Depression management

[Sarah05]

I've finally reached a point where I am considering antidepressants for the depression rather than for pain management, and would like to know if others are on antidepressants, and what works for them.

I took Prozac a long time ago, and that washed me out completely--I couldn't feel anything. Earlier in the IC experience I was put briefly on Strattera and Remiron, and had a worse reaction--I started feeling even more suicidal and almost violent at times. I quit that VERY quickly.

Now with my sensitivity to foods and medications added into the mix, I would really rather not mess things up even more, especially as I am starting a new job. I'm too young to get much out of disability--if I had to try to go on that I'd be homeless and starve, so I gotta work!

But I have to at least consider this now. I have too many extremely bad emotional lows (with the suicidal impulses getting harder to work through). I'm lonely and depressed and in pain, so despite my occasional other successes, I need to do better than that.

So any suggestions would be appreciated.

Sarah

[patricia1]

Hi Sarah, first off I am sorry you are going through so much pain, please, please find help. I took several different things for my depression, I took zoloft, paxil and lexapro to name a few. Although my depression did not include sucidial thoughts though. I also thought that Strattera was a ADD medicine not an antidepressant? I think this is what my son was on once. Abouth Disability, how old are you? I am 33 and I collect disability right now. Granted I am married and my husband works, but the disability helps as I am not able to work.

Please get help or counseling for the sucide thought. I will tell you a story. This past Saturday my husband was a pall bearer for his best friends brother's funeral. This man commited sucide last Tuesday. He had a bunch of problems, was on disability for a back injury and was taking some strong pain meds. Well these pain meds made him sucidial. He has tried it before by overdoseing on them. Well Tues he did the same thing, only his mom got him to the hospital in time, they pumped his stomach and let him leave when he should not have left. He came home told his mom he could not take the pain, having to be on the meds all the time, and hated the way he felt taking the meds, he then left went to his house got a shotgun and put it to his head. This death has hit his family hard. His wife had left him several months before b/c of the drugs and he had 3 kids, one is not even 1 yet, and the middle boy is 2. When you commit sucide you are affecting not only your life but the lives of the ones you leave behind. They are left with questions as to why you did this to your self. And wondering if its there fault because they could not have helped you more, even if they helped as much as they could. I know the pain and thoughts make it seem as though life would be much better if you were not here, but thats not true. God has a plan for you, and he wants you here on this earth to follow it through. If something happened to you that would be one less IC voice that cant be heard anymore because it will be silinced. Please seek counseling and find some meds to help you, sucide is not the answer. Look towards God and he will lead you in the right direction. Honestly the funeral of a sucide victim is the worst to attend, because no one, not even the peacher has the words to describe this funeral.....I will keep you in my prayers

[lovethesouth]

Sorry to hear this. I also use Lexapro. I do not know if it is even helping any. What I would suggest is talk to someone that perscribes meds and find out the pros and cons.

Hope you get to feeling better.

[vm]

I take Lexapro also. It is one of the "newer" SSRIs and is supposed to be on eof the SSRIs with the lowest incidence of side effects. It has been a godsend to me. :)

Hopefully you have a good doc who can point you in the right direction. I went to a psychiatrist rather than my family doc b/c my dad is bipolar and there is quite a bit of mental illness on his side of the family. I have a history of depression, so all that made me want to go to a doctor who specializes in those drugs. It might be good for you, too, since you have had some bad reactions in the past.

[Buckwheat]

Does anyone take Lexapro and if so, any weight gain and does it help with spasms? Also how long does it take to kick in?