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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by falconman on January 17, 2007, at 10:38:01
I can't emotionally respond to anything, get excited, look forward to anything, get sexually excited, get reward from achieving something ect... It's weird, but I feel like I'm floating through life without really feeling atatched to anything. I suffer from chronic boredom really. Don't evan know if I could call myself depressed.
The only emotion I feel is anxiety, usually when put on the spot socially. Infact as a child I suffered from social phobia-probably still do.I've been on loads of meds and various combinations over the last 10 years. I've started having the gut feeling that alot of this mess I'm in, has been caused by psychiatric meds. I found previous posts on this very interesting, especially with regards lack of pleasure from music. Music used to be my life, and my non-response to music now is evidence that something is seriously messed up.
I'm thinking of coming off my AD's (Citalopram 40mg,Remeron 30mg,Cymbalta 60mg), staying on Klonopin 2mgs and seeing how things go (not sure if I can manage this but I'll have a go). After giving my brain some time to recover from the last 10 years of abuse, and If I still feel crap, I might try some of the following drugs.....Tianeptine, oral selegiline(EMSAM not available in UK), low dose amisulpride, provigil.
If none of these bring back any joy I may resort to going back on Nardil. Was on it for about 6 months about 3 years ago. My blood pressure was all over the place, felt so tired and I put on a load of weight. But looking back I think I felt a bit more like me again. Thats my main problem I think, a lack of sense of self(if that makes sense to people). My doc stopped it cause I wasn't keeping to the diet evan though I didn't need to.Sorry for the long-winded rant, but if anyone is still reading what I want to know is.........
what kind of depression/disorder do you think I've got? I've been diagnosed with so many different titles over the years, I feel I might as well get another diagnosis from people you can actually relate. Are there any meds that jump out to you as good ones to try for someone in my situation? You never know I might not have tried them?
Big thanks to anyone who responds to this.
Peace Falcon
Posted by Jimmyboy on January 17, 2007, at 10:45:59
In reply to anhedonia, posted by falconman on January 17, 2007, at 10:38:01
I don't know what you call it, but it sucks, I know I have experienced it the last 8 months nad it is a living nightmare that is yours and yours only that no one around you can see or relate ro usually. There are definitely people around here who can though..
I think your current plan sounds good.. My lay opinion ( again no expert , I am here on this board too) would be to keep the Klonopin, try the Tianeptine, provigil, try to get some aerobic exercise ( if you can), force yourself to read and do differant types of things to get a little stimulation.
Maybe try supplementing B-vtamins - esp. folic acid, B6, B12.
And maybe try some Omega 3 fish oil and low doses of Lithium also to help protect your brain.
Posted by laima on January 17, 2007, at 11:59:51
In reply to anhedonia, posted by falconman on January 17, 2007, at 10:38:01
Provigel or selegeline sound like promising ideas. Possibly even a stimulant such as ritalin. Eventually maybe even see what happens if you quit klonopin, but that's not always so easy to do so I wouldn't rush it, and I sure wouldn't try quitting all the meds in one go. I came off klonopin, and personally feel clearer and less anxious now than when I was on it. I agree with all of the nutritional recommendations Jimmyboy mentions. I also wonder if phenylalanine or rhodolia might be helpful. This isn't an easy problem, is it. I'm trying to sort it out too.
Posted by ronaldo on January 17, 2007, at 13:05:47
In reply to anhedonia, posted by falconman on January 17, 2007, at 10:38:01
Hi Falcon
Do you think you could be dysthymic? How long has this been going on?
ronaldo
Posted by falconman on January 17, 2007, at 14:07:56
In reply to Re: anhedonia » falconman, posted by ronaldo on January 17, 2007, at 13:05:47
> Hi Falcon
>
> Do you think you could be dysthymic? How long has this been going on?
>
> ronaldoHi,
I'm 27 now. To the severity that my life is at a stand still, its been 10 years. I had bouts when I was young too, in my early teens and possibly before. That felt different though. It was transient and I was actually feeling what I think depression should feel like. Now its relentless and I'm mainly desperately empty.I was extremely anxious throughout all my school years, infact I think its nothing short of a miracle that I came out with decent grades. As early as age 6-7 I can remember feeling panicky in lessons, especially if attention was drawn to me. I definitely had severe anxiety issues when I was very young. My mother says that I seemed to have seperation anxiety from day 1. There could be a genetic aspect to it, I suppose my dad has mild social phobia.
Cheers
Posted by ronaldo on January 17, 2007, at 14:26:51
In reply to Re: anhedonia, posted by falconman on January 17, 2007, at 14:07:56
Hi Falcon
Below is a definition of dysthymia in case you want to consider whether in fact you are dysthymic or not.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysthymia
I think I have probably got dysthymia. It feels like chronic low grade depression with all the joy distilled out of one's life. I still have to get onto my pdoc for some medication to deal with it.
ronaldo
Posted by Quintal on January 17, 2007, at 17:06:42
In reply to anhedonia, posted by falconman on January 17, 2007, at 10:38:01
Anhedonia seems to be quite common when taking serotonergic drugs like Citalopram and Cymbalta. It has something to do with dopamine (pleasure and reward neurotransmitter) being downregualted by the excess of serotonin over time. Stims can help with this but I'm quite certain you won't be able to get them for psychiatric use in the UK. Parnate is one stimulating med that you might be able to get and replacing Celexa and Cymbalta with it may help.
Amisulpride works well, but only for a short time it seems. Best saved for occasional use?
Q
Posted by Phillipa on January 17, 2007, at 17:44:23
In reply to Re: anhedonia, posted by Quintal on January 17, 2007, at 17:06:42
Hummm sounds like me as anxiety has always been the worst symtom. Maybe that's why I've been on benzos for so many years. And I'd say I'm bored too. With no motivation to find something boring like cleaning to do. Love Phillipa supposed to have MDD. But I don't lay in bed all day.
Posted by crabwalk on January 17, 2007, at 18:13:00
In reply to anhedonia, posted by falconman on January 17, 2007, at 10:38:01
You've probably read my above post. I feel exactly what you've described, and for me it was never this way before taking ssris. I was anxious and couldn't sleep, which led to chronic stress, which led to feelings of depression. But during that time I still had a response to music, was capable of not just having sex but having very good sex, had fun drinking, was attracted to girls, the list goes on and on, everything that was rewarding in life I was still capable of responding to. Now it's basically nothing, marked most starkly by sexual side effects persisting after quitting prozac for almost 2 years now. Actually I think they're more accurately described as sensual side effects, since my general body sensation feels 'bleached out'. This emotional/sensual state led to the disintegration of my relationship and the possibility of other realtionships, and this has left me quite depressed. Before drugs, I never seriously considered life so bleak that it was not worth living, it took the ssri-induced changes to make things that bad.
How to treat it? I'm hoping a combo of wellbutrin and remeron will do something...I'm not exactly holding my breath though.
Posted by Llurpsie_Noodle on January 17, 2007, at 20:20:59
In reply to Re: anhedonia » falconman, posted by crabwalk on January 17, 2007, at 18:13:00
Hi Falconman,
I had really bad anhedonia for about 2-3 months during the worst of my depression last year. I noticed that the cymbalta helped with starting to think more positively, but I got better results with 90 mg, and about 3? months ago I went up to 120. Now my bouts of depression are pretty sporadic, and rarely last more than a few days.I agree that some provigil may help with that. I think that since I've been taking provigil I really haven't had very bad anhedonia in a while. Usually the thing that I notice first in terms of anhedonia is that I just really don't want to eat. It's such a chore. So is anything. Nothing seems to have any color or meaning. Music- no more "goosebump" effect. It's really awful, and no way to live life.
If you've gotten any kind of response on 60mg cymbalta it is worth it to try a higher dosage before switching to a new medication altogether.
take care of you,
there really is tasty chocolate in the world; it will be waiting for you when you feel better.-Ll
Posted by MIke Lynch on January 18, 2007, at 14:15:43
In reply to Re: anhedonia » crabwalk, posted by Llurpsie_Noodle on January 17, 2007, at 20:20:59
yaya i've experienced all of it, wrote about it so many times that I don't even feel like describing it. Do you also have an inability to cry?
Posted by Economist on April 13, 2010, at 18:18:49
In reply to anhedonia, posted by falconman on January 17, 2007, at 10:38:01
Hi falconman and other posters --
Did any of you find relief from your anhedonia with medication?
This is the end of the thread.
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