I am not getting enough relief from my depression

[Ave Maria]

Hey everyone. I take 30 mg of Lexapro which is actually 10 mg above the maximum dose and it does help some with my depression but not nearly enough. I am still finding myself depressed quite often. I have tried a few other medications too. I tried Cymbalta but it made me incredibly suicidal. I also tried Zoloft and it helped some but not much. I have tried Wellbutrin in the past too but I am not sure how well it worked because I was taking Lexapro with it. I don't think I have tried any other anti-depressants. I am in therapy but therapy doesn't seem to help much. I am not sure what to do. I have considered getting that electroshock therapy for depression but I don't really want to get it and besides that, my boyfriend is also totally against it. He's afraid it'll change my personality or something. What other therapies are there out there that are available for treatment resistant depression?

 

[Miser]

A good doctor did wonders for my depression. He was my therapist and GP all rolled into one.

 

[Criada]

Praying for you, sweetie.
I don't know how long you've been in therapy, but it's a long journey - and it can be a while before it feels as though it's helping.
One thing which I'm finding helpful is dialectic behavioural therapy (DBT). It might be worth asking your therapinst if she can refer you for that - it's hard work, but it seems to really make a difference to thought patterns and ability to cope.

 

[SplendidTree]

Praying for you, sister.

 

[maycin]

So sorry to hear about your continuing depression. I don't know how long you have been treated for your depression or if your doctor feels it is a situational depression or a more chemical-related depression.(I guess I should term it biological depression)

I also know the frustrations of not obtaining relief from anti-depressants most of the time. Just wanted to add a few things that I have learned along this journey.
In my opinion, psychiatrists are the ones most experienced in prescribing drugs related to depression. The extra cost is well worth it. Also, you might have to try out the psychiatrists to find out if they are a good fit for you. There are some mood stabilizers and also Abilify that can be added to the anti-depressants to help mood.

Women with depression need to understand the role of the thyroid, adrenals and female hormones and how they can affect your depression. I was able to find a regular M.D. who also was experienced in alternative medicine. She was willing to go over and beyond what other docs would do for my thyroid.( you can do an internet search for thyroid and how the lack of iodine affects so many women now) Also, she treated me for adrenal fatigue(you can do an internet search for that) Also, you can go to wometowomen.com to view their articles on women and hormones. But I do feel they have some "new age" thinking in some of their articles that one must really be aware of. Especially when they are relating alot of women's physical problems to their emotional problems. And then their emotional problems to their husbands and then even stating leaving their husbands cleared up their physical problems.But they do have alot of experience in treating women with hormonal imbalances, adrenal fatique and there are some articles on treating depression naturally(but you need to check with your doc first. They also have a very good vitamin/mineral supplement and a herbal supplement to help women balance their hormones.

I realize that having to research these issues and even finding a new doctor can be an overwhelming task. I know what it's like to not feel well enough to even make a phone call.

I pray that the Lord will give you the strength and to guide your path in finding a treatment plan. In the meantime, this is a wondeful site for support and it is so important to have that support while you are experiencing depression.
God Bless

 

[Ave Maria]

Hey everyone. Thanks for your prayers and advice. I do currently see a psychiatrist. I have to call and schedule a new appointment with him on Monday because I missed my last appointment. I am hoping and praying that he will prescribe me something either in addition to my Lexapro or something besides the Lexapro to help with my depression. I am also going to ask for something to control the tics that I have my Tourette's Disorder.

 

[maycin]

I will pray for your visit to your psychiatrist. God bless.

 

[STAYING_STRONG4HIM]

Seroquel worked for me while I was on it more than any other antidepressant I've been on...I tried prozac and welbutrin, both made me suicidal. Just thought I would throw that one out there incase you wanted to bring that one up wth your doctor. I can tell you depression is hard. I'm still going through it myself. I hope things get better for you. Praying for you.

 

[cflittlestar]

(((Maria)))

 

[SplendidTree]

Praying!

 

[St. Paul]

Hey everyone. I take 30 mg of Lexapro which is actually 10 mg above the maximum dose and it does help some with my depression but not nearly enough. I am still finding myself depressed quite often. I have tried a few other medications too. I tried Cymbalta but it made me incredibly suicidal. I also tried Zoloft and it helped some but not much. I have tried Wellbutrin in the past too but I am not sure how well it worked because I was taking Lexapro with it. I don't think I have tried any other anti-depressants. I am in therapy but therapy doesn't seem to help much. I am not sure what to do. I have considered getting that electroshock therapy for depression but I don't really want to get it and besides that, my boyfriend is also totally against it. He's afraid it'll change my personality or something. What other therapies are there out there that are available for treatment resistant depression?

It sounds like you might have the same problem I do. One ant-depressant isn't strong enough. I'm actually on 3 right now. I'm on Pristiq, Wellbutrin, and Trazadone which is a sleep aid but it's also technically an anti-depressant. This helped for awhile but it's now warn off. I'm back to being miserable so I probably need a med change.

I've had electroshock treatment a few times. It's really nothing to worry about. It actually works great!! What happens is they give you six treatments. They space it out over 2 weeks. You have treatments on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The only side effect was very short term memory loss. For example, after having ect on Monday, on wednesday when we walked down to the ect room, I couldn't remember walking there on Monday. None of it looked familiar. It was kind of funny actually. Because the other people who were getting ect with me couldn't remember it either. Don't let this scare you though. I did not forget my family, peoples names, or forgot my childhood, or anything like that. That doesn't happen. The toughest thing is just getting over the fear of ect. I remember I read horrible things about it and I said no way would I ever get ect done, but I'm glad I finally did. I'm actually thinking about going back to the hospital for more ect since my medication isn't working.