I can't remember if you have tried that one!?

wamo

[Terry]

Wellbuterin makes me want to jump out of my skin.
Prozac makes me numb (no feelings of happy or sad)
Paxil made me attempt suicide years and years ago
Zoloft works great for me

[KellyBelle]

I had some of the problems with "brain zaps" you and Terry mention when I first started taking Wellbutrin, but they went away after about six weeks. I've tried a lot of the SSIR's: Paxil (40 lbs.), Lexapro (walking zombie/rash), Effexor (had a manic episode after mixing with prescription cough syrup)... and others. They all made me feel groggy and spacy.

And Mitchell, boy do I know about the long-term effects of working from home. I've worked from home for the past 10 years (recently laid off because of the economy --fortunately I was already on disability so I still get a smaller paycheck). For the past few years, I've realized that working from home has done a number on me, both physically and mentally (I also live alone). A lot of people wish they worked at home, but I always say beware... as humans, we need daily interaction with people (and not just on the phone).

[kitty,rn]

I took Paxil for a year and 1/2 and didn't like that it seemed to numb me. I was dealing with anxiety issues and it helped those somewhat as well as my tendency to have obsessive thoughts, but some of the side effects bothered me enough to quit taking it (and the weaning off process seemed to take forever, which I guess is common for most SSRI's).

I don't know if you can afford it or if you know of a good psychiatrist in your area who can work with you to find the right antidepressant, but I would recommend seeing someone if at all possible. They're "supposed" to know about all the latest meds. and when you tell the doctor about all the other factors in your life and what hasn't worked in the past, they should be of more help than a general doctor would. And if you can also afford some talk therapy, that, along with the right antidepressant could help.

I also believe in getting as much balance in your life as possible: making time for friendships-- even if it's just phone chats now and then-- exercising regularly (especially if you can get outdoors for some fresh air and sunshine), trying to eat right, and pursuing your faith-- whatever it may be (attending a church provides not only spiritual "nourishment" but also can provide a support system and friendships). Of course, I understand that when you're depressed, pursuing any of these can feel overwhelming and impossible, but taking small steps like starting with going out for a walk each day can hopefully start to make a small difference in your mood and depression. But I realize that first your depression must be addressed with medication before any of these other things can be considered.

[bdurant]

Antidepressants have been reported to increase risks of Colon cancer by 800%. Recent reports also show that there are many other life threatening side effects. Recent investigative reports expose the frauds associated with the atypical antipsychotic drugs. After seeing what the pharmaceutical companies have gotten away with, as we are marketed, it's hard to trust any treatment, especially when the doctors get paid for the prescriptions they write.

[Lifes2short]

bdurant, is that statistic real? 800%? I'm a bit shocked that something like that isn't more in the news. Do you have a link to a study or something? I'd like to read about it.

Mitchell, this forum is great for support. But your doctor is the best person to prescribe medication. We can all talk about what has worked and make you aware of options. But with your symptoms you really should be seeing a good doctor and perhaps a therapist. You are young and you've been through something very traumatic. You deserve to get your life back. Best of luck.

[KellyBelle]

Antidepressants have been reported to increase risks of Colon cancer by 800%. Recent reports also show that there are many other life threatening side effects. Recent investigative reports expose the frauds associated with the atypical antipsychotic drugs. After seeing what the pharmaceutical companies have gotten away with, as we are marketed, it's hard to trust any treatment, especially when the doctors get paid for the prescriptions they write.

You got a link?

One of my closest friends works for GSK as a patient information editor --she writes those fine print inserts that come with a prescription and list all the side effects. If this is true, this information would HAVE to be provided on the patient information form --like those black label warnings they put on Accutain for teens. That seems higher than the increased risk of cancer by smokers, and look at the warnings on cigarette packages.