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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by lepus on June 23, 2011, at 21:56:26
Okay, I'm struggling with how much of my disorder is psychological and how much might be caused by a physical ailment. I suffer from extreme anxiety and agoraphobia. This has been going on for years. Naturally, I'm deconditioned. Naturally, I'm also depressed since life is passing me by.
However, part of the problem with all this has been it started with me suddenly not being able to exercise. I went to a lot of doctors, had a lot of tests, nothing much came up except maybe psoriatic arthritis, postural orthostatic hypotension syndrome and low Vitamin D levels. Otherwise, it is supposedly all in my head.
So, I'm supposed to be depressed. I am. I admit it. But I actually want to do things. My body doesn't let me, either because of anxiety, fatigue or because of the agoraphobia. Lately I have trouble doing my laundry. I get fatigued and have trouble just getting to the laundry room. I want to do my laundry. I want to vacuum. I want to play with my dog. But the energy isn't there. I want to walk. I walked around the house a bit Sunday and ended up in massive pain Monday.
I do not know what is going on and no longer know what to do for help.
I started Seroquel this week. Felt horrible. I'm stopping it tonight and calling my doctor in the morning. I took it in the past and felt fine. Why the change?
I'm just lost. I know there is a psychological component to how I feel. But can depression and horrible anxiety cause the symptoms I have discussed, the horrible fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness, etc.? The difference to me seems to be that with true depression you don't want to do things. I do want to do things but simply can't!
God I need help. Any ideas? I need to be hospitalized to be checked out physically and psychologically but no one will do it. I have to be suicidal first. The wait might not be long.
Posted by lepus on June 23, 2011, at 21:59:33
In reply to can you be depressed if you want to do things, posted by lepus on June 23, 2011, at 21:56:26
And...what do you do if you simply cannot tolerate meds anymore? What is left? I couldn't stand Abilify. I can't stand Seroquel. I've been on everything over the years. I don't know what I have left, other than the MAOIs. I have EMSAM left to start. I guess that's it. I don't have much hope for it though.
Posted by zonked on June 24, 2011, at 12:25:48
In reply to Re: can you be depressed if you want to do things, posted by lepus on June 23, 2011, at 21:59:33
> And...what do you do if you simply cannot tolerate meds anymore? What is left? I couldn't stand Abilify. I can't stand Seroquel. I've been on everything over the years. I don't know what I have left, other than the MAOIs. I have EMSAM left to start. I guess that's it. I don't have much hope for it though.
I tried every SSRI on the market except Luvox, both SSNRIs available at the time (Effexor XR and Cymbalta), Wellbutrin - only Parnate and Nardil have touched my depression (except the first round of Zoloft, which pooped out). Emsam (well, technically, the selegiline capsules) helped depression a bit but made me agitated and increased my anxiety.
Don't give up. Similar stories abound on this board.
-z
Posted by Phillipa on June 24, 2011, at 12:31:14
In reply to Re: can you be depressed if you want to do things » lepus, posted by zonked on June 24, 2011, at 12:25:48
And I feel the same only much older than you. I am a very physical person and various disorders have taken that pleasure from me. Can a pill fix that? Yes it's depressing me also and upping anxiety. So I ask the same question what is it. Yes have thyroid issures, back issues and physical pain from real medical issues but I don't want them to stay in the way of doing things. And grieving aging as life speeds by at the rate of a bullet. Phillipa
Posted by lepus on June 24, 2011, at 19:26:09
In reply to Re: can you be depressed if you want to do things » lepus, posted by zonked on June 24, 2011, at 12:25:48
>
> I tried every SSRI on the market except Luvox, both SSNRIs available at the time (Effexor XR and Cymbalta), Wellbutrin - only Parnate and Nardil have touched my depression (except the first round of Zoloft, which pooped out). Emsam (well, technically, the selegiline capsules) helped depression a bit but made me agitated and increased my anxiety.
>
> Don't give up. Similar stories abound on this board.
>
> -zI'm trying not to give up. Tonight my doctor told me to quit the Seroquel and start Inderal and some Ativan to get me out of the overly anxious state I'm in. I'm not even sure I can take Inderal since I have allergies that can cause asthma at times. I don't think she was really listening to me because her grandchild was coming over.
I want to be hospitalized but that seems to be impossible around here. I want them to look at the entire picture, check under the hood, etc., and look for physical causes as well as start me on some psych meds. I'm so agoraphobic I can't see a doctor right now.
I just feel like I'm dead.
Posted by lepus on June 24, 2011, at 19:29:00
In reply to Re: can you be depressed if you want to do things, posted by Phillipa on June 24, 2011, at 12:31:14
I'm sorry Phillipa. I really hope there is something better for both of us and soon. You're always so sweet to everyone on these boards.
Too many good people are suffering, and many of us needlessly. Healthcare in this country (if you're in the US) is such a joke. If I were in this state 20 years ago I would be in the hospital getting checked out, as I actually WAS 20 years ago. But no. Insurance won't pay for it. Ridiculous.
Posted by Phillipa on June 24, 2011, at 21:56:39
In reply to Re: can you be depressed if you want to do things, posted by lepus on June 24, 2011, at 19:29:00
Nor will you get admitted unless, psychotic, manic, suicidal, or attempt. I remember when could go in for med changes. No more. Phillipa
Posted by floatingbridge on June 25, 2011, at 1:13:26
In reply to can you be depressed if you want to do things, posted by lepus on June 23, 2011, at 21:56:26
Hi. I'm reading along. I have some similar questions :-/
I didn't tolerate seroquel or abilify. I did a brief trial of emsam and, aside from insomnia (and I don't toss that term around like a pesky old sx), I feel like I tolerated it very well. My body just rejects all sorts of meds, so I was surprised. There wasn't even a rash at the patch site. I was able to get up (out of bed) and out in the world more.So, I don't know. Your situation sounds tough, but maybe there is a way. Do you have sleep issues? Cause I would need a sleep plan. Oddly, aside from a couple of episodes that I think of as the med 'ramping-up', it was actually a stress reducer. For myself. I think being able to do things actually reduced a boatload of stress in itself. Feeling absolutely conquered by something that should be as easy-
peas as laundry mountain is disheartening, and in fact, alarming.And there it is. That alarm going off 24/7. The volume might vary, but it's pretty darn constant.
Don't give up (you said you weren't). I read your threads, just don't always post.
fb
Posted by lepus on June 25, 2011, at 23:34:21
In reply to Re: can you be depressed if you want to do things » lepus, posted by floatingbridge on June 25, 2011, at 1:13:26
Yes, I have sleep issues. I have this horrible mixed bag of anxiety, agoraphobia and now crippling depression. I keep wanting to go to the ER and beg them to help me. Problem is I know they won't.
My doctor gave me Inderal and Ativan to try to get me through the weekend. I think I start Emsam Monday.
I haven't taken the Inderal. I had asthma like symptoms on Atenolol so I don't know why Inderal would be different.
I'm just sinking and don't know what to grab onto to stay afloat.
Sorry to hear of your problems lately, FB. Mental health care is in such a state of crisis and we're the victims.
Posted by hyperfocus on July 6, 2011, at 0:19:23
In reply to can you be depressed if you want to do things, posted by lepus on June 23, 2011, at 21:56:26
It is very hard to separate out physical illness from mental illness. Thyroid problems, Lyme disease, mercury fillings in your teeth, - all of the stuff that bleauberry warns us about - can all result in serious conditions that cause symptoms that could be attributed to depression and anxiety. I just read about hyperventilation syndrome which is like a chronic breathing problem in people with anxiety that causes chronic daily fatigue amd tingling sensations in your extremeties that puzzle most doctors and basically make the anxiety far more debilitating. A lot of people will argue that there shouldn't be any separation between physical and mental illness because the body is infinitely connected and one type is co-dependant on the other. Depresion has been theorized as some sort of inflammatory disease. I know one persion who saw his MS tremendously improve from a course of probiotic yougurt. Some people get a sudden improvement in depresion when taking an antibiotics course.
I think that if you have the will to do something and are unable to do then it's definitely your illness causing it. Illness has nothing to with personality or how outgoing you are or how much energy or effort you neeed to expend on something.
The best thing you can do is hit the internet hard and connect with information and people and communites that have the knowledge to help. Psychiatry moves too fast for most doctors. I definitely think that there is information and drugs currently out here than can get us to remission. It's just a difficult process in finding it. I wish you well.
This is the end of the thread.
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