Posted by TylerJ on March 31, 2006, at 10:00:28
In reply to Re: Many questions - but no answers - Met. Aci., posted by maryhelen on March 29, 2006, at 16:20:40
> Hi Squiggles:
>
> I haven't been able to on the board for years because the depression has become disabling. So you would not have seen posts from me. Even when I am able to come to babble, I usually just read. You can usually find your own story written by someone else and I always feel very shy to post a thread.
>
> Wow, you have gone through a lot. I was on lithium about 3 years ago. I was having severe side effects like tremors in my arms and hands, my hair was falling out and most importantly my brain was very dull. I felt rather stupid. This was the biggest problem as I was due to return to work after being off for 2 years. The doc stopped the lithium and put me right on Lamitcal. I has the first and only response to my depression for the first time in my life after all the pills I tried, shock treatments, etc. etc. The response was almost frightening. Not to be depressed was the most astonishing thing that I have experienced. My hair was still falling out from the lithium and I didn't care. If I could stay like this, I would wear a wig. Unfortunatley, the response lasted for 8 weeks and then I started waking up with that mental and sick physical feeling of the depression returning. As I had returned to work, this was devastating, and I only lasted for 3 months and had to leave my job again.
>
> Over the years, my psych doc has tried many treatments but they have not worked, including trying Lamitcal again. He is trying a new combination. I think he feels that because the lithium was still coming out of my system and I went right on to the Lamitcal, it may be worth it to try the combination of:
>
> Lithium: just hit 900 mg. How do you know when you have the proper amount in your system. Is it from the blood work or also how you are feeling?
>
> Lamitcal: I am at 50 mg. It is a slow introduction, but I don't know how high he wants to go.
>
> Cipralex: 20 mg. I believe this is one of the newer antidepressants.
>
> I can't believe you have been on it for 25 years. How long, if you can stand the side effects, do you need to be on it before it will work, if it is going to? I guess it has been such a long time since you first took it to ask you to remember.
>
> A friend of mine was trying to get into a treatment centre for alcohol. She has psychiatric needs and is on lithium and an antidepressant. The admitting doctor told her that she would have to stop these drugs as they are both addictive. My understanding and experience is that antidepressants are not addictive and that lithium certainly isn't. Squiggles, lithium isn't addictive, is it?
>
> Hope you are feeling better today.
>
> p.s. Over a lifetime of depression and 25 years of active treatment, the one thing that will lift my mood is opiates, or in particular percocetts. It is so frustrating.
>
> maryhelenMaryhelen,
Tell your pdoc about how opiates lift your mood. Many docs today use Opiates to treat depression. Good Luck.Tyler
poster:TylerJ
thread:625248
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060329/msgs/627057.html