Depression (major depression)

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• June 7, 2011 8:54 p.m.

  dear kam: it was 97 here 2 day & u no where we were, have u ever tried taking zanax, some people do well w. ativan & others with zanax? we're talkin' bout goin' horse-back riding on Sun., should be a good time, all the kids r outta school now all ready, will have a full house during the day cuz my daughter-in-law works afternoons, take care talk to u soon

  - denise

• June 6, 2011 9:46 p.m.

  Denise,,Grandkids and relaxing by the pool ,doesnt get any better than that .!!Have always had problems with meds .Have tryed so many . They told me the ativan would knock me out .After 3 hours of very little change they sent me home .

  - kam

• June 5, 2011 10:11 p.m.

  dear kam: still here in "indy", having a great time, grandson's grad. was 2-day, everything was really nice, they have a swim. pool, it was bout 90 the other day, so did a lot of swim., lots of fun, i'm sorry the other meds. didn't work 4 u, can't believe u had a "shot" of ativan & it didn't do u any good, usually that'll knock most people out, well gotta go evry 1 here is really tired, long days, me the nite owl & they're all day time people, plus the kids r still in school 'til tues., hope everything is going good 4 u

  - denise

• June 2, 2011 9:35 p.m.

  Denise,, Hope you had a good time. Have tryed benedryl,,gave me medicine head .Didnt like abilify.Had ativan one night by shot form in the ER ,,didnt do a thing for me.Night owl also so still hoping for that right sleep aid . Have tryed so many .Sure the right one is out there for me .

  - kam

• June 2, 2011 6:41 p.m.

  I believe my 20-year-old son, who lives at home,has depression. He seems paralyzed: won't look for a job, does computer stuff alone in his room a lot, drags himself to the one college class he's taking. There many other typical signs as well. In his early teens he took an antidepressant and improved. Then he started refusing to take the medication and never went back on it. "Refusal" is his frame of mind now. If he won't help himself by seeing a doctor, exercising more, etc. -- are there ways a parent can help or intercede? Thanks for any suggestions.

  - Janet

• June 2, 2011 12:09 a.m.

  dear kam: gettin excited now, leavin' in the a.m., i don't think i told u what i take 4 sleep:(2) benedryl, they work every time, i get 'em from the $ store, they're only 4 bucks! my doc gives me ativan 4 anxiety and/or sleep, abilify 4 my depression & ritalin 4 a boost in the a.m. & 2 keep my energy up, we found the "magic" combo of drugs-yeah! better not shout 2 loud lol, the grandkids aren't gonna b in a very good mood, their dog got hit by a car 2-day, the driver didn't even stop, the dog didn't make it, horrible, they've had such bad luck w. animals lately, @ least they were in school & weren't home when it happened, i feel so bad for all of them, hopefully the "christmas presents" i bought will cheer them up (lol), yes i bought clothes & other fun stuff & wrapped them in red & green paper leftover from x-mas, they'll get a big kick out of it, well that's enough, feel like i'm on face book here (whatever that is like) lol, sorry i'm just rambling here, gotta go, 7 a.m. comes real early 4 this "nite owl" hope you are doing better

  - denise

• June 1, 2011 8:24 a.m.

  Hi Denise Please dont ever stop bragging!You have come so far .That is wonderful ! It gives people like me hope that someday I may have my life back and the PTSD will not control so much of me . Enjoy the grandkids.I have 4 of them .They are why I get up in the morning .Glad Klonopin worked for you .Had to many problems with that one .Have fun!

  - kam

• June 1, 2011 1:11 a.m.

  dear kam: glad 2 hear from u, just a little bit about myself: am goin to indiana to visit the grandkids for 7-10 days, leaving on thurs., so if u don't hear from me 4 a little while, u'll no why, maybe i can go on-line @ their house, after they're all in bed, haven't went on anyone else's computer b 4? went 2 the doc 2 day said he's gonna call in a pres. 4 the armour thyroid, my tests didn't come back (from 3 wks. ago), i'll start on it when i get back home, my family can't believe how good i'm doing, a month ago my mom (83 yrs. young) was taking care of everything 4 me: errands, groc. shop., laundry, etc., what a difference the right meds. make!! so many side effects, i don't let him (my psych. doc) put me on 2 many drugs, i'm funny like that, i'll ck. w. the pharmacist (mine is sooo helpful), about any interactions with the different meds. that i'm taking, like with your Deseryl & Klonopin 4 anxiety & sleep, like i said b 4 i give u a lot of credit, u are a very strong person-2 hold down a full-time job when ur going thru all these things, hope 2 morrow is a better day than today was & i'll put in a good word for u with the "man upstairs", keep in touch, oh i hope u don't think i was bragging because i'm doing better, i wouldn't do that & i'm not like that, sorry bout that

  - denise

• May 30, 2011 10:06 p.m.

  Denise,,Thanks for the kind words and information. I have tryed so many meds I cant remember them all. Right now on Levothyroxine ,4 thyroid ,Lexapro 4.depression,Clonazapam 4 anxiety and panic ,Trazadone 4 sleep,Seroquel for agitation and sleep,Dont take last 2 at the same time .Isnt much time to do anything when the flashbacks happen .Just ride it out .Sometimes the meds help the night terrors sometimes not .My biggest problems r always at night .Thats When The PTSD really takes hold .

  - kam

• May 30, 2011 8:32 p.m.

  dear candy: i'm glad u wrote in, like i've told everyone else, i'm not a professional just a patient that suffers from clinical depression, do u go 2 a psych. dr. or a reg. m.d.? the reason i ask is that i've not heard of long term side effects from these drugs, i don't think the manuf. could make them if there was a chance that we would have long-term problems of any kind, how long is ur dr. taking to cut your effexor down, with these drugs u have to be weaned off of them very slowly or even cutting the dosage needs to also be done very slowly, otherwise there could be side effects like the ones ur experiencing, or it could b that u just need 2 b on another kind of med., alot of my family members & relatives were alcoholics (all deceased now), dad was only 41 & a bad alcoh., u may want to try & get in to ur dr. sooner & maybe he/she can refer u 2 a psych. dr. that works with people that suffer from the things that r going on with u, the crying, being irritible & grouchy are all signs of anxiety, which can be part of the illness or just something that ur dealing with right now, did ur reg. m.d. say that u suffer from depression? it would be helpful 2 u to be put on some anti-anxiety med. such as ativan or zanax, i think it would really help u, but it won't turn u into a "zombie" or get u addicted either, when did the memory issues start? they could be just a temporary thing, hang in there, don't give up hope & let me know how ur doing

  - denise

• May 30, 2011 6:29 p.m.

  I have memory issues at 61 yrs old. I had a Brain MRI and subsequently saw a neurologist. He has ordered a Neuropsych test. They are booked out until Nov. 2, 2011. In the meantime, my family doc is taking me off of Effexor. He states long term users may have memory problems. I took 3 - 150 mg e/o day, then 3 - 75 mg e/o day, and now 37.5 mg e/o day. I cry all the time about nothing or everything. I'm irratible, grouchy and can't even stand myself let alone my husband. I think about the world being better without me, but truly don't mean it. My mother and her father and her brothers were all alcoholics. I'm not, but I have a sister who is and 2 of my children are alcoholics, one sober and one not. Husband used to drink a lot but at 71 has slowed down. Are these feelings normal when you are being taken off Effexor or any other anti-depressant? I'm not sure I'll make it until June 9 on my follow up appointment. Thank you.

  - Candy

• May 30, 2011 12:15 a.m.

  cont. to kam: hang in there & keep in touch, i'd like to no how you're doing

  - denise

• May 30, 2011 12:11 a.m.

  dear kam: i'm so glad that u wrote back, i give u alot of credit, holding down a job & having to go thru what u do on a daily basis, to live with panic attacks & anxiety, i sure wouldn't be able 2 function @ a job everyday, i don't no how u do it? i'm glad u have a good therapist, that's a very important thing, do you have a good support group i.e., family and/or friends that r there 4 u? do the meds. that ur on help u? what do the drs. do 4 u when u get the nite terrors, panic attacks & flashbacks? do u have to just suffer thru those? i'm sorry 4 all the questions, it's very ironic that u mentioned that ur thyroid is out of whack, i was just doing some research on having your thyroid tested, i asked my doc 2 write me a pres., i c him on tues., we'll see what the test shows, have done some research on it & they (who ever "they" r) lol, have found out that many of us that suffer & r diagnosed with mental illness actually suffer from a thyroid problem, i've found that a pres. med. called "Armour Thyroid" helps with the symptoms of depression: lethargy, lack of motivation, just wanting to sleep all the time, anxiety & lots of other symptoms, i'm asking my psych. dr. 2 rite a script. 4 it, it's supposed to work really fast, only after a few doses (according to my pharmacist), i have a great doc, he usually always goes along with what i ask him 4, that's so important 2 me, i have great support from my family, i'm so grateful 4 this!! han

  - denise

• May 29, 2011 10:48 p.m.

  thankyou Denise for your kind words .My PTSD came from a childhood of every kind of abuse there is .I left home young .Moved far away .Married ,raised an amazing family,have grandchildren .Totally left that world behind .Hid it all from everyone .Four years ago had a panic attack that put me in the hospital . After many test ,I was sent to a great therapist .Took me a long time to admit I had a mental illness .Most people think of PTSD as a war thing ,not always true .I still hide it from the outside word .My family knows some now ,but still not all .I live with anxiety ,panic ,depression,sleep disorders ,flashbacks,,night terror and more . Not always easy ,but I work everyday and keep my secret from the outside world .I am on many medications that help to keep me going .,and weekly therapy .I have had my thyroid checked and found out that was out of wack .They say that can cause depression ect .

  - kam

• May 29, 2011 11:09 a.m.

  dear kam: i'm glad u wrote in & thank you for the nice compliment, i try to do my best to help out, u say that u haven't had much luck writing here on the blogs, if other people don't want to talk to u about PTSD, shame on them, this web-site is 4 everyone that wants to talk about what's going on in their lives, tell me a little bit about what's going on with u (if u want 2), i'm a good listener & a good talker (just in case u've read any of my other blogs) lol, this site is for people that r suffering from all kinds of illnesses/diseases & other ailments, it's here 4 us to vent, discuss, ask questions or just say if ur havin' a "crappy day", i encourage u to share whatever u want, evry 1 just has to abide by the posting guidelines (see below), i hope u write back because i'd like to know how ur doing, hope to hear from u soon, good luck, o i almost 4 got to tell u, that there are other blogs on the web-site, in case u didn't see them, u go under the depression blog, it has individual subjects, it's good, i read & write there 2 ttyl

  - denise

• May 28, 2011 10:04 p.m.

  I have been reading a lot of blogs here .I have tryed writting here a couple times .Never much luck .Seems like the minute you say you have PTSD know one really wants to talk to you.Denise keep up the good work .You sound like you know a lot about meds ect.Best of luck to everyone here .

  - kam

• May 28, 2011 4:27 p.m.

  dear ciaran: am glad u wrote back & i'm very glad that ur doing well, i'm glad 2 help in any way that i can, believe me i've been where u are & can relate 2 what u & the others r all saying, if the tea doesn't help u enough (with that extra boost, that the caffeine in the coffee has), there's a company that makes caffeine gum, sounds gross, but they have different flavors, the military uses it, so it is very safe, if you're interested write back & i'll give u & evry 1 else the info., good luck 2 u, let me know how everything's going & i hope things continue 2 go well 4 u, it's so great when we're feeling "normal" again, isn't it (lol)

  - denise

• May 28, 2011 4:14 p.m.

  dear annette: glad 2 hear from u! i hope u have good luck with stopping the remeron (mirtazapine), i know i had more energy from that med., but a bad side effect-big time wt. gain, if u get 2 the 7th day & any wd. symptoms r going on? u may want 2 ck. w. your dr. or pharmacist, we have 2 b so careful when we stop these drugs, 'cause they can have some bad wd. symptoms, evry 1 is different, some drs. don't even give u any idea how many days/wks. that it takes 2 wean ur self of from these meds., i find that the pharmacist gives me the most up-to-date info., i have found them 2 b sooo helpful, thank u again 4 the kind words, they're very much appreciated, i hope that the disco. of the remeron goes well & that being on the zoloft will work out 4 u again, our bodies change so much every day, try not 2 get discouraged if something that worked b 4 doesn't work 4 u now, there's allways something 2 try, that will meet our individual needs: don't forget & don't give up hope, keep in touch, let me know how ur doing & ur in my prayers, too, take care

  - denise

• May 27, 2011 2:13 p.m.

  Hi Denise, I wrote back on the 16th. Was on meds, they stopped working, was sleeping all the time. Just a word to say thank-you. I've seen my doc & he's doubled the meds, I switched from coffee to tea & working hard in therapy. Haven't felt this good in ages. Thanks again for your help

  - Ciaran

• May 27, 2011 9:58 a.m.

  Dear Denise I was also crying when I read your message for me. I really mean every word I said about you. You deserve compliments for your effort to give tips and advises and encouraging words to other sufferers, made me admire you. you have a kind heart. you care for the others. as of now am not feeling good, I started to take my zoloft med together with the low dose of mirtazapine, the mirtazapine have to take it for 7 days then stop just continue with zoloft. it is now the 5th day. hope and pray that this will help me. I also believe that menopause affects my depression. you are also in my prayers and God bless.

  - Annette

• May 25, 2011 10:54 p.m.

  cont. to becky & mark G: my gramma-i remember when i was a kid-spent alot of time in bed, i live in the state of michigan good luck to all of you

  - denise

• May 25, 2011 10:50 p.m.

  dear becky & mark G.: when my depression got so bad & i had 2 quit my jobs (i worked as a bank supervisor, furniture salesperson & had several of my own small-out of my home-businesses), someone told me that i could apply & receive social security disability, i know i thought "i can't take a hand-out when there's so many other people that r so much sicker than i was", well they (the s. sec. adm.) toke my application over the phone, as i was 2 sick to get out of bed, not eating or functioning, just sleeping 24/7, yes it did take awhile to get approved, but i now receive a monthly income that allows me 2 live in my own apt. & pay 4 my own bills w/o any help from my family, you also can get health ins. (medicare), my psych. dr. takes my ins., i pay no deductible, my meds. r covered & with a $1- or $3- deductible only, i'm not a loser because i get help from the govt., just someone that was entitled-no needed monetary help, as i was not able to work anymore, my meds. r sometimes working & keep me balanced & other times i'm on the couch non-functioning again, don't think i want any sympathy, that's not it, i just want to share info. that i have to let u guys know that u can get other help & u don't have to rely on someone else 2 support u, have had this chemical inbalance 4 almost 35 yrs. now actually, it is genetic & many of my dad's brothers & sisters had it, if not all of them, gramma had it 2, spent alot of time in bed-i re

  - denise

• May 25, 2011 4:56 p.m.

  Becky.. I hear you and understand. I too have been depressed since my teen years. After a 20 year successful career, I was fired due to the symptoms of my escalating depression. Today, I feel worthless for not being a more attentive as a single dad. I feel hopeless about my situation. I too am now unemployed, and the mental health assistance from the state (Texas) is a joke. It takes months to get any attention, and the service is sub par at best. Anxiety and depression have stolen who I used to be. You are not alone. I'm not going to tell you that "everything is OK", or that "you need to hang in there." Such words don't work for people like us. They are more like a punch line. At least you know that you are not alone. The thing that stops me from hurting myself again is knowing how my absence would absolutely shatter my 15 year old son, who would have no one else to rely on and would probably turn to drugs or similar thoughts when he gets older. Get on the waiting list so that at least they can give you something for sleep and maybe level you out just a bit. Good Luck.

  - MarkG

• May 25, 2011 8:52 a.m.

  i was diagnosed with clinical depression when i was 16, (i was sexually abused from age 11-13) they put me on zoloft, i took it for 1& 1/2 yrs before i couldn't take feeling like i was plastic (a doll with a fake smile) anymore. i have 3 kids (14 yrs., 8 yrs., and almost 2 yrs.) and am 33 yrs old now. since my youngest was born i have been going downhill, started having panic/anxiety attacks, can't sleep, or eat, or enjoy anything. tthe anxiety is getting bad, i can't even go out for milk! and of course then i hate myself even more because i can't do normal things. my boyfriend thinks i'm just being selfish and can turn it off like a switch. i tried seeing a counselor but i'm sick of talking and not getting any help! i don't have insurance and i don't have a job and i can't pay to see someone or pay for meds. everyday all i think about is how much better off my kids would be if i would just go away. i want help, i want to be happy, i just don't see how. the only free place i know of around me has a months long waiting list to even see anyone.... i'm lost.

  - Becky

• May 22, 2011 12:48 p.m.

  dear annette: i'm sorry i wrote back 2 bob 1st, but i was still wiping away tears from reading that heartfelt message that u wrote, thank u sooo much 4 all the thoughtful things that u said about me, it really means alot, i have some opinions my, about what your dr. wants u 2 do-stay on the same meds. 4 four to five wks, what i do is start on the lowest dose & then if it agrees with me (no bad side effects), i ask the dr. 2 increase it, i only like to wait about 2 or 3 wks. 2 see if there is any change, life is too short to wait any longer 4 something to help us, with the new drugs: abilify, cymbalta & others, they work so much faster now, we've went 2 many yrs. having 2 wait 6-8 wks. for any results!! in case u didn't no i'm on: ritalin 4 energy, abilify 4 depression/mood balance & ativan-if needed 4 sleep and/or anxiety, i try & do as much research as i can, on any of these meds. b 4 my dr. pres. them, i have a very good dr., he pretty much goes along with any kind of suggest. that i might have-yeah!! i looked around for awhile just 2 find the right person 4 me, (change subject) w. me i was on a "maoi" drug for 20 yrs., worked great-then the "wonderful" lol (laugh out loud) menopause hit & bam! the meds. stopped working, we had 2 start all over again, i believe that "the change of life" really had a big effect on my depression good luck 2 u u are in my prayers write back & let me know how you're doing

  - denise