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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Peter S on April 11, 2001, at 0:46:18
Hi all,
All the medications I have taken a)have worked and pooped out or b)not worked at all. I have tried practically every drug on the market (tricyclics, SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, mood stabilizers, dopaminergics, etc, etc.
I gather that research shows that exercise is good for depression. I used to run every day and now I try to bike and hike every day. It does help, but not that much. I'm wondering how much exercise (times per day, hours) are necessary to make a dent in depression. What have people found in their own experience really works? I would much rather exercise than take drugs but I would like to see some results!
Thanks
Peter
Posted by Neal on April 11, 2001, at 1:50:49
In reply to Exercise Depression Poll, posted by Peter S on April 11, 2001, at 0:46:18
I think it helps. Studies have shown it. I know it from personal experience. Just don't overdo it.
Posted by Michele on April 11, 2001, at 2:29:22
In reply to Exercise Depression Poll, posted by Peter S on April 11, 2001, at 0:46:18
That is definately a tough question.. and very frustrating that no AD's have worked for you!
Ok.... I was a fitness instructor for many years, you are definately on the right track.... exercising like you are every day. It's tough, not knowing you.... but the basic fitness program for someone in "general"..... would be At least 40 minutes of aerobic activity a day(which is sounds like you do).. but sometimes.. like say if your run.... you are overexerting yourself.. which could deafen the results you really want. I don't know your age..... but I'm gonna give an example for a 30 year old. It's not necessarily 40 minutes for the total workout... it's 40 minutes in your target heart zone. Meaning.. for a 30 year old.... you want your pulse to be beating at between 120 beats per min.- 139. For a full 40 minutes. Sometimes brisk walking is all you need... you'd have to keep track of your pulse... you might not want to be running yet. Oh, I hope this is making sense. Now hiking.... would be something to do in ADDITION to an aerobic exercise daily. It's non-aerobic... Your heart rate doesnt stay consistent..help lift some depress.bike riding also.. it's very hard to keep your pulse rate consistant(hills, etc.) Now... doing an areobic exercise... is good to do everyday... and you can do it as long as you want.... AS LONG AS YOU DON'T GO OVER YOUR TARGET HEART... in addition...... the other stuff(hiking, lifting weights, etc) is better to do every otherday or every third day. I'm not say this would lift your depression... it definately helps me... noticed the difference since I haven't been doing it for the last couple years..... but it will help you sleep better, give you a great healthy goal,makes you feel so good about yourself. The endorphine rush is great too...... but the point is.... you can't overdo it.... then your sore, beat, whatnot. I don't know if this helps any. Has helped me much in the past. You would also loose weight doing this...... especially if you keep it up... so if you don't need that.... be careful to maybe eat a little more... or protein shakes.... weighlifting.... etc. I'm sorry this advice is so "vague" but it's hard to give it without personally knowing you. But that would be the "standard" someone would give. EXCELLENT IF YOU HAVE A PARTNER. I'm not sure how much this would lift your depression. I would say it was great for minor or situational. And... as far as if that didn't work.... and need more meds..... I'm not the one to ask about that one, but many people on here are very in tune with the so many different and specific meds. Good luck, my heart really goes out to you that your having such a horrible time trying to find something to work. Keep me posted...... Michele
Posted by Shirley2 on April 11, 2001, at 19:33:28
In reply to Exercise Depression Poll, posted by Peter S on April 11, 2001, at 0:46:18
Peter,
My heart goes out to you also. I had excellent results on Zoloft and Adderall for a year but that pooped out. While I didn't try as many medicines as you did, everything was either ok or a disaster.
So I am now only on Adderall during the day and Remeron for sleep. It's only my second day but so far so good. Because I saw the same studies as you, I started exercising today. In spite of PMS starting, even one day seems to have made a difference for me.
I am not as qualified as Michelle but a couple of thoughts on exercise. In the past, when I exercised at too intense of a pace, not only did I not feel better, I actually felt more depressed.
Today, I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes (could have gone longer) at a comfortable pace. As a result, I got the exercise high that people talk about. Any of this apply to you?Back to meds-Have you tried stimulants alone? Even if you don't think you have ADD, I believe that some psychiatrists use it to relieve depression quickly so that's why I was suggesting it.
The first time I took ritalin, it was magic. I was calm, focused and got things done that I had never been able to do. Unfortunately, because ritalin is not a smooth acting stimulant for most people and I had a severe depression due to job loss, the picture became very clouded. But now the Adderall with a low dose of Remeron at night seems to be working.
If you've done this already, please forgive me. I know what it's like to go through fruitless drug trials and I was offering something in case you hadn't done it.
Good luck and keep us posted with your exercise routine and I'll do the same.
Shirely
Posted by Michele on April 11, 2001, at 19:41:46
In reply to Re: Exercise Depression Poll, posted by Shirley2 on April 11, 2001, at 19:33:28
>Shirley,
Thanks for small paragraph concerning excercise. You somehow managed to explain it in one sentence as opposed to my looooong babble. :-) Your on the right track! Keep at it.. I'm glad your feeling that "high". Michele
Posted by Peter S on April 12, 2001, at 14:59:43
In reply to Re: Exercise Depression Poll, posted by Shirley2 on April 11, 2001, at 19:33:28
Michelle,Thanks for the exercise advice! I will experiment with different regimens and see what is most effective.
Shirley:
I'm glad Aderall is working for you. I have tried stimulants with ADs and alone. They work very well for a brief period and then tend to lose effectiveness and I end up feeling spacy and out of it after an initial kick. (I've tried ritalin, dexadrine, adderall, and others.) After all this effort I've pretty much decided that meds are not the way to go. That is unless they come out with some new drug with a different mechanism of action than all the others. The last drug that came out in the US was Celexa and that was like 4 years ago. I keep hoping...
Thanks for the support
Peter
> Peter,
>
> My heart goes out to you also. I had excellent results on Zoloft and Adderall for a year but that pooped out. While I didn't try as many medicines as you did, everything was either ok or a disaster.
>
> So I am now only on Adderall during the day and Remeron for sleep. It's only my second day but so far so good. Because I saw the same studies as you, I started exercising today. In spite of PMS starting, even one day seems to have made a difference for me.
>
> I am not as qualified as Michelle but a couple of thoughts on exercise. In the past, when I exercised at too intense of a pace, not only did I not feel better, I actually felt more depressed.
> Today, I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes (could have gone longer) at a comfortable pace. As a result, I got the exercise high that people talk about. Any of this apply to you?
>
> Back to meds-Have you tried stimulants alone? Even if you don't think you have ADD, I believe that some psychiatrists use it to relieve depression quickly so that's why I was suggesting it.
>
> The first time I took ritalin, it was magic. I was calm, focused and got things done that I had never been able to do. Unfortunately, because ritalin is not a smooth acting stimulant for most people and I had a severe depression due to job loss, the picture became very clouded. But now the Adderall with a low dose of Remeron at night seems to be working.
>
> If you've done this already, please forgive me. I know what it's like to go through fruitless drug trials and I was offering something in case you hadn't done it.
>
> Good luck and keep us posted with your exercise routine and I'll do the same.
>
> Shirely
Posted by JennyR on April 12, 2001, at 23:38:25
In reply to Exercise Depression Poll, posted by Peter S on April 11, 2001, at 0:46:18
I run and use weight machines. It does help. I usually feel better after working out or a good run. Although when I am training for a marathon it becomes like another job, and then I am mad at myself when I don't get in as much training as I should. But in general, I do feel better after working out. I don't know what the threshhold is, though.
Posted by Noa on April 14, 2001, at 12:10:10
In reply to Re: Exercise Depression Poll, posted by JennyR on April 12, 2001, at 23:38:25
I just started exercising in December. I find it helps my mood a lot. In the short term, it is a wonderful anti-anxiety, and overall, it seems to be an antidepressant.
Thing is, if I get too ambitious, I end up becoming self-defeating because sometimes I intimidate myself by expecting too much too soon, and that is when I start not showing up to the gym. I started at a low low level, and by a month later was shocked at how much easier it was and how much I was progressing. I also find I need music to keep my attention on the cardio part, and the music adds some benefit to my mood, too.
The exercising also makes me feel strong (I do both cardio and weight training) and more energetic which certainly helps a lot.
As for adderall, I find it makes me calm and focused, much better than ritalin for me.
Good luck.
Posted by Ignatz on April 16, 2001, at 10:52:49
In reply to Re: Exercise Depression Poll, posted by JennyR on April 12, 2001, at 23:38:25
I do 30 to 50 minutes of cardiovascular (swim, gym machines, run) 4 or 5 times a week. It helps immensely-- I feel less stressed, more in-control when I'm done, and I enjoy the feeling of working my body hard while I'm exercising (most of the time). When I was really depressed and couldn't find the right meds, running for an hour a day was the only thing that gave me any relief-- it only lasted about a half hour after I ran, though.
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