Posted by BrittPark on September 12, 2002, at 21:17:16
My diagnosis since I was in my early 20s is Major Depressive Disorder Recurrent (Melancholic type). For years I've had an average of 1 major episode a year, usually of short duration (2-6 weeks), and have been taking imipramine more or less continuously and xanax and or klonopin for associated anxiety when needed. Usually my episodes were triggered by events in my life. (Girl friend breaking up with me. Physical illnesses. Separation from my wife for short periods. Anything that triggers separation anxiety has been able to start me on a severe but short-lived depressive episode.)
In the last two years, however, I've had several depressive episodes with no obvious external trigger, and in the last 6-9 months I've been experiencing on and off depressive episodes which are less severe and less melancholic but disturbing because different from what I'm used to and because they keep breaking through the measures my psychiatrist and I have implemented. Currently I'm in another break through episode, whose character is marked by quite marked agoraphobia.
I find myself taking a veritable Merck index of drugs:
300mg imipramine
50mg desipramine
(I'm a powerful TCA metabolizer and am smack dab in the middle of the therapeutic range)
30mg remeron
7.5 mg zyprexa
1mg klonopin
4mg xanax
.5mcg cytomel
30mg ritalin in the day
5mg vicodin in the evening
50mg lamictal (titrating up at 25mg increase every two weeks)You should see my pill box;)
I find the ritalin effective but see-sawish, vicodin very effective (my evenings are usually quite comfortable) and unsure about the rest.
I guess what I'm looking for (besides sympathy--always appreciated) is any suggestions about changing the mix that might improve things.
As further background here are some other drugs I've taken in the past.
Paxil (Not effective and made me jittery).
Risperdal (miraculously effective but faded after 6 months or so)
Modafinal (Spectacularly effective for about 2 1/2 weeks and then nothing.)
Wellbutrin (Not a proper trial. I took one dose in the middle of a severe episode and was made so anxious that I discontinued.)Britt
poster:BrittPark
thread:119675
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020906/msgs/119675.html