Posted by stargazer2 on September 17, 2007, at 8:00:56
In reply to Forced to terminate current Pdoc after Nardil fail, posted by girlnterrupted78 on September 16, 2007, at 23:35:15
GI, your story is exactly like mine...many AD's with little relief over 30 years, although I did have relief for brief periods here and there. I don't know how long you have had depression but I have had it for so long now the depression has become more and more difficult to treat,
My pdoc is always the eternal optimist. He says there are always more combinations that I haven't tried yet and he gives me hope to keep trying although I have been where you are at more times than I care to remember.
Nardil alone wasn't totaally effective enough so we started to augment it with a few other meds. I also took an article for my pdoc to see that was written by experts on MAO's that outlined what other meds could be added to Nardil even though they are usually contraindicated. He is very careful but will try other meds that he feel can be safely combined.
I just started on Nortriptyline, an older drug known as a tricyclic and also on Synthroid. Read my response to Treatment resistent here! (post above) since between the Nortriptyline and/or the Synthroid, I have broken through the depression.
Your doctor is obviously not pushing meds to a higher level of combining them and his lack of support for you is is seriously deficient. I too will not have ECT for many reasons, some of which you have mentioned.
I'm not sure what type of advice I can give you other than trying to find a real expert with depression medications. Is there a teaching hospital you can contact near you? You have to find a pdoc that will be comfortable using all meds in various combinations. Your pdoc doesn't sound like he has enough expertise and confidence in his ability to really work with you. He sounds less than supportive of you and acts like all options have been exhausted but I seriously think that is a copout. He just isn't experienced enough to work with you until something does work. Believe me, that can be an exhausting process that many pdocs don't have the time or energy to deal with. I'm very lucky that my pdoc keeps me trying things rather than giving up on me. It's very easy to give up on ourselves that is why our docs have to provide the optimism we are incapable of having when we are really down.
Stargazer
poster:stargazer2
thread:783405
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070911/msgs/783432.html