Hi Laurie. I do know that opiates are central nervous system depressors. (They can make me sleepy, and they sure do cause constipation.) However, in my case, they make me feel better psychologically. I think that, like most sedating drugs, opiates probably reduce anxiety. Anxiety seems to drive a lot of my depression. Aside from that, opiates just make me feel happier. I know that puts me in the category of people likely to become addicted. So I limit my use.

There is a lot of evidence that, at least in some people, opiates help relieve mental depression. They do in me, though not as much as the amitriptyline does.

But I realize that setting myself up to crave hydrocodone is not going to be a good thing.

Anyway . . . the higher dose of my ATD seems to be working, so I'll stick with that. Since taking that higher dose, I am feeling dramatically better. That is in spite of me not expecting it to help me like this, so it's not a placebo effect.

I appreciate the replies above. The recent downturn was a bad one. But it's definitely lifted.